AMMAN (Reuters) – Syria’s main Kurdish parties said the authorities must take concrete steps to end repression and transform Syria into a democracy to solve the nation’s political crisis, joining mainstream opposition demand.
In the first statement since mass demonstrations against autocratic rule erupted in southern Syria two months ago, 12 Kurdish parties said the authorities needed to stop using violence against peaceful protesters.
It was issued as a military crackdown was intensified against hotspots of demonstrations against President Bashar al-Assad’s autocratic rule.
Syrian troops and gunmen backed by armour entered the town of Tel Kelakh in Homs province yesterday, a day after a protest in the town called for Assad’s removal. At least five people were killed and hundreds fled fighting to neighbouring Lebanon, activists and witnesses said.
Fleeing residents reported seeing soldiers and black-clad gunmen loyal to Assad, and said they heard the sound of machine gun fire.
“The nonchalance by which the regime is killing civilians and peaceful protesters has driven some in Tel Kelakh to resist,” one of the rights campaigners said.
Assad has tried a mix of reforms and repression to stamp out the dissent, but with neither protesters nor government breaking the deadlock after two months of unrest, authorities announced on Friday plans for a “national dialogue,“ as security forces killed up to nine protesters across Syria, human rights campaigners said.
To placate Syria’s Kurds, who had begun stage pro-democracy demonstrations, Assad issued a decree last month to grant citizenship to tens of thousands of Kurds born in Syria.
But Mohammad Ismail, a senior member of the Kurdish Democratic Party in Syria said they decree has not been implemented in practice, but the Kurdish declaration was issued to show that Kurds “are a part of the national struggle for freedom in Syria.”
The declaration, a copy of which was sent to Reuters today, said thousands of political prisoners must be freed and freedom of expression and assembly before any national dialogue could begin.
