UN Security Council discusses Syria

China and Russia have reiterated their opposition to the use of force to resolve the crisis in Syria, where escalating violence has killed thousands of civilians who oppose President Bashar al-Assad.

With the violence still continuing in Syria Arab and Western states made their case to the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday calling for swift action on a resolution demanding President Bashar Al Assad step aside.

But despite the weight the US and the Arab League Russia and China say they will veto any such resolution.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said they would not support any action that would be imposed on Syria and would avoid taking sides in an internal conflict.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton told the Security Council on Tuesday the rest of the world faced a choice to "stand with the people of Syria and the
region or become complicit in the continuing violence there".
But she also added that she was confident, the future of Syria would be different.
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As diplomats debate at the UN Syrian government forces took back control of the eastern suburbs of the capital, Damascus, after rebel soldiers briefly captured the area in a startling advance last week.

The two-day offensive left more than 100 people dead.

The U.N. has estimated that more than 5,400 people have been killed in the Syrian government crackdown.

Listen to Lydia O'Kane's report: