Over 200 Libyan demonstrators have been killed, according to a report by Mother Jones (Creative Commons).

As the Libyan dictator Muammar al-Qaddafi continues his violent crackdown on anti-government protesters across Libya, the UN Security Council stressed Tuesday the importance of accountability for “those responsible for attacks, including by forces under their control, on civilians.”
 
In a closed meeting, the Security Council “condemned the violence and use of force against civilians, deplored the repression against peaceful demonstrators and expressed deep regret at the deaths of hundreds of civilians,” in a statement. 

The Security Council also “called for an immediate end to the violence and for steps to address the legitimate demands of the population, including through national dialogue.”

Qaddafi – who recently vowed to hunt down protesters “house by house” – is accused of authorizing the use of machine-guns and larger-caliber rounds on demonstrators in Benghazi, the country’s second largest city.

Tuesday, Qaddafi gave a speech in which he said he would "die as a martyr at the end … I shall remain, defiant. Muammar is leader of the revolution until the end of time."

Government forces have slaughtered an estimated 200 people – including women and children – over the past week, according to a report by Mother Jones.

In spite of their hard stance on the situation, the Security Council did not evoke the tenants of UN Security Council Resolution 1674, which commits the council to action to protect civilians in armed conflicts. The non-action approach by the world body highlights its unwillingness to engage in Libya’s internal affairs, despite previous rulings compelling them to do so.

Qaddafi also promised the death penalty for a number of crimes, and suggested that the Chinese regime had done the right thing with Tiananmen Square in a recent speech.

"If there was any doubt before, there is no longer: Qaddafi has unequivocally declared intention to massacre his own people," tweeted Bookings' Shadi Hamid.

The council urged the Libyan government to protect its citizens and "to act with restraint, to respect human rights and international humanitarian law and to allow immediate access to international human rights monitors and humanitarian agencies.” There is also much concern on the part of the Security Council over reports of shortages of medical supplies to treat injured Libyans.

A number of world leaders, including U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, followed suit of the UN condemnation of the violence. View her statement here:

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay: 

“The callousness with which Libyan authorities and their hired guns are reportedly shooting live rounds of ammunition at peaceful protesters is unconscionable. I am extremely worried that lives are being lost even as I speak.”

Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Irina Bokova:

“I call on the Libyan authorities to exercise maximum restraint. I also call on them to respect the right of people to access information, to be able to communicate with one another and for the media to be able to do its job… Attempting to silence people by repression, by denying them access to vital information services is a violation of basic human rights that can only fuel anger and frustration.”

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