Opposition meets in Syria amid fresh violence

Syrian opposition figures who reject foreign intervention in the country's 18-month conflict have called for the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad at a rare meeting in the nation's capital.

Sunday's opposition conference was attended by diplomats from Iran, Russia and China, Assad's main international allies.

The loose network of Syrian rebel groups and the political opposition outside Syria believe Assad will not carry out reforms or a peaceful transfer of power, and some have called for foreign military intervention to break the stalemate in the conflict.

The United States and its allies have refrained from such action, partly because of international divisions over Syria and fears of a wider conflict.

The opposition figures who met in Damascus said they are open to the idea of a political settlement, even though the conflict so far has eluded all attempts at mediation.

The parties have formed the National Co-ordination Body for Democratic Change in Syria (NCB).

The NCB agrees with the armed rebels and the Syrian National Council - made up largely of Syrian exiles - on the need to topple Assad.

However, it opposes the violent uprising, as well as any foreign military intervention, and is more inclined to negotiate a peaceful settlement to 18-month-old crisis.

'Peaceful struggle'

President Assad's regime normally tightly restricts criticism in areas it controls, but the NCB's Rajaa al-Nasser said the Damascus authorities had permitted all Syrian political figures to attend the conference "without restrictions."

A statement said the participants in the conference had agreed on a number of principles, mainly "overthrowing the regime with all its symbols" while emphasising the need for "peaceful struggle to achieve the goals of the revolution".

The statement called for an immediate ceasefire accompanied by the withdrawal of the Syrian army from towns and cities, and the release of all political detainees and kidnapped people.

This would be followed by the start of negotiations between the opposition and representatives of the Syrian government on a peaceful transition of power, it said.

NCB head Hassan Abdul-Azim told the Associated Press news agency: "It's our right to meet here in the capital to express our views without being subject to dictates and pressures or to be forced to make concessions."

Activists say 27,000 people have been killed in Syria since protests against Assad began in March last year.

Western nations have called for the president to step aside, but their attempts to impose UN sanctions against Damascus have been blocked by Russia and China.