Last weekend the Irish government rolled out the blood red carpet for Chinese government representatives and at the conclusion of the Chinese visit today,
both governments announced their intention increase bilateral trade.
However, China has recently twice blocked UN security council resolutions that seek to end the bloody stalemate in Syria. The reason given by the China People’s Daily for China’s veto, is that UN led intervention would lead to civil war.
However, an effective state of civil war already exists in Syria and China’s actions are most charitably characterised as a strategic play allied with Iran, its partner in the Middle East. Iran takes a keen interest in Syria and only today, two Iranian warships docked in a Syrian naval facility, purporting to be on a training mission. Russia is Syria’s biggest arms supplier and has sided with China, in blocking UN resolutions relating to the Syrian crisis.
Sunday Times journalists Marie Colvin and Paul Conroy are the only British or Irish newspaper journalists in the besieged Homs (picture gallery) suburb of Baba Amr and have described the Syrian army massacre of civilians thats been playing out for the past two weeks – a tragedy being repeated across Syria, as the regime seeks to re-establish control.
Baba Amr (demonstration pictured) is a suburb of Homs, containing approximately 28,000 civilians. In scenes reminiscent of the Serbian siege of Sarajevo from 1992-1996 when 10,000 civilians were killed, the Syrian army is indiscriminately shelling Baba Amr 24/7 with tanks, artillery and mortars. Baba Amr is effectively cut off and surrounded by 5,000 Syrian troops, still loyal to the Assad regime. Telephones and electricity have been cut off. Medicine to treat those wounded by rockets and shells is restricted to over the counter painkillers. Food is running out, as is cooking fuel. To go searching outside for food is to invite death by shell-fire or roof-top snipers. Few houses in Baba Amr are intact and untouched. Most are missing walls or roofs. Snow lies on the ground and falls through broken windows. Almost every family in Baba Amr has had a loved one killed or injured.
All that stands between the trapped, cut-off civilians and the tanks and artillery of Assad’s regime is the Free Syrian Army (FSA). The FSA is comprised of regime deserters, armed only with rifles and quickly running out of ammunition. The people of Baba Amr expect the Syrian army to push through their suburb at any time and fear a repeat of the massacre that was ordered by Assad’s father in Hama in 1982, when 10,000 men, women and children were murdered, in response to a popular uprising against the regime.
Having witnessed western and arab intervention in other Middle East countries during the Arab Spring , the people of Syria are left to wonder why the world stands by, while their government has a free hand to rape, mutilate and murder.
In the past, the Irish government and past presidents have made much of Ireland’s stance on human rights around the world. In the future, when Syrians ask Ireland ‘Where were you when we needed your help?’ we can proudly answer, ‘We were busy chasing trade deals with those with your loved ones’ blood on their hands.’
Over this past weekend, did any Irish official hosting the Chinese, look at the red
carpets or flowing red wine and see instead the blood flowing in Baba Amr?
Images: Wikimedia: Bassem/Allan Castillo
No comments yet.