According to CivPol, close to 7,000 people attended the address of the Secretary-General, who was accompanied by his Special Representative, Sergio Vieira de Mello, CNRT President Xanana Gusmao, Ambassador Jamsheed Marker, and Mrs. Annan. Your strength and your dignity have inspired the world, the Secretary-General said. I want to express my profound revulsion at the murder, mayhem and destruction of last September. The Secretary-General also said that the devastation he had seen was far worse than what he had imagined, and stressed the need for reconciliation.
Reconciliation is essential.
Leaders need to work together. Kofi Annan appealed to the international community to make the money pledged available, but also asked the Timorese for patience. We want to help you establish, as practical and as quickly as possible, a peaceful, stable, democratic, independent state. But this will take time. And we must all be patient.