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The Democratic Alliance (DA) extends our support and sympathy to the people of Syria who are being killed and intimidated by government forces simply for demanding democratic change in their country. This comes not only after months of rolling government crackdowns which have killed an estimated 1500 people, but also in response to the recent killing of 100 civilians by tanks and soldiers in the town of Hama. Similar to the events across North Africa and the Arab peninsula, in which undemocratic regimes are facing the discontent of their people, Syrians are demonstrating against the 40-year rule of the Assad family which has responded to popular protest with extreme violence. The DA worries that, without international and regional support, the people of Syria will become victims of an increasingly violent reprisal by government forces. We call on the Arab League, the region’s most important political body, to act on behalf of the Syrian people and secure the withdrawal of government troops from public areas so as to protect citizens’ human rights.
The Syrian demonstrations for democratic reform are part of the “Arab Spring” rolling across North Africa and the Middle East which saw its first success in Tunisia and Egypt, where civilians pushed out regimes that did not rule in the interests of the people. But the Syrian government’s repressive response is also sadly part of the same narrative that has defined this “Spring” – where autocratic regimes have employed violence against their own citizens to avoid democratic change. It is time for the members of the Arab League to act responsibly by intervening to demand that President Assad respect the human rights of his people.
The DA recognizes the difficulties international bodies face when intervening in the domestic disputes of sovereign nations. However, the very reason we have these organizations is to provide leadership to prevent countries falling into turmoil and chaos, to provide relief when citizens face deprivation and to secure protection when civilians are targeted by unaccountable military force. The Arab League must not sit by and tacitly approve of the violent actions taken by these repressive regimes; it must show courage by getting autocrats like President Assad to the bargaining table where both sides can commit to the protection of civilian lives above all else. Today, the DA will be writing to the Secretary of the Arab League, Nabil el-Araby, to call on him to use his organization for promoting peace, stability and human rights in Syria.