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Syrian police kill 3 Kurds celebrating
New Year, Newroz
21.3.2008 |
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March 21, 2008
Qameshli, Syrian Kurdistan,-- Syrian security
forces have shot dead three minority Kurds in clashes which broke out as the
Kurds celebrated their New Year "Newroz" at the Kurdish city
of Qameshli in Syrian Kurdistan near the border with
Turkey and Iraqi Kurdistan on Thursday, an official of the Kurdish Yakiti party told AFP.
A group of Kurdish youths who were lighting candles
to mark the Kurdish new year of Newroz on Thursday
had an argument with policemen in Qameshli, the
Syrian Human Rights Monitor said in a statement.
Police then opened fire on the Kurds, leaving three
dead and five wounded, some of them seriously. |
Karim Ibrahim Yousif, injured by Syrian Baathist
from the Syrian security forces. Photo: Amude.com
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"Syrian police opened fire on Thursday evening on
some Kurds who were celebrating Kurdish New Year,www.ekurd.net
and singing in the light of candles. They killed
three and wounded four," said the official, speaking by telephone
and asking that his name not be used.
The human rights groups called on Syrian President
Bashar al-Assad to order an end to 'cold-blooded
killing' of innocent people by security forces to
avert a repeat of 'the massacre' of Qameshli.
In 2004, clashes in Qameshli and other towns between
Kurds and Arabs backed by security forces left
scores dead and injured. At least 300 Kurds were
reportedly arrested.
Syria has about two million Kurds among its 17
million population, mainly living in the mainly
Kurdish north-east of the country (Syrian
Kurdistan).
Syrian Kurds have become vociferous about their
human rights since the 2003 Iraq war, which has
resulted in their fellow Iraqi Kurds establishing an
autonomous region in northern Iraq.
Qameshli lies some 680 kilometres (420 miles) north
of Damascus.
Copyright, respective author or news agency, AFP,
DPA, Agencies
** Kurds are the largest ethnic minority in Syria
making up 10% of the country's population i.e. about
two million.
Kurds in Syria often speak Kurdish in public,
unless all those present do not. Kurdish human
rights activists are mistreated and persecuted. No
political parties are allowed for any group, Kurdish
or otherwise.
Suppression of ethnic identity of
Kurds in Syria include: various bans on the use of
the Kurdish language; refusal to register children
with Kurdish names; replacement of Kurdish place
names with new names in Arabic; prohibition of
businesses that do not have Arabic names; not
permitting Kurdish private schools; and the
prohibition of books and other materials written in
Kurdish.
More about Kurds in Syria - (Kurdistan-Syria)
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