| Date: 01/06/2012 Time: 11:43:00 PM |
Britain Friday welcomed the UN Human Rights
Council's (HRC) resolution that set up a fact-finding commission to probe the
massacre in the Syrian town of Houla, in which more than 100 people were
killed.
"I welcome ... the adoption of a resolution on Syria which Britain
co-sponsored," foreign secretary William Hague said in a statement, commenting
on the 41-3 vote on the resolution.
"We believe that the acts committed by the Syrian regime may amount to
crimes against humanity and other international crimes, and demonstrate a
pattern of widespread and systematic attacks against civilian populations.
"Evidence from the UN Supervision Mission in Syria and independent
witnesses has confirmed that security forces shelled the village of Houla and
that government militia then went house to house slaughtering entire families
without compassion or mercy," affirmed Hague, who was in Istanbul for meeting
with Syrian opposition figures.
"These atrocities must be investigated, and those responsible must be held
to account. A special and independent investigation into Houla is essential -
including to ensure that evidence is gathered and preserved for future justice
processes," he said.
He asserted that Britain would support these efforts, and would continue to
prepare the ground for a referral of the situation in Syria to the
International Criminal Court. |