U.N. rights chief warns of 'civil war' in Syria

By Joe Sterling, CNN

December 2, 2011 -- Updated 1458 GMT (2258 HKT)

U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva sit in special session to discuss Syria

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• More than 4,000 people have been killed in Syria, the U.N. says
• Thousands have been displaced
• The Human Rights Council is meeting in Geneva
• A report cites regime "crimes against humanity"

(CNN) -- Syria faces a "full-fledged civil war" if the regime's "continual ruthless repression" against peaceful demonstrators and civilians isn't stopped now, the top U.N. human rights official said Friday.
Speaking in Geneva, Switzerland, to a U.N. Rights Council's special session on Syria, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay noted with concern the reports of "increased armed attacks by the opposition forces, including the so-called Free Syrian Army, against the Syrian military and security apparatus."
"In light of the manifest failure of the Syrian authorities to protect their citizens, the international community needs to take urgent and effective measures to protect the Syrian people," Pillay said.

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"The United Nations secretary-general has urged the international community to act as one and take action in a collective and decisive manner to protect the Syrian people against the violations of their human rights and fundamental freedoms. All acts of murder, torture and other forms of violence must be stopped immediately. "
The government crackdown began in mid-March as popular discontent against ruling powers spread across the Arab world. The regime of President Bashar al-Assad has blamed the violence on armed gangs.
Pillay said "more than 4,000 people have reportedly been killed, thousands have been arrested, and more than 14,000 are reported to be in detention as a result of the crackdown." She said many have had to flee their homes, at least 12,400 to neighboring countries and "tens of thousands" internally. Among those killed, she said, are 307 children.
She cited a report issued Monday by an Independent International Commission of Inquiry, established by the Human Rights Council in August to probe human rights violence. It concluded that security and military forces "committed crimes against humanity" against civilians.
"These include acts of killings, torture, rape and other forms of sexual violence, imprisonment, or other forms of severe deprivation of liberty and enforced disappearances throughout the country since March of this year," she said.

Even though it was denied access into Syria, the commission interviewed "223 victims and witnesses, including military and security forces who had defected and testified to the role of Syrian forces in the use of lethal violence against peaceful protests. "
Syrian activists reported security personnel assaults on Friday. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a London-based group, said at least one person was killed and dozens were injured in Homs province when government forces "opened fire randomly" from checkpoints.
CNN is unable to independently confirm events occurring inside Syria because the government does not allow journalists free access to the country.