Syrian president to let UN assess humanitarian situation

UN CHIEF Ban Ki-moon declared yesterday that Syrian president Bashar al-Assad had agreed to permit UN teams to assess the humanitarian situation in the country following seven weeks of unrest.

The announcement coincided with protests in a dozen Syrian cities and towns dubbed a “Friday of Defiance”, called to seize the initiative from the military which has deployed heavily in restive hubs and detained hundreds of activists with the aim of smothering the revolt.

The government was especially determined to keep a lid on the protests because they were held on Martyrs’ Day, the anniversary of the 1916 hanging by the Ottoman authorities of Syrian nationalists demanding independence.

Mr Assad attended ceremonies at the tomb of the unknown soldier before demonstrations erupted after Muslim communal prayers, the traditional time for protest.

The largest rally took place in the industrial city of Homs, where 15 people were reportedly shot dead. Syrian state television said an army officer and four police were also killed in Homs by a “criminal gang”.

Youngsters brandishing Syrian flags and calling for freedom swept out of the village of Jarjanaz into the countryside on mopeds.

Crowds assembled in the coastal city of Baniyas in spite of a heavy army presence and, in the northeastern town of Amuda, Kurds chanted “Freedom, freedom, peaceful, peaceful” and, “The Syrian people are one”.

Checkpoints ringing Damascus prevented protesters from restive suburbs and satellite towns from reaching the capital.

A small pro-democracy demonstration in the central district of Midan was dispersed when police fired tear gas and arrested participants. Among those detained was activist Riad Seif, a former deputy who has been imprisoned for advocating political and economic reform.

Deraa, the southern city where protests began in mid-March, remained largely locked down although some tanks and troops were withdrawn on Thursday and a Red Cross and Red Crescent convoy delivered drinking water, food and medical supplies, breaking an 11-day siege when electricity and communications were cut. Human Rights Watch reported that Syrian rights groups put the overall death toll in Deraa at 350, but this could not be independently confirmed. At least 565 civilians and 100 soldiers are said have died during the unrest.

Christians living near Deraa in the Hauran region said they had been harassed by armed fundamentalist Muslim (Salafi) elements that have emerged since protests began.

In response, Greek Catholic Patriarch Gregorios III warned western leaders to refrain from stirring unrest in the Middle East and called for “evolution, not revolution”. In a letter delivered to western ambassadors in Damascus, the patriarch, head of 1.6 million Greek Catholics, stated, “Arab heads of state should be invited and encouraged to develop democratic structures, freedom, and respect for human rights.”

He described Syria’s situation as “tragic for all concerned” and made the point that Damascus is “one of the most important cities in terms of Christian presence in the Arab world”. He said if Muslim extremists took power, “Christians will be the first victims. A new wave of emigration will follow immediately.”