Photograph: Royal Australian Navy

HMAS Manoora at anchor off the coast of Dili as plumes of smoke rise from fires burning in he city.

Lieutenant Commander Barbara Cassin RNZN normally works at the naval base, Auckland, in the Defence Public Relations Unit. She deployed to Timor Leste on 27 May 2006 as the contingent PR adviser and returned to New Zealand on 10 June. In these diary notes she witnesses…

Terror on the streets of Dili

I flew into an incredibly tense Dili on a very hot Sunday morning. Half of our contingent of soldiers have secured the NZ Embassy protecting the NZ Ambassador and NZDF personnel accommodated in the Embassy. The other half are on task at Taci Tolo with checkpoint and road block duties, vehicle checks, and protecting and containing personnel.

Photograph: NZDF		Photograph: NZDF
WELCOME TO TIMOR LESTE: Major Tony Robinson (left) greets Major Eugene Whakahoehoe and NZ Ambassador Ruth Nutall at Dili Airport.		ASSISTING THE PEACE PROCESS: More NZ troops arrive at Dili aboard an RNZAF C130 Hercules.

There were 42 Kiwis in Dili when I arrived. We are welcomed with chants of ‘Kia Ora Kiwi, Kiwi, Kiwi, New Zealand, New Zealand!” – the children are cheering and clapping, they are happy to have us here.

Photograph: NZDF		Photograph: NZDF
GREAT TO MEET YOU: Corporal Stace Tahere greeted by youngsters in Dili.		HEART-WRENCHING:Children in the Don Bosco refugee Camp.

During our initial patrols with the NZ news media, the lines of thousands of people waiting for food, drink and human support is a very sobering sight. The roads to the airport are lined with people seeking refuge, they have set up make-shift 'homes' – the sight is incredible. Some buildings in Dili and surrounds still burning today and general unrest still in the air – you can feel the tension. The smell of burning and of rancid rubbish and poor sanitation fills the air – especially during the hottest part of the day. Visited Don Bosco – a refugee camp with over 13,000 internally displaced people seeking refuge – heart wrenching sights.

Photograph: ADF		Photograph: ADF
ALL VEHICLES STOP!: An Australian and New Zealand manned vehicle check point near Hera, a few kilometres east of Dili.		NECESSARY VIGILANCE: Australian and New Zealand soldiers and Australian Armoured Personnel Carriers providing security over watch near Dili, while an estimated 3000 protestors from the east enter the city.

Overnight violence and property burning by large groups of youths looting and terrorising the people are an everyday occurrence, but having troops on the ground has made a huge difference. People are seeking refuge around the airport and anywhere there are soldiers - the presence of the soldiers make them feel safe.

Once the rest of the NZ Contingent, D Coy, 2/1 Battalion, arrived the Australians handed over command of the HQ at Becora and surrounds (the eastern suburbs of Dili – an area of high poverty and a notorious trouble spot) to the Kiwis.

A press conference was held for the NZ and Australian media to report the handover and interview the two Officers in Command – Major Eugene Whakahoehoe (OC D Coy NZ Contingent) and Major Frisby (OC Australian Contingent). The media followed the Kiwi patrols into the eastern suburbs where they started their patrols.

Photograph: NZDF		Photograph: RAN
OWNER'S RIGHTS: Legal Staff Officer, Captain James Munro (left) speaks to the owner of a Dili house via an interpreter before commencing a search of the property.		FLOATING HOTEL: HMAS Kanimbla alongside in Dili harbour.

HMAS Kanimbla, berthed alongside Dili, is providing ‘hotel’ services to the coalition forces at a rate of twice a day - 160 personnel each time and provides laundry, hot meal, shower and a good night’s sleep. Tonight our first platoon of approximately 42 Kiwis are onboard, enjoying the RAN hospitality.

Further combined media conferences were held with Brigadier Slater, Colonel Ismet (Malaysia) and Lieutenant Colonel Jeremy Harker fielding the questions. Internal media are out in force – including Australian radio, TV and print, BBC Radio World Today, Japanese newspapers, New York Times, Radio France and Philippine News – along with the large NZ media contingent.

The mood around Dili is more positive, people are out and about, children are playing in the playground areas. However, never complacent – I witnessed three fires today by gangs of youths outside the market areas – very menacing.

By the end of week one, more and more troops are patrolling the streets. The shops are slowly opening and street vendors plying their trade. The Banks are slowly opening, but have heavy security.

Children are playing in the playground – everyone yells out ‘Kia Ora Kiwi’ to us and shout and cheer and clap. It’s a nice feeling to be so well thought of here. The Pinzgauers are out on patrol now – the Kiwi areas are in the Becora area and east of Dili. It is up a large, winding hill and lots of fires and destruction occurred in this area – a very tough neighbourhood.

I arranged for TV, NZ Herald, NZPA and London Times (also writing for the Herald on Sunday) to accompany one of our Kiwi patrols – the patrol area has so much destruction and we saw another three large fires – and uplifted approximately 16 offenders – suspected arsonists and looters – from this area and bought them back to the Becora Police HQ, where D Coy is based, for processing. The weapons confiscated in the area include home-made rifles, machetes, long steel poles, knives, long swords, scissors and sling shots, num-chuckers and loads of cigarette lighters.

Morale is high – Kiwi troops are keen to do the job in a professional and responsible manner – just a dream to work with these guys. I can’t say enough about their professionalism and their focus. The locals are so delighted to see the Kiwis.

Overnight trouble still continues – fires and looting. Kiwis are in quickly containing the area, people and confiscating weapons. There were two groups of youths confronting each other – they quickly dispersed – this is usual evening and night mayhem. In other incidents the Australian and Malay Defence Force contained and disarmed another two groups of youths confronting each other in their areas of patrol.

Returning back to the NCE in Dili from a press conference for Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, there was a huge fire at a petrol station in the main trouble spot of Comora Road – not far from the markets – a huge blaze and the power-lines were also affected.

Lots of people are about and businesses are slowly opening – it is a different place than last weekend – armed troops are everywhere, two more Malaysian ships are here in support. The fires are still a daily occurrence – but the gangs of youths in the town area are definitely lessening, hiding in the hills.

What I struggled with most was seeing the faces of the children who are being bought up in an environment where armed guards on every street corner, warships in the harbour, armoured personnel vehicles and armed convoys in every street are part of their childhood, a normal sight. As a mother of two young adults, I found this hard to accept.

The children look to the Kiwis and you see hope in their eyes, hope that we will make a difference to their lives and give them a secure future. I have never been so proud to be a New Zealander.

Most incidents are short-lived now as the NZ soldiers react and contain them very quickly. Our guys are impressive at work, professional and well trained – I am in awe every day – the NZDF and the New Zealand public should be very proud of how professional our troops are – on task and focused.

The NZDF troops on the ground are doing a real job and making a difference, part of an effective coalition with international and ANZAC linkages. Our troops are also making a difference in their Area of Operations with an emphasis on the Kiwi way. They are getting on with business – a job that is being done, and being done well.