In 1962, Indonesian forces invaded West Irian (the western half of New Guinea) as a result of a dispute with the Netherlands over the administration of the region.

By August, Dutch and Indonesian troops faced each other throughout the area. An agreement was brokered to transfer responsibility for West Irian to Indonesia. In the meantime UNTEA was installed.

In August, two officers from 37 Infantry Battalion, who were serving in the Congo, were sent as observers to the mission. They served with Swedish, Indian, Brazilian, Nigerian and Singhalese observers, arranging local agreements between conflicting parties and overseeing the repatriation of Indonesian troops. The area is now the Indonesian province of Irian Jaya.