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From July 19 to 28, East Timor hosted 15 veterans from New Zealand who came to East Timor to film a documentary about their service in the United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) and the International Force in East Timor (INTERFET). The delegation was led by New Zealand Veterans Association president Wayne Barker and Major General Martin Dunn. 
The New Zealand veterans were received by Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao and Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers Agio Pereira at the Government Palace in Dili on Friday, July 26, 2024. During the meeting, the purpose of the visit was discussed, which is to record the experience and contribution of New Zealand veterans in the peacekeeping mission in Timor-Leste.
Xanana Gusmao highlighted the importance of New Zealand military intervention at a critical time in East Timor’s history, noting that “New Zealand’s military presence in UNAMET and the Timorese National Security Forces in 1999 was exemplary. Thanks to your participation and intervention, East Timor was able to achieve peace and begin the process of nation-building.”
The Prime Minister also stressed that while in many other parts of the world, peacekeeping forces had failed to establish peace for decades, in Timor-Leste the presence of these forces set an example for the world as they had successfully resolved problematic issues and prepared the country for independence. 
Major General Martin Dunn, who served as Deputy Commander of the ITU in East Timor in 1999, said he was very happy to visit East Timor again after more than two decades. “It is very proud to see the progress and development of East Timor. It is very gratifying to see a country rise after such a challenging period,” he said.
UNAMET was a United Nations mission to organize and monitor East Timor’s 1999 self-determination referendum, which included international observers and a security force to ensure a peaceful process. Following violence following the referendum, the UN Security Council authorized an Australian-led multinational force, INTERFET, to restore peace and security. INTERFET was held from September 1999 to February 2000 and included contingents from several countries including New Zealand, Portugal, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The delegation’s visit includes veterans from all branches of the New Zealand Armed Forces, who visited the country between 1999 and 2002. The delegation’s visit is being recorded for a documentary, narrated by former TV3 presenter Mike McRoberts. The documentary aims to capture the veterans’ key experiences and stories, including the tragic incident in Suai involving Leonard Manning, the first New Zealander to be killed in the line of duty since the Vietnam War. 
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