Emergency session

The United Nations Human Rights Council called on the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Monday to end its bloody crackdown on anti-government protesters.

"The military and security forces continue to employ excessive force, including heavy artillery, to quell peaceful demonstrations and regain control over the residents of various cities," Navi Pillay, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said.

"As of today, over 2,200 people have been killed since mass protests began in mid-March, with more than 350 people reportedly killed across Syria since the beginning of Ramadan," she added.

Emergency session

Pillay was speaking at the start of an emergency session of the Council to discuss the situation in Syria. The meeting was called after an urgent request from the European Union and Germany in particular, according to diplomatic sources. Twenty-four of the Council's 46 members quickly backed the call, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Jordan.

The meeting came just hours after President Assad rejected calls from US President Barack Obama and other leaders called on him to resign. Speaking on state television on Sunday, Assad also warned the West against getting directly involved.

"As for the threat of military action… any action against Syria will have greater consequences (for those who carry it out), greater than they can tolerate," Assad said.

The Council members at Monday's emergency session in Geneva examined a draft resolution on Syria that would condemn "the continued indiscriminate attacks on its population" and demand an immediate end to "all acts of violence."

The Syrian ambassador rejected the charges, instead accusing what he referred to as "large states" of trying to damage his country's government.

"Syria has been subjected to and continues to be subjected to an unprecedented misleading campaign carried by a number of countries in order to weaken Syria and to change its political position," Faysal Khabbaz Hamoui said. He also raised the possibility of UN investigators being allowed into the country for the first time since the unrest began.

International calls for an inquiry

The United States, the European Union and Arab nations in particular called for an international inquiry into the crackdown to be set up.

"The specific outcome we hope for is the establishment of a commission of inquiry to investigate facts on the ground in Syria, and to bring the Syrian authorities who are responsible for the atrocities to account," US Ambassador Eileen Donahue said.

An initial UN investigation based on interviews with witnesses who had fled Syria, found evidence of killings, disappearances and torture, which it said may amount to crimes against humanity.

Author: Chuck Penfold (dpa, AFP, Reuters)
Editor: Rob Turner