#williamhague

June 11, 2014. Participating in the International Summit against Sexual Violence in Conflict, alongside William Hague.

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The Arab Sping is about to hit its first birthday. What started as protests spread over Tunisia, Libya, Egypt and it would seem is still burning.

Right now Syria is looking like the place of concern, though so are other Arab states like Bahrain and maybe even Oman. It seems as though the Assad regime is pulling out all the stops in its attempt to keep control over the “rebels”.

The United Nations Security Council resolutions have been block by China and Russia on the basis that neither country wants to interfere with any other state, but the General assembly has still be able to vote in a resolution with UK Foreign Secretary claiming a “strong message” has been sent to Syria.

Its interesting thought that a Libya style intervention hasn’t been discussed. The reports of deaths are on par with what was happening in Libya. It was at this stage that the “Western” Branch of the international community decided to do something about it. France, Italy and the United Kingdom got together and organised a NATO lead intervention. When shit hit the fan in Libya the humanitarian needs of Libyan were spruiked as being the priority numero uno- naturally and NATO was “forced” to “Take action”.

Yet right now the international community is waiting for UN resolution and asking neighbours like Turkey and Jordan to help put pressure on the Assad government. This is a much softer approach to the “get in, get Gadaffi, get out” approach. Clearly the humanitarian needs of Syrians fall second to the fact that Assad hasn’t pissed off nearly as many people as Gadaffi. No one is really bothered, or annoyed by him and the fact that a few hundred people keep dying almost daily as the military “steps up” doesn’t seem to warrant a Libya type of response.

The right to self determinationfor a state becomes irrelevant once the citizens of that state are no longer protected. Uprisings like these are a desperate plea for democracy and should be taken seriously by the international community. Harsh military responses like that which Assad has ordered cannot be tolerated.