Madam Chair, today we are having a debate on the situation in Syria, and the situation is extremely worrying.
Since March 2011, so for over a year, there has been persistent violence in Syria. All of this because of an existing regime that has used oppression to remain in power. According to the UN, more than 9,000 people are dead and thousands have been displaced by the conflict. We all know the living conditions this type of armed conflict creates for refugees. Their lives are filled with fear and instability, often in mediocre conditions.
Bashar al-Assad promised to bring in liberalization when he took power in 2000. This liberalization was short lived. Critics of the regime were imprisoned, the national media were strictly controlled, and it is no secret that a select government elite controls economic policy.
It is certainly unfortunate that a man, a doctor by training and who surely took the Hippocratic oath, is continuing on a path that will certainly bring great suffering to his people.
The recent massacres in Houla are appalling. Like the Government of Canada, the NDP condemned these atrocities. Syrians decided to take to the streets to demonstrate their desire for democracy, a desire that the government is trying to silence. This is a right that has been taken away from them; a right that this country considers fundamental.
For over a year now, the Assad regime has been attempting to suppress the uprising of the Syrian people, who were inspired by events that occurred in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, better known in the international media as the Arab Spring.
Like the whole international community, we support the six-point peace plan put forward by Kofi Annan. The violence against the people of Syria and innocent civilians must stop. It is important that a peaceful transition that can meet the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people be achieved.
The international community imposed sanctions on the Assad regime. UN observers were sent to Syria and Syrian ambassadors were expelled from several countries. In a desperate gesture, Bashar al-Assad today expelled the Canadian chargé d'affaires. Mr. Assad's regime is now more internationally isolated than ever. However, China and Russia are the only two countries that still support Damascus, and they have veto power on the UN Security Council.
Having a foreign policy that is worthy of Canada means taking action that shows the whole world what values we stand up for. It is through the policies we adopt and the things we say, this evening for example, that we can demonstrate that Canada is a leader in defending the values of justice, fraternity and human rights. That is why Canada must ensure that it uses all possible diplomatic pressures to ensure that both countries, China and Russia, place pressure on Syria to end these atrocities against the people of Syria.
It is critical for the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs to sit down with their Russian and Chinese counterparts as often and as long as is needed to exhort them to use their leadership and to play an active and decisive role in achieving a genuine cease-fire that will save the lives of innocent civilians. If the government can place pressure on the Syrian government to stop massacring its own citizens, then the government can also use its influence on other countries like Russia and China to have them force Syria to show respect for human rights. It is not a matter of choice, but a basic and necessary issue. There is no choice.
The government must not choose between its economic and diplomatic relations. Defenceless civilians are waiting for Canada to act. The international community is watching to see what Canada does. Canada must exercise its leadership to obtain a genuine ceasefire, which will save the lives of thousands of innocent civilians, children and women, who are being massacred every day. Unfortunately, in conflicts of this type, women and children are often the biggest victims.
The Government of Canada must also encourage these states to begin negotiations in order to establish a road map for reforms that will meet the legitimate demands of the Syrian people.
Canada must also provide urgent humanitarian aid to the refugees fleeing the violence in Syria. The Turkish crisis management centre announced on Tuesday that over 2,000 Syrians had arrived in Turkey over the past three days. The number of Syrian refugees accommodated in camps set up by the Turkish Red Crescent in southern Syria has reached 26,747.
Moreover, the Security Council should also consider seizing the International Criminal Court in relation to the events of May 25 in Houla. Despite the fact that the Syrian government agreed to a cease-fire, it continues to bomb civilians. There was total carnage despite the presence of UN observers, I should point out. That is why Canada must redouble its efforts and put pressure on Syria. As I said, there was total carnage on May 25, with over 108 deaths, including 49 children. Syria should co-operate fully with the court and the prosecutor, and provide assistance as required, while recognizing that the Rome Statute imposes no obligation on states that are not a party to it. This is the case with Syria. However, once again, the role of Russia and China in this issue is key.
We are both so close and yet so far from being able to help the Syrian people. I find it repugnant that one person in power could so freely violate basic human rights, especially since the Syrian people are the ones that gave him the authority to represent them.
In March, Amnesty International published a report condemning the regime's widespread use of torture and other forms of abuse in Syria. The organization documented 31 methods of torture and other forms of abuse attributed to the security forces, the army, and the armed, pro-government groups known as shabiha.
In a statement, Human Rights Watch also condemned the scorched earth methods used by the Syrian army in an attempt to put down the long-lasting uprising in the country. The New York-based NGO deplored the fact that the UN Security Council is being blocked by Russia and China. It considers that, after a year of popular revolt in Syria, the Security Council “should finally stand together and send a clear message to President Assad that these attacks must end”.
With President Vladimir Putin currently in China, it seems to me that the time is right to send them a clear message from the international community.
Resolving this conflict is a matter of the utmost importance, not only to pave the way for the return of peace to Syria but also to make sure that the conflict will not take on disastrous dimensions in the region.
We must not—we cannot—let this conflict continue without a peaceful resolution. We cannot allow the Assad regime crush its people like common bugs. The consequences for the people are going to worsen as long as the conflict wages on. Neither should we allow this conflict to carry on any longer or allow the country to enter into a civil war.
We have already seen the currency collapse. It has been mentioned that the Syrian government may be unable to pay its officials. Although that may be the nail in the coffin of Assad's downfall, we need to take into consideration everything this means for the Syrian people as well.
