United States urge Honduras to stop violence

September 23rd, 2009 - 2:59 am ICT by Aishwarya Bhatt  

Zelaya Washington, Sep 22 (THAINDIAN NEWS) US and EU urged Honduras protesters to refrain from violence and to find a solution to their agitation in a peaceful manner.

Ian Kelly, Spokesman for U.S. Department of State released the following statement regarding the situation in Honduras.

“The United States calls on all parties to remain calm and avoid actions that might provoke violence in Honduras, and place individuals at risk or harm. We urge that all parties refrain from actions that would lead to further unrest.

We stress the importance of respecting the inviolability of the Embassy of Brazil in Tegucigalpa and the individuals on its premises. We note with appreciation the de facto authority’s statement last night promising to respect the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961, to which Honduras is a party. Respect and protection for the inviolability of diplomatic premises is a universally accepted principle of international relations.”

It may be mentioned that President Zelaya was shown the door out of Honduras in June, and since then he was in exile. He returned to the country on Monday and took refuge in the Brazilian embassy. Even Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva asks the protesters to negotiate a way out of a political crisis that escalated after ousted President Manuel Zelaya slipped back into his own country.

Honduran soldiers are up in arms outside the Brazilian embassy in Tegucigalpa in support of deposed President Manuel Zelaya, and the military has set up armored vehicles outside the embassy, and both the sides are fighting over their issues.

Honduran military fired tear gas at the protesters who retaliated back with rocks, and an unconfirmed source says that at least two gas canisters landed inside the embassy compound.

The Honduran government also has placed sharpshooters near the embassy and is blasting the compound with loud noise to drive people inside “crazy,” Zelaya said.

A round-the-clock curfew until Tuesday evening was imposed, airports were shut and police and soldiers put on alert standby for further eventualities.

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