Police in East Timor say they have charged 24 people with showing hatred towards the Indonesian government.

The laying of the charge, which carries a maximum penalty of seven years' jail, follows a violent protest on Sunday during a visit to Dili by a United Nations envoy, Jamsheed Marker. East Timor's deputy police chief, Lieutenant-Colonel Atok Rismanto, said the banners carried by the protesters showed hatred against the Indonesian government.

He said the 24 people charged were also accused of property damage, possession of sharp weapons, and resisting arrest. Those charged were among 48 people arrested as security forces broke up the demonstration. The U-N envoy was in Dili as part of a new effort to settle differences over East Timor between Indonesia and Portugal, still recognised by the U-N as the legitimate administrator of the territory.