Volume VI - Issue 24 May 2012 Chairman’s Message SYRIAC MEMBERS ARRESTED IN SYRIA Dear readers, Our world is changing On April 04, 2012 at the morning the regime, which did not permit the extremely rapidly and hours, the Syrian Security Forces celebration of 1st April, proclaim world politics devel- captured five members of Syriac their demands and arrested their opments are in very Union Party in Syria in the city of colleagues. Hundreds of Syriacs sensitive scale for the next years. Qamishli and Malikiye. Syrian gathered in front of the gen- Security Forces continue to terrorise darmerie, where members were While Europe and United Stated people and they realized raids to the held, and they made passive and sit- made their focuses on the coming domiciles for further arrests. down strike for the liberation of the elections, Middle East region coun- members of the Syriac Union Party tries continue to be at the to p of the During the first raid of Security in Syria. The response and acts of international agenda and especially Forces five members, 2 women and Special Security Forces was brutal Syria which is the centre of the ten- 3 men had been arrested at the gen- and nearly 20 people had been sions concerning Bashar Al Assad darmerie of Qamishli. injured. regime. Recently, Syriac Union Party in On April 05, 2012 members of Party Syria is becoming extremely in diffi- Syria celebrated the 1st April had been interrogated at the politi- cult situation to maintain the current (Akitu) Spring Festival in Syria with cal unit and later had been trans- status quo in which Al Assad is con- the presence of Syriac Christians. ferred to the military unit. The tinue to kill and oppress his own peo- Akitu Festival is traditional and cul- détenues had been subject of heavy ple. By the way, international commu- tural festival among Syriac people tortures. The women who had been nity is far from reaching to a consen- as the beginning of the spring. This arrested at the first raid of Security sus and finalising the Syria crisis. year’s celebration was different Forces have been later released and from precedents with the declara- with the second raid the number of Syriac people also are victim of this tions of political demands of Syriac arrested members rised to 9. Now 1 regime and they also took their place people. Of course, authorities of the person is still arrested. Since April for a new, free and democratic Syria. Syriac Union Party in Syria detailed 06, 2012 European Syriac Union As we detailed in our bulletin, last 3 their demands during the speeches, (ESU) is organising protest meetings months had been intense and very dif- with the slogans and with the ban- in front of the Syrian embassies in ficult for Syriac people in Syria. The ners and posters. Stockholm, Geneve and today in regime does not allow even any small Brussels and Berlin to protest this event of people. In Syria it is strictly forbidden to shameful arrest of the Syriac people organize any kind of in Syria. Arrested people did noth- Syriac people who wanted to cele- celebration/activity without per- ing against the rule of the country brate 1st April (Akitu) Festival had mission and without posters and and they use only and basic right of been attacked by Syrian Security photos of Bashar Al Assad as it was assembly to celebrate traditional fes- Forces and they had been arrested. the same with his father, Hafez Al tival peacefully. The Assad regime Assad. Contrary to this unjust code, shows once more time its real face to For this objective, ESU with the coor- Syriac Union Party in Syria did not the entire world with this arrest of dination Syriac Union Party in Syria get any permission for the celebra- peaceful people. With this conduct organised demonstrations and tion. Syriac Union Party in Syria did Assad lost his legitimacy. protests meeting around major not carry and did not allow posters European cities to denounce the real of Bashar Al Assad and of course ESU calls kindly to international face of Bashar Al Assad regime and they carried their own flags and slo- community, regional powers, and showing their solidarity with Syriac gans. relevant actors and to media organi- people in Syria. sations to monitor this situation, Later on, the members and sympa- staying sensible and acting with Lahdo Hobil thizers of Syriac Union Party in responsive way for the rights of Syria organized an action against Syriac Christians in Syria. The Voice of the Syriacs Volume 6 - Issue 24 page 2 ESU-Bulletin Interview Interview with Rima Tüzün, Head of ESU-Foreign Affairs con- Special Security Forces was brutal, nearly 20 people had been cerning latest situation of Syriac people and focus on Syria issue. injured and the count of the arrested risen to 9. Against this incident we as European Syriac Union organized What is your point of view concerning the situation in Syria? protest meetings in Stockholm, Geneva, Brussels and Berlin. Just after first protest meeting 8 of the 9 arrested people had been Since months we face in Syria a wave of protests. This protests released. Now a day one is still arrested. show that the regime in Syria cannot any more stay alive. Syria has a problem of its regime. The system of the regime is given As ESU what is your policy of Syria? As an organisation, what from a father to his son; it is not a democratic chosen regime. The kind of activities, works and relations you had realised for the people in Syria are not willingly anymore to accept this regime. Syria issues? The people want more rights and freedom. About 60 % of the sources and incomes of Syria have been seized and controlled by ESU is a bridge for our Syriac people, within Syriacs Assyrian the Assad clan. At last this not-wellbeing inside of Syria has and Chaldeans, in Middle East. One of our objectives is to create exploded. This explosion had to come out one day. Since years a public opinion on the problems of Syriacs face in Turkey, Iraq, the regime forces the Syrian people, makes pressure and totally Syria and Lebanon. controls them. The time of the Baath-regime in Syria is over; this kind of “one-hand” regime or better to say this dictatorship has As ESU we provide information about all people who are living come to its end. All Syrian society had been victim of torture and in Syria, not only about Syriac Christians. For us it is important harassment and political activities, freedom of thought and civil to enlighten on the identities of Syrian society. Arabs, Syriacs, institutions had been banned. Syrian people don’t feel secure Kurds and other minorities took place at the construction of under this regime. Syria. Syrian society composed from Muslim, Christians, Druze and Yezidis beliefs. But in comparison with Arabs and Kurds, The movement of the Arab-Spring gave to the Syrian people Syriacs are not known as ethnic minority. For example Kurds are courage to start with their protests and to start to organize them- known internationally as Kurds, in Iraq they were able to estab- selves against the Baath-regime. The fall of the regimes in lish a regional government called Kurdistan. Tunisia, Egypt and Libya gave the people moral and encouraged them to stand up and to fight for their rights and to change the Syriacs in Syria are indigenous people but without constitution- regime in Syria. al protection. As ESU one of our objectives for Syriacs in Syria is, to prepare conditions for a constitutional protection and securi- What is the latest situation of Syriac people in Syria during the ty. We have to avoid such an example of what happened in Iraq. uprising? What is the latest situation of Christians in Syria? Do you have any relations and cooperation with Syriac institu- Therefore we see a democratic change in Syria basically. The tions inside Syria? rights of all Syrian society have to be guaranteed. The return of humankind and development in the Middle East is an essential Since the uprising in Syria thousands of Syrians died; about 400 and vitally necessary. The new system of the regimes in Middle Syriacs have been killed. In Homs the most of the Syriac East has to become like Western standards; that means no sup- Christian community fled. There have been attacks against pression and no murders because of anyone’s belief and identi- churches and religious leaders too. ty. As a result of the ending of the Baath-regimes in Middle East, The mission of ESU in Europe is to bring the situation of Syriacs Syriacs have to take place with this changes, especially now in and other minorities and identities in Syria in an objective way Syria. Syriacs are 10 % of the Syria’s population. Resulting to the to an international platform and to demand for their democratic assimilation politics of Baath-regime, the Syriacs lost their iden- and vital rights. Therefore we did several TV-programmes, con- tity status. Syriacs are only known as religious minority, not as ferences and seminars within Syriac associations in different ethnic minority. countries of Europe. Since the uprising Syriacs started to ask for their national and What should be done for the ending long-lived Syrian crisis? ethnic rights and this is very positive. For the ending long-lived Syrian crisis 2 columns are basically. As ESU we are cooperating with the political party Syriac Union First of all the opposition has to become better organized and the Party of Syria which was founded in 2005 and is based in Syria.