[WATCH] Syrians hold protest outside Chinese embassy

More than 100 protesters gathered outside the Chinese Embassy in St Julian's and called on the Chinese government to back the United Nations resolution asking for the Syrian President Assad to step down.

This week Russia and China vetoed a UN security council resolution calling for the Syrian president to step down, provoking a furious reaction from Syrians around the world.

The protest was organised by Zakaria Khatib, a Syrian national who has been living in Malta for 19 years. The protest was attended by over 100 persons amid strong police presence. The crowd chanted anti-Assad slogans and carried Syrian, Kurdish, Maltese and Libyan flags.

Khatib told MaltaToday that the Syrian community is very thankful to Malta for its constant support. "We are protesting against the Chinese and Russian vetoes at the United Nations security council. We call on the United Nations and the international community to act swiftly to cease the violence in Syria".

"We are not doing this for ourselves, but for the hundreds of children, women and men who are dying daily. The people in Syria have no bread, milk, water, electricity and medicines."

Khatib said that the Syrian regime is using tanks, cannons and warplanes to attack and kill pro-democracy activists. "We urge the international community to do something fast and stop the bloodshed in Syria. We are not asking for a foreign military intervention. However, the United Nations must impose sanctions and demand that news agencies and humanitarian organisations enter Syria and show the world what is really happening. All we want is for Assad to step down."

The Syrian community has been in contact with all political forces in Malta, who are supporting calls for Assad to step down. This week Foreign Minister Tonio Borg described the situation in Syria as "unacceptable".

"We condemn the ongoing bloodshed and stand by the Syrian people. The violence must stop immediately. President Assad should immediately end the killing of civilians and withdraw the Syrian army from besieged towns and cities. This will make room for a peaceful transition for the sake of his country," Borg said.

All 13 other members of the UN security council, including the US, France and Britain, voted in favour of the resolution, which backed an Arab peace plan aimed at stopping the violence in Syria.

Russia and China blocked the resolution because of what they perceived to be a potential violation of Syria's sovereignty, which could allow for military intervention or regime change.

According to the UN human rights chief Navi Pillay the number of those killed since the start of the unrest in mid-March 2011 has now reached at least 2,600.