IBSA envoys visiting Syria to seek reforms, end to violence

The Indian representative along with the envoys of Brazil and South Africa will meet Syrian Foreign Minister Feysel Mekdad, Indian envoy to the UN Hardeep Singh Puri said.

The team, which is reaching Damascus today, would urge the Syrian authorities to end the violent crackdown against civilians and implement democratic reforms, he said yesterday.

"Within the next day or so they will meet the Foreign Minister of Syria," he told reporters.
Puri said the IBSA delegation will be calling for "restraint, abjuring violence, promoting reform taking into account the democratic aspirations of the people."

The UN Security Council, whose presidency for the month of August is with India, had in a Presidential statement last week condemned "the widespread violations of human rights and the use of force against civilians by the Syrian authorities."

The statement called for UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to report to Council members tomorrow on the latest situation.

Puri said the Council will review the situation in the light of the statement from the Secretary General.

The violent crackdown in Syria has drawn sharp criticism from world leaders, who have asked President Bashar al-Assad to immediately stop the use of military force against civilians.

The 22-member Arab League has said it is "alarmed" by the situation in Syria. The six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council also criticised Syria's "use of excess force."

Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have recalled their Ambassadors from Damascus for consultations.