Danish funds for Syrian Kurdish forces stir controversy after Amnesty report

COPENHAGEN, Denmark – Denmark’s leftist Unity List party has come under criticism for giving thousands of dollars to Kurdish forces in Syria, following an Amnesty International (AI) report alleging the forces have committed atrocities “amounting to war crimes.”

The Unity List has donated 65,247 kronor ($9,936) to the Syrian-Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) and its female wing, YPJ. The two are the armed wings of the Democratic Union Party (PYD).

The Unity List presented Sinem Muhammad, co-president of the Kurdish Movement for a Democratic Society (TEV-DEM), with the check during the party's congress in Copenhagen two weeks ago.

"We encourage the Unity List to condemn the attacks on civilians as documented in the (AI) report and to discuss it directly with the PYD and YPG,” said Trine Christensen, deputy Secretary General of the AI branch in Denmark.

“In addition, we warn strongly against sending aid to PYD and YPG," Christensen told the Danish Berlingske Nyhedsbureau.

Nikolaj Villumsen, an MP from the Unity List, told Rudaw that "if Amnesty's accusations are correct, then it is not acceptable."

"If the accusations are true, then those responsible must be brought to justice and the Kurdish autonomy in Rojava must work to prevent human rights violations in the future," he said.

Villumsen has written to Salih Muslim, the co-leader of PYD, and Sinem Muhammad, encouraging them to follow up on the AI report.

"They have answered me that they are investigating the allegations and that if mistakes have been made they must be corrected," Villumsen said.

He urged Denmark’s foreign minister and other European countries to support the administration in Syrian Kurdistan, or Rojava.

"The authorities in Rojava are trying to build a democratic society, so it is natural that we help with instructors in human rights and democratic capacity building," Villumsen explained.

He also said his party will have an “ongoing dialogue with PYD," and that the goal was to build a democracy: "If we turn our backs to the autonomy of Rojava, it won’t be easier to build democracy."

Amnesty International published a report Monday claiming that YPG forces displaced non-Kurdish residents in some villages and demolished their houses. It said the acts were “amounting to war crimes.”

Amnesty said its findings were based on investigation by a “fact finding mission” in the provinces of Hasaka and Raqqa. It said that satellite images and eyewitness accounts also told of forced displacement and the demolishing of some homes.

The PYD has declared three governing cantons in northern Syria that includes Arabs, Christians and other minorities in some top positions.

Sipan Hemo, General Commander of the YPG, has rejected the claims in the AI report.

This is not the first time the Unity List is supporting the Syrian Kurds.

In October 2014, Muslim received 155,500 kronor ($26,350) in the Danish Parliament. The Unity List presented Muslim with a check for 53,500 kroner ($9,000), while various Kurdish organizations in Denmark gave 102,000 kroner ($17,290).