One of the Syrian diplomats expelled today from Canada by Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird calls the decision "unfair" and "biased."
Baird announced Tuesday morning that Canada would be expelling its remaining Syrian diplomats, in protest against last week's massacre of civilians in a collection of villages called Houla.
The envoys and their families have five days to leave the country. Another Syrian diplomat awaiting passage to Ottawa from Syria will be refused entry, Baird added.
CTV's Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife caught up with the Syrian charge d'affaires Bashar Akbik at the Syrian embassy Tuesday, who said he's disappointed with the decision.
"I think it's unfair and even the Canadian government's position on the crisis in Syria was unfair from the beginning," Akbik told Fife.
"They always gave to us a deaf ear when we tried to give the government an idea of what was happening in our country."
He added that the Canadian position was "biased and I'm sorry for that."
Fife says Akbik went on to say that this latest massacre was not the work of the Syrian army forces but of "criminal elements."
Canada's decision to expel its diplomats was part of a co-ordinated effort with several countries, Baird said. The United States, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, the United Kingdom and Australia have all announced they've ordered the Syrian diplomats in their countries to leave, too.
Baird told CTV's Power Play on Tuesday that all those countries have been mulling the expulsions for "a number of days" and that the final decision was made Monday night.
"It's a sign of revulsion," Baird said. "The images that I saw on television last weekend鈥ike every other Canadian, I was absolutely appalled."
Earlier Tuesday, Baird said the Syrian representatives "are not welcome in our countries while their masters in Damascus continue to perpetrate their heinous and murderous acts."
The United Nations said Tuesday that it appears that entire families were shot in their homes during the Houla massacre last week that killed more than 100. The victims, who were shot at close range, included 49 children and 34 women.
Local activists said most of the victims were killed by pro-government thugs who stormed the area after clashes with local rebels. But the Syrian regime has categorically denied any involvement.
The massacre is considered one of the deadliest single events in a 15-month-old uprising against Syrian President Bashar Assad that has left thousands dead.
There has been no public Syrian reaction to the co-ordinated diplomatic expulsions.
Baird said Canada and the international community will continue to seek other ways to "put the screws on" Assad.
UN Security Council sanctions are one option, Baird said. However, Defence Minister Peter MacKay wouldn't speculate on whether the Security Council would ever be able to act in unanimity since China and Russia, both supporters of Syria, have veto powers.
"China and Russia in particular have been very reticent to agree to a Security Council resolution, at least one that would mirror similar efforts to try to bring to an end the violence. But we continue to push along with our partners," MacKay said Tuesday.
Baird said he hopes to see a "better day for the Syrian people," and the return of Syrian diplomats to Canada under better circumstances.
With files from The Canadian Press
