Punching holes in the UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolution on Syria adopted by it on Friday calling on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down, India has said that it’s “a step too far”.
It has also criticised the resolution for saying nothing about the UN trying to solve the Syrian problem. Explaining its abstention, India has said that it voted after much deliberation and caution and “under no circumstances was there an attempt to duck the issue”.
Further, official sources said, “We draw the line at asking the President to step down in the context of a resolution that says nothing about the UN trying to solve the problem.”
Sources further said that India has “fundamental problem” with the UNGA resolution referring to a July 22, 2012 resolution of the League of Arab States which also calls upon Assad to step down. “In the world of sovereign states, its unusual,” said sources.
Government sources here said that the resolution’s contents also reflect the “strong polarisation” among nations in the UNGA and UN Security Council over the Syrian crisis. India was among the 31 countries that abstained on the Syria vote at the 193-member UNGA which was adopted with 133 countries voting in favour. Another 12 countries voted against the resolution.
India believes the situation in Syria has become “serious and dangerous” and the international community needs to remain engaged and help mediate between the opposition and the government.
Among some of the other elements of the UNGA resolution with which India had problems, said sources, was its mention of “ grave concern at the threat by the Syrian authorities to use chemical or biological weapons.” New Delhi says a remark made by the official spokesperson of Syria saying that chemical weapons would never be used against Syrians in response to a question forms the basis of the reference in the UNGA resolution. In addition, government sources said the UNGA resolution identifies the sources of violence by saying “.....children were among the victims of military operations carried out by government forces, including the armed forces, Syrian intelligence forces and “Shabbiha” militias....”. However, it mentions other sources like “terrorist acts” just once said sources while noting that the situation in Syria is “complicated” and “it’s not clear whether it is the Syrian armed forces responsible exclusively for the violence or there are some terrorist acts”.
They further said that the UNGA resolution makes virtually no reference to the opposition.