Deutsche Welle, Apr 27, 2011
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| The brutal crackdown on anti-regime protesters is continuing |
As the violence in Syria against anti-government protesters continues, the West is struggling to find a common position. European countries have proposed a draft resolution strongly condemning the brutal crackdown.
Following inconclusive talks on Tuesday, the UN Security Council is due to come together again on Wednesday to debate a draft resolution proposed by France, Germany, Britain and Portugal condemning the violence in Syria.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he was watching events in Syria "with increasingly grave concern."
"I condemn, utterly, the continuing violence against peaceful demonstrators, most particularly the use of tanks and live fire that killed and injured hundreds of people," he said.
However there appeared to be little consensus among Security Council members on how to proceed. Diplomats said Russia was not in favor of a strong condemnation, while China would also seek a "political solution."
The proposed draft also calls for a full independent investigation of the brutal crackdown against anti-government protesters, however Syria's UN ambassador Bashar Jaafari rejected any outside interference. "We will undertake any investigation by ourselves, with full transparency. We have nothing to hide," he told reporters.
Stark warnings
Germany's UN ambassador, Peter Wittig, described the events in Syria as "disturbing" and said they required Security Council attention. He also warned of "repercussions" in the rest of the Middle East if the crisis wasn't tackled.
The US had earlier threatened to tighten sanctions against the Syrian regime and accused Iran of supporting the government's crackdown.
"Instead of listening to his own people, [Syrian President] Assad is disingenuously blaming outsiders while at the same time seeking Iranian assistance in repressing Syria's citizens through the same brutal tactics that have been used by the Iranian regime," US ambassador to the UN Susan Rice told reporters.
Rights groups say at least 400 people have been killed by security forces since the unrest began last month.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad last week signed off on legislation ending over 40 years of emergency rule in an apparent concession to anti-regime protesters. However the opposition dismissed the move as mere window dressing and said other demands such as more political freedom and the release of political prisoners had been ignored.
Author: Rob Mudge (AFP, dpa)
Editor: Rob Turner
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