Bob Carr (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

There is now an epic crisis of human rights in Syria. What we are witnessing is appalling and unabated human suffering. More than 7,500 civilians have been killed, tens of thousands of people have been arrested and 18,000 people are in arbitrary detention. They are UN figures. The evidence of widespread human rights abuses, possible war crimes and crimes against humanity is growing. According to Amnesty International, recent testimonies give insights into a system of detention and interrogation which appears intended primarily to degrade, humiliate and terrify its victims into silence. According to Amnesty's report, detainees have suffered 'prolonged and repeated beatings with various instruments including sticks, rifle butts and electric cables, as well as kicks'.

Australia condemns utterly the violence in Homs that came to light on 11 March. The senseless massacre of women and children only adds to the depravity we have seen since the Assad regime turned its guns on the Syrian people a year ago. There are now reports, hard to believe, that Syrian authorities have placed landmines near the borders with Lebanon and Turkey. It is clear to all that this violence cannot continue.

Australia commends the efforts of UN Arab League special envoy Kofi Annan to bring a political solution to Syria. He visited Syria on the weekend of 10 and 11 March. President Assad has not yet responded to Mr Annan's proposals. Assad's recent undertaking about parliamentary elections can be seen as nothing more than window-dressing. It is too little to end the violence. It will not bring peace. In fact, talk of elections in the face of daily killings is laughable. Assad's earlier promise on political reform has not been honoured and the violence has only worsened. In the New York Times on 13 March, the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said— (Time expired)