3 January -- A senior official of the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) today condemned the recent attacks on a mosque in the capital of Dili, calling the acts "unacceptable" and assuring Muslim leaders that adequate protection would be provided to their community by the UN.
"UNTAET is committed to the building of a peaceful, democratic society in East Timor," Acting Transitional Administrator Jean-Christian Cady said in a statement. "At the heart of any democratic society lies tolerance and the protection of minority rights. The Muslim minority in East Timor will therefore enjoy exactly the same rights and benefits, including protection by the authorities, as any other social, religious or ethnic group."
The Anur Mosque and its over 200 residents were subjected to stone-throwing incidents on 1 and 2 January by a group of about 40 East Timorese men, some of whom were intoxicated. According to UNTAET, the trouble started after the attackers were denied access to one of the cars belonging to the people living in the mosque.
Mr. Cady visited the mosque today to show his commitment to the principle of minority rights. In the past, prominent East Timorese figures, including Bishop Carlos Ximines Belo and leaders of the National Council of Timorese Resistance (CNRT), Xanana Gusmão and Jose Ramos-Horta, have all visited the mosque to lend their support, urging repeatedly that the well-being and safety of the establishment be respected.
In another development, one person was killed and three injured today after clashes broke out in Dili between two rival gangs. UNTAET's civilian police have arrested 16 people in connection with the violence.
According to the UN mission, the fighting started last night and escalated this morning when one person sustained severe injuries after receiving blows from fists and a machete. He died later in the afternoon at Dili Hospital. The incident marks the first public disturbance on a large scale since April 1999, when five people were injured in gang-related violence.
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