UN Police help Timorese combat youth unrest in capital
| Publisher | UN News Service |
| Publication Date | 2 August 2011 |
| Cite as | UN News Service, UN Police help Timorese combat youth unrest in capital, 2 August 2011, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4e3f8ad72.html [accessed 27 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
United Nations Police (UNPOL) and their Timorese counterparts have begun a new community-based initiative that aims to curb the persistent problem of rock throwing by youths in Dili, the national capital.
Representatives of UNPOL and the national police service (PNTL), as well as town chiefs, village chiefs and a local administrator, met yesterday at a police station in Comoro, a neighbourhood of Dili, to discuss possible joint actions they can take to combat rock throwing.
Fights between martial arts groups in Comoro have caused problems within the local community, according to a press release issued today by the UN Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT).
UNPOL and PNTL decided to try a new initiative after local police and community leaders recognized that dispersing and arresting youths has not solved the problem.
Luis Carrilho, UNPOL Commissioner, stressed that policing efforts can only be successful when they have the cooperation of the community.
"Police and citizens should work together as partners to make the community safer," he said. "This was recognized by Timor-Leste's Government when it passed the Organic Law of the PNTL."
