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Withdrawal of Troops – 1999

Indonesian troops left East Timor after the UN-authorized International Force for East Timor was deployed. The last Indonesian forces departed East Timor on 31 October 1999.¹ A large part of the Indonesian forces in Timor Leste were Timorese recruits from Timor Leste — creating a difficult reintegration problem. The same was true for the militia. This contributed to the large refugee population in West Timor including many persons who could not return to Timor.

1. Seth Mydans, A Timorese Era Closes Quietly As Army Goes,” New York Times, October 31, 1999.