(VOVworld) - The horrific massacre in Syria’s central town of Houla last week which killed more than 100 people is making UN efforts to stop the violence appear futile. This is the worst violence since the anti-Government uprising began a year ago, dimming any prospect for peace in Syria. VOV editor Hong Van summarizes the situation there.

The Houla massacre has shocked the international community. In its initial response, the UN Security Council strongly condemned the killing, calling it a serious violation of the ceasefire between the Syrian Government and the opposition. The Security Council urged the Government to halt immediately its use of heavy weapons and withdraw its forces from populated cities. Kofi Annan, the special envoy of the UN and the Arab League, arrived in Damascus yesterday to persuade both sides to take specific actions to bring the violence to an end.

Many countries around the world have made appeals to the factions in Syria to end the 14-month-long conflict that has killed more than 12,600 people. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow is unsatisfied with the UN-Arab League peace initiative in Syria. Russia is worried about the recurrence of civilian massacres and is not excluding the possibility that outside influences may be inciting the violence. In a phone call yesterday, the French President and the British Prime Minister agreed to take action to increase pressure on the Syrian President and to hold a Friends of Syria conference in France in the near future.  

Jihad Makdissi , a spokesperson for Syrian Foreign Ministry, claimed Government troops weren’t involved in the killings in Houla. He said the Syrian Government has become the object of false allegations. Opposition groups called on the UN to intercede without delay to keep the Damascus Government from committing further massacres.

Regardless of how the Houla massacre occurred, it demonstrates that the cease fire in Syria is not being respected. In his most recent report, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon admitted that the UN effort to end the conflict has made very little progress.

The bottom line in Syria is that there is no trust between the factions. Even with the Government of President Bashar al-Assad pledging to implement Kofi Anna’s peace plan, opposition groups have tried to seize control of important areas in major cities. And a growing stockpile of weapons has been smuggled into the country, according to the US State Department. With the opposition forces now equipped with more modern weapons, a peaceful solution for Syria seems less likely.