New York - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon voiced concern on Monday over the situation in Tibet, calling for a peaceful resolution of the confrontation between Tibetans and Chinese authorities that have used force against the demonstrators. Ban said he met with China's UN Ambassador Wang Guangya at UN headquarters in New York to convey his concern.
"I am following closely the development and am increasingly concerned by tensions and reports of violence and loss of life in Tibet and elsewhere," he said.
Chinese officials on Monday said 13 people had died in Friday's rioting in the autonomous region's capital Lhasa, but the Tibetan government in exile said it had confirmed at least 80 deaths in the city.
"At this time, I urge restraint on the part of the authorities of China and call on all concerned to avoid further confrontations," he said. "I stress on the peaceful resolution of the situation."
Ban declined to say whether the UN should step into the dispute.
Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, president of the UN Security Council, said bluntly it is not for the UN to become involved in the matter when asked whether the council should discuss it.
"I'll not go into that," Churkin said.
