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STORY: UN / SYRIA DEATH TOLL
TRT: 1.06
SOURCE: UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 15 MARCH 2012, NEW YORK CITY
FILE – 2011 NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, exterior, United Nations headquarters
15 MARCH 2012, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, Martin Nesirky, Spokesperson of the UN Secretary-General, sits down at start of press conference
3. Cutaway, journalists
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Martin Nesirky, Spokesperson for the United Nations Secretary General:
“Well over 8,000 people are dead as a result of the government's decision to choose violent repression over peaceful political dialogue and genuine change. It is urgent to break the cycle of violence, stop military operations against civilians and prevent a further militarization of the conflict in Syria. The status quo in Syria is indefensible.”
5. Cutaway, journalist
SOUNDBITE (English) Martin Nesirky, Spokesperson for the United Nations Secretary General: “He urges the Syrian Government and opposition to cooperate with the efforts of the Joint Special Envoy, and appeals to the international community to offer its determined and unified support to stop the bloodshed and find a political solution that responds to the will of the Syrian people and ensure respect for their fundamental rights.”
6. Cutaway, journalist
7. Med shot, end of press conference
United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today said more than 8,000 people have died in Syria over the past year due to the government's violent repression of the uprising against President Bashar Assad.
In a statement read out by his spokesperson to mark the one-year anniversary of Syria's protest movement, the Secretary-General said, “well over 8,000 are dead as a result of the Government’s decision to choose violent repression over peaceful political dialogue and genuine change,” raising the organization's official death toll from 7,500.
The Secretary-General said it was “urgent to break the cycle of violence, stop military operations against civilians and prevent a further militarization of the conflict in Syria. The status quo in Syria is indefensible.”
He urged the Syrian Government and opposition to cooperate with the efforts of the Joint Special Envoy of the UN and the League of Arab State Kofi Annan. He also appealed to the international community to “offer its determined and unified support to stop the bloodshed and find a political solution that responds to the will of the Syrian people and ensure respect for their fundamental rights.”
Elsewhere in his statement, Ban voiced his solidarity with the people of Syria and their legitimate aspirations to dignity, freedom and justice, and called for all violence to end and for a peaceful resolution of the crisis.
Last weekend, Joint Special Envoy Anna put forward proposals to end the crisis during his meetings in Damascus, including with President Bashar al-Assad.
