Supporters of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad have held a demonstration in the southern Turkish city of Antakya near the border with Syria . 

 

Hundreds of Syrians demonstrated in support of President Assad on Sunday and condemned international attempts against the Syrian government. 

 

Demonstrators also chanted the name of the Syrian president and urged him to resist foreign pressures against Damascus. 

 

The demonstration in Antakya comes as the United Nations General Assembly approved a non-binding resolution, introduced by Egypt, which supports an Arab League plan concerning the unrest in Syria on February 16. 

 

Syrian Ambassador to the UN Bashar Jaafari said after the UN vote that the resolution “would only lead to a tightening of the crisis and more violence in the region as a whole.” 

 

Jaafari added that the United Nations was in danger of being used by “some member states” as a means of providing cover for “armed terrorist groups” in Syria. 

 

Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011, with demonstrations being held both against and in support of President Assad's government. 

 

The Syrian government says outlaws, saboteurs, and armed terrorists are the driving factor behind the unrest and deadly violence while the opposition accuses the security forces of being behind the killings. 

 

The Syrian government also says that the chaos is being orchestrated from outside the country and the security forces have been given clear instructions not to harm civilians. 

 

In addition, Syrian state TV has broadcast reports showing seized weapons caches and confessions by terrorist elements describing how they obtained arms from foreign sources.

 

The United Nations says over 5,000 people, many of them members of the security forces, have been killed during the unrest.

 

On February 4, Russia and China vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution against the Middle Eastern country for the second time. Moscow said the resolution, which had called on Assad to step down would have forced regime change on Syria.

 

On October 4, 2011, Russia and China also vetoed a UN Security Council draft resolution maliciously drawn up by France, Britain, Germany and Portugal threatening military action and sanctions against Syria.

 

(Source: AGENCIES)