Thursday marks the one-year anniversary of the uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whose forces have shown no signs of slowing an offensive in cities that have been key hubs of the opposition.
Thousands of people holding flags and pictures of the president gathered in the capital, Damascus, for a pro-Assad rally. The show of support comes a day after government forces overran most of the northern city of Idlib and launched their biggest raid in months on the southern city of Daraa – a town rebels call “the birthplace of our revolution.”
Turkey said Thursday that 1,000 refugees had crossed into the country from Syria in the span of 24 hours, bringing the total number of Syrian refugees there to 14,000.
Meanwhile, the international community continues to push for a halt to the violence in Syria, but has been unable to find a solution to the crisis.
Amin Saikal, the director of the Center of Arab and Islamic Studies at the Australian National University, told VOA he does not expect a resolution any time soon.
“The international community, and more specifically the United Nations Security Council, is paralyzed on the basis of the Russian and Chinese opposition to adopt a position whereby greater pressure could be exerted on Assad's regime.”
A group of 200 non-governmental organizations is teaming with celebrities and activists in a campaign Thursday to push for greater action. The initiative called Unite For Syria is using Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to highlight calls for a Security Council resolution, support for U.N.-Arab League special envoy Kofi Annan and humanitarian access to all areas in Syria.
One of the organizations taking part is New York-based Human Rights Watch, which called Thursday for the Syrian government to stop “indiscriminate shelling” of cities. It said witnesses described pro-Assad forces using machine guns, tanks and mortars to attack buildings and people in Idlib during the assault that began March 10.
It also urged the Security Council to adopt a resolution banning the shipment of arms to Syria and giving the “strongest possible backing” to Annan, who is scheduled to brief the Council on Friday. His spokesman said Mr. Assad's government has responded to his overtures to end the crisis, but that questions remain.
Council diplomats say Annan's assessment will be crucial to a bid by the United States and its European allies to pass a U.N. resolution that would ensure humanitarian aid workers have access to besieged towns across the country. Russia and China have twice vetoed resolutions condemning Mr. Assad's government.
Also Thursday, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said his country opposes arming the Syrian opposition, fearing the situation could become a “bigger catastrophe.”
U.N. officials estimate that 8,000 people have died in the year-long series of protests and government crackdown. The Syrian government blames the unrest on “terrorists” and outside agitators.
