Three people have been injured in Dili during violent scuffles when thousands of poor and unemployed East Timorese scrambled to apply for jobs offered by the United Nations administration.

They were frustrated their applications for about 2,000 available positions had been rejected. When the UN recently advertised the positions it received 9,000 applications.

This morning 7,000 people turned up at Dili's gymnasium where the UN was interviewing applicants. The crowd became impatient and people jostled and pushed.

Australian Interfet soldiers attempted to move the crowd outside of the gate perimeter and it was then they were pelted with rocks.

One Interfet soldier was hit on the head and is suffering from minor concussion. Another UN worker was hit in the mouth with a rock before Nobel laureate Jose Ramos Horta visited the site and calmed the crowd.

He said their anger stemmed from a perception that speaking English was prerequisite for UN employment. Jose Ramos Horta visited the site and calmed the crowd.