Russia, China-led bloc opposes Syria intervention
CHINA: A regional group led by Russia and China said Thursday
it opposed military intervention in the Middle East, a day after the
Syrian opposition accused forces loyal to the regime of massacring 100
people.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) statement called for a
“peaceful resolution of the Syrian problem through political dialogue”,
adding the use of force against Iran -- an ally of both Beijing and
Moscow -- was “unacceptable”.
“Member states are against military intervention into this region’s
affairs, forcing a ‘handover of power’ or using unilateral sanctions,”
said the declaration, issued at the end of a summit in Beijing attended
by the leaders of Russia, China and Iran, among others.
Moscow and Beijing have consistently opposed international
intervention in Syria, but they face growing pressure to change their
stance after 15 months of conflict in which more than 13,500 people are
said to have died.
On Wednesday, an exiled opposition group said forces loyal to Syrian
President Bashar al-Assad had “massacred” about 100 people including
women and children -- a claim the regime denied -- as the US demanded a
full transfer of power. AFP |
