On 12 May, Prime Minister of Australia John Howard announced that although there had not been any formal requests for assistance from the Government of East Timor, Australian forces were standing by in readiness to provide assistance, with the amphibious transport ships HMAS Kanimbla and HMAS Manoora moving to northern waters in preparation.
On May 12, Prime Minister John Howard informed that although no formal requests for assistance had been received from the Government of East Timor, Australian forces were prepared to provide aid. The amphibious transport ships HMAS Kanimbla and HMAS Manoora were positioned in northern waters as a readiness measure.