The government of Bashar al-Assad continues to violently suppress demonstrations by opponents of his regime.  Last Friday, Syrian security forces used live ammunition to disperse over 50,000 demonstrators in Hama, killing at least 34.  This followed the heavy bombardment of the town of Rastan, killing 15 people.

Throughout last week, demonstrators took to cities across Syria to protest the murder of 13-year old Hamza Ali al-Khateeb.  Hamza was arrested outside of the southern city of Deraa at the end of April and severely tortured in regime custody.  Videos of his mutilated body served as a rallying cry for protesters, prompting this Friday’s “children’s protest” across the country.  Hamza’s death also led the UN special representative on violence against children to call on the Syrian government to protect children and fulfill its obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Even though protests continue to be brutally suppressed, the United Nations Security Council has yet to vote on a resolution condemning the Syrian government for its crackdown on protesters.  The resolution, sponsored by the Council’s EU members, highlights the “systematic violation of human rights” and requests that the Syrian government cooperate with the UN human rights council investigation in the country.  It has yet to be presented for a vote in the full council, but appears to have run into the threat of Chinese and Russian vetoes.

At least 1,100 people have been killed since unrest in Syria began in March, as the Assad regime has determined that its survival relies on targeting its citizenry.

Over the past seven weeks, Syria has been locked in a cycle of protest and suppression that had lead to an estimated 1,000 deaths.  In response, SDC/GI-NET issued a press release on May 13, condemning the ongoing violence committed against Syrian civilians by the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.  In that release, SDC/GI-NET called for the international community to take the following steps:

• Harmonize current international sanctions and expand existing sanctions to cover all Syrian government officials complicit in violence against demonstrators;
• Encourage Syria’s neighbors to uphold the basic principles of international refugee law, including preventing the forcible return of refugees to Syria;
• Support the UN Human Rights Council investigation into crimes committed against Syrian civilians to ensure accountability for perpetrators of human rights abuses;
• Ensure corporations continuing to operate in Syria, particularly those acting in partnership with the government, uphold their responsibility to respect human rights and avoid complicity in violence. Telecommunications companies should be especially diligent given the potential – as seen in other recent conflicts – for their services and technology to be wielded as tools of oppression.”

The international community has begun to implement several of these steps.  Over the past two weeks, the United States government has included Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on the sanctions list, where he joins his brother Mahir al-Assad and eight other individuals.  EU sanctions have targeted more individuals, primarily from the Syrian security apparatus.  While this is an effective beginning of effective measures against individuals responsible for violence in Syria, there is still work needed to better harmonize the sanctions list, as several individuals sanctioned by the EU have yet to be designated by the US, and vice-versa.

As clashes continue, more Syrian citizens are searching for refuge in neighboring Lebanon.  While Lebanon is not a signatory to the 1951 Convention on Refugees, it should still uphold international norms forbidding the forcible return of refugees and blocking the entrance of refugees.  Earlier this month, it appears that the Lebanese army had been arresting refugees from Syria.  After these reports, Human Rights Watch called on the Lebanese government to provide temporary asylum.  While there have yet to be clear statements that the Lebanese government will do so, there appears to have been a greater acceptance of Syrians in Lebanon, and more than 5,000 Syrians have crossed the border seeking greater safety.

Despite being authorized nearly a month ago, Syria has yet to allow the UN Human Rights Council investigation access to areas where human rights abuses may have been committed.  Despite this block, the mission plans to issue its preliminary findings in July.

SDC/GI-NET continues to monitor the conflict as it develops and search for appropriate policy avenues to pursue.  The Conflict Risk Network project has already reached out to telecommunications companies operating in Syria to encourage them to exercise their responsibility to respect human rights.

The suppression of anti-government demonstrators across Syria continues apace. Earlier this week, Syrian human rights organizations reported that at least 1,000 civilians have died during the nine-weeks of government violence.

In response to this ongoing threat to civilians within Syria, 224 Arab civil society organizations are calling on the United Nations Security Council to adopt a resolution condemning the use of deadly force against protesters.  The organizations, representing citizens of 18 different nations, sent their letter to the Security Council today, asking the council to continue its support for the UN Human Rights Council investigation, and end violence against civilians.  The letter was supported by the work of GI-NET/SDC partner, Crisis Action.

For more information on the effort, read the press release here.

Looting in Abyei - Photo from the Enough Project

Last weekend, the Sudanese Armed Forces bombed and captured the disputed border town of Abyei.

The Government of Sudan believes that the United States and other international actors will respond with rhetoric instead of action to its flagrant disregard for humanitarian law. Now is the time to prove them wrong.

To learn more, join us for a special policy call today at 2 pm ET.
Dial in #: (712) 432-0900
Participant Code: 154845#

Then, take action below.

1. Sign the petition to President Obama.  Send a message demanding immediate consequences for the Government of Sudan’s attack on Abyei.

2. Donate to support our advocacy efforts.  Thanks for your support!

3. Tweet @ Ambassador Rice.  Use or edit the sample text below.

.@AmbassadorRice Thanks for all you do. Please push UNSC to protect civilians & hold perpetrators of violence accountable. #Abyei #Sudan

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