The United Nations' human rights chief has urged world powers to take action to protect civilians in Syria from "ruthless repression", but her call was rebuffed by China and Russia.
Delegates attend a special session of the UN Human Rights Council held to discuss the findings of an independent report on Syria Photo: AFP/GETTY
3:02PM GMT 02 Dec 2011
The Telegraph
7 Comments
More than 4,000 people have been killed during a military crackdown on protesters that started in March and more than 14,000 people are believed to be in detention, said Navi Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
"In light of the manifest failure of the Syrian authorities to protect their citizens, the international community needs to take urgent and effective measures to protect the Syrian people," Ms Pillay told an emergency session of the U.N. Human Rights Council.
Ms Pillay did not spell out what measures world powers should take – Western leaders have in the past shied away from suggestions of military action, along the lines of the Nato campaign that helped unseat Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
The United States, the EU, members of the Arab League and neighbouring Turkey have already imposed sanctions on the Damascus government.
After she spoke, envoys from Russia and China, which both have oil projects in Syria, took the floor to warn against foreign interference in Syria in the name of human rights.
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Both countries blocked international efforts to condemn the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad by vetoing a U.N. Security Council resolution in October.
"We would like to warn against illegal interference by outside forces even under the pretext of protecting human rights," said Russia's envoy Valery Loshchinin. "This will have serious and unforeseen consequences."
Mr Loshchinin called on all sides in Syria to halt violence.
"We hear that the conflict in Syria continues to be fuelled by outside forces, armed and terrorist groups being organised and supplied with weapons and money from abroad."
Russia has delivered anti-ship cruise missiles to Syria, the Interfax news agency cited an unnamed military source as saying on Thursday, days after a UN commission of inquiry called for an arms embargo on Damascus.
China's envoy He Yafei said that although China was deeply concerned, views on how to resolve the situation differed widely.
"Member states of the United Nations should follow the principles and purposes of the UN and refrain from resolving differences through force or threat of force," he said.
Ms Pillay said 307 children had died in the conflict, up from an estimate of 256 that was released earlier this week.
"The Syrian authorities' continual ruthless repression, if not stopped now, can drive the country into a full-fledged civil war ... All acts of murder, torture and other forms of violence must be immediately stopped," she added.
She said she was also concerned about reports of increased armed attacks by the opposition forces, including the so-called Free Syrian Army, against the Syrian military and security apparatus.
A UN commission of inquiry said this week it had found solid evidence of crimes against humanity by security forces, including executions, torture and rapes.
US human rights Ambassador Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe told reporters there was "evidence of the complicity in these atrocities" by Syrian authorities and said there was no doubt the violence was intentional.
"It's systematic, widespread and to the point of possibly rising to the level of crimes against humanity," she said.
Syria, which does not allow access to most foreign journalists, says it is fighting an insurgency by armed groups supported from abroad, who have attacked its troops trying to defend the peace.
At Friday's summit, Syria's ambassador Faysal Khabbaz Hamoui gave an angry speech that won support from Russia, China and Cuba.
"The Syrian problem is one that can be resolved only by Syrians. It is only a domestic, national solution that is possible," he said, referring to reforms promised for 2012.
"The solution cannot come from the corridors of the international community," he said. "It is only resolutions trying to put more oil on the fire."
A revised EU draft resolution – which emerged after intense negotiations with China, Cuba and Russia – condemns "continued, widespread, systematic and gross violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms".
The aim is to get all countries to agree on a strong message of disapproval to Damascus coupled with a call for a halt to violence, diplomats said.
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Showing 7 comments
grotius
27 minutes ago
There is a good deal of misinformed nonsense or deliberately misleading rubbish in one or two of the posts below. In relation to Libya, the NATO action certainly did not cost 100,000 lives. The NATO action is well recognised as having been the most precise air campaign ever mounted, with 100% precision Guided Munitions (PGMs) used and any intended attack likely to lead to even a single civilian casualty being aborted. This is well recognised by the international community in, for example, Geneva, which includes the International committee of the Red Cross and the Libyan mission to the UN etc. It serves no purpose to deploy grossly erroneous figures in these posts. There are serious issues to do with protection of civilians that are about gross violations of human rights about which we should all be concerned. I am frankly sick and tired of seeing stupid comments about 'Zionist countries? not caring about human lives. People who come out with that sort of ludicrous comment simply do not deserve to be given any space on these sites. I am sorry, but I would like to see serious comment not extremist nonsense
_______ ProffessorPlum
9 minutes ago
Quite right groitus. Israel is a peace loving country that does not involve itself with the politics of its neighbours, or further afield for that matter. Neither does it have designs on land that does not belong to it.
How anyone could think otherwise can be only be put down to antisemitism.
Btw your comments about Libya would be ok if the rabals lies had been true
Ice_Inc
Today 04:09 PM
Both Syria and Iran are no go areas until Russia and China give their nod.
Do the US-UK-France clowns at the UN think they can hoodwink Russia and China? LoL:))
Since when do the Zionist oriented countries care about human lives, after approximately 500,000 Iraqis have been killed or injured during the US-UK led war in Iraq?
Let alone the 100,000 killed or injured during the US-UK-France–NATO intervention in Libya.
A long list can be produced of the killings, deaths and injury caused by the US-UK-NATO-Zionist axis.
The bottom-line is before a US led war can be launched on behalf of Israel against Iran, Syria has to be defanged as at present it can drop 100,000 missiles on Israel mostly over Tel Aviv.
In the last Israel - Lebanon 2006 war, 10,000 missiles dropped onto Northern Israel which resulted in having that area evacuated
______ ProffessorPlum
Today 04:50 PM
"The bottom-line is before a US led war can be launched on behalf of Israel against Iran, Syria has to be defanged as at present it can drop 100,000 missiles on Israel mostly over Tel Aviv."
Interesting point.
And perhaps before Israel can make its final push towards Greater Israel, Iran has to be neutered.
Another possibility is that the US could looking for an excuse to take this war global to end the recession
ttbalatp
Today 03:48 PM
What's up with the leaders of China and Russia?
Have they no sense of shame. Playing politics with lives.
They should follow in the wake of Sadam, Bin Laden and Gadaffi, and then Assad when his time comes
ryeatley
Today 03:28 PM
It looks as though there are efforts being made to avoid the tragedy of another Libya. Good.
______ dagda1
Today 04:04 PM
Thankfully yes. Carpet bombing the country is not a particularly could way of "protecting" civilians.
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