By sending Australian troops to East timor, whats the advantage to us (Australia) and them (East Timor) ??

Question

can i have the dis-advantages as well please..
it would be great to compare!

Answer 1

When do you mean? Do you mean when East Timor was owned by Indonesia, or now?
In the late 1990s, East Timor was locked in a struggle for independence from Indonesia. Indonesia had invaded East Timor immediately after Portugal set the country free in 1975. Despite over 20 years of mistreatment, killings and forced assimilation, the East Timorese still did not want to be part of Indonesia. There was a civil war. The United Nations agreed that if the majority of East Timorese voted for independence, the U.N. would back them up. Indonesia sent guerrillas to kill and intimidate the locals. Indonesians were sent there to live, to influence the voting results.
At the same time, Indonesia was having other troubles. Its currency had collapsed in 1998, the nation was in economic crisis, and people were protesting violently in the street. The army had to kill protesters. The people got very angry and overthrew the President. It looked like Indonesia might have a civil war of its own.
Indonesia tried to distract its angry citizens by destroying the independence movement in East Timor. They killed and intimidated so many Timorese that their strategy was starting to work. But then the U.N. authorized troops to be sent there to protect the people from the Indonesian guerrillas. Normally, when the U.N. sends troops somewhere, they are useless, because they are not allowed to fight. So the attackers just keep doing what they were doing before, while U.N. troops watch. But in East Timor, the U.N. sent in Australians. The Indonesians weren't scared, because the U.N. doesn't shoot back. But the Australians did shoot back. The Indonesians fled, and East Timor became an independent country soon after a relatively peaceful election, supervised by Australian troops.
The Australians were heroes. They saved the East Timorese from massacre. They sent the Indonesians back home, where they could deal with their own problems, instead of causing more. Now, Indonesia is back to normal, and East Timor is a free country.
What did Australia get out of it? It got a friendly new neighbour. It also gained prestige by defeating a much larger neighbour and rival. Australia has some very large neighbours to its north. It showed them that it is capable of fighting them off if it has to. Defeating the Indonesian guerrillas may have contributed to pacifying that country.

Answer 2

The Aussies are there as PEACE-ENFORCING troops of the U.N.

Irish Defence Force "RANGERS" are also serving alongside them, as PEACE-ENFORCERS as well.

UNAMET (UNITED NATIONS MISSION IN EAST TIMOR)

This Mission was established in July 1999 and the Irish Defence Forces has a commitment of three Military Observers. The mandate of the mission is to organise and conduct consultations with the population on accepting or rejecting the framework for the special autonomy for East Timor.

INTERFET (INTERNATIONAL FORCE EAST TIMOR)

This mission was established in September 1999, under United Nations Security Resolution 1264/99. This resolution, adopted under Chapter Seven of the UN Charter, authorises the Australian led international peacekeeping force to use "all means necessary" to :-

Restore peace and security in East Timor. Protect and support UNAMET in carrying out its tasks. Where possible facilitate humanitarian assistance operations. The Army Ranger Wing along with a national support element of Irish logistics and technical experts drawn from other units of the Defence Forces operate with the New Zealand Battle Group consisting of New Zealand, Canadian, and Irish troops. Irish troops began participating in this mission on 12 October 1999.

UNTAET (UNITED NATIONS TRANSITIONAL AUTHORITY EAST TIMOR)

This mission was established in October 1999 to replace UNAMET immediately and INTERFET in early 2000. Its' task is the administration of East Timor during transition to independence. Following on from the Army Ranger Wing's deployment to East Timor in October 1999 there have been six further rotations, each of four month's duration. The total number of troops in the mission at present is 44.