INTERFET Forever

Among the ruins of Suai, East Timor, an Australian soldier kneels to shake hands with a smiling local boy. Graffitied on the wall behind them are the words, ‘I love you military … INTERFET forever’. 

This moment, photographed in 1999 by Sergeant Gary Ramage, was a glimmer of warmth amidst a blur of devastation. Decades later, it’s become symbolic of Australian service in East Timor – a 14-year chapter that led to a now peaceful, independent Timor-Leste. 

Image: Defence Australia | Sergeant Martin Ryan shakes hands with an East Timorese child

“The shock to the system” 

In 1999, when East Timor voted resoundingly for independence from Indonesia, violence swept the region with a scale and brutality that shocked the world. 

Attacks by pro-Indonesia militias killed thousands of civilians, destroyed entire towns and displaced or forced half the population from their homes. 

The International Force East Timor (INTERFET) arrived soon after, tasked with restoring peace. 

Image: Defence Australia | 3RAR during a corden and search operation in Dili

With them were Gary, an infantry soldier-turned-photographer for the Australian Army, and Sergeant Martin ‘Marty’ Ryan, the soldier in the photo. 

“’99 was the shock to the system,” Marty says. 

“The whole place was a bit of a shemozzle when we arrived,” Gary recalls. “There was still a fair bit of looting, shops being burnt and just general civil unrest.” 

With his knowledge of Indonesian and Portuguese, Marty was tasked initially as a linguist and later as “a bit of a troubleshooter security specialist”. 

“For the first few weeks, we basically wandered around trying to sort out issues between the Australian and Indonesian forces,” Marty says. “Some pretty scary issues at that – units with weapons up at each other, not understanding what the other wanted.” 

Image: Defence Australia | A New Zealand Armoured Personnel Carrier secures the surrounding area near the scene of exploding asphalt drums which were set ablaze on the outskirts of Dili.

A rough path to peace 

As Gary and Marty saw first-hand, peacemaking in East Timor was dangerous and confronting business. A few key memories stand out. 

“During INTERFET, I was out on a body recovery assignment that all went pear-shaped,” Gary says. 

“A few senior guys came out to check on us. Then we got a heads-up that a militia ambush was being laid for them, so it rapidly developed into this major operation.” 

While the officers went forward, Gary and a few others tried to alert comrades in Dili. 

“We couldn't get radio comms, so I had to go up the hill. I got out of the vehicle and two truckloads of fully armed militia drove past, and all I had was my 9mm sidearm and a radio.  

Image: Defence Australia | Sergeants Marty Ryan and Gary Boylan move carefully across the mountains near the border area where Australian Commandos operated in World War Two. 

“Then I was trying to get comms to warn the boys ahead there were about 30 militia coming up their rear end, which they would never have expected. 

“There ended up being a bit of a Mexican stand-off, but for whatever reason, it didn't escalate.” 

Marty blanked out a lot of his experiences. “I bottled a lot of things up just to get the job done,” he says. 

Things like the site of the Suai massacre, in which nearly 200 Timorese civilians were killed, according to United Nations estimates. 

“The evidence was still there. There was a lot to see.”  

It was around that point that he met the boy in the photo. 

“I was escorting Gary around the area. The boy was among a group that'd just come back down from the mountains because they considered it safe.  

“The photo was taken on the spur of the moment, and it's become quite iconic.” 

“We made a difference”  

Marty’s multiple deployments to East Timor and Afghanistan took a considerable toll on his mental health, and he was later diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).  

Despite that, he sees his time in East Timor as “a privilege”. 

“With each of my deployments, I know we made a difference,” he says. 

Image: Defence Australia |  Sergeant Martin Ryan shakes hand with a young girl in front of the half-constructed church where the Suai massacre began.

“In 1999, we stabilised the country and suppressed the militia until everything died down.  

“In 2001, we stabilised again and made sure the elections were free of violence.  

“Then in 2007, we stabilised it again to ensure the elections went ahead with no interference from the rebels. 

“It’s not often you can walk away and say, ‘We had a win’. 

“Infrastructure is being built, projects are going on and yes, there’s the usual hiccups with a new democracy. But at the end of the day, the people have smiles on their faces. It's a free country now.” 

Telling the soldier’s story 

It’s thanks to Gary that many events in East Timor – and conflict zones all over the world – have reached the public, and the pages of history. 

“I'm quite fortunate that I've managed to make pictures that have lasted for 25 years and are starting to reappear now,” he reflects.  

“It means we did the job that we were sent to do: to tell the story of soldiers and the people they were there to help. I think we've achieved that, which is great. It's a lovely feeling.” 

Image: Defence Australia | Private Tammy Smithson, a Medical Assistant from 3rd Brigade tends to a small child in the devastated town of Suai.

Since East Timor, Gary has photographed nearly every operation involving the Australian Defence Force – something he plans to continue doing for as long as possible. 

“I want to be able to tell the soldier's story as often as I can, because the public have a right to know. I'm all for getting out there and trying to assist them by telling their story.” 

Having documented conflicts from Somalia to Afghanistan to Ukraine, Gary’s seen time and again the moral of that story. 

“I guess you need to stand up to bullies. If we let bullies rule the world, we're all going to be in lots of trouble,” he says.  

“As long as we have people trying to take over countries they really shouldn't, we're always going to have conflict.” 

Image: AWM | Australian War Memorial Photographer Steve Dupont (left), and Warrant Officer Class 2 Gary Ramage (right), at Honiara airport in November 2003.

A long-awaited reunion 

After nearly 25 years, Marty has finally learned the name of the boy in the photo: Leandro. And he’s looking forward to shaking Leandro’s hand again when he revisits Timor-Leste with the Timor Awakening program – just in time for INTERFET’s 25th anniversary. 

“Manny from Manny's Tours tracked Leandro down, and I think they're going to get him to Dili so I can meet him,” Marty says. 

“I'm looking forward to seeing the improvements in the country – seeing that the people can move freely around without fear of intimidation, and the whole country’s not armed to the hilt with militia and peacekeepers. It’s its own country now, which is fantastic.” 

He can’t wait to share the experience with his son, who’ll join him for the trip. 

“I think he’s going to love it. He's going to see the reason – why Dad was away so much when he was little. 

“I get to take him back and show him that we won.” 

25th anniversary of Australian service in Timor-Leste  

20 September 2024 marks the 25th anniversary of INTERFET’s deployment to Timor-Leste.  

Join us in honouring all Australians who served in Timor-Leste, and the sacrifice of their families.  

Free support helpline 

If you or anyone you know needs support, please call Open Arms (1800 011 046) or Lifeline (13 11 14).  

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About Marty

Martin Ryan served 32 years in the Australian Army, including deployments to East Timor and Afghanistan. During his civilian career, he’s led active efforts to support the employment of veterans. He is now the National Training Manager for Disaster Relief Australia. 

 
About Gary 

Former infantry soldier Gary Ramage is a multi-award-winning photojournalist with more than 30 years’ experience – 20 of them as a military photographer. His past appointments include Chief Photographer of the Australian Army, Official War Photographer for the Australian War Memorial, and Chief Photographer for News Corp Australia.