INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY MUST NOT BECOME 'NUMB' TO ATROCITIES IN SYRIA -- UN RIGHTS CHIEF

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From: UNNews <UNNews@un.org>
Date: 10 May 2013 10:00:01 -0400
Subject: INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY MUST NOT BECOME 'NUMB' TO ATROCITIES
IN SYRIA -- UN RIGHTS CHIEF
To: news11@ny-mail-p-lb-028.ptc.un.org

INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY MUST NOT BECOME 'NUMB' TO ATROCITIES IN SYRIA
-- UN RIGHTS CHIEFNew York, May 10 2013 10:00AMThe international
community must act to stop the conflict in Syria and ensure those
responsible for human rights violations are held accountable, the
United Nations human rights chief said today following reports of
massacres in Baniyas, as well as displacement of civilians due to
military build-up in Qusayr.

"We should not reach the point in this conflict where people become
numb to the atrocious killing of civilians,"
<"http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/media.aspx?IsMediaPage=true">said
the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay. "The increasingly
brutal nature of the conflict makes international efforts to halt the
bloodshed imperative […] but we need a much greater sense of urgency."

Images of piles of bloodied and burned bodies, including of small
children and babies, have been emerging -- allegedly taken after
Government forces and militia overran al-Bayda and other parts of
Baniyas last week.

"These images, if verified, indicate a complete lack of regard for the
lives of civilians," Ms. Pillay said. "There needs to be a careful
investigation of each and every incident like this."

Ms. Pillay also expressed alarm at reports of a major military
build-up around the western town of Qusayr, saying she feared further
atrocities if the area was overrun. According to her Office (OHCHR),
Government forces and pro-Government militias around the area have
been displacing local civilian population, in preparation of what
could be a large-scale attack to uproot the armed opposition.

"Violence to life and person, in particular murder of all kinds,
mutilation, cruel treatment and torture, constitute very serious
crimes," she said. "Our concern is all the greater given recent
information reaching our team on the ground in neighbouring countries
that Government forces are continuing to resort to indiscriminate and
disproportionate use of force in residential areas."

Witnesses, many of whom had suffered serious injury such as loss of
limbs, told UN human rights monitors their homes had been shelled
during attacks from February to mid-April.

"We are getting consistent testimonies that suggest Government forces
are directly targeting key life-sustaining entities such as bakeries
and pharmacies, hospitals and schools where civilians are sheltering,"
Ms. Pillay said. "Depending on the circumstances, these attacks may
constitute war crimes and/or crimes against humanity."

Opposition forces have also committed human rights violations as
anti-Government groups operate and hide within densely populated
areas, endangering civilians. They are also increasingly resorting to
abductions and the taking of hostages, and Ms. Pillay said she is
particularly concerned by allegation that some fighters are engaging
in forced marriages.

Ms. Pillay renewed her call to refer the situation in Syria to the
International Criminal Court (ICC).

"I believe that serious human rights violations and other acts
amounting to war crimes and/or crimes against humanity have been
committed. We must make it clear to both the Government and the armed
opposition groups that there will be clear consequences for the people
responsible for these crimes."May 10 2013 10:00AM
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