Syria crisis: 200 members of Government party resign

Around 400 people are thought to have died since the uprisings began in Syria.

Two hundred Baath party members resigned on Wednesday after the Government sent in tanks to crush resistance in the city of Deraa.

Human rights groups say at least 35 civilians were killed in the attack.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has held firm for around six weeks despite demands to stand down from campaigners.

Diplomats say signs are also emerging of discontent within the army, where the majority of troops are Sunni Muslims but where most officers belong to the same minority Alawite sect as Assad.

“The largest funerals in Syria so far have been for soldiers who have refused to obey orders to shoot protesters and were summarily executed on the spot,” a senior diplomat said.

Read more: Who are the power brokers in Syria?

Divided UN Security Council

The Syrian Government’s actions against protesters have been criticised by Britain, the United States, France, Germany and Portugal.

But a push for the UN Security Council to condemn Syria’s violent crackdown has been blocked by resistance from Russia, China and Lebanon, envoys said.

Sir Mark Lyall Grant, the UK ambassador to the UN, said: “We condemn utterly and without reservation the violence and killings perpetrated by the Syrian security forces against civilians who are expressing their views in peaceful protests.”

He called for an immediate stop to the “violent repression” and for “immediate and genuine reform” from President Assad’s Government.

Channel 4 News Special Report: The Arab revolt and Middle East uprisings

French Ambassador Gerard Araud told reporters positions were so far apart that negotiating a press statement would have taken so much time that they preferred to have it immediately.

He said a statement might be issued at some point in the future.

Permanent veto-wielding council members Russia and China have become increasingly critical of the UN-backed intervention to protect civilians in Libya, which they believe aims to oust leader Muammar Gaddafi.

Russian envoy Alexander Pankin said the Syrian situation “does not present a threat to international peace and security” – a condition for Security Council involvement – and that the demonstrators had also been violent.