Without indentifying what she called “reliable sources, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said that the alleged repression by the Syrian government has claimed 1600 lives since protests began some six months ago, and she requested the same civilian-protection efforts by foreign countries she previously asked for Libya.

In her opening remarks of the 18th session of the Human Rights Council, in Geneva, Pillay said that as to Syria, and according to reliable sources in the field, the death tall reached at least 2 600 since violence broke out by mid March, Telesur reported.

But, Pillay gave her report without explaining who her sources are, or if the information was given by medical or forensic personnel, or by any person or institution authorized and able to give credit to the figures mentioned.

This is not the first time that the High Commissioner gives figures of deaths in Arab nations without explaining the origin of her information. Last February 25, she cited “certain sources” to assure that there could be thousands of dead and wounded people in Libya following the “repression” unleashed by leader Muammar Gaddafi.

Immediately after Pillay concluded her report, 47 members of the UN Human Rights Council favored a draft resolution that excluded Libya of the UN body. But, later, the reports about “thousands” of dead people under bombing and repression by the Gaddafi government in Libya were proved to be false. However, by that time NATO had already launched its attack on Libya.

By mid March protests began against the Bashar Al Assad government in Syria followed by demonstrations of support of that regime, which led to civilian clashes, and the action of infiltrated armed groups that tried to destabilize the Arab nation.

A sector of the Syrian population demanded constitutional reforms, attended by the government, which decided to implement a series of political changes, such as the annulment of the Emergency Act, in force since 1963; the release of political prisoners, and the renewal of the cabinet.

Damascus denounced that foreign powers have orchestrated a discrediting and destabilizing plan in the country by accusing the government of making strong pressures on the civilian population.
The UN High Commissioner called for an effort with the support of foreign countries to protect the civilian population under risk of violence. This was the same request she made six months ago for Libya, a nation where thousands of citizens were killed by NATO.

Source: The South Journal