The Rt Hon William Hague MP
Secretary of State
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
King Charles Street
London
SW1A 2AH

9th August 2011

Dear William,

I am writing regarding the ongoing unrest in Syria, and the shocking violence and loss of life resulting from the crackdown on civil resistance by the brutal regime of President al-Assad.
I would like to welcome the position and actions of the UK Government so far, and urge you to continue to exert pressure internationally to bring about a UN Security Council Resolution on Syria, condemning the suppression of protestors and calling for accountability and humanitarian action.
I believe that such a resolution is absolutely necessary, and that the international community must take concrete action as swiftly as possible in order to prevent the situation worsening.
Following the UNSC's statement condemning human rights violations and the use of force against civilians in Syria, I hope you will continue to pursue a UNSCR. The statement by the UNSC, although welcome, is inadequate. Hesitant members such as Russia, China, Brazil, South Africa and India must be pushed to support firm, legally binding action and I hope that the UK is pushing for this behind the scenes, wherever possible. As you will be aware, a recent joint delegation to Syria from Brazil, South Africa and India indicates their increasing concern over the situation, and presents a unique opportunity to persuade them to back a Resolution.
I also want to take this opportunity to highlight my support for Amnesty International's ‘Stop the bloodshed in Syria' campaign. As you may already know, the campaign calls for action that includes an arms embargo on Syria, freezing the assets of President al-Assad and his senior associates, and an immediate referral to the ICC Prosecutor. Amnesty International argue that the crimes committed in Syria by government forces amount to crimes against humanity, as they appear to be part of a widespread, as well as systematic, attack against the civilian population. I would like to see the UK Government continuing to fight against human rights violations in Syria by leading the international effort against these atrocities, and by supporting the above non military interventions. I urge you to push forward, in particular, with the proposed UN Resolution, and a referral to the International Criminal Court, as was done with Libya in February.
I look forward to hearing from you regarding these issues.

Yours sincerely,
 

Caroline Lucas, MP, Brighton Pavilion

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