The Syrian regime and its security forces are still continuing their massacre of the Syrian Kurds and threatening Kurdish leaders.

On Friday, March 26, 2004 The Syrian regime tortured five Kurdish soldiers in the Syrian army, killing one of them for attending the Kurdish celebration of Newroz and critically injuring the other four. Kurdish students are being expelled from the Universities and many Kurds along with other minorities are being arrested. Security forces continue to occupy Kurdish cities turning schools into military bases, imposing the continued curfew and shooting chaotically in the streets at night.

Also, the regime arrested more than 2500 people and they continue to arrest and torture Kurds. In the last few days the regime brought in a special military unit to start arresting Kurdish leaderships. Kurds that have been killed are being buried in undisclosed areas and family members are not allowed to hold burials in their family cemeteries. The Syrian regime buried 4 Kurdish bodies in a Christian cemetery in Kamishli without the knowledge of the families.

The Syrian constitution does not mention Kurds. About 200,000 plus Kurds have been denied Syrian nationality, meaning they cannot vote, own property, go to state schools or get government jobs. The Syrian government continues their discriminatory actions against the Kurdish people by these atrocities and through the media, calling Kurds secret agents of foreign governments, fueling the animosity between the Arabs and Kurds. The Kurds are enduring repressive nationalism, massive atrocities and genocide.

The Kurdish Leadership Console in Western Kurdistan (KLC) representing major Kurdish parties, Kurdish tribal leaders, and Kurdish intellectuals are urging an intervention to put a stop to these human rights violations. We are pleading to the international communities, human rights organizations, democratic organizations, the free world government, and The United Nations to step in and put an end to these contemptible violations of human rights by the Syrian Regime and stop the Syrian government from using violence against the Kurds and to negotiate in good faith with us.

We are asking for our God given rights including social, human and cultural rights and to have the perpetrators of these atrocities prosecuted. We urge the unarming of Arab militia, the return of the military to their bases, the release of Kurdish activists (2500 people), and reversing the Arabization policies. We also urge the US government to consider implementing the US Congressional punitive Law against Syria.

Released in Washington by the KLC spokesman Sherkoh Abbas

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