CIVILIAN DEATHS IN SYRIA

That this House deeply regrets the recent deaths of 400 Syrian people, the vast majority of whom were civilians killed by their government; notes that, according to one eye-witness, snipers working for the Syrian regime have killed at least six more protestors in Daraa in recent days, including a six-year-old girl; further notes that live fire and tear gas has been used indiscriminately by state soldiers against men, women, children and pensioners; further notes that at least 12 civilians were murdered by the Syrian government while attending a funeral in recent weeks; concludes that President Assad is not committed to reform, irrespective of public announcements that he has made; condemns President Assad for using Syrian state forces to murder and torture his own people; supports United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's statement that the first priority of Syria should be protecting civilian lives; and calls strongly on the UK Government to work with NATO and the United Nations to impose much greater economic sanctions on Syria, including an asset freeze, and to draw up urgent plans for a military intervention if the violence continues.