AUSTRALIA has urged UN intervention to stop the Syrian regime firing on civilians and ratcheted up sanctions against the leadership circle of President Bashar al-Assad.
The diplomatic action by Kevin Rudd follows the Foreign Minister’s international activism on Libya, in which he was influential in convincing the US and NATO to impose a no-fly zone to stop the forces of Muammar Gaddafi attacking civilians.
In recent days, Mr Rudd has spoken to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, urging him to appoint a special envoy to Syria.
Mr Rudd understands that Damascus has not co-operated with any UN action, but believes a special envoy of the Secretary-General would put the Syrian leadership under greater pressure to respond constructively.
Such a move could also influence the way debate on Syria unfolds in the UN Security Council.
Independent human rights observers believe that since March 18, more than 800 Syrian civilians have been killed by the military, mainly in the course of anti-government demonstrations.
“The situation in Syria appears to be getting worse day by day,” Mr Rudd told The Weekend Australian. “I am deeply concerned at unconfirmed reports of the military shelling of the city of Homs. If this is accurate, it would appear that Bashar Assad is repeating the actions of his father in Hama.”
It is believed that about 25,000 people were slaughtered in the suppression of a Muslim Brotherhood revolt in Hama in 1982 by the late Hafez al-Assad.
Mr Rudd spoke to Mr Ban about the refusal of the regime to allow the special rapporteur dispatched by the UN Human Rights Commission to visit Syria, or to co-operate with another UN mission to establish the humanitarian situation on the ground.
In Thailand today for talks on the agenda for the forthcoming East Asia Summit, Mr Rudd has instructed the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to call in the Syrian charge d’affaires to register Australia’s unhappiness with the crackdown and the refusal to co-operate with UN missions. Canberra announced its first raft of targeted sanctions against Syria’s leadership on April 30 but upgraded them this week.
Mr Rudd held talks on Syria on his recent trip to the Middle East and Washington and has since been working the phones.
Syria is closely aligned with Iran and has given support to the extremist Palestinian terror group, Hamas. Hamas controls the Gaza Strip and this month signed a unity accord with Fatah, which as the dominant faction of the Palestinian Authority controls the West Bank.
Western analysts are divided over whether Mr Assad would be likely to be replaced by a more moderate leadership in the event of a regimes collapse.
The fate of the Assad dynasty in Damascus may well have important implications for the Israeli/Palestinian peace process.
Middle East analysts have told The Weekend Australian the fate of Egypt and Syria are the two most important unresolved questions in the region.
