Human Rights in Syria (Part 2)
After Hafez Al-Assad’s death, his second son, Bashar Al-Assad became the next resident of the Syrian Arab Republic. Bashar started his presidency with the image of being a potential reformer in Syria. These reforms included slight democratization, an anti-corruption agenda, and releasing political prisoners detained during his father’s rule (Syrian President). These reforms became known as the “Damascus Spring.” However, these reforms did not last long and government repression resumed. He continued his father’s foreign policy which included close ties with Iran and pursuing more cooperation with the United States, especially after the 9/11 attacks which included helping the US with its extraordinary rendition campaign of torture. However these ties with the US would be undermined by the 2003 Iraq war with Assad's Government aiding insurgents fighting coalition forces (Syrian President). At home, Bashar Al-Assad’s government became increasingly authoritarian. An Example of Assad’s government repression was the murder of 30 Kurdish civilians in the north east of the country amidst unrest and protest due to racist treatment of Kurds (Syrian President).. After increasing authoritarianism by the government, the Arab Spring protests across the middle east provided an opportunity for Syrians to express their discontent with government repression, corruption, and anti-democratic tendencies. Rather than making concessions to the massive protests against his government, Assad chose to severely crack down on the demonstrations and killed many civilians in the process. The brutality of the response prompted defections from the army which formed opposition militias that became the “Free Syrian Army” .(Syrian President). This began the decade long Syrian Civil War which goes on to this day. Many foreign actors got involved in the civil war such as Iran, Russia, and Hezbollah which supported the Assad regime, Turkey, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia which supported Salafist groups fighting the government , and the United States which supported parts of the Free Syrian Army and later the Syrian Democratic Forces of the north east. The Civil War in Syria has seen over half the country’s population displaced, approximately a quarter million civilian casualties, and the total destruction of cities such as Aleppo and Idlib by regime forces (Human Rights Violations). The war also provided an opportunity for ISIS to expand and take Territory in Syria. From 2015, ISIS retreated and was eventually defeated in 2019 in the city of Baghuz Fawqani by the Syrian Democratic Forces, who formed their own government in the north. Human rights during Bashar Al Assad’s rule have been among the worst in the 21st century. These human rights abuses include chemical weapon attacks by the government which have killed hundreds of civilians, indiscriminate barrel bombings and airstrikes of residential areas and hospitals, and use of rape as a weapon by government forces (World Report 2021). Bashar Al-Assad’s strategy of regaining control resembles his fathers strategy which included razing and the complete destruction of urban areas. Other actors such as Russia and Iran have also contributed to this destruction in support of the Assad regime. Other foreign actors such as Turkey have atrocious human rights records in Syria such as ethnic cleansing, torture, occupation, and rape by their proxy forces, the Syrian National Army (World Report 2021). The US led coalition has also been responsible for the deaths of civilians due to airstrikes in the fight against ISIS. The violation of human rights by both domestic and foreign factions illustrate the awful conditions of human rights in Syria. The displacement, murder, and destruction have contributed to what is one of the worst humanitarian disasters in the world. For Syria to build a better future for human rights, the government of Assad must go, Turkey must end its occupation and assault on the Autonomous Administration of North East Syria, and Al-Qaeda linked groups such as Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham and the Syrian National Army must be disarmed, removed from power, and defeated.
Citations:
“World Report 2021: Rights Trends in Syria.” Human Rights Watch, 13 Jan. 2021, https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2021/country-chapters/syria.
“Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad: Facing Down Rebellion.” BBC News, BBC, 31 Aug. 2020, https://www.bbc.com/news/10338256.
“Human Rights Violations Archives • The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.” The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights, 11 Nov. 2022, https://www.syriahr.com/en/category/human-rights-violations/.
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