UN Security Council Resolution to impose sanctions against the Syrian regime unless it halts its military attack against civilians was vetoed by Russia and China. The European backed resolution would have been the first such legally binding action taken by the Security Council since President Basher Assad’s military began using tanks and soldiers against protesters in mid-March. The UN estimates there have been more than 2,700 deaths. India, South Africa, Brazil and Lebanon refrained from voting.

China’ ambassador Li Bandong opposed the resolution for the reason that sanctions and threat of sanctions rather complicates the situation than helping. Russia’s UN ambassador, Vitally Churkin, told the council that his country opposed the resolution because it was against a peaceful settlement and was “based on a philosophy of confrontation” and contained “an ultimatum of sanctions” The resolution did not call for the Syrian opposition to detach itself from “extremists” and go for talk.

Britain’s UN ambassador, Mark Lyall Grant gave his opinion that the veto will be a great disappointment to the people of ‘Syria and the wider region’ and now the burden lies on those countries that vetoed the resolution to accelerate their efforts and convince the Syrian government ‘to end the violence and follow legitimate reform.’

The US ambassador, Susan Rice accused Russia and China of wanting to sell arms to the Syrian regime rather than supporting for the Syrian people and this was fervently denied by Russia. The defeated draft strongly condemned ‘ the persistent and crucial  human rights violations and the use of force against civilians by the Syrian authorities’ and requested all states to exercise caution and  control in supplying weapons to Syria. The last speaker after the vote was Syria’s UN ambassador, Bashan  Jaafari  and he criticised “the prejudice in certain western capitals against the country “ and insisted “a comprehensive package of pro-democracy reforms “was being put into practice by the government.

 Reported By Lydia Chitra Jacob