A reduced number of Australian troops and police are set to stay in East Timor after United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today proposed that the UN extend its mission in the fledgling nation for another year.
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer welcomed Mr Annan's call for a one-year extension of the UN mandate in East Timor.
Australian police and troops serving as peacekeepers were due to withdraw from East Timor when the UN mandate expired on May 20.
Mr Downer said a reduced number of Australian troops would remain in East Timor. "The number of troops will be substantially reduced but I think there's a general consensus now throughout the UN – and certainly it reflects our view – that there'll have to be some security presence maintained in East Timor, a smaller security presence," Mr Downer told reporters at Darwin airport.
"We haven't formally – the government – made a decision on precisely how big our contribution will be."
Mr Downer said militia activity had died away and the government currently did not have any concerns about cross border activities.
The focus should be on police and supporting the East Timorese police in domestic law and order, Mr Downer said.
From a peak of almost 5,000 troops in East Timor in October 1999, the Australian Defence Force deployment now stands at 440, the majority from the Brisbane-based 6RAR involved in patrolling the border region.
Activities of members of pro-Indonesian militias, who wreaked havoc following the 1999 independence ballot, had dwindled to near zero – although there were concerns that the withdrawal of international security forces may encourage their comeback.
"A lot of the women are scared of the militia comeback, rape and everything," Australian soldier Corporal Scott Stone told ABC Radio today.
"I have concerns that when we leave we'll be called back in a year or so if the militia come back into the area – and we have to come back to Timor."
The UN Security Council is likely to decide on a fresh mandate on May 10 with Australia announcing its formal position by May 20.
Mr Annan has proposed the maintenance of 42 liaison officers, a force of 310 soldiers and an intervention force of 125 police to patrol the border separating East Timor from the Indonesian province of West Timor.
There would also be 157 civil police instructors and 58 civilian specialists.
As of March 31, UNMISET comprised 1,666 troops and 77 military observers, 302 policemen and 316 civilian staffers.
Under the new UN mandate, Australia is expected to contribute around a quarter of the 310 troops and an undisclosed but possibly significant number of police.
Under separate bilateral arrangements, around 50 Australian soldiers will continue to assist in training the Timorese defence force after the expiry of the UN mandate. Australian police are also training their East Timorese counterparts under a $40 million four year program launched last August.
In discussions with the UN, Australia argued that there was no need for any military force and that the mission should be dominated by police who could assist East Timor with institution building.