Call to condemn

United Nations human rights chief Navi Pillay appealed to members of the Security Council on Monday to ensure crimes against humanity in Syria could be punished by referring the situation to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Pillay told the meeting that the death toll in the country now exceeds 5,000 - not including the Syrian security forces - a sharp increase from approximately 4,000 in the past 10 days.

"Inaction by the international community will embolden Syrian authorities and ensure perpetrators go unpunished," said Pillay. "The need for international criminal accountability has acquired even greater urgency."

Syria is not a signatory to the International Criminal Court statute, so action against it would have to be referred by the Security Council. Damascus says more than 1,000 police officers and soldiers have died in the fighting.

West condemns inaction

While Western members have called for the body to condemn the violence, others such as Brazil, China, India, Russia and South Africa have expressed reservations, fearing that such a resolution could be used to press a case for military action.

Speaking after the meeting, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle expressed shock about the worsening situation in Syria.

"I think it is necessary that those countries in the Security Council that are still hesitating change their mind," said Westerwelle.

"We owe this to those who have lost their lives."

France's UN envoy Gerard Araud said Monday that the Security Council was "morally responsible" for the killings, having failed to condemn the regime's crackdown.

"It is scandalous that the council, because of the opposition of certain members and the indifference of others, could not act to exercise pressure on the Syrian authorities," said Araud.

Worsening situation in Homs

Pillay had said there were reports of increased attacks by opposition groups on forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad. She also described the humanitarian situation in the city of Homs, one of the major scenes of conflict between the two sides, as "alarming." An 18-month-old and a five-year-old child were reported killed by sniper fire at the weekend.

Soldiers and tanks had on Sunday moved into residential parts of the city, Pillay said, with trenches dug and checkpoints set up between neighborhoods. Internet and electricity were reported to be cut off and citizens were afraid to leave their homes to get water, food and fuel.

Opposition activists reported on Monday that violence had continued as voting took place in local elections, with 10 people dead in Homs alone. While Assad's regime claims the polling shows commitment to reforms, the vote was dismissed as irrelevant by the opposition.

Monday was also the day of an opposition "Strike for dignity" against the regime. The extent of the strike's effectiveness was difficult to judge against the background of violence.

Author: Richard Connor (AFP, dpa, Reuters)
Editor: John Doyle