Statement Of H. E. Prof. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, Secretary General Of The OIC At The 3rd Meeting Of The Group Of Friends Of The Syrian People

Bismillahi Arrahmani Arrahim
In the Name of God, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful

H. E. Mr. Laurent Fabius, Minister for Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of France

Honorable Ministers,

Distinguished Heads of Delegation

Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great honor and privilege for me to address the 3rd meeting of the Group of Friends of the Syrian People convened at the beautiful city of Paris to discuss the situation in Syria and find ways and means to save the Syrian people and end its suffering and act together in order to stop the bloodshed which caused more than 15000 deaths.

At the very outset, I would like to seize this opportunity to thank the French Government for convening the important meeting and for the excellent arrangements and hospitality accorded to all delegations.

Honorable Ministers,
Distinguished delegates,

In spite of sincere efforts from the international community to resolve the Syrian crisis, I have no doubt that you share my deep concern and profound pain at what the situation there has turned into, with the ongoing bloodshed, the killing of innocent lives including children and women and the large scale destruction of homes and infrastructure. As we gather here today to examine this deplorable situation, we are reminded of the calamities endured by a people steeped in history who have suffered all kinds of killing, mutilation, torture and dispersion as a result of the mindless violence visited upon them, already claiming the violence. Moreover, the current situation could be an ominous portend of the breakout of a civil war that might crush even more thousands of innocent victims, with ripple effects reaching even beyond Syria, to all the countries of the region. Our duty now commands that we extend our urgent succor to the victims of the violence.

In this respect, I have already issued a call, less than a month ago, for an end to the killing in Syria, a call which takes root in the precepts of our noble faith that insist on the protection of human life, enjoins its preservation and prohibits the killing of innocents or their subjections to any harm.

Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Since the onset of this crisis, we made a point of abiding by the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of a Member State of the OIC, and of respecting its sovereignty and territorial integrity, a principled stand which was coupled by our keenness to preserve Syria’s safety, security and stability. However, the degrading security situation and worsened oppressive practices with the killing of large numbers of children and women have played in favor of internationalization of the crisis.

Syria, being an important member of the OIC, the OIC sought to contain the crisis before it overspills. Indeed, I had talks and contacts with the authorities in Damascus. I expressed my concern over the potential spread of the crisis, and encouraged the Syrian authorities to see to the early introduction of the announced reform. Then I dispatched a special envoy to Damascus in May 2011 to deliver a written message from me to President Bashar Al-Assad. In my messages, I expressed our profound sadness at the continued escalation and aggravation of violent practices, and stressed the need for a commitment to protect civilians, respect human rights, activate the principles of good governance, implement the reforms promised by the Syrian leadership and resolve the Syrian crisis through peaceful means. Subsequently, the OIC issued a number of communiqués calling for de-escalation and negotiated settlement

The OIC has never abandoned its fixed stand regarding the repercussions and developments in Syria. Since the outbreak of this crisis, the OIC General Secretariat has issued a number of statements reiterating its stand in favor of resolving the Syrian crisis through putting an immediate end to the violence and bloodshed.

Honorable Ministers,
Distinguished Participants,

The OIC Executive Committee, which held a first meeting at the Ministerial level on 30 November 2011, urged the Syrian Government to fulfill its commitments to reform and to respond to the legitimate aspirations and demands of Syrian people. The meeting called on all Syrian stakeholders to shun the path of violence and resort to the peaceful means of dialogue and negotiations to settle the crisis.

In the face of the failure to achieve any progress in the attempts to steer towards a serious peaceful dialogue and continued killings and destructions, the OIC declared its support for the solution adopted by the League of Arab States and for Dr. Kofi Annan’s six-point peace plan which, has so far met with no positive response.

Distinguished delegates,

The OIC convened the Second Executive Committee Meeting at the Ministerial level on the 24 June 2012 at its Headquarters. The meeting strongly condemned the continuing bloodshed by all parties in Syria, underlined the primary responsibility of the Syrian Government in the continuation of violence and expressed its serious concern at the deteriorating situation in the country. In this connection, it called for an immediate end to the violence and for full respect for Islamic values and human rights as well as for saving the country from the risk of a full civil war with grave consequences on the Syrian people and the region. The Meeting strongly urged the Syrian Government to immediately end the use of excessive force against Syrian nationals and to respond to the legitimate aspirations and demands of its citizens; it further expressed its support to the ongoing diplomatic initiatives to end violence in Syria.

The meeting recommended to the next CFM meeting which will be held in Djibouti the suspension of the membership of the Syrian Arab Republic from the OIC. The Meeting called on the UNSC to take its full responsibility to put an end to the ongoing violence and bloodshed in Syria through a durable political solution and urged the Council to consider the situation in Syria under Chapter VII of the UN Charter. In addition, the meeting strongly deplored the shooting down by Syria of a Turkish military plane, and considers it an action which poses a grave threat to the regional security and stability.

Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

To conclude, I wish to call upon the international community to work more actively towards ending the bloodshed and reversing the ordeal of the Syrian people. I wish our deliberations every success in evolving specific recommendations which will contribute to finding an immediate solution to the grave Syrian crisis.

I thank you all for your kind attention.

 

 

 

Arab League: Hold Emergency Meeting on Syria

Arab League: Hold Emergency Meeting on Syria

August 15, 2011

Human Rights Watch,

(Cairo) – The League of Arab States should hold an emergency meeting about the crackdown in Syria, Human Rights Watch said today in a letter to Nabil al-Arabi, secretary general of the league.

Human Rights Watch also urged the league to press Syria for unhindered access to the country for a UN-mandated fact-finding committee and for independent observers and journalists.

“The region is changing, and so should the Arab League,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “To remain relevant, it should break from its history as a closed shop of autocrats who support each other’s crimes, and start looking out for the interest of the citizens of its states. Syria’s people, at this time of severe oppression, deserve to have their voices heard.”

The Arab League, which includes all 22 Arab countries, finally broke its silence on Syria this week, when its secretary general issued a statement calling on the Syrian authorities to end the bloody repression of mostly peaceful protests. The statement did not propose any concrete actions similar to its unequivocal actions on Libya earlier this year. Libya’s membership was suspended for its abuses of its own citizens.

The league has remained generally silent on Syria, in line with the position of most Arab countries. The stance started changing last week when Gulf Cooperation Council members Kuwait and Qatar criticized the ongoing crackdown by Syrian security forces. Saudi Arabia joined the ranks, withdrawing its ambassador from Damascus “for consultations,” although King Abdullah’s statement fell short of condemning the Syrian government’s actions.

The Arab League’s Arab Charter on Human Rights supports the principles of the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. It affirms the rights to freedom of assembly and expression, liberty, and security as well as protection from torture.

Local and international human rights organizations and activists have documented a sustained campaign of repression in Syria that has so far left an estimated 2,000 people dead and thousands wounded. More than 120 people have been killed since the beginning of the month of Ramadan, less than a week ago. And more than 10,000 Syrians have been detained for participating in mostly peaceful protests against the government of President Bashar al-Asad. The documented violations of human rights include extra-judicial killings, mass arrests, torture of detainees, and laying siege to cities, towns, and villages, and severing their water and power supplies.

Syrian authorities have claimed they are battling an armed insurrection and accused “terrorists” of inflicting most of the casualties. But they have been unable to offer any credible evidence to support their claims.

“Nabil al-Arabi and the organization he represents shouldn’t limit themselves to words of concern when Syrian tanks are gunning down protesters in the streets,” Whitson said.

UN council condemns use of force by Syria

UN council condemns use of force by Syria

4 August 2011

 

UNITED NATIONS – In its first substantive action on Syria’s five-month-old uprising, the UN Security Council on Wednesday condemned human rights violations and use of force against civilians by Syrian authorities.

 

In a rare but not unprecedented move, Syria’s neighbor Lebanon, where Damascus’ influence is strong, disassociated itself from a formal statement agreed by the other 14 members of the council.

A Lebanese envoy said the Western-drafted statement would not help the situation. Statements are meant to be unanimous, meaning Lebanon could have blocked it, but by simply disassociating itself Beirut allowed the statement to pass.

The statement, read out to a council meeting by Indian Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri, this month’s president of the body, “condemns widespread violations of human rights and the use of force against civilians by the Syrian authorities.”

The document, agreed after three days of hard bargaining instead of a full council resolution that the West would have preferred, also urges Damascus to fully respect human rights and comply with its obligations under international law.

The council called for “an immediate end to all violence and urges all sides to act with utmost restraint, and to refrain from reprisals, including attacks against state institutions.”

That phrase was a gesture to Russia and other countries that had called for a balanced statement that would apportion to both sides blame for the violence in the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad.

Weeks of frustration

A resolution on Syria drafted by West European countries had been languishing in the Security Council for two months, blocked by opposition from Russia, China and several nonaligned countries.

The Europeans resurrected it this week, galvanized by weekend violence in the Syrian city of Hama in which more than 80 people died. Russia and its supporters eventually agreed to council action but insisted that it be just a statement, which carries less clout than a resolution, diplomats said.

The statement ends weeks of frustration for Western nations, which had faced a threatened veto of their resolution by Russia and China and had been unable to persuade temporary council members Brazil, India and South Africa to support it.

Russia, a long-standing ally of Damascus, had argued that it did not want a repeat of a March 17 council resolution on Libya that was cited by Western countries as justification for air strikes on the forces of leader Muammar Gaddafi. Moscow said that was an abuse of the terms of the resolution.

The bloodshed in Hama appeared to have broken the logjam in the council, diplomats said.

The statement contains no provision for sanctions or other punitive measures against Syria, nor does it call for a referral of Syrian leaders to the International Criminal Court, as some human rights groups have demanded.

The only future action provided for is a request to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to report back to the council within seven days on the situation in Syria. It does not specify what follow-up there might be to his report.

Hama, Bapak, dan Anak

Hama, Bapak, dan Anak

Rabu, 3 Agustus 2011

TRIAS KUNCAHYONO

HAMA kembali berdarah. Sejarah kota ini, yang sudah ada sejak tahun 1100 SM, memang menceritakan pertumpahan darah. Hama yang dalam kisah lama disebut Hamath—berarti benteng—pernah menjadi ibu kota Kerajaan Kanaan. Dari waktu ke waktu, Hama selalu diperebutkan: pernah di tangan Romawi dan terakhir kali di tangan Ottoman. Setelah kekuasaan Ottoman berakhir pada tahun 1918, karena kalah dalam Perang Dunia I, Hama berada di bawah Mandat Perancis untuk Suriah. Kini, Hama menjadi bagian Suriah.

Namun, darah yang mengalir kali ini bukan karena tindakan kekuasaan asing, melainkan kekuasaan dalam negeri. Peristiwa pertama terjadi tiga dasawarsa silam, di zaman Presiden Hafez al-Assad. Meski peristiwa itu sudah lama, tetapi belum hilang dari ingatan Umm Yasseen (62), karena anak lelakinya yang baru berusia belasan tahun ditembak persis di depannya.

”Saya menjerit sekuat tenaga melihat anak saya ditembak. Seorang tentara pemerintah segera memegang bahu saya dan mengatakan, ’Anakmu penjahat. Ia bunuh diri,’” kata Yasseen mengenang tragedi 2 Februari 1982, seperti dikutip kantor berita Reuters, Kamis (7/7).

Hafez al-Assad menggempur Hama, menumpas pemberontakan kelompok Persaudaraan Muslim, Sunni. Sejak berkuasa Hafez al-Assad didukung oleh sekte Alawi, Syiah, yang merupakan kelompok minoritas, 12 persen dari jumlah penduduk (sekitar 22 juta) Suriah.

Serangan dipimpin adik kandungnya, Rifaat al-Assad. Ribuan orang dibunuh. Mingguan The Economist menyodorkan angka 30.000 orang. Robert Fisk, seorang penulis sekaligus wartawan asal Inggris dalam Independent.co.uk (16/9/2010), menyebut korban 20.000 orang. Sementara itu, Komite Hak Asasi Manusia Suriah memberikan angka lebih tinggi, yakni 30.000-40.000 orang. Karena itu. Komite HAM Suriah menyebutnya sebagai genosida dan kejahatan terhadap kemanusiaan.

Hari Minggu lalu, Presiden Bashar al-Assad mengikuti jejak ayahnya, Hafez al-Assad. Ia mengirim tentara juga dengan tank di bawah pimpinan saudaranya, Maher al-Assad, menggempur Hama, kota berpenduduk 700.000 orang. Jumlah korban tewas memang tidak sebanyak tahun 1982—menurut berita mencapai 74 orang (bila ditambah dengan korban tewas di kota-kota lain pada hari yang sama mencapai 140 orang)—tetapi mereka tetaplah manusia.

Gempuran militer ini merupakan usaha pemerintah Damaskus meredam protes rakyat yang menuntut perubahan politik. Sejak pergolakan pecah pada 15 Maret lalu, diperkirakan korban tewas 1.634 orang, sebanyak 2.918 orang dinyatakan hilang, dan sekitar 26.000 orang ditahan.

Rakyat protes karena, menurut Foreign Affairs (25/5), korupsi yang dilakukan rezim yang berkuasa sudah keterlaluan. Karena itu, rakyat menuntut perubahan: cabut undang-undang darurat yang sudah diterapkan sejak 48 tahun silam (sudah dicabut) dan menuntut pembubaran pemerintahan (sudah dikabulkan). Namun, tindakan itu dianggap tidak serius. Sebab, setelah mencabut undang-undang darurat, pemerintah berencana memperkenalkan undang-undang antiterorisme yang sama dengan undang-undang darurat.

Tuntutan akan perubahan terus bergema. Apakah jatuhnya korban jiwa akan memperlemah kekuasaan Bashar al-Assad? Ini akan sangat tergantung apakah sekte Alawi dan tentara masih tetap mendukungnya. Bila sekte Alawi meninggalkannya (mendapat jaminan keamanan dari kelompok oposisi demokratik) dan bergabung dengan oposisi-demokratik ditambah makin banyaknya tentara yang memiliki hati nurani, rasa kemanusiaan, posisi Bashar akan terancam.

Pilihan lainnya adalah membiarkan perang saudara. Berarti, korban nyawa sebagai tumbal kekuasaan akan makin banyak.

 

Serangan Suriah Berlanjut

Serangan Suriah Berlanjut

Selasa, 2 Agustus 2011

Damaskus, SENIN- Seolah tidak peduli dengan dimulainya hari pertama bulan Ramadhan, militer Suriah terus melanjutkan serangan mematikan mereka atas kota Hama, kota yang dinilai menjadi sumber gerakan perlawanan antipemerintah di negeri itu.

Serangan tersebut adalah yang kedua setelah hari Minggu sebelumnya militer Suriah menghujani kota Hama dan beberapa kota lain dengan tembakan senapan mesin dan peluru artileri tank. Dilaporkan lebih dari 70 warga sipil tewas.

Insiden berdarah itu memicu kemarahan dunia internasional. Reaksi keras dilontarkan sejumlah negara, seperti Amerika Serikat dan beberapa negara anggota Uni Eropa. Mereka mengancam menjatuhkan sanksi atas Suriah.

”Warga kota tetap berkomitmen melawan dengan cara damai. Rakyat siap mempertahankan diri walau hanya bersenjatakan batu. Rakyat tidak akan menyerah sekarang. Kami tidak akan membiarkan peristiwa 1982 kembali terjadi,” ujar Omar Hamawi, salah seorang aktivis, saat dihubungi di kota Hama.

Masyarakat kota memasang sejumlah barikade di jalan-jalan utama demi memperlambat gerakan kendaraan tempur militer. Barikade penghalang juga dipasang penduduk yang tinggal di kawasan pedesaan sekitar kota Hama untuk menghalangi arus pasokan logistik bagi militer.

”Rakyat mendirikan sejumlah pos pemeriksaan, sementara para aktivis kami memblokade seluruh jalan raya yang menghubungkan antara kota Aleppo di sebelah utara dengan ibu kota Suriah, Damaskus,” ujar Hamawi.

Insiden berdarah serupa pernah terjadi tahun 1982, juga di kota Hama. Presiden saat itu, Havez al-Assad, ayah pemimpin Suriah sekarang, Bashar al-Assad, menjadikan kota Hama sebagai ”contoh” bagaimana nasib mereka yang melawan pemerintah. Sedikitnya 20.000 warga sipil tewas oleh militer saat itu atas perintah Havez.

Reaksi dunia internasional

Aksi serangan membabi buta militer dan pemerintahan Suriah memicu kemarahan sejumlah negara. Presiden AS Barrack Obama, Minggu, menyebut peristiwa berdarah itu sebagai kejadian yang sangat ”mengerikan” sekaligus ”menggemparkan”. Mengerikan lantaran kebrutalan dan kekerasan Pemerintah Suriah dilakukan justru terhadap rakyatnya sendiri.

Tak cuma itu, Obama juga menyebut itu menunjukkan wajah dan karakter sesungguhnya rezim yang tengah berkuasa di Suriah.

Presiden Obama juga menyebut Presiden Bashar al-Assad sebagai pemimpin yang ”sama sekali tak berkemampuan dan berkeinginan” merespons kesedihan dan penderitaan rakyatnya.

Walau ikut mengecam, Menteri Luar Negeri Inggris William Hague menyebut aksi militer terhadap rezim pemerintahan Suriah oleh dunia internasional bukanlah solusi tepat.

Hague menyebut, idealnya sanksi tidak cuma datang dan dilancarkan negara Barat, melainkan juga oleh negara Arab, terutama dari negara yang kuat di kawasan seperti Turki.

Juru bicara Menlu Perancis, Christine Fages, menyatakan, negerinya bersama sejumlah negara anggota Uni Eropa tengah mempersiapkan sanksi tambahan baru atas Suriah.(AP/DWA)

137 Orang Tewas di Suriah

137 Orang Tewas di Suriah

Selasa, 2 Agustus 2011

AMMAN, KOMPAS.com — Memasuki hari ketiga aksi serangan brutal berdarah oleh militer Suriah ke warga sipil di sejumlah kota, termasuk Kota Hama, jumlah korban tewas diyakini melonjak hingga 137 orang.

Seperti diwartakan, langkah dramatis diambil Presiden Suriah Bashar al-Assad dalam menghadapi para pengunjuk rasa dan kelompok oposisi, yang memintanya turun dari tampuk kepemimpinan di negeri itu.

Assad mengirim pasukan militernya ke sejumlah kota yang menjadi basis perlawanan kelompok oposisi dan pengunjuk rasa. Secara membabi buta militer menembaki warga sipil dengan senapan mesin dan menghujani mereka dengan peluru artileri tank-tank Angkatan Darat Suriah.

Kebrutalan Assad memicu kecaman dunia internasional. Mereka mencoba menekan Pemerintah Suriah dengan menjatuhkan sejumlah sanksi embargo ekonomi dan militer. Italia bahkan menarik duta besarnya sebagai bentuk protes.

Terkait jumlah korban jiwa terkini, sebuah insiden dilaporkan terjadi di penjara utama Kota Hama Senin dini hari ketika dua bus penuh berisi milisi pro-Assad merangsek ke sana pada malam harinya.

Menurut saksi mata, beberapa jam kemudian kerusuhan dan pembakaran terjadi di dalam penjara, yang diiringi teriakan dari para anggota milisi, “Hanya Tuhan, Suriah, dan Bashar,” terdengar dari dalam gedung.

“Terjadi kerusakan parah di seksi utara kompleks bangunan penjara. Beberapa orang menceritakan, sejumlah mayat narapidana yang tewas terbakar dikeluarkan dari sana pada pagi harinya,” ujar salah seorang penghuni penjara tersebut.

Serangan militer pertama kali dilaporkan terjadi mulai hari pertama bulan Ramadhan ketika warga Muslim baru saja memulai ibadah puasa mereka.

Kantor berita Suriah SANA menggambarkan, ratusan orang bertopeng dan bersenjata merangsek dan menyerang dengan mengendarai sepeda motor.

Mereka membakar gedung pengadilan utama Kota Hama pada Senin siang dan juga merusak banyak gedung lain. Kelompok-kelompok pejuang hak asasi manusia memperkirakan jumlah korban tewas dalam tiga hari insiden berdarah itu telah mencapai sedikitnya 137 orang tewas, sebagian besar (93 korban tewas) di Kota Hama.

 

OIC Secretary General Expresses Deep Concern over the Rising Number of Victims in Syria

OIC Secretary General Expresses Deep Concern over the Rising Number of Victims in Syria

01/08/2011

 

​Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, expresses his deep concern over the rising number of victims among civilians and the loss of so many innocent lives among the Syrian people, as a result of the escalating clashes that have prevailed in Syria for the past several months. The Secretary General calls upon all parties to preserve the unity and cohesion of their country and to spare it the risks of infighting and external intervention. He also expresses the hope that the Holy month of Ramadan will offer the Syrian people guidance and inspiration towards the achievement of their aspirations and yearnings in terms of democracy, social wellbeing and economic prosperity, through national dialogue.

​Ihsanoglu further reiterates the ideals enshrined in the Ten-year Program of Action (TYPOA) which was adopted by the OIC Member States at their 2005 Extraordinary Summit in Makkah Al-Mukarramah, on the importance of good governance, democracy and human rights.