CONDEMNING THE ATTACKS ON DEMONSTRATORS IN SYRIA; Congressional Record Vol. 157, No. 87

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CONDEMNING THE ATTACKS ON DEMONSTRATORS IN SYRIA

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HON. DALE E. KILDEE

of michigan

in the house of representatives

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker. I rise today to strongly condemn the

violence that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has unleashed on his

people over the past few months.

While the world closely watched the revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia

unfold, little attention has been paid to the Assad government's

crackdown on peaceful demonstrators. In March 2011, hundreds of Syrians

took to the streets to demand freedom and to force the Assad government

to lift the emergency law, which has been in place since 1963.

Instead of meeting their demands, the Assad government unleashed a

vicious crackdown on demonstrators with security forces firing,

arresting and torturing thousands of unarmed Syrians. According to U.N.

officials, as many as 1,100 people may have been killed since the

protests began and as many as 10,000 people have been reported to be in

custody or missing.

In May 2011, the Syrian government widened its military crackdown by

sending tanks into several more villages and severing communications.

The attacks on civilians and military defectors intensified in June

after demonstrators showed renewed strength and determination. The

relentless attacks have forced thousands of Syrians to flee Syria into

Lebanon and Turkey to escape the escalating violence.

While I applaud President Obama and Secretary Clinton for condemning

these brutal attacks and human rights violations, I believe the U.S.

and the international community should be doing more to force the Assad

regime to stop attacking its own people. I urge my colleagues to join

me in condemning this violence and to call on the Obama administration

to take a more active role in forcing the Syrian government to end

these attacks.

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