U.N. urges action to prevent ‘full-blown’ civil war in Syria

ADO – Agencies: The United Nations top human rights official Navi Pillay called on Saturday for international action to prevent Syria’s “ruthless repression” of anti-government protesters from driving the country into “full-blown civil war.”

Pillay also said in a statement that the death toll in the pro-democracy demonstrations that began in March now exceeds 3,000, including at least 187 children. At least 100 people died in the last 10 days alone.

“The onus is on all members of the international community to take protective action in a collective manner, before the continual ruthless repression and killings drive the country into a full-blown civil war,” Pillay, a former U.N. war crimes judge, said.

“The heavy death toll arose from the “sniping from rooftops and indiscriminate use of force against peaceful protestors,” noted Pillay.

“The government of Syria has manifestly failed to protect its population,” she said.

“The international community must speak with one voice and act to protect the Syrian people,” she said.

“As more members of the military refuse to attack civilians and change sides, the crisis is already showing worrying signs of descending into an armed struggle,” she added.

Asked what kind of international action should be taken, her spokesman Rupert Colville told a news briefing: “That obviously is for states to decide. What has been done so far is not producing results and people continue to be killed virtually every single day.”

Pressed on whether foreign military action should be taken, as in Libya against the forces of former leader Muammar Qaddafi, Colville said: “That would be for the Security Council to say.”

A preliminary U.N. rights investigation in August reported credible allegations of crimes against humanity in Syria, including executions. The team said it had evidence against 50 suspects whose names are on a confidential list.

Pillay at the time encouraged the U.N. Security Council to refer Syria to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for possible prosecutions for crimes against humanity.

At least 36 people were killed in renewed fighting in Syria on Thursday, an activist group said, and the European Union imposed sanctions on the country’s biggest state bank which bankers say holds much of the country’s foreign reserves.

“Sniping from rooftops, and indiscriminate use of force against peaceful protesters – including the use of live ammunition and the shelling of residential neighborhoods – have become routine occurrences in many Syrian cities,” Pillay said.

Source : Al Arabiya net

16/10/2011