Concern for Syrian Kurds as Violent Crackdown Continues

The United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-moon calling for a united voice on Syria at the general assembly. Photo AFP.

AMSTERDAM -- The United Nations Assembly condemned Syria’s violent crackdown on protesters and called for President Bashar al-Assad to step down.

At its session on Thursday, the United Nations General Assembly voted 137 to 12 to approve a non-binding resolution calling for an immediate halt to the Syrian government's crackdown on protests against President Bashar al-Assad's rule. The General Assembly passed the resolution, calling for the president to abide by the Arab League plan as violence continues across the country.

China, Russia and Iran were among the nations that opposed the text, submitted by Egypt and other Arab states, which condemned "widespread and systematic violations of human rights in Syria."

“Now the General Assembly must demand that Syria immediately adopt an Arab League blueprint to calm the uprising, to cease all violence against civilians and withdraw security forces back to their barracks,” said the Egyptian delegate on behalf of 27 other countries including Arab states, Britain and the United States.

General Assembly resolutions reflect world opinion on major issues. Supporters of the Arab-sponsored resolution hope for a strong “yes” vote to deliver a firm message to Assad’s regime.

“Arab League resolutions violate the sovereignty of Syria and conflict international laws,”

Syrian ambassador Bashar Jaafari also spoke at the session, commenting, “Arab League resolutions violate the sovereignty of Syria and conflict international laws … The Arab League is competing with enemies of the Arab world with its criticism of Syria.” He added, “What is happening in the region does not benefit any country other than Israel … We hope that the United Nations assists Syria in the face of extremism and terrorism.”

On Wednesday, the U.S. called Assad’s offer to hold a referendum on a new constitution “laughable” as his troops continued to assault cities held by rebels trying to oust him.

Meanwhile, Syrian government forces continue the bombardment of Baba Amru in Homs. There have been 13 days of shelling on this city which is at the forefront of the uprising against 42 years of rule by Bashar al-Assad and his late father Hafez. The recent bloody crackdown of Assad’s forces on Homs has resulted in approximately 690 victims, including 69 children and 46 women.

Many Kurdish soldiers have reportedly been shot dead after refusing to set fire to protesters. It is not a new phenomenon among Kurdish soldiers who are serving the Syrian compulsory military service. For eight years, even before the start of the ongoing uprising, more than 80 Kurdish soldiers were executed, which has been repeatedly condemned by the Kurdish parties in Syria as representative of the chauvinistic policies taken by Syrian authorities against Kurds.

The Syrian security’s policy of targeting prominent Kurdish oppositionists and leaders continues. Nasruddin Barhak, member of the political section in the Kurdish Democratic Party, was exposed to an assassination attempt in Qamishly city last Monday. He had been intending to go to Derik town to participate in an anti-regime protest called for by the KNC to show solidarity with Kurdish detainees in Assad’s prisons. An armed group riding a black car carrying the sign “Latakya province” shot at Mr. Barhak’s car, eyewitnesses reported. Barhak was injured in his shoulder and taken to al-Nur hospital.

The Kurdish National Council has strongly condemned the attack -- “whoever is behind it” -- through a declaration that includes a call for the Kurds to “possess the Kurdish national spirit” in the face of any attempted targeting of Kurdish leaders or activists, “because that is an assault to all Kurds.”

“Kurdish protests haven’t stopped since the start of this revolution, and many Kurdish martyrs have fallen since the uprising began,”

As the Syrian Kurdish area witnesses an increasing anti-regime protest movement, Abdulbasit Hamo, prominent politician and member of Kurdish Yekiti Party, told Aljazeera television on Wednesday that Kurdish parties are not the actual leaders of the popular protest movement in Kurdish cities and towns. “The Kurdish youth organizations and committees are the real Kurdish revolutionaries on the ground. They have been organizing anti-Assad demonstrations since March 2011 and they are the reason behind the unification of the Kurdish political movement in Syria, which has always suffered double standards.” Hamo added, “We have to learn from those young activists the actual meaning of pro-liberation revolution against suppression and persecution. We have to follow them, in order to be able to represent them.”

In the context of the growth of demonstrations in the Kurdish area, Hamo said, “Kurdish protests haven’t stopped since the start of this revolution, and many Kurdish martyrs have fallen since the uprising began. So, we have to continue this revolutionary path, along with participating with the other opposition bodies, to be able to face this unprecedented situation with a full responsibility to be able to build a new democratic Syria.”    

On the other hand, the leader of KNC, Abdulhakim Bashar, said, “The voice of the revolution is above all of our voices as oppositionists. We have to be the political echo to their fair demands for which they are scarifying with their souls. Their issue is our main concern, and we have constant contact with all opposition parties to unify points of view and work on one agenda, which includes a fair solution to the Kurdish question in Syria and recognizes it as a national issue.”