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Dean Lewins: East Timor Unrest for AAP

On May 25th, 2006 Australian special forces soilders deployed to the worlds newest country East Timor.

The escalating violence was a result of a conflict between elements of the East Timorese military. As the situation deteriorated the East Timorese President called for an international intervention force headed by the Australian Military.

Some 1500 Australian soilders entered the country, along with military personnel from New Zealand, Fiji, Malaysia and Portugal, in a bid to contain the violence and return law and order to the streets of the captil DIli.

The waring factions within the East Timorese military quickly called a truce, however, the violence moved to the street gangs and lasted for some weeks as running battles and arson attacks forced more than 150,000 people from there homes, seeking refuge at IDP camps set up at various churches and NGO compounds.

These Images were taken for AAP. I arrived in East Timor the day the first Australian special forces soilders hit the ground and remained in the capital Dili for 10 days covering the fighting and the plight of those forced from their homes.

These images are copyright owned by AAP.

For enquires regarding the sale and usage of these images please contact the AAP Image department.

© 2006 Dean Lewins/AAP Image

Australian commando soldiers secure a safe passage as they extracate women and children out of a suburb in the capital Dili.© 2006 Dean Lewins/AAPImage
   
Australian commando soldiers escort distressed women and children out of a suburb in the capital Dili.© 2006 Dean Lewins/AAPImage
   
An East Timorese family pack up their belongings after continued arson attacks in the Comoro district in the capital Dili.© 2006 Dean Lewins/AAPImage
     
  
Terrified locals gather in the thousands outside the Australian Embassy in the capital Dili.© 2006 Dean Lewins/AAPImage
   
Children forced to take shelter at an IDP camp, line up for a bowl of porridge in the capital Dili.© 2006 Dean Lewins/AAPImage
   
A nun prepares large pots of porridge to feed young children forced to take shelter at an IDP camp in the capital Dili.© 2006 Dean Lewins/AAPImage
     
  
An aerial view of the huge crowd waiting for rice to be distributed. Earlier this morning hungry East Timorese broke into the rice storage facility causing complete chaos in the capital Dili.© 2006 Dean Lewins/AAPImage
   
An Australian soldier tries to push through the huge crowd after hungry East Timorese broke into the rice storage facility causing chaos in the capital Dili.© 2006 Dean Lewins/AAPImage
   
Australian soldiers push back the crowd after hungry East Timorese broke into the rice storage facility causing complete chaos in the capital Dili.© 2006 Dean Lewins/AAPImage
     
  
Locals drag sacks of rice as tens of thousands of starving East Timorese wait at a rice distribution depot in the capital dDili for their ration of 1 sack per family.© 2006 Dean Lewins/AAPImage
   
Australian soldiers guard the entrance after hungry East Timorese broke into the rice storage facility in the early morning causing complete chaos in the capital Dili.© 2006 Dean Lewins/AAPImage
   
Some of the tens of thousands of starving East Timorese wait behind razor-wire at a rice distribution depot in the capital Dili© 2006 Dean Lewins/AAPImage
     
  
Australian troops move in to quell more unrest between waring gangs in the capital Dili.© 2006 Dean Lewins/AAPImage
   
Australian troops kick in the front door of a home in the Becora district of the capital Dili as they conduct house to house searches.© 2006 Dean Lewins/AAPImage
   
An Australia soldier performs a house to house search in the Becora district in the capital Dili.© 2006 Dean Lewins/AAPImage
     
  
A man emerges from his home as Malaysian soldiers search houses believed to be housing gang members involved in arson attacks in the Comoro district in the capital Dili.© 2006 Dean Lewins/AAPImage
   
Malaysian soldiers search houses believed to be housing gang members involved in arson attacks in the Comoro district in the capital Dili.© 2006 Dean Lewins/AAPImage
   
Local youths run past burning shops in the Becora district as gang fighting continues between Easterners and Westerners in the capital Dili.© 2006 Dean Lewins/AAPImage
     
  
A house burns in the Becora district in the capital Dili.© 2006 Dean Lewins/AAPImage
   
Local fire fighters extinguish a shop fire after an arsen attack in the capital Dili.© 2006 Dean Lewins/AAPImage
   
An East Timorese fire fighter tries to extinguish a house fire after more arson attacks in the Comoro district in the capital Dili.© 2006 Dean Lewins/AAPImage
     
  
The remains of a child who was killed and burnt along with 6 other family members including 4 siblings in the capital Dili.© 2006 Dean Lewins/AAPImage
   
Machete's are thrown on to the road as Australian troops detain and disarm a gang of youths near the port area in the capital Dili© 2006 Dean Lewins/AAPImage
   
A youth draws back his sling shot as Easteners and Westeners continue their running battle around the Comoro market in the capital Dili.© 2006 Dean Lewins/AAPImage
     
  
Australian troops emerge from an APC as they respond to violent clashes between rival gangs fighting, looting and burning houses in the capital Dili,© 2008 Dean Lewins/AAPImage
   
Australian special forces troops detain disarm a man during an operation in one of the major trouble spots in the capital Dili.© 2006 Dean Lewins/AAPImage
   
Australian special forces troops detain two young men during an operation in one of the major trouble spots in the capital Dili.© 2006 Dean Lewins/AAPImage
     
  
Australian troops move in to quell fighting between rival gangs in the river on the main airport road in the capital Dili. © 2006 Dean Lewins/AAPImage
   
An Australian APC speeds towards the river on the main airport road in the capital Dili.© 2006 Dean Lewins/AAPImage