SYRIA

That this House notes with the gravest concern the growing escalation of the crisis in Syria and the ruthless repression of anti-government protesters; further notes that the reported death toll in the demonstrations that began in March 2011 against President Bashar al-Assad now exceeds 3000, including at least 187 children; welcomes the recent statement made by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, who has called for international action to protect Syrian civilians and the intensification of diplomatic pressure on the Assad regime after the Arab League set a 15-day deadline for the Syrian government to open dialogue with the opposition in Cairo; shares the High Commissioner's concerns and those of the British-Syria All-Party Parliamentary Group who believe that the scale of the repression and daily killings are totally unacceptable and deserve international condemnation; further notes that Syria's recent incursion across the Lebanese border can only further destabilise the region; and calls on the Government to continue its efforts to bring about an end to the violence and a transition to democracy.