NO UNITY ! : Al-Qamishli: Continued separate demonstrations in the Kurdish regions

KURDWATCH NEWSLETTER I OCTOBER 2012

KURDWATCH, September 28, 2012—Nationwide protests on September 21, 2012 resulted again in numerous dead and injured. Throughout the country, demonstrators demanded the fall of the regime. In large parts of the country, protesters took to the streets under the slogan, »Those who love Allah’s prophet are being slaughtered in Syria«. Supporters of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) demonstrated under their own slogan »The People’s Protection Committees are our free will«. In al‑Qamishli, one demonstration took place in each of the districts of Qanat Suwais, al‑ʿAntariyah (organized by the Biratî, Rojava, Shaikh Maʿschuq and Farhad Martyrs youth groups), Kurnish (organized by supporters of the Kurdish Future movement in Syria under Rezan Bari Shaikhmus, the Sewa youth group, the Assyrian youth group, and other independent youth groups), and Munir Habib (organized by the Kurdish National Council), as well as at the Qasimo mosque in the western district (organized by the PYD). The Union of Kurdish Democratic Forces in Syria suspended its demonstrations indefinitely on the grounds that it wants to devote its energies elsewhere. Two demonstrations, organized by the Kurdish National Council and the PYD, took place in each of the cities ʿAmudah, ad‑Darbasiyah, and al‑Qahtaniyah (Tirbesipî). There were also two demonstrations in al‑Hasakah. In Raʾs al‑ʿAyn (Serê Kaniyê), a funeral march was held for Mahmud Wali, who was killed by unknown persons on September 21. A demonstration organized by the Kurdish National Council took place in both ʿAyn al‑ʿArab (Kobanî) and al‑Jawadiyah (Çil Axa); however few people there took to the streets. On Friday in al‑Maʿbada (Girkê Legê) there was just one demonstration by the PYD; the Kurdish National Council demonstration did not take place until Saturday. In Basuta near ʿAfrin, supporters of the Kurdish National Council and the Free Syrian Army organized joint demonstrations. There were no protests in al‑Malikiyah (Dêrik) or in the majority Kurdish districts in Aleppo and Damascus.

Al-Maʿbada: People’s Protection Committees storm the headquarters of the parties of the Kurdish National Council

KURDWATCH, September 27, 2012—On September 20, 2012, armed members of the Democratic Union Party’s (PYD) People’s Protection Committees stormed the party headquarters of the Kurdish Union Party in Syria (Yekîtî), ʿAbdulhakim Bashar’s Kurdish Democratic Party (el‑Partî), and Mustafa Jumʿa’s Kurdish Freedom Party in Syria (Azadî) in al‑Maʿbada (Girkê Legê) respectively. They called on those present not to bear arms and to deny any armed people entrance to their offices. A member of the Yekîtî told KurdWatch, »They told our party members that only members of the People’s Protection Committees had the right to bear arms«. The three parties attacked are all members of the Kurdish National Council.

Al-Qamishli: People’s Protection Committees end cooperation with the Kurdish National Council

KURDWATCH, September 25, 2012—In a press release on September 19, 2012, the leadership of the People’s Protection Committees, the military wing of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), ended its cooperation with the joint caucus of the People’s Council of West Kurdistan and the Kurdish National Council. The reason given was that the caucus had not, as previously agreed, publicly declared that the People’s Protection Committees are legitimate defenders of the Kurdish People in West Kurdistan.

Al-Qamishli: Arab tribesmen organize armed rally against PYD

KURDWATCH, September 23, 2012—On September 13, 2012, several dozen armed members of the Arab Bani Sabʿa tribe organized a rally on Sabʿ-Bahrat square in the center of al‑Qamishli. The square is in the immediate vicinity of several intelligence service headquarters. Those gathered called for retribution for the attack on one of their fellow tribesmen, the director of the local water works, Ahmad al‑Salihi. A few days prior, al‑Salihi had been injured in an attack by armed assailants and his company car was stolen. A member of the Bani Sabʿa told KurdWatch that the attackers were members of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and the rally was a warning in this direction.

Al-Qamishli: Assyrians protests together with the Future Movement and Kurdish youth groups

KURDWATCH, September 20, 2012—Nationwide protests on September 14, 2012, resulted again in numerous dead and injured. Throughout the country, demonstrators demanded the fall of the regime. In large parts of the country, protesters took to the streets under the slogan »Idlib, cemetery of airplanes and icon of victories«. Supporters of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) demonstrated under their own slogan »The Shaikh Maqsud massacre unites us«. In al‑Qamishli one demonstration took place in each of the districts of Qanat Suwais, al‑ʿAntariyah (organized by the Biratî, Rojava, Shaikh Maʿshuq, and Farhad Martyrs youth groups), Kurnish (organized by supporters of the Kurdish Future Movement in Syria under Rezan Bari Shaikhmus, the Sewa youth group, the Assyrian youth group, and other independent youth groups), and at the Qasimo mosque in the western district (organized by the PYD). Two parallel demonstrations took place in the district of Munir Habib (organized by the Kurdish National Council and the Union of Kurdish Democratic Forces in Syria). In each of the cities of ʿAmudah, Raʾs al‑ʿAyn (Serê Kaniyê), and ad‑Darbasiyah, the Kurdish National Council held a demonstration, and in the late afternoon, funeral marches for the drowned refugees took place [further information on the case]. Among the mourners were PYD members, members of various youth groups, and members of the Kurdish National Council. In al‑Qahtaniyah (Tirbesipî) a joint-demonstration by the Kurdish National Council and the PYD took place. In ʿAyn al‑ʿArab (Kobanî), two separate demonstrations took place, organized by the PYD and the Kurdish National Council respectively. Protests took place in al‑Jawadiyah (Çil Axa) and in the Kurdish district of Ruknuddin in Damascus; however, few people there took to the streets. In Basuta and Burj ʿAbdalo near ʿAfrin, supporters of the Kurdish National Council and the Free Syrian Army organized joint demonstrations. Due to the large number of security forces, once again no demonstrations could take place in al‑Hasakah this week. There were also no protests in al‑Malikiyah (Dêrik) and al‑Maʿbada (Girkê Legê).

Izmir: Majority of the refugees who drowned in the Mediterranean in early September came from Syria’s Kurdish regions

KURDWATCH, September 19, 2012—A total of sixty-one of the sixty-three refugees who drowned off the Turkish coast south of Izmir on September 6, 2012 were from Syria. A total of thirty-nine were from ʿAmudah, twelve from al‑Hasakah, five from ʿAfrin, three from ad‑Darbasiyah, and one each from al‑Qamishli and Aleppo. Sixty of them were allegedly Kurds. Those who drowned were buried on September 14, 2012, some in mass graves.

Al-Maʿbada: PYD kidnaps Nasruddin Birhik’s brother

KURDWATCH, September 19, 2012—On September 12, 2012, members of the Democratic Union Party’s (PYD) People’s Protection Committees stopped Khairuddin Birhik, a brother of the slain Nasruddin Birhik [further information on the case], at one of their checkpoints near al‑Maʿbada (Girkê Legê) and asked for his identification. When Birhik refused to agree to the control, he was detained until the following day.

Al‑Maʿbada: PYD threatens waterworks employee

KURDWATCH, September 19, 2012—On September 12, 2012, members of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) demanded that an employee of the state waterworks, ʿAbdurrahman Galo (b. in al‑Maʿbada [Girkê Legê]), surrender his vehicle to them. When he refused, PYD‑members threatened to punish him. Galo, who is a member of the Kurdish Union Party in Syria (Yekîtî), asked both his party and his relatives for protection. Armed members of the Yekîtî as well as some of Galo’s relatives subsequently stood guard in front of his home.