Violence escalated in Syria this week with government crackdowns in a number of cities, bringing the total number of civilians killed by the government to almost 2,000, local activists said. Nevertheless, the UN Security Council hasn’t taken sufficient steps to push Syria to change course.
Along with shelling neighborhoods and shooting civilians, Syrian forces have detained large numbers of people in Hama and Deir al-Zor, cities with strong protest movements. Last weekend, security officers arrested Walid al-Bunni, a leading opposition figure and former political prisoner, along with his two sons. Al-Bunni’s whereabouts remain unknown.
In the light of this violence, the Security Council should escalate pressure on Syria by considering targeted sanctions and an arms embargo. It should also create a commission of inquiry. In a statement last week, the Security Council unanimously condemned Syria’s authorities for “widespread violations of human rights and the use of force against civilians.”
Syria not only ignored the Security Council’s demands in that statement, but responded by intensifying its bloody crackdown. President Bashar al-Assad needs to hear loud and clear that the Security Council will not tolerate the Syrian government’s outrageous conduct.
