Russia, China veto slammed

06 February 2012 - 02:00 By Sapa-AFP
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The opposition Syrian National Council slammed the Russian and Chinese veto of a UN Security Council resolution on Syria as giving the regime of President Bashar al-Assad a "licence to kill".

The council said "Syrians and others around the world" had looked to the Security Council to issue a strongly worded resolution, "one that would clearly condemn the Syrian regime's crimes; the atrocity and impunity with which it kills civilians, including women and children; and the genocide it commits in exterminating entire families.

"However, the world was shocked when the Russian and Chinese governments vetoed the draft Arab-European resolution," it said.

"The Syrian National Council holds both governments accountable for the escalation of killings and genocide and considers this irresponsible step a licence for the regime to kill without being held accountable."

The umbrella opposition movement called on Moscow and Beijing "to immediately reassess their positions and not block the will of the Syrian people, who clearly desire the attainment of their rights and freedoms."

It said it will now ask the UN General Assembly "to adopt an international resolution that supports the rights of our people".

Russia has faced particular criticism for blocking UN action on the crisis in which thousands have died, particularly after the latest mass killings in the city of Homs.

"Any further blood that flows will be on their hands," said US ambassador Susan Rice on Saturday after Russia and China used their veto powers as permanent members of the Security Council for the second time in four months.

Other Arab and European governments backing the resolution also expressed outrage at the block.

Those behind the resolution said it was intended to give strong backing to Arab League efforts to find a political solution to the Assad crackdown. The Arab League wants Assad to hand over power to a deputy and elections to be held.

Russia called the resolution "unbalanced". UN envoy Vitaly Churkin said that, since the start of negotiations last year, Western nations had wanted "regime change".

Ambassadors from Britain, France, Germany and other countries all stressed that there were no calls for Assad to go in the resolution for an arms embargo, and the draft said that no "military intervention" was being considered.

"The Russian government is not only unapologetically arming a government that is killing its own people, but providing it with diplomatic cover," said Philippe Bolopion, UN specialist for Human Rights Watch.

"This is not a victory for Russia and China. That India, South Africa and Pakistan voted with the West is an immense moral success for the US and the Europeans," said Richard Gowan, of New York University's Center for International Cooperation.

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