Luke Gosling (Solomon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Twenty-five years ago, unarmed Australian Federal Police were deployed to Timor-Leste as part of UNAMET, the United Nations Assistance Mission to East Timor. Over 1,400 Timorese people lost their lives, including 14 locally employed UN staff, due to the violence around this time. The AFP service contributed to the popular consultation, where 78.5 per cent of the Timorese population voted for independence.

Last month, nine members of the Australian Federal Police's 1999 UNAMET unit returned to Timor-Leste to attend commemorations. President Jose Ramos-Horta presented the nine AFP members with the Timor-Leste Solidarity Medal in recognition of their contributions to the people of Timor and their bravery during the popular consultation. They deserve much praise for their work during the popular consultation, which was in extremely challenging circumstances, and I welcome the fact that the AFP has had a look at some of the individual conspicuous acts of bravery by our AFP personnel. I look forward to joining ADF, AFP, DFAT and other Timor veterans on 20 September in Darwin.