Friday, March 15, 2013
Another Report on Civilian Casualties in Syria
The violence in Syria has reached “new heights of destruction,” independent United Nations human rights investigators said this week, presenting a new report which urges a political solution to what has become an increasingly militarized and sectarian conflict. “There is an urgent need for a sustained diplomatic initiative to put an end to the violence and the suffering of the Syrian population,” the Chair of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria, Paulo Pinheiro, told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
“If the national, regional, and international actors fail to find a
solution to the conflict and stop the agony of millions of civilians,
the alternative will be the political, economic and social destruction
of Syria and its society, with devastating implications for the region
and the world,” Mr. Pinheiro warned, speaking on behalf of the
four-member Commission. He added that “the war displays all the signs of a destructive
stalemate” where neither the Government nor anti-Government forces have
been able to prevail militarily and are thus escalating force “in the
fallacious belief that victory is within reach.”
In the report
presented by Mr. Pinheiro, the Commission concluded that the main cause
of civilian casualties, mass displacement and destruction “is the
reckless manner in which parties to the conflict conduct hostilities,”
including indiscriminate shelling and aerial bombardment. “The parties must take all feasible precautions to protect civilians,”
the Commission urges, reiterating that the conflict is waged by both
Government forces and anti-Government armed groups in violation of
international humanitarian law.
The 10-page update, which is based on first-hand accounts from 191
interviews conducted last month, describes a dramatic erosion of
civilian space with mass displacement exacerbated by diminishing areas
in which civilians can seek refuge.
Up to 70,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed since the
uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began in March 2011 and about
a million people have fled to neighbouring countries. In addition, 2
million have been internally displaced and over 4 million people are in
need of humanitarian assistance. The report notes in particular the use of medical care as a tactic of
war. Medical personnel and hospitals have been deliberately targeted and
are treated by parties to the conflict as military objectives, the
Commission notes, adding that medical access has been denied in certain
cases “on real or perceived political and sectarian grounds.”
In addition, the human rights investigations call attention to so-called
“Popular Committees,” which comprise local residents who reportedly
protect their neighbourhoods against anti-Government armed groups and
criminal gangs. “In a disturbing and dangerous trend, mass killings allegedly
perpetrated by Popular Committees have at times taken on sectarian
overtones,” the Commission writes.
The report also notes at least three massacres reportedly committed in
Homs governate since December 2012, noting that the bodies of those
killed or executed are often desecrated, by being burned or dumped in
waterways, making identification difficult. Despite a lack of access,
the Commission said it is investigating approximately 20 cases of
alleged massacres.
In a sign of the increasing recklessness with which the parties to the
conflict treat human life, Mr. Pinheiro noted in his statement the
capture and detention of 21 UN peacekeepers by the Martyrs of Yarmouk
armed group last week in the Golan Heights. “We welcome their safe release,” Mr. Pinheiro said, but noted that
members of the Commission also “condemn such outrageous acts and
consider it a clear violation of international humanitarian law.”
In addition, the report cites the use of child fighters, some recruited
as young as 13 by anti-Government forces for weapons training and
operational roles; while there are instances of Syrian boys as young as
12 being pushed to support Government troops. There are also reports of sexual violence, including at checkpoints or while being held by intelligence agencies.
“A failure to resolve this increasingly violent conflict will condemn
Syria, the region and the millions of civilians caught in the crossfire
to an unimaginably bleak future,” the Commission summarizes, urging all
stakeholders to redouble their efforts to facilitate a negotiated
settlement.
“The latest initiative by the UN and Arab League Joint Special
Representative for Syria suggesting that the UN is willing to facilitate
negotiations between the parties represents a step in the right
direction and deserves to be supported,” the Commission, which also
includes
Karen Koning AbuZayd, Carla del Ponte and Vitit Muntarbhorn, writes in the report.
Last week, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Joint Special
Representative Lakhdar Brahimi met in Mt. Pelerin, Switzerland, to
discuss the situation in Syria. They reiterated that the UN would
welcome and be prepared to facilitate a dialogue between a strong and
representative delegation from the opposition and a credible and
empowered delegation from the Syrian Government.
(Adapted from a UN Press Release)
https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/international_law/2013/03/syria.html