The Assyrian Democratic Organization honors the Syrian Revolution.

The Assyrian Democratic Organization honors the Syrian Revolution.
Ten years ago, in mid-March of 2011 the Syrian people, with all its religious sects, national groups, and class diversity, revolted against their Government to get rid of the dictatorial regime and corruption with the hope to build a society where law, human rights and national affiliation of all Syrian people groups are protected. The Syrians have coined their revolution “Revolution of Freedom and Dignity” to reflect their long-suffering, stolen freedom and human dignity.
From the first moment of the outbreak of the demonstrations, the regime had decided its options in dealing with the uprising, by using its security and military apparatus to suppress protests using excessive force, killing, arresting, and killing tens of thousands of civilians, young women, and men who are demanding freedom and democratic change. This led to the formation of armed groups to protect civilians and protesters, which quickly turned into the militarization of the revolutionary movement; and with the increasing number of defectors from the regime’s army, the phenomenon of the Free Army became a reality and well established, which was able at the beginning to neutralize the regime’s forces in many areas. However, unable to withstand the militant Islamic factions (such as ISIS and Al-Nusra …) that dominated the scene, thanks to the support and funding of many jihadist countries and networks. These groups committed heinous crimes against the Syrian people and contributed effectively in diverting the revolution from its main path as a revolution of the people aspiring freedom against a dictatorial regime. On the other, the regime’s determination to hold on the power, by all means, including the regime’s action in releasing the most dangerous leaders of Al Qaeda and jihadists from its prisons to stigmatize the revolution with terrorism and extremism, and harnessed all its capabilities to paint the revolution with religious sectarian affiliation and mobilize sectarian tendencies among Syrians by summoning foreign terrorists sectarian militias from Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and other countries.
With the lapse of ten years since the revolution of freedom and dignity, and despite the scale of human suffering in economic, social, and demographic aspects, there is no indication that the tragedies afflicting the Syrians are ending soon. Despite the decline in military actions, the economic and living conditions are worsening exponentially and steadily every daily, as a result of the loss of the Syrian Pound’s purchasing power, which has led to the deterioration of the humanitarian situation which exacerbated the daily suffering of the overwhelming majority of Syrians, who now lack the most basic needs and services that keep them alive. Despite the claims of victory, the regime has grown weak and isolated and has been unable to meet the most basic needs, especially in the areas it controls. As a result, the regime’s insistence on channeling all the funds and aid in favor of his security and military organizations and allowing systematic corruption networks to operate at the expense of millions of Syrians, and also in light of its constant refusal to engage in negotiations to reach a political solution according to international legitimacy decisions guaranteeing an end to this terrible human tragedy, as well as its insistence on holding Pro-forma elections with well-known results, as a tool, to continue ruling the Syrian people and subjugating them under the pretext of the national sovereignty, which it has been violated at all levels, and compromised the wealth of the country in favor of its main supporters, Iran and Russia, which today control the most important decision making and management of the country.
As for areas outside the control of the regime, the situation is not much better, the Syrians in areas controlled by de-facto forces with different ideological affiliations, disproportionately, suffer from poor living conditions, the spread of the Covid-19 epidemic, the spread of chaos, corruption, and tensions in the security situation, as a result of the violations committed by some factions. These controlling forces, which resulted from the equations of conflict and international and regional influence, have failed to establish alternative governance systems that respond to the aspirations of the Syrian people in these regions in terms of democracy, partnership, and freedom and decent life.
On the other hand, the international efforts do not indicate the possibility of bringing about a change in the approach of the new American administration and the European Union regarding the Syrian file, to push towards a real political settlement according to UN Resolution 2254. Despite the fifth constitutional committee meeting that resulted in disruption by the regime; it is the conviction of the United Nations and its special envoy to Syria that it is futile to continuing these meetings without being accompanied by international political and diplomatic participation to implement UN Resolution 2254 in its entirety.
In light of these facts, and in the absence of an international will to push for a political solution, the reality of consolidating power and control in the concerned areas remains the mood of all groups and it may become pivotal for more aggression and risks the result of the return of terrorism and the further deterioration of the security situation, that would become a fertile environment for loosening the remaining national bonds, in favor of increasing sectarianism with tragic national consequences. From here comes the importance of achieving the highest levels of coordination and cooperation between the forces of the revolution and the opposition at home and abroad, in order, to agree on a comprehensive national project that corrects deviations from the principles of the revolution, and a political action program capable of mobilizing various Syrian capabilities and capacities to accomplish urgent tasks, such as the file of detainees, forcibly disappeared (detained) citizens, internally displaced persons as well as in neighboring countries, accountability for war criminals and perpetrators of violations on all sides, in order, to achieve the desired political transition according to the relevant Security Council resolutions.
The Assyrian Democratic Organization, congratulate and affirm on this tenth anniversary of the Syrian revolution, its continuing struggle with the rest of the revolution and opposition forces, in order, to achieve the aspirations of the Syrian people in freedom, democracy, and the building of the Syrian Republic; a modern state based on the rule of law, and the principle of full and equal rights, respect for human rights, and constitutionally sanctioned the existence of national identity of the Syriac Assyrians as an authentic Syrian component, and its culture and language guaranteed as a national one with equal rights for all nationalities that make up the national fabric, Arabs, Syriac Assyrians, Kurds, Turkmen, and others. At the same time, it expresses its conviction in the inevitability of freedom from tyranny and in achieving democratic change, based on what this revolution has revealed about the ability of the Syrian people to withstand and insist on restoring their freedom and dignity and their rejection of any form of dictatorship in the future of their country.
A tribute to the souls of the martyrs of freedom in Syria.
Freedom for all prisoners of conscience and prisoners of freedom and the disclosure of the fate of all kidnapped and forcibly, disappeared individuals by all parties, especially Bishops Youhanna Ibrahim and Boulos Yazigi.
Syria, March 14, 2021