| New York Times | - |
Russia
and China on Thursday vetoed a Security Council resolution that would
have empowered the International Criminal Court to investigate and
prosecute war crimes in Syria, defying widespread support for such a move by human rights advocates and ...
Russia
and China on Thursday vetoed a United Nations Security Council
resolution that would have empowered the International Criminal Court to
investigate and prosecute war crimes in Syria, defying widespread
support for such a move by human rights advocates and many United
Nations members, including the United States.
It
was the fourth time that Russia and China used their veto power as
permanent Security Council members to block any coercive action by the
international body in the Syrian conflict, which began more than three
years ago and has claimed at least 150,000 lives.
The
vote on the resolution, sponsored by France, was broadcast live on the
United Nations website. The measure received 13 yes votes in the
15-member council.
More
than 50 members of the General Assembly had urged the Council to
approve the measure, and many rights advocates had pressed for a
favorable vote, even though they had expected a veto at least by Russia,
the Syrian government’s most important backer.
Russia’s
ambassador, Vitaly I. Churkin, had announced on Wednesday that Russia
would veto the resolution, arguing that it was a “publicity stunt” that
would be counterproductive and subvert any diplomatic efforts to settle
the conflict. Syria’s government had also publicly opposed the
resolution, calling it a one-sided attempt by France and its allies to
intervene in Syria’s internal affairs.
China’s
position before the vote had not been entirely clear. While China had
not been expected to approve the resolution, it could have abstained,
which would have signaled less than emphatic solidarity with Russia on
the issue. But Wang Min, the deputy permanent representative who
represented China on Thursday at the Council, was frank about his
country’s objections to the resolution, describing it as an unwarranted
action that would violate Syria’s judicial sovereignty and ruin any
prospects for a third round of peace talks in Geneva.
“To
forcibly refer the situation of Syria to the I.C.C. is neither
conducive to building trust among all parties in Syria or to early
resumption of negotiations in Geneva,” he said.
U.N. Draft Resolution on Syria
The United Nations Security Council will vote Thursday on
asking the International Criminal Court to investigate war crimes in
Syria, but Russia is almost certain to veto the measure. (Related Article)
Syria
is not a signatory to the treaty that created the International
Criminal Court more than a decade ago, with the goal of holding
accountable those who commit war crimes and other atrocities. Under the
treaty, however, the Security Council has the power to authorize the
court to investigate and prosecute cases in countries that are not
signatories.
Before
the vote, Jan Eliasson, the deputy secretary general, urged the Council
to take action. “The Security Council has an inescapable responsibility
in this regard to ensure justice for victims of unspeakable crimes,” he
said.
Gérard
Araud, the ambassador from France, emphasized that the resolution would
apply to crimes committed by all sides in the conflict, which have been
widely documented. He said a veto of the measure was equivalent to
“vetoing justice.” Speaking later to reporters outside the Council
chambers, Mr. Araud said he could not understand the logic of the veto.
“It’s very sad,” he said. “More people are going to die, more people are
going to suffer.”
Having
expected at least the Russia veto, the United States ambassador,
Samantha Power, had her reaction prepared, telling fellow Council
members: “Sadly, because of the decision of the Russian Federation to
back the Syrian regime no matter what it does, the Syrian people will
not see justice today. They will see crime, but not punishment.”
Rights
advocates also condemned the outcome. “Moscow and Beijing can veto a
resolution but they can’t suppress the desire for justice by the Syrian
people and the dozens of governments that stood for their rights,” Richard Dicker, international justice director
at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement. With violence raging
unabated among the antagonists, Mr. Dicker said, “Russia and China’s
vote for continued impunity is a disgrace.”
Correction: May 22, 2014
An earlier version of this article misidentified the position held by Wang Min, the diplomat who represented China at the Security Council session on Thursday. He is the Chinese mission’s deputy permanent representative, not its deputy ambassador.
An earlier version of this article misidentified the position held by Wang Min, the diplomat who represented China at the Security Council session on Thursday. He is the Chinese mission’s deputy permanent representative, not its deputy ambassador.
No comments:
Post a Comment