China and Russia today vetoed a draft resolution in the Security Council
that had strongly condemned Syrian authorities for their violent crackdown
against pro-democracy protesters this year and called for an immediate end
to human rights abuses.
Nine of the Council's 15 members voted in favour of the draft text, there
were two vetoes, and four countries abstained. A veto by any one of the
Council's five permanent members – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom
and the United States – means a resolution cannot be adopted.
The draft resolution had voiced deep concern over the recent violence in
Syria and strongly condemned "the continued grave and systematic human
rights violations and the use of force against civilians by the Syrian
authorities."
Urging "all sides to reject violence and extremism," the text called for "an
inclusive Syrian-led political process conducted in an environment free from
violence, fear, intimidation and extremism, and aimed at effectively
addressing the legitimate aspirations and concerns of Syria's population."
An estimated 2,700 people have been killed in Syria since mid-March when the
protest movement began, part of a wider uprising across North Africa and the
Middle East this year. Senior UN officials, including Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon, have repeatedly voiced concern about the situation.
Speaking after today's vote, Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said his
country did not support the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad but
the draft resolution would not promote a peaceful resolution of the crisis.
He said the issue was not a question of wording, but "a conflict of
political approaches" on how to end the crisis.
Mr. Churkin said the majority of Syrians wanted gradual political change,
rather than quick regime change, and the text also did not adequately take
into account the behaviour of extremist groups in opposition to Syrian
authorities.
China's Ambassador Li Baodong said that while his country was highly
concerned about the violence in Syria, the text as it stood would only
complicate existing tensions.
He said the draft was overly focused on exerting pressure on Syria, and
included the threat of sanctions, which would not resolve the situation.
Ambassador Gérard Araud of France expressed deep disappointment that the
draft resolution had not been adopted, and said his country and other
co-sponsors had made repeated attempts in recent days to alter the text to
meet the concerns of other Council members.
Mr. Araud said the opponents of the text were going against the spirit of
the Arab Spring movement.
US Ambassador Susan Rice voiced outrage that the Council had not adopted the
text and said those countries which had not supported it would have to
answer to the Syrian people.
She said it was a "ruse" to suggest that the resolution would lead to
military intervention in Syria.
Also addressing the Council today, Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari of Syria said
the draft resolution reflected the biased attempts of some Western countries
to undermine his country's authorities.
He said the legitimate needs and aspirations of the Syrian people had been
misused by some domestic groups, with the support of foreign elements, to
provoke external intervention.
The countries voting in favour of the resolution were Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Colombia, France, Gabon, Germany, Nigeria, Portugal, the United
Kingdom and the US. The countries abstaining were Brazil, India, Lebanon and
South Africa. The draft resolution had been co-sponsored by France, Germany,
Portugal and the UK.
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