Russia, China veto UN resolution on Syria; India abstains

United Nations, Oct 5 (PTI) India on Wednesday abstained
from voting while Russia and China vetoed a UN Security
Council resolution that threatened action against Syria if it
didn't immediately halt a deadly crackdown on anti-regime
protesters.
Russia and China, both permanent members of the Security
Council, vetoed the European-backed resolution, killing the
draft. Apart from India, countries that abstained from voting
were Brazil, Lebanon and South Africa.
Countries voting in favour of the resolution were Bosnia
and Herzegovina, Colombia, France, Gabon, Germany, Nigeria,
Portugal, the United Kingdom and the US.
The 15 Security Council members have been negotiating
different versions of a resolution for more than three months.
The draft resolution condemned the violent crackdown by
President Bashar Al-Assad's forces against pro-democracy
protesters and demanded immediate end to the violence.
India's Permanent Representative to the UN Hardeep Singh
Puri said that actions of the international community should
facilitate an engagement of the Syrian government and the
opposition in a "Syrian-led inclusive political process and
not complicate the situation by threats of sanctions, regime
change.
"The resolution under the Council's consideration does
not accommodate our concern about threat of sanctions. It does
not condemn the violence perpetrated by the Syrian
opposition," Singh said.
He added that the resolution also did not place any
responsibility on the opposition in Syria to abjure violence
and engage with the nation's authorities for redressal of
their grievances through a peaceful political process.
The draft resolution, co-sponsored by France, Germany,
Portugal and the UK, 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," it
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."
The draft was "watered-down" from targeted financial
sanctions against Assad and an arms embargo on Syria first
proposed in August. The latest version called for the council
to "consider" unspecified "measures" after a 30-day period.
Puri said given the "complexity" of ground realities in
Syria, India believes that engaging the country in a
"collaborative and constructive" dialogue is the only
"pragmatic and productive" way forward.
He added that India remains concerned at the unfolding
events in Syria that have resulted in the deaths of hundreds
of civilians and security force personnel. "We deplore all
violence irrespective of who its perpetrators are."
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.
"The United States is outraged that this Council has
utterly failed to address an urgent moral challenge and a
growing threat to regional peace and security. Several members
have sought for weeks to weaken and strip bare any text that
would have defended the lives of innocent civilians from
Asad’s brutality," she said. PTI YAS
MNS