Press release
Syrian Coalition
Political Committee
March 22, 2019
The Syrian Coalition said that the mere talk by anyone about recognizing the legitimacy of the occupation and the seizure of land by military force constitutes a violation of international law and consolidation of the law of the jungle. Such move also contravenes UN Security Council resolutions, including resolution 497 (1981) and the UN General Assembly’s resolution of November 2018 regarding the occupied Syrian Golan.
The violation of the rights and sovereignty of the Syrian people over their territory is a comprehensible act. Such move will be unacceptable whatsoever as it risks fueling the conflict in the region and undermining the foundations of international law and international resolutions. Moreover, it violates the very principles on which the United Nations was founded, especially the rejection of the seizure of the land of others by the use of force.
The rights of the peoples, international legitimacy, and international law should not be used as a means for furthering electoral schemes and interests as well as political goals and tactics. Any attempt or hint at the granting of legitimacy to the occupation will risk opening the way to a world where there is no place for the international law. Such move will also leave the rightful owners, the displaced and the oppressed people without any legal or lawful means to regain their rights, which will cause more chaos in the region.
The Syrian Coalition warns the international community not to remain silent about any allusions to the unity and territorial integrity of the Syrian territory as it warns of the possible consequences of such hints for the future of the region, the peace process, and the role of the United Nations. It also stresses that the peoples should not bear responsibility for the failure of the international community to enforce its resolutions; finding the necessary legal frameworks for their implementation on the ground; and returning the rights to their true owners.
