Monday, March 12, 2012

Intellectuals urge UN to stop bloodshed in Syria

In an open letter addressed to the members of the UN Security Council, a group of 43 intellectuals and former statesmen urge UN Security Council to revoke Assad’s licence to kill.

See the letter here.

Excerpt
"One year after the start of the Syrian uprising, we are saddened to see divisions in the UN Security Council prevent a unified and proactive international response to the crisis. Responsibility for the current bloodshed ultimately rests with those in Syria ordering, permitting, or themselves committing horrific crimes. However, splits among the international community have provided the Assad government with a licence to kill. This licence must be withdrawn. [.....]

We urge members of the Security Council to unite and pass a resolution by consensus:

1. Calling on the Syrian authorities to cease all unlawful attacks against its population immediately, remove abusive military and security forces from cities and inhabited areas, guarantee peaceful protests do not come under attack and release all political prisoners and those held under arbitrary arrest from the beginning of the uprising to the present day. All other actors should also immediately cease all use of violence.

2. Urging the Syrian government to facilitate the delivery of independent and impartial emergency aid, ensure the evacuation of injured people in places of conflict, and call for effective access for humanitarian organisations." [.....]

The letter is signed by 43 intellectuals and former statesmen, including Kwame Anthony Appiah, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Hans van den Broek, Umberto Eco, Jürgen Habermas, David Miliband, Peter Singer, and Richard von Weizsäcker.

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