The republic flag used by the Syrian National Council featured prominently yesterday when a group of Arabs met to protest against China and Russia, which vetoed a UN resolution condemning the regime’s deadly crackdown on the uprising.

Protesting peacefully outside the Chinese Embassy in St Julians, accompanied by Palestinians, Jordanians, Egyptians and Libyans, the Syrians said they were holding China and Russia responsible for the death of their families.

Their appeal will continue tomorrow with a protest in front of the Russian Embassy in Kappara.

More than 100 people chanted as they flashed pictures of massacred bodies.

People from Idlib, the city of Homs and the northern city of Apello said that although their families were deprived of the basic necessities, their hopes rose following the support shown by “huge powers” like the US, the UK and France.

They commended the Maltese government’s support shown earlier this week when Foreign Minister Tonio Borg described the situation in Syria as unacceptable.

The Syrian community in Malta is collecting medicine and food products to send to the war-torn country. Following Friday prayers, Muslims forked out money to alleviate the “inhuman conditions Syrian families have been forced into”.

Syrians living in Malta reported that their families in Homs spoke about “a rain of shells” which started early on Thursday the morning. Later on, they found several bodies burnt beyond recognition.

The United Nations has insisted that the regime crackdown on the uprising lead to the death of more than 5,400 people.