柯林頓國務卿在敘利亞人民之友會議上的講話

美國國務院
發言人辦公室
即時發布
2012年2月24日
2012/T60-06
國務卿希拉里·羅德姆·柯林頓（HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON）
講話（預備稿）
敘利亞人民之友干預會議（INTERVENTION AT THE FRIENDS OF SYRIAN PEOPLE MEETING）
2012年2月24日
突尼西亞，突尼西亞市
柯林頓國務卿：我要感謝突尼西亞今天主辦這次會議，並且向阿拉伯國家聯盟（Arab League） 在整個危機中發揮的領導作用致敬。我尤其要對選擇科菲·安南（Kofi Annan ）擔任聯合國和阿拉伯國家聯盟的雙重特使表示讚賞。他將力求推進在阿拉伯國家聯盟過渡計劃和聯合國大會（UN General Assembly）決議中所表達的共識，我期待著與他一道工作。
我們所有人來到這裡。是因為阿薩德政權在敘利亞的暴力不斷升級是對國際社會的公然侮辱，是對地區安全的威脅，是對世界人權的嚴重踐踏。
阿薩德政權無視了所有警告、拋棄了所有機會，背叛了所有協議。
面對要求獲得人權和尊嚴的堅定的示威者，阿薩德政權正在製造駭人聽聞的人道災難。坦克、破擊炮和重型火炮在繼續對準包括婦女和兒童在內的居民區的平民百姓。安全部隊切斷了電力和通訊，破壞了供水，闖入醫院，迫使數以千計的敘利亞人逃離家園。聯合國看到了反人道罪行。現據報道說，部隊正在大批集結準備發起更致命的攻擊。
在突尼西亞，國際社會如同上周在聯合國大會上一樣，正在發出共同的聲音，要求制止阿薩德政權的殘暴攻擊，並開始民主過渡。敘利亞人民在此患難時刻期待著我們。我們不能讓他們失望。讓我們以重申我們今天達成的核心原則為開端：
我們強烈呼應阿拉伯聯盟的要求，即敘利亞政府必須立即停止對平民的所有攻擊；保障舉行和平示威的自由；釋放所有被任意拘留的公民；將軍隊和安保力量撤回；允許觀察人員、人道工作者和新聞記者充分和暢通無阻地工作。
我們呼籲通過談判政治解決這場危機，並在一個沒有暴力、恐懼、恐嚇和極端主義的環境中開始包容性的民主過渡，滿足敘利亞人民的合理願望。
我們堅定地致力於敘利亞的主權、獨立、國家統一和領土完整。
為了支持上述原則，與會各方應當在三條戰線上採取切實行動：提供緊急人道救援，加緊對該政權施壓，以及為民主過渡作準備。
首先是人道救援。敘利亞局勢險惡而且還在不斷惡化。人們極其迫切地需要得到緊急援助，但敘利亞政權卻在竭力阻撓需要救助的人得到救援。該政權在向救援人員、醫生以及報道民眾困境的新聞記者尋釁。
我們絕不能坐視這場危機演變成一場更慘重的災難。今天我宣布，美國將提供1000萬美元以迅速擴大人道行動，其中包括對難民的救助。這筆資金將用於支持臨時醫療設施，培訓緊急醫護人員，並將凈水、食品、毯子、制暖器和衛生用品提供給需要幫助的敘利亞民眾。但並不就此為止；美國將在未來的日子裡提供更多的人道援助。
值得信任的人道組織已將人道救援物資提前運送到該地區的集散地，他們也已到達當地，隨時準備在能找到安全通道時立即分發這些救援物資。為此，我們全力支持聯合國緊急救援協調員（UN Emergency Relief Coordinator）確保人道救援人員和物資立即獲得安全通道的努力。
阿薩德政權如果拒絕讓這些能夠拯救生命的援助品達及民眾，其雙手就將沾滿更多鮮血。那些繼續袒護並武裝該政權的國家也將背負血債。我們要求那些提供武器用於殺害平民的國家立即住手。
由此我們要談到我們的第二條行動戰線：加緊對阿薩德政權施壓，使其更加孤立，併發出一個明確的信息：你們將為無視國際社會的意願及踐踏國內人民的人權付出沉重代價。
我們都應當認真想一想我們還能做些什麼。現在是在座各方都對該政權的高層官員施行旅行禁令的時候了——正如阿拉伯聯盟已經做的那樣——凍結他們的資產，抵制敘利亞石油，中止新的投資並考慮關閉使領館。對那些已經採取制裁的國家來說，我們必須嚴格執行措施。
我們的決心不容質疑：這些針對敘利亞人民的罪行必須被制止，該政權的高層官員必須受到追究。
阿薩德政權已經無法維持，這一點也是不容質疑的。正如我們今天親耳所聞，敘利亞國內外的公民已開始籌備一個民主過渡，從敘利亞國家委員會（Syrian National Council）領導人直到全國各地那些正在最危險、最困難的條件下組織行動的基層地方委員會都在參與。支持這一進程應當是我們的第三條行動戰線。
阿薩德正在分裂敘利亞社會，並試圖讓敘利亞的群體相互對立。為了消除隔閡並建設能夠持久的民主，全體敘利亞人民必須共同努力——阿拉維派（Alawis）和基督教徒，遜尼派和德魯茲人（Druze），阿拉伯人和庫爾德人——從而確保新敘利亞實行法治並尊重和保護每個公民的普世權利，不分種族、教派或性別。
我們將敘利亞國家委員會視為力求以和平方式進行民主變革的敘利亞人的一個主要合法代表，並將其視為敘利亞人民與各國政府和國際組織進行聯繫的一個有效代表。
正如我們今天聽到的，敘利亞國家委員會正在闡明一項未來規劃，並以有效過渡為開端。在未來數日和數周中，我們敦促敘利亞的所有反對派組織和人士，包括所有少數民族和宗教少數派代表在內，都能基於這一共同構想團結一致。
只有一個真正的民主過渡才能解決這場危機。正如阿拉伯聯盟所指出的，目標應當是組建一個全國統一政府，隨後在阿拉伯和國際監督下舉行透明和自由的選舉。阿薩德下台必須是其中的一步。
但我也認識到，敘利亞國內的一些人，特別是一些少數群體，對阿薩德下台後的局勢感到擔心。我們雖然知道他們應當對他繼續掌權更感擔憂，但也能理解他們的關注。因此，我敦促本次會議發出一個強有力的信息：全世界都不會容許一種形式的暴政被另一種暴政所取代。我們將堅決反對報復及懲罰行為。我們將支持一個管理有方的過渡，走向一個尊重並保護每個公民的權利的新敘利亞，而不是走向動亂。
那些仍然支持阿薩德的敘利亞人，特別是敘利亞軍隊的成員：請你們認清這個政權是沒有前途的。你們為該政權實施暴力的時間越長，你們的名譽受到的玷污也就越多。但如果你們拒絕參與攻擊你們的同胞，你們將被國人視為英雄。
敘利亞是一個擁有2300萬人口的充滿自豪感的國家，它的歷史深厚、文化悠久。阿薩德下台將會標誌著敘利亞的一個新開端。這是一個重建並鞏固國家根基的機會。如果敘利亞人民團結一致，特別是如果敘利亞的工商界、軍界和其他機構都認識到他們的前途有賴於一個經過改革的敘利亞，而不是現行政權，那麼敘利亞便有可能成為一個強大統一的國家——一個在本地區受到尊重的、負責任的領袖。
這應當成為我們大家的一個共同目標。在我們今天向前邁進之時，我希望我們繼續集中精力採取切實步驟，終止暴力並支持勇敢的敘利亞人民實現他們的理想。
謝謝大家。


4 February 2012
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesperson
February 24, 2012
REMARKS
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton
Intervention at the Friends of Syrian People Meeting
February 24, 2012
Tunis, Tunisia
As Prepared
SECRETARY CLINTON: I want to thank Tunisia for hosting this meeting today and I salute the Arab League for its leadership throughout this crisis. I want to particularly applaud the selection of Kofi Annan as a special envoy for both the UN and the Arab League. He will seek to advance the consensus reflected in the Arab League transition plan and the UN General Assembly』s resolution, and I look forward to working with him.
Now, we are all here because the Assad regime』s escalating violence in Syria is an affront to the international community, a threat to regional security, and a grave violation of universal human rights.
The Assad regime has ignored every warning, squandered every opportunity, and broken every agreement.
Faced with determined protesters demanding their rights and their dignity, the regime is creating an appalling humanitarian disaster. Tanks, mortars and heavy artillery continue to target civilians in residential areas, including women and children. Security forces have cut off electricity and communications, sabotaged water supplies, invaded hospitals, and forced thousands of Syrians to flee their homes. The UN has found crimes against humanity. And now there are reports of troops massing for even more deadly assaults.
Here in Tunis, the international community is speaking with one voice, as we did in the UN General Assembly last week that the Assad regime』s brutal assault must stop and a democratic transition must begin. The people of Syria are looking to us in their hour of need. We cannot let them down. Let』s begin by reaffirming the core principles we』ve agreed on today:
We strongly echo the Arab League』s demand that the Syrian Government immediately halt all attacks against civilians; guarantee the freedom of peaceful demonstrations; release all arbitrarily detained citizens; return its military and security forces to their barracks; and allow full and unhindered access for monitors, humanitarian workers, and journalists.
We call for a negotiated political solution to this crisis and an inclusive democratic transition to address the legitimate aspirations of Syria』s people in an environment free from violence, fear, intimidation, and extremism.
And we are firmly committed to the sovereignty, independence, national unity, and territorial integrity of Syria.
In support of these principles, this group should take concrete action along three lines: provide emergency humanitarian relief, ratchet up pressure on the regime, and prepare for a democratic transition.
First, humanitarian relief. Conditions in Syria are dire and getting worse. Emergency assistance is desperately needed, but the regime is doing everything it can to prevent aid from reaching those who need it. It is going after aid workers, doctors, and journalists reporting on the suffering.
We cannot wait for this crisis to become an even greater catastrophe. Today I am announcing that the United States is providing $10 million to quickly scale up humanitarian efforts, including support for refugees. These funds will help support makeshift medical facilities, train emergency medical staff, and get clean water, food, blankets, heaters, and hygiene kits to Syrian civilians in need. This is not the end. The United States will provide more humanitarian support in coming days.
Trusted humanitarian organizations have prepositioned humanitarian supplies at hubs in the region and they are already on the ground poised to distribute this aid if safe access can be arranged. To that end, we fully support the efforts of the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator to secure immediate and safe access for humanitarian workers and supplies.
If the Assad regime refuses to allow this life-saving aid to reach civilians, it will have even more blood on its hands. So too will those nations that continue to protect and arm the regime. We call on those states that are supplying weapons to kill civilians to halt immediately.
And that brings us to our second line of action: increasing the pressure on the Assad regime, deepening its isolation, and sending a clear message: You will pay a heavy cost for ignoring the will of the international community and violating the human rights of your people.
We all need to look hard at what more we can do. It』s time for everyone here to place travel bans on senior members of the regime – as the Arab League has done -- freeze their assets, boycott Syrian oil, suspend new investments, and consider closing embassies and consulates. For nations that have already imposed sanctions, we must vigorously enforce them.
There should be no mistaking our resolve: These crimes against the Syrian people must stop and there must be accountability for senior figures of the regime.
Nor should there be any doubt that the Assad』s rule is unsustainable. As we heard directly today, citizens inside and outside Syria have already begun planning for a democratic transition, from the leaders of the Syrian National Council to the grassroots local councils across the country who are organizing under the most dangerous and difficult circumstances. Supporting this process should be our third line of action.
Assad is tearing the fabric of Syrian society and seeking to pit community against community. To repair that damage and build a sustainable democracy, all Syrians will have to work together – Alawis and Christians, Sunnis and Druze, Arabs and Kurds – to ensure that the new Syria is governed by the rule of law and respects and protects the universal rights of every citizen, regardless of ethnicity, sect, or gender.
We view the Syrian National Council as a leading legitimate representative of Syrians seeking peaceful democratic change and as an effective representative for the Syrian people with governments and international organization.
As we heard today, the SNC is articulating a plan for the future, starting with an effective transition. In the coming days and weeks, we urge the full range of opposition groups and individuals in Syria, including representatives of all ethnic and religious minorities, to come together around that common vision.
Only a genuine democratic transition will solve this crisis. As the Arab League has said, the goal should be the formation of a national unity government followed by transparent and free elections under Arab and international supervision. Assad』s departure must be part of this.
Now I recognize that some inside Syria, especially members of its minority communities, are worried about what comes after Assad. We know that they have much more to fear from his continued rule, but their concerns are understandable. So I urge this gathering to send a strong message that the world will not tolerate the replacement of one form of tyranny with another. We will resolutely oppose acts of vengeance and retribution. And we will support a managed transition that leads to a new Syria where the rights of every citizen are respected and protected, not to chaos.
To those Syrians who still support Assad, especially members of the Syrian military: understand that this regime has no future. The longer you carry out its campaign of violence, the more it will stain your honor. But if you refuse to take part in attacks on your fellow citizens, your countrymen will hail you as heroes.
Syria is a proud country of 23 million people, with a rich history and ancient culture. The end of Assad can mark a new beginning for Syria. It is a chance to rebuild and strengthen the foundations of the state. If Syrians come together, and especially if the leaders of Syria』s business community, military, and other institutions recognize that their futures lie with a reformed Syrian state and not the regime, then Syria may yet emerge as a strong and unified country – a respected and responsible leader in the region.
That should be a goal we all share. And as we move forward today, I hope we stay focused on taking concrete steps to end the violence and support the courageous people of Syria in their aspirations.
Thank you.