"No Kurd, no Arab, the Syrian people are one"

Last week protests began in the Kurdish regions of eastern Syria after Bashar offered nationality to some Kurds. Syrian Protests Erupt in Syrian Kurdish Region-Reuters

'The grant of citizenship on Thursday to an unspecified number of Kurds is seen as part of a government attempt to cool resentment over nearly five decades of Baath Party rule and deflect pro-democracy protests.

"The citizenship gesture only helped fuel the street (protests). The Kurdish cause is one for democracy, freedom and cultural identity," Hassan Kamel, a senior member of the Democratic Kurdish Party in Syria, told Reuters.'

The Kurds are the largest ethnic minority in Syria and make up 10% of the population. The Syrian government has used differing techniques to repress the Kurds for years and still continues to do so today. Please follow the links to read more about the ongoing Kurdish repression in Syria.

http://www.kurdsofsyria.com/english/
A Wasted Decade: Repression of Kurds
Torture and Oppression of Kurds in Syria



(Reuters)

Like Father Like Son

Follow the link to read about the last ten years (Bashar's reign) and the Human Rights violations that continue to occur including: Repression of political and human rights activism, restrictions on freedom of expression, torture, ill-treatment, and enforced disappearances, repression of Kurds, and legacy of enforced disappearances...

"A Wasted Decade"

"After Bashar al-Asad succeeded his father as president in July 2000, many people in Syria hoped that the human rights situation would improve. In his first inaugural speech on July 17, al-Asad spoke of the need for “creative thinking,” “the desperate need for constructive criticism,” “transparency,” and “democracy.”[1] A human rights lawyer summed up his initial feelings on the succession, reflecting the mood and aspirations of many others in the country: “Bashar’s inaugural speech provided a space for hope following the totalitarian years of President [Hafez] Asad. It was as if a nightmare was removed.”[2]

Ten years later, these initial hopes remain unfulfilled, and al-Asad’s words have not translated into any kind of government action to promote criticism, transparency, or democracy. This report reviews Syria’s human rights situation in five key areas and proposes concrete recommendations to the Syrian President that are essential to improving Syria’s human rights record."