A/HRC/18/53 [Unofficial translation] Note verbale dated 16 August 2011 from the Permanent Mission of the Syrian Arab Republic addressed to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Geneva 16 August 2011 In addition to information previously delivered by the Syrian Arab Republic, which includes a comprehensive account of the events currently taking place in Syria, we submit this complementary information intended to clarify and rectify the erroneous believes mentioned in the UN High Commission report. The Syrian government had promptly delivered its response to the High Commission’s questions concerning the events taking place, and fully explained the measures taken to resolve the issues raised with regards to the situation in Syria. The Syrian government response was delivered prior to the date the High Commission was to present its report to the Human Rights Council. It is regrettable that the presented report did not include the position of the Syrian government, and was solely based on unreliable sources. When the High Commission chooses to be unprofessional in dealing with this matter, it creates an environment of distrust, especially that the Syrian report included all documented information the Syrian government possesses concerning the points raised in the High Commission’s report. The High Commission report was based on a one-sided source of information which is the opposition based abroad, they are few individuals who were outlawed for committing crimes related to using arms and spreading terror amongst the Syrian people. What they claim, without any proof, is untrue and has no basis in the law; it only expresses personal view points with no credibility. For example, the incident describing thousands of Syrian civilians fleeing the country lacks credibility, what really happened is that tents were erected at the Turkish border and prepared to receive ten thousand people a month even before the incident had taken place. The fleeing Syrian citizens have deserted their towns and villages before any military or security forces presence took place, they fled armed groups that have infested their areas, but when authorities restored safety, ten thousands of them returned, and today, they run a peaceful life in their towns and villages. Only those who used arms and organized terror against the population remain outside of the country. • The high Commission report contains an obvious legal contradiction, in one part it mentions how Syria complies with international Laws, in another part it claims Syria breaking international Laws, which is untrue; when the Syrian government takes on arresting, detaining and presenting to justice those who violate the law, it is not considered breaking international laws on the part of the Syrian government. • In Syria -as it was incorrectly mentioned in the High Commission report- there is no minority that uses power to repress protestors, in fact, it shows how representatives of the High Commission have chosen a biased approach to collect information from individuals who portrayed themselves as eyewitnesses, while they are in reality a group of outlaws who have committed crimes, which makes them completely unreliable as a source of information. The description of certain groups as “minority” or “majority” by representatives of the High Commission is an outrageous interference in our national internal makeup, a recipe for disaster and a call to destroy Syria, it is totally unaccepted. • While the High Commission has based its report on press information, despite the fact that press information should not be considered as a reliable source, especially 106