TO: Ban Ki-Moon
Secretary General United Nations
Topic: The Syrian regime is threatening to massacre Kurds
Dear Ban,
During the decade After World War I the world map was redrawn. In the Middle East Kurdistan was occupied and divided between four countries. The Baghdad railway, a part the Orient Express, became the new border between the new Turkish state and Syria. The railway also became the border between the northern Kurdistan in Turkey, “Serxetê” in Kurdish, and western Kurdistan in northern Syria, “Binxetê” in Kurdish. This separation resulted in a separation of thousands of Kurds in to two different countries. Consequently, some families got separated between the north and south making it impossible to visit their families and relatives.
Today there are over 3 million Kurds living in western Kurdistan (northern Syria) which represents approximately 12-15% of the total population in Syria. The Syrian economy would suffer immensely without western Kurdistan (the northern region) which is rich in natural resources and fertile soil. This fact is complicating a unification of the Kurds and a democratic solution for the region.
Removal of citizenship
The forming the modern Syria took place as a French mandate and Syria got its independence in 1946 as a parliamentary republic. After the independence the deterioration of the situation for the Kurds in Syria started and when the Syrian President Shukri al-Quwatli and Egypt President Gamal Abdal Nasser announced the merging of the two countries, creating the United Arab Republic. The “Arabification” started to take shape in the Kurdish areas the census project, known as “al-Meshroo ihsaa” in 1962, disbanded the Kurds further. As a result of the census project some Kurds were allowed to retain their Syrian citizenship, while others Kurds lost it. The regime justified this act by referring to the fact that these individuals were not present when the census took place. The Kurds who lost their citizenship, over 120 000, became nation-less, “Ejnebi” and identity-less,” Mektum “in the new Syria.
Since 1962, the people without identity has doubled and does now exceed over 300 000 Kurds. Those Kurds are lacking their human rights in Syria, and cannot obtain any form of identity documents. These people can not study or get married legally, etc. They are not allowed to move freely in the country and they do not have access to healthcare as the don´t have any permit for it.
Arabification process or so-called Arabic belt in western Kurdistan
The ruling Bath party implemented martial law in west Kurdistan after the military coup in 1973 which is still in practice and it´s being prolonged every third year by the ruling central committee in Damascus. As a result of that, there is no civil government in western Kurdistan and there is military law that rules the destiny of the Kurds in Syria.
Since 1973, the implementation of the major project began, the so-called Arab belt, “Alhizam Al Arabi”. Between the years 1973-1975 the Syrian regime conducted a land reform under the disguise of “meshru el zirai”. The Government confiscated Kurdish land and built villages on the border between Syria and Turkey. Many Kurds were deprived of their land and other etnic groups were supported to move in to these communities.
Presidential Decree 49 of 2008
On the 10th of September 2008 the Syrian President Beshar al-Assad signed by, the Presidential Decree 49. This Decree cripples the everyday life for Kurds and compels people to flee. The Presidential Decree 49 makes it impossible for ethnic Kurds to buy, sell or lease land, housing and other facilities in the Kurdish areas. This has led to between 50-10% of the Kurdish population has abandoned western Kurdistan since 2008.
Ethnic Kurds are on the mass exodus from western Kurdistan to Lebanon, Western Europe and to major cities in Syria. The Kurds in Syria are not authorized by the state to live in the big cities. They are forced to live in tents outside the big cities, notably Damascus. Since 2008 tens of thousands of Kurds is living in the outskirts of Damascus as nomads. Thousands of Kurdish children who live in tents outside the big cities can not study in school and they have no access to healthcare or medicine.
We appeal to the UN, the EU and the international community
In recent years, the Syrian regime are trying to provoke and lizard tensions between the Kurds and ethnic Arabs in Syria. This began in the Kurdish city of Kamishli (2004) during a football match. Secret Service killed more than 30 Kurds and arrested detained and tortured hundreds.
Violations of human rights, economic crisis and high unemployment in many countries have led to change first in Tunisia, Egypt, and now in Libya and Syria. The population in these regions has begun to rise up and protest against dictators and totalitarian regimes. During the current uprising in Syria, many people was arrested and tortured, and some people were murdered, according to our reports.
Syrian regime has strengthened its military units around Kurdish cities as Kamishli, Amude and Afrin. The Syrian regime has threatened and intimidated the Kurds openly with a massacre. When the popular uprising is taking place in Syria, we fear that the regime will find a clear retaliation against the Kurds in Western Kurdistan.
The international conventions that allow people to live under the threat and possible massacre must be pursued by the international community. It is imperative that organizations, especially the UN and EU to act before it is too late to stop Syria’s threat to the Kurds in Western Kurdistan. Our goal is to remind the UN, the EU and the international community to act before the threat of suffering set against the Kurds in Syria, and western Kurdistan. Also stop the Syrian regime’s repression and its performance once against the Kurds.
We urge you to alert and remind Syria to pursue and respect international agreements governing people’s rights to express their views in speech, writing and demonstration. We are afraid if the international community does not particularly address the Kurdish issue in Syria, the authorities will find a clear retaliation for committing the massacre of Kurds. Partly because the final Valid stifle the Kurds vote for freedom and also to intimidate other people in Syria and to continue its repression in the country.
We turn to you before it’s too late, when the Syrian regime is much more aggressive than other regimes that abuse and massacre its population. 25/03-2011
Human Rights Organization:
Kurdocide Watch – CHAK
Gabar Ciyan Heyder Azad
Central Board, Vice Chairman Coordinator, W. Kurdistan