A group of Arab human rights watchdogs called on the Arab League on Thursday to stop supporting the Syrian regime by endorsing the country as a possible candidate for the UN's top human rights body. Syria is seeking a seat on the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and as the death toll climbs in Syria's crackdown on anti-government protests, Syria has said that it assigns the “highest importance” to the promotion and protection of human rights. “The Syrian government's human rights record makes it unworthy of a seat on the UN rights body, if international standards were applied,” said the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies in a joint statement with 12 rights organizations from eight Arab countries. “Support for its candidacy at this moment in time is not only an insult to the UN body and its mission, but shows flagrant disregard for the feelings and rights of the Syrian people, who have broken the barrier of fear and risen up in revolt in most Syrian provinces,” added the statement. With the anti-regime protests growing since last month, President Bashar al-Assad, who came to power following the death of his father in 2000, has been facing the toughest challenge to his iron-fist rule. The regime responded by crushing the protests with tear gas and live ammunition, causing the death of an estimated 250 people. And amid the rising death toll, Damascus has said in a pledge lodged with the UN ahead of next month's election that: “Syria's candidacy to the Human Rights Council signifies its commitment to respect and to support the inalienable and indivisible nature of all human rights.” Syria is one of four countries in the UN's Asia regional group up for consideration when the UN General Assembly votes to fill 15 vacant UNHCER seats on 20 May. The council of 47 member states is headed by Sihasak Phuangketkeow from Thailand. The council conducts periodic reviews of member states' compliance with international laws, but is criticized for being soft on authoritarian governments. News surfaced on Monday that the US will oppose Syria's candidacy. The country needs the support of half the member states to win a three-year membership on the council. Voting is done by region, meaning Syria only runs against other Asian nations. The process of electing members has sparked criticism since it allows countries with bad human rights records to be members on the council. Current members of the Human Rights Council include Bahrain, Bangladesh, China, Pakistan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. “In the past few weeks, 250 Syrians have lost their lives, and thousands have been injured and arrested, after daring to demand freedom and respect for human rights and challenging the brutal system of repression of Syria's police state,” concluded the statement. CIHRS accused the Arab League of adopting double standards when looking at the situation of different Arab countries. Secretary General of the Arab League Amr Moussa called on the UN Security Council last month to impose a no-fly zone to protect civilians as well as Arab and foreign nationals in Libya. “The undersigned NGOs believed that the decisive stance taken by the Arab League and its secretary general on the Libyan regime's massacre of its own people was a first step toward support of the rights of peoples,” argued the statement. However, the groups said the league's decisive stance toward Libya is not being applied to other Arab states. “It is obvious that double standards and selectivity continue to characterize the stance and discourse of the Arab League. This is particularly clear in Bahrain and Yemen, where it has turned a blind eye and been complicit in the brutal crackdown on peaceful pro-democracy protests. In the case of Syria, it seems as if the League of Arab States is rewarding the regime for its repression,” argued the statement.
