Malaysia Supports Commission Of Inquiry On Violence In Syria

KUALA LUMPUR, June 4 (Bernama) -- Malaysia is deeply concerned over the continuing violence in Syria and condemns the senseless killing of innocent civilians, including women and children, in the village of El-Houleh on May 25. Malaysian Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Mazlan Muhammad, said Malaysia called on all parties in Syria to immediately cease the hostilities and end the violence and human rights violations to prevent the country from drifting into a civil war. In this regard, he said, Malaysia supported the call for the Commission of Inquiry (COI) to conduct an impartial and indepth investigation of the recent events in El-Houleh, where 180 people were killed, to bring the culprits to justice. "We fully support the six-point plan by Kofi Annan, the Special Envoy mandated by the UN-Arab League, and his efforts in ending the violence, and facilitating dialogue and reconciliation between the parties involved," he said. Mazlan said this at the 19th Special Session of the Human Rights Council Situation on Human Rights in Syria, in Geneva on Friday. His text was emailed to Bernama on Monday. Mazlan said Malaysia had appealed to the Syrian authorities to take the necessary measures to ensure immediate access to the COI in this regard, and ensure members of the commission could operate in safety, without fear or favour. "All efforts must be made to end this impunity and ensure accountability by bringing the perpetrators of this unending violence to justice," he added. He said, whilst stressing the importance of the international community to deliver a united and strong message of solidarity in ending the violence in Syria, he underlined the need to respect and uphold the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations. -- BERNAMA