The Assyrian Democratic Organization
The Kurdish Democratic Party in Syria also participated on behalf of the Kurdish Democratic Front in addition to members of the Damascus Declaration committees in Europe. A number of institutes attended the conference including Human Rights Watch, the Royal Institute for International Affairs "Chatham House", in addition to members of the European Parliament and representatives of the European Commission and the Council of the European Union.
This conference is an important development as part of the efforts of the Damascus Declaration opposition coalition to build an international relations network and develop a strong political lobby. The conference comes after the Damascus Declaration has been successful in building ties with Germany, the UK, the United States and now the European Union. This movement on the international level mirrors that which is happening on the internal front as the Damascus Declaration continues in its opposition activities despite the regime’s crackdown.
Opening the conference was Jana Hybaskova MEP, member of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, and Anas Abdah, Chairman of the Movement for Justice and Development. The conference consisted of three panels. In the first panel entitled "Syria Today", Kamiran Hajo of the Kurdish Democratic Party outlined the human rights violations faced by Syrians in general and Kurds in particular.
He stressed that Kurdish areas in Syria have the highest unemployment rate in Syria because of the regime’s discriminatory policies. He said that despite the eastern provinces of Syria enjoying considerable natural resources, the revenues from these resources are channelled to the local population. Also on the panel was Aref Gabeau from the Kurdish Democratic Unity Party, who spoke in length about the human rights violations and the absence of basic freedoms such as the freedom of the press and the freedom to elect democratic representatives.
He condemned the state of emergency imposed by the regime since 1963 which has allowed the suspension of the justice system. Gabeau shed light on the 12 March 2004 uprising in the town of Qamishli which was met with live gunfire, as well as the recent shooting-dead of three young men as they celebrated the Kurdish Nawruz festival. Anne Koistinen from the European Commission was the third member of the panel. She took the opportunity to explain the steps taken by the Commission to promote human rights and political freedoms in Syria.
She affirmed that the Commission would raise these issues with Syrian officials in every meeting held between them. She also welcomed the opportunity of further meetings with the Damascus Declaration, expressing her opinion that it was essential to maintain strong ties with the democratic movement in Syria. Following an official lunch for all the conference attendees hosted by Jana Hybaskova MEP, two more panels sat in the afternoon session. The first was entitled "The Damascus Declaration National Council."
First to speak was Ausama Monajed form the Movement for Justice and Development. He elaborated on the formation of the Damascus Declaration from its roots in the Damascus Spring of 2000-01 to the launching of the National Council in December 2007 which included 270 members from all ethnic, religious and regional backgrounds who enjoy popularity in their constituencies. Monajed said that the National Council represented national unity in its truest form, not the false picture of national unity propagated by the regime.
He explained that the National Council aims to be a shadow parliament and hopes to achieve its aim of a democratic Syria through peaceful means. He said that the Damascus Declaration National Council represents a genuine alternative to the regime which must be supported and promoted. He ended by saying that, despite the crackdown and the arrests, the Damascus Declaration leadership remains strong and unyielding in its commitment to the cause of democracy.
Kamiran Haj Abdo of the Kurdish Democratic Unity Party spoke of the strong Kurdish presence in the Damascus Declaration saying that the Kurds in Syria have chosen the Damascus Declaration as their vehicle for partnership with other Syrian pro-democracy parties. He said that this participation reflected the Kurd’s commitment to a united Syria that respects human rights and promotes equality of all citizens.
Ablahad Astepho from the Assyrian Institute of Europe was the third panellist. He spoke about the history of the Assyrian people in Syria and their many contributions to the civilization of the area. He then spoke about the difficulties faced by Assyrians which has driven many into exile, considering that a large part of their problem is linked to the situation created by the political tyranny of successive regimes linked to ethnic, religious and sectarian extremism. Because the regime is not in the process of reforming and cannot face the consequences of reform, he affirmed that the Assyrians were ready to enter into partnership with Arabs and Kurds in pushing for peaceful and gradual change through mechanisms which can be agreed on between all sides in the Damascus Declaration.
Astepho stressed that priority must be given to political reform, and the most important step, in this regard is the drafting of a new national constitution that is based on secularism and a correct understanding of democracy, human rights and a true national partnership thus ending the policy of exclusion and monopolization and affording the opportunity for democratic and peaceful alternation of governance. Nadim Shehadi from Chatham House concluded the second panel with a historical sweep of the Middle East since the fall of the Ottomans and the emergence of the modern Arab state.
He said that the Damascus Declaration was a testament that the Syrian people have the confidence and willingness to demand their basic rights. He concluded by saying that the EU’s stance on Syria was not neutral since choosing not to promote the process of democratic change in the Arab world and in the Middle East in particular was in itself a political stance. The second afternoon panel was a discussion entitled "The future of EU-Syria Relations."
The first to address this panel was Colin Scicluna, Member of the Policy Unit of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs covering the Mediterranean and Middle East, Council of the European Union. He elaborated in an open and frank manner on the EU’s policy towards Syria. He said that the EU does not believe in confrontation and isolation but in engagement and dialogue. He said that human rights and internal political conditions are discussed with Syria in addition to regional issues such as Lebanon and Iraq. He said it was the EU’s policy to remind Syria of its obligations towards international treaties on human rights and political freedoms.
He said that this message was reiterated again in Javier Solana’s last visit to Damascus. Also on the panel was Baroness Nicholson MEP, who spoke of Syria’s importance in the region and the need to maintain channels of contact with it. She spoke as an expert in promoting civil society activism in the Arab world the importance of the Damascus Declaration as a set of principles and as an opposition coalition. She said: "I congratulate you on the founding of this coalition.
You have put us in a tough position and we have to deal with you." Malik al-Abdeh from the Movement for Justice and Development sat out the position of the Damascus Declaration on the future of EU-Syrian relations. He explained that the regime in Syria was an illegitimate military dictatorship driven by a need to maintain power and privilege and that any side wishing to engage with Syria must appreciate this aspect.
Al-Abdeh said that if the EU must pursue engagement with the Syrian regime, it should be a conditional engagement linked to a roadmap with clearly identifiable indicators of progress. He said that releasing political prisoners and guaranteeing the independence of the judiciary were necessary steps for any engagement process to have any meaning. He warned that open-ended and unconditional engagement will be counter-productive and will only be used by the regime to buy time. The conference concluded with an opportunity for all the attendees to discuss the issues raised in the conference over coffee.
