SYRIA: U.N. chief phones Syrian President Assad, urges "maximum restraint"

International condemnation is still pouring in over reports that Syrian forces fired live rounds at peaceful demonstrators Friday.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon phoned Syrian President Bashar Assad on Friday urging the Syrian authorities to exercise "maximum restraint" and stressing to the president that the Syrian people had expressed their opinion in a peaceful matter, according to a press statement. 

The U.N. chief also told Assad in their telephone conversation that governments are obliged to "respect and protect" rights of citizens.

Meanwhile, the U.N. human rights office voiced alarm over what it called the "worsening situation" in Syria and said it will follow closely the Syrian government's pledge to introduce a series of political and economic reforms. 

Rupert Colville, a spokesman for the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), told reporters in Geneva on Friday that the office was "concerned" about the use of live rounds and tear gas against peaceful demonstrators in Syria.

Also Friday, the White House condemned  violence against protesters in Syria and Yemen.

--Alexandra Sandels in Beirut

 

Comments

[ed kiu]

its easy to evict a murderous tyrant by duplicating the resignation of foreign diplomat abroad,like what happened in libya,tyrants lost the authority to govern once they start butchering their own people ,attention!!!syria foreign diplomat!! follow your consience!!!resign now!!!

[Ariely]

If a dictator kills in one day 40.000 citizens- he is a force of stability
If a dictator kills couple of citizens – he is blamed.

Hafez Assad decided that Hama would be the staging point of the example he was to make to the Syrian people
In 1982 the Syrian government killed in one day
-----------------------------
30,000 – 40,000
-----------------------------
of its own citizens.

Assad leveled an entire city with an air bombardment followed by artillery and tank fire.

Are the Syrians still afraid from their government brutality?
Will his son Assad junior follow his father example?

Is the world still practicing the same values?

[Timbo]

It's easy to be critical of leadership, especially our President, whoever that may be at any given time. What's hard is making decisions that affect millions of people when there is no good choice to be had, only ones of lesser evil. Not a job I'd want.

[Igor]

I think you have a typo. It should read "expressed their opinion in a peaceful manner" rather than "expressed their opinion in a peaceful matter".

[Mike from Seattle]

Wow, all Arab countries tossed out their leaders, good idea.