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New Zealand Police in Timor Leste (Operation Tuituia), International Service Group - New Zealand Police

Timor Leste - Operation Tuituia

"The situation has calmed considerably with people returning home and businesses opening up again, which is a good sign. It's our job now to build relationships with local people and help them feel safe in their community."
Assistant Commissioner Grant O'Fee

Leader of the first Timor-Leste NZ Police Contingent, Grant O'Fee donates a soccer ball to a group of children.
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New Zealand police officers were deployed to Timor Leste in July 2006 to quell unrest in the region, at the request of the Timorese government. This followed the disintegration of the local police force (PNTL) in the capital Dili and surrounding areas.

The deployment of NZPOL follows years of civil unrest and international administration of Timor Leste since 1999. In 2005, the UN reached the final stages of a three-year project to prepare the country for independence and began to reduce numbers.

Nine months later, however, a serious rift developed within the 1400-strong Timorese military resulting in 600 members being sacked. Riots broke out in April 2006, after a rally in support of the sacked soldiers turned violent. When youth gangs joined in security forces fired into crowds. Five people died and 21,000 inhabitants of Dili fled their homes.

The NZ police contingent is currently working closely with the New Zealand Defence Force, in the area of Becora, east of Dili to restore order to the country. It is currently making the transition from a military 'green' led operation to a 'blue' police led operation.

General tasks

After the April 2006 riots, New Zealand police joined the International Assistance Force (IAF), which contains members from the Royal Malaysian Police, Australian Federal Police, Australian Defence Force, NZ Defence Force and Portugal's paramilitary police to undertake the following tasks -

  • crime prevention and community safety
  • investigations and operations
  • training and development
  • administration, oversight and strategy including financial, human resource and logistics and asset management.

Timeline

  • 1999 - NZ Police joins the United Nations Transitional Authority in East Timor (UNTAET) to help prepare Timor for independence.
  • 2001 - NZ Police withdraw from East Timor after the UNTAET operation comes to an end.
  • May 2002 - East Timor becomes an independent nation under President Xanama Gusmao. It is re-named Timor Leste.
  • 2005 - The UN reduces numbers in the region.
  • 2006 - NZ Police are deployed to Timor Leste following riots in the capital of Dili.

 

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