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Syria: Protest over stateless Kurds
4.10.2005
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Damascus, 4 Oct.
(AKI) - On Wednesday Syrian opposition parties,
human rights organisations and Kurdish groups will
hold a protest for the anniversary of the 1962
census, which striped 120,000 Kurds of their
citizenship.
The aim of the protest is to ask the government to
change its treatment of the Kurdish minority, which
has a right to citizenship. During a television
appearance six months ago president Bashar al-Assad
had promises that he would naturalise some Kurds
living in Syria.
In 2004 Kurdish anger erupted in Syria' northeastern
governorate of Hasake, where riots, reportedly
resulting from a brawl between Arab and Kurdish
supporters of rival soccer teams, killing 30 people.
In a reconciliation move, which activists hoped
would be followed by wider reforms, Assad later
pardoned and released 312 Syrian Kurds linked to the
riots.
Around 300,000 Kurds are deprived of a nation, claim
Kurdish sources. The Syrian authorities say only
120-150,000 people are involved.
Besides from counting the Syrian population, the
1962 census also aimed at identifying 'alien
infiltrators', who allegedly crossed the border from
Turkey. To retain their Syrian nationality Kurds had
to prove they had lived in Syria since 1945.
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