Military police sent to East Timor

Military Police are being sent to East Timor to assist in establishing law and order in the troubled region.

The eight members of the New Zealand Army force will leave tomorrow.

They will provide security to the New Zealand Embassy and to the Ambassador and her staff, the Defence Force said.

Sergeant Nathan Ngarue, section commander of the Military Police team, said he was confident his team would be able to make a difference.

He said: "We're well-trained for what we do, and for what we are going into. This deployment offers us the opportunity to put our training into practice. We're all looking forward to helping out."

The majority of the Military Police deploying are from Linton Military Camp. Several have served previously in East Timor, and others have recently returned from Afghanistan, where they were part of the New Zealand Provincial Reconstruction Team.

- HERALD ONLINE STAFF