Demand at mass rallies for Arab League action on Syria

THOUSANDS OF Syrian anti-regime opponents marked nine months of unrest by demanding that the Arab League respond to Damascus’s crackdown on dissent.

The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported mass demonstrations in the central Syrian city of Homs against postponement of a league meeting on Syria scheduled for today. The postponement is to allow more time for Damascus to accept the terms of a plan to halt repression. Other protests were said to have been staged in Deraa, Deir al-Zor and Hama.

Local committees said at least 11 people were killed as Syrian vice-president Farouk al-Sharaa arrived in Moscow for talks with Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov in a bid to end the crisis.

Late on Thursday Russia circulated to members of the UN Security Council a resolution condemning violence by “all parties, including the disproportionate use of force by [the] Syrian authorities” and expressing concern over “the illegal supply of weapons to the armed groups in Syria”.

The text “urges the Syrian government to put an end to suppression of those exercising their rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association”. Russia’s UN ambassador Vitali Churkin said the resolution was worded to “give a strong message to the Arab League that we encourage them to continue their efforts, and working together with the government of Syria, to carry out its plans to deploy the monitoring mission in Syria”. He said external powers seeking regime change must end intervention.

US secretary of state Hillary Clinton criticised Moscow’s position, but said Washington would work with Russia on the text. It is unlikely, however, that Russia will agree to toughen its resolution by calling for sanctions demanded by the US and EU. The UN says 5,000 people have been killed since unrest erupted in March.

Meanwhile, in central Cairo, the Egyptian army attacked with tear gas, cattle prods and live fire a tent camp outside the cabinet offices. The encampment was established three weeks ago by activists opposed to the appointment by the ruling military council of the prime minister, Kamal el-Ganzouri, who had served under ousted president Hosni Mubarak.

The clashes took place a day after balloting ended in the second round in areas hotly contested by the Muslim Brotherhood and ultra-orthodox Salafi fundamentalists. About 36 people were injured and five have gunshot wounds.