Here’s a (week-old) short article I came across from the magazine Empire in which they mention the need for extras because of the situation in East Timor…

War Creates Strife For LOTR

Empire Online – February 2, 2000


Skilled extras are desperately needed for
The Lord of the Rings – and it seems
director Peter Jackson has lost his best hope
to the troubles in East Timor. Jackson hoped
to cast the majority of the 15,000 mounted
extras needed for the trilogy’s battle scenes
from New Zealand’s army, but the conflict in
East Timor has called thousands of soldiers
away.

Now casting agents are desperate for extras
with good riding skills, and are combing the
country. The news is a minor setback for a
mammoth project that sees Jackson film each
part of the ‘Rings trilogy simultaneously, while
managing to maintain a reasonable level of
secrecy on set. Not totally secret though, as
regular visitors to the ultimate LOTR site –
www.theonering.com – are aware…