UN CHIEF CONCERNED ABOUT CLASHES DURING PROTESTS IN ARMENIA
Mu Xuequan

Xinhua

March 4 2008
China

UNITED NATIONS, March 3 (Xinhua) — UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
voiced his deep concern on Monday about the deadly clashes between
demonstrators and police forces in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia,
where the results of recent presidential elections have been disputed.

"It is his hope that these events, during which eight people died, will
be thoroughly investigated," Ban’s spokesperson said in a statement.

"The secretary-general calls on all parties to exercise full restraint
and to find a way out of the current crisis," the statement said. "He
also urges the Armenian authorities to take all necessary steps to
ensure a return to normalcy, including through a speedy lifting of
the state of emergency."

Protests began in Armenia after Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan was
declared the winner of the 19 February presidential poll, a result
that is disputed by the opposition candidate Levon Ter-Petrosyan.