Weapons supplied to the Syrian government and opposition are
escalating the conflict, UN human rights chief Navi Pillay said Monday.
"The provision of arms to the Syrian government and to its
opponents is fueling the violence," Pillay told reporters after briefing
the UN Security Council.
"Any further militarization of the conflict must be avoided at all costs."
"Any further militarization of the conflict must be avoided at all costs."
While Pillay did not name countries, Russia and Iran are key
suppliers to President Bashar al-Assad's government. The Gulf states, notably
Qatar and Saudi Arabia, have given weapons to the increasingly well-armed
opposition.
Pillay said the government
and opposition are carrying out "serious" new rights violations
including attacks on hospitals. She renewed an appeal for the 15-nation council
to refer the Syria conflict to the International Criminal Court.
The UN human rights
commissioner acknowledged that it would be a "political" decision
however. Russia, Syria's key ally, has blocked past moves to impose sanctions
and make an ICC referral.
Pillay told the council
that the conflict, now into its 16th month, was becoming "increasingly
sectarian,” according to a text of her comments obtained by AFP.
She said hundreds of people
remain trapped in Deir az-Zour and in the old city district of Homs
"because of the increasing use of heavy weaponry, shelling and ongoing
armed clashes."
Helicopter gunships have
"indiscriminately" fired at people in Deir Ezzor causing many
casualties, Pillay told the council.
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