Syrian Coalition Demands Support for FSA & Guarantees for Civilians’ Rights

Press Release Original in arabic

Syrian Coalition

May 30, 2016

The Syrian Coalition calls upon the leadership of the international coalition to show seriousness in dealing with all the Free Syrian Army groups that show willingness to participate in the liberation of the city of Raqqa and to combat ISIS. The Syrian Coalition calls for supporting these FSA groups with weapons and the needed air support.

Arming the Free Syrian Army is crucial to protecting civilians from the terror of the Assad regime, defeating ISIS terror, and liberating areas under their control. Supporting the FSA is also vital to setting up a civilian administration and restoring services and a normal life in these areas.

The Syrian Coalition emphasizes that the exploitation by any force, whether local or external, of the fight against terrorism to achieve their own goals rather than achieving the Syrian people’s aspirations towards the liberation of Syria from the authoritarian regime and extremism as well as restoring the rights of the Syrian people is considered a new occupation scheme aimed at breaking the will of the Syrian people.

The Syrian Coalition, therefore, warns of the consequences of the current policy that limits effective military support to only one faction with links to the terrorist Assad regime and its allies and against which independent international reports were released confirming that its actions in Syria amount to war crimes.

The Syrian Coalition warns of the continuation of such crimes. The operations of the international coalition in Syria serve the goals of the Democratic Union Party’s (PYD) militias away from the common goals of the Syrian people.

The US-led international coalition needs to publicly give guarantees that clearly ensure the right of all refugees and internally displaced persons in Syria to return to their towns and villages and to enable them to manage their affairs through elected local councils without any military or security interference by any party.

The Syrian Coalition demands guarantees that military operations are not exploited to bring about demographic changes in Syria. Moreover, the Syrian Coalition calls for providing protection and basic services in order to facilitate the return of refugees and displaced persons to their homes as soon as possible. The Syrian Coalition stresses that no military or security presence, other than the local population and the free police force, should be imposed on the areas which will be liberated from ISIS.

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