Arab League, UN calls on Syria to end violence

It is the pan-Arab bodys first official statement on the unrest.League Secretary General Nabil al-Arabi calls on the Syrian authorities to bring an end immediately to acts of violence and campaigns by the security forces against civilians, the statement said.It said Arabi expressed his increasing concern because of the deterioration of the security situation in Syria following the rise in violence and military operations in Hama, Deir Ezzor and several regions.The Arab League chief met Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus on July 13 on developments in Syria, Syrian state television said.Arabi at the time told reporters the league rejects any interference in the internal affairs of Arab countries and nobody can withdraw the legitimacy of a leader because it is up to the people to decide.He also underlined that Syrias stability was essential for other Arab countries.Earlier, UN leader Ban Ki-moon told Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Saturday to immediately end his deadly military campaign against opponents, the United Nations said.Ban also said the use of mass arrests must also be halted in Syria in the first contacts between the two since April.Assad had been refusing to take calls from the UN secretary general as he stepped up his crackdown on opposition protests. But a UN Security Council statement this week has increased international pressure on the Syrian leader whose government announced Saturday that free elections would be held this year.In a phone conversation with President Assad of Syria today, the secretary general expressed his strong concern and that of the international community at the mounting violence and death toll in Syria over the past days, said UN spokesman Martin Nesirky.Ban reflected to the Syrian president the clear message sent by the Security Council and urged the president to stop the use of military force against civilians immediately, Nesirky said.The Security Council ordered the UN leader to make a report on events in Syria by Wednesday and Ban had promised to make a new effort to contact Assad.Assad again made his defense that a large number of Syrian security forces had been killed in the protests, and Ban said he condemned violence against civilians and security forces, said his spokesman.The president also referred to his recently announced reform measures. The secretary general underscored that for these measures to gain credibility, the use of force and mass arrests must stop immediately, the UN added.He reminded President Assad of the Syrian authorities obligations under international human rights law.The UN leader also repeated calls for the Syrian government to receive missions from the international humanitarian agencies and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.These longstanding demands will be discussed Syrias foreign minister this week, the spokesman said.