Maltese government urges international community to support Syrian civilians

Reacting to the ongoing violence in Syria, deputy prime minister Tonio Borg has urged Syrian president Bashar al-Assad to allow "unimpeded access to establish responsibility for the violence".

"I condemn in the strongest possible terms the ongoing violence in Syria.  The massacre of innocent civilians in the villages of Qubair and Maarzaf in Hama is a shocking testament to the unwillingness being exhibited by the Syrian government of al-Assad to halt the cycle of violence in Syria," Borg said in a statement.

The minister added that government also condemned the shooting on UN monitors investigating the massacre.

"The Syrian government must allow unimpeded access to establish responsibility for the violence," he said.

Borg also insisted on the importance for the international community to speak with one voice: "It should press for the full implementation of special envoy Kofi Annan's six point plan in order to end the bloodshed." 

He added that in the absence of its implementation new avenues that are effective in bringing this massacre to an end, without any further delay.

The conflict in Syria began in January of last year, sparked by the wider Arab Spring. Protestors have been demanding the resignation of President Bashar al-Assad, the overthrow of his government, and an end to nearly five decades of Ba'ath Party rule.

Since spring 2011, the Syrian government has deployed the Syrian Army to quell the uprising. Several cities have been besieged, but nevertheless the unrest continues. According to witnesses, soldiers who refused to open fire on civilians were summarily executed by the Syrian Army. The Syrian government denied reports of defections, and blamed "armed gangs" for causing trouble.