Syria's Uncontested UNHRC Seat

Bashar al-Assad does not seem to mind the well-earned obloquy with which he is regarded. After all, it is not Muslim states, and his neighbours in the Middle East who are looking at him askance, naming him now for what he has always represented; a repressive, murderous tyrant. It is only Europe and North America, perhaps the United Nations marginally. But he has his friends and supporters.

Turkey, as intermediary, merely requests that Syria not be so embarrassingly blatant about sending in those Alawite-majority militias so capable of brutally dispatching protesters. Political repression is being condemned by European countries, but Middle Eastern governments know what is involved here; a pathology of unrest spread like a virus among ingrates.

It will only be when civil war can no longer be averted that Syria will demonstrate exactly what it is capable of. Behind the scenes people are being abducted, towns emptied of males older than 15 and spirited away; women raped, children and the elderly used as target practise for army marksmen; instilling fear is practical and useful in stifling dissent.

Libya's situation, where government installations are being bombed by NATO, is not quite so feasible for transference to Syria. That kind of scenario would simply represent as too volatile, a slow-spreading fire of animosity toward the interference of the West in Arab affairs. The Arab League would certainly look upon any such move as insufferably arrogant and divisive.

Libya is seen as a pariah state. Syria, practising now what Libya pioneered so recently, remains in high regard. The 53 Asian group choice among India, Indonesia and the Philippines includes Syria to sit on the UN's Human Rights Council. After all, if Libya could be represented on the Council, and Iran be considered for placement on the UN's Rights of Women's group, why not Syria on the UNHRC?

Yes, the United States led a censure proposal at the UNHRC, mildly condemning Syria, which Arab states abstained from while Russia and China campaigned against the resolution, but that embarrassing bit in the proposal making mention of Syria's candidacy for the Council while making use of lethal force against its people, was cut.

So Syria has been "unequivocally condemned" for killings and arrests of protesters. Isn't that a relief? Now that's out of the way, matters can move forward and Syria, along with the three other nominated Asian countries can sit in comfort on the Human Rights Council. Sit in judgement on others whom they may accuse of violations of human rights.

Israel comes quickly to mind. For no other country in the world is recognized as so manifestly involved in human rights abuses as the one country in the Middle East where all religions and ethnic groups are granted citizenship and given the guarantee of free access to justice under the law of the land.