ðə stˈoːɹi ɪz ɐ fˈɪkʃənəlˌaɪzd ɐkˈaʊnt əvə tˈiːm ʌv ˌɪntɚnˈæʃənəl əbzˈɜːvɚz, pɹaɪmˈɛɹᵻli pəlˈiːs ˈɑːfɪsɚz fɹʌm nˈeɪʃənz sˈʌtʃ ɐz kˈænədə ænd ɔːstɹˈeɪliə, wˈɜːkɪŋ ˌɔn bᵻhˈæf ʌvðə jˌuːˈɛn ɪn ˈɔːɹdɚ tʊ ɚɹˈeɪndʒ ænd ɹˈʌn ðə vˈoʊt fɔːɹ ˌɪndᵻpˈɛndəns ɪn ˈiːst tˈiːmoːɹ, ɐɡˈɛnst stɹˈɔŋ ænd vˈaɪələnt ˌɑːpəzˈɪʃən fɹʌm pɹˈoʊɪndoʊnˈiːʒən məlˈɪʃə fˈoːɹsᵻz ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti nˈaɪn.
The story is a fictionalised account of a team of international observers, primarily police officers from nations such as Canada and Australia, working on behalf of the UN in order to arrange and run the vote for independence in East Timor, against strong and violent opposition from pro-Indonesian militia forces in 1999.