UPDATE1 -- Syrian ambassador to France resigns over violence

[News_Editor]

UPDATE1 -- Syrian ambassador to France resigns over violence

2011-06-08 01:14:50 GMT+7 (ICT)

PARIS (BNO NEWS) -- Syria's ambassador to France, Lamia Chakkour, on Tuesday announced her resignation in protest of violence against anti-government protesters in her country.

Chakkour announced her resignation by reading out a brief statement on France 24 television. She took no questions, but said she had informed the government of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad about her decision.

"I can no longer continue to support this cycle of extreme violence against unarmed civilians," Chakkour said in her prepared statement. "I can no longer ignore the men, women, and children who died." She added that she recognizes the legitimacy of the people's demand for more freedom.

In mid-March, pro-democracy demonstrations began in Syria and have continued across the country, which has been ruled by the Baath Party since 1963. Protesters are demanding the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad, who took over from his father in 2000.

According to Amnesty International, at least 986 people has been killed by security forces during the last 11 weeks. In addition, thousands more have been arrested. The number, however, does not include security personnel, many of whom have been killed in attacks by "armed groups," according to the Syrian government.

The United States previously imposed sanctions on President al-Assad and other senior Syrian officials that froze any assets they have under U.S. jurisdiction and banned U.S. citizens from doing business with them.

The European Council also adopted a regulation that provided for an embargo on exports to Syria of arms and equipment that could be used for internal repression, as well as a visa ban and an assets freeze for 13 persons responsible for the violent repression.

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