Cross-posted from Together For Syria.
A group of twelve UK-based Syrian advocacy and community organisations submitted a letter today to Jeremy Corbyn MP regretting his lack of mention of the Syrian conflict in his Labour Party Conference speech on 27 September and inviting him to meet and discuss how Labour can best support Syrians who are still campaigning for basic human rights.
The text of the letter:
Dear Jeremy Corbyn,
We are a group of UK-based Syrian organisations writing to express increased concern regarding your rhetoric—and non-rhetoric—on Syria.
In your celebrated speech on 27 September at the Labour Party Conference, you emphasised, ‘We must put our values at the heart of our foreign policy. Democracy and human rights are not an optional extra to be deployed selectively.’ You went on to condemn Saudi action in Yemen (and the UK’s role in providing arms), the authoritarian regimes of Egypt and Bahrain, the violence and abuses in the Congo and against the Rohingya in Myanmar, and the oppression of the Palestinian people.
No mention, however, about Syria. Are Syrian lives not worthy of your mention?
Syria has witnessed an escalation of violence over the past ten days by Assad and Russian forces which targeted at least six hospitals, five civil defence centres, power stations, and camps for displaced persons. This strategy is reminiscent of the ‘starve or surrender’ military campaigns employed by Assad and Russia against East Aleppo, Homs, Daraya, and other cities which culminated with the forcible displacement of their residents.
Additionally, military operations by the International Coalition against ISIS, of which the UK is a leading member, has held increased disregard for civilian life since Trump assumed the US presidency. In fact, the Syrian Network for Human Rights documented that International Coalition forces killed more civilians in the month of August than any other party in Syria. As a leading member of the Coalition, the UK has a responsibility to ensure that Coalition actions are accountable to human rights standards.
In light of these pertinent developments in Syria, it is a shame that you could not spare even one sentence in your speech to remind your followers of the tragic situation inflicting civilians within the country.
Although the Labour Party Conference has concluded, Labour’s work on international issues will inevitably remain ongoing. Therefore, we implore you to make civilian protection in Syria a focus of your foreign policy agenda. We call on you to condemn the violence employed by Assad and Russia as well as the disregard to the laws of international humanitarian law on behalf of the International Coalition. We call on you to recognise and to praise the democratic grassroots initiatives within Syrian civil society, and to recognise the heroic work of the White Helmets in saving lives.
Perhaps one of the greatest let-downs for the Syrian people is that those such as yourself with purportedly progressive and internationalist agendas have chosen not to amplify their calls for freedom and dignity. Please do more to restore their confidence.
We invite you to meet with us to discuss how the Labour Party could best support the Syrians who are still campaigning for basic human rights.
Sincerely,
Dr. Haytham Alhamwi, Rethink Rebuild Society
Dr. Fadel Moghrabi, Peace and Justice for Syria
Reem Assil, Syrian Platform for Peace
Mazen Ejbaei, Help 4Syria UK
Dr. Amer Masri, Scotland4Syria
Dr. Batool Abdulkareem, Syria Solidarity UK
Abdullah Alobwany, Oxford for Syria
Dr. Bachar Hakim, Syrian Society of Nottinghamshire
Dr. Sharif Kaf Al-Ghazal, Syrian Association of Yorkshire
Dr. Mohammad Tammo, Kurds House
Nicholas Sebley, Labour Party member
Dr. Abdullah Hanoun, Syrian Community of the South East
Friday, 29 September 2017
Thursday, 3 August 2017
Syrian groups complain that other countries are hijacking UN peace talks
Read the Guardian report by Patrick Wintour here.
Full letter below.
PDF version.
Mr. Staffan de Mistura
United Nations Special Envoy for Syria
CC:
UN Secretary General
Members of the UN Security Council
Envoys of the International Syria Support Group
EU Ambassadors to the Political and Security Committee
2 August 2017
Your Excellency,
Following the seventh round of peace negotiations, we write to you on behalf of the undersigned Syrian civil society organisations who work every day under unbearable circumstances to improve the living conditions of millions of Syrians. We represent the voices from the ground and our work across the country in the fields of medical and humanitarian assistance, education, freedom of expression, youth and women empowerment, and accountability and justice proves again the fundamental role Syrian civil society plays as a champion for a democratic and inclusive Syria.
As a vital resource for the Syrian population trapped between a tyrannical regime and the brutality of extremism, Syrian civil society organisations strongly support any efforts to bring an end to the Syria conflict. This is why many of our representatives have participated in the intra-Syrian peace talks within the framework of the Civil Society Support Room and have been active in supporting the Geneva peace talks between the Syrian opposition and the Syrian regime.
Sadly, the Geneva process has delivered neither peace nor protection to the Syrian people who are increasingly disillusioned with a process that continues to fail them. We are keen to reverse this trend as without the support of Syrian civil society no political deal will be either sustainable or legitimate, and right now the current process is losing our support. Syrian civil society’s priority is to achieve an inclusive transition to a free and democratic Syria. We are all united around this outcome which defines the basis of the Geneva peace process as set out by UN Security Council Resolution 2254 and as reiterated in your mandate as UN Special Envoy for Syria.
We expect all parties in Geneva—including you—to work for this purpose and engage in serious negotiations. The time consumed on discussions around process and representation, at the expense of a credible and realistic political deal for transition towards democracy, is not only wasting precious time but it is also undermining the international community’s efforts to fight terrorism in Syria. Syrian civil society activities are essential in the fight against extremism. Moderate voices—as we represent—have the power to push back against the extremist forces and fill the vacuum on the ground. But to be able to do so, we need the international community to protect our ability to assist and serve our people. This is why we need the Geneva process to prioritise the protection of civilians and deliver meaningful negotiations that lead to peace for Syria.
PDF version.
Mr. Staffan de Mistura
United Nations Special Envoy for Syria
CC:
UN Secretary General
Members of the UN Security Council
Envoys of the International Syria Support Group
EU Ambassadors to the Political and Security Committee
2 August 2017
Your Excellency,
Following the seventh round of peace negotiations, we write to you on behalf of the undersigned Syrian civil society organisations who work every day under unbearable circumstances to improve the living conditions of millions of Syrians. We represent the voices from the ground and our work across the country in the fields of medical and humanitarian assistance, education, freedom of expression, youth and women empowerment, and accountability and justice proves again the fundamental role Syrian civil society plays as a champion for a democratic and inclusive Syria.
As a vital resource for the Syrian population trapped between a tyrannical regime and the brutality of extremism, Syrian civil society organisations strongly support any efforts to bring an end to the Syria conflict. This is why many of our representatives have participated in the intra-Syrian peace talks within the framework of the Civil Society Support Room and have been active in supporting the Geneva peace talks between the Syrian opposition and the Syrian regime.
Sadly, the Geneva process has delivered neither peace nor protection to the Syrian people who are increasingly disillusioned with a process that continues to fail them. We are keen to reverse this trend as without the support of Syrian civil society no political deal will be either sustainable or legitimate, and right now the current process is losing our support. Syrian civil society’s priority is to achieve an inclusive transition to a free and democratic Syria. We are all united around this outcome which defines the basis of the Geneva peace process as set out by UN Security Council Resolution 2254 and as reiterated in your mandate as UN Special Envoy for Syria.
We expect all parties in Geneva—including you—to work for this purpose and engage in serious negotiations. The time consumed on discussions around process and representation, at the expense of a credible and realistic political deal for transition towards democracy, is not only wasting precious time but it is also undermining the international community’s efforts to fight terrorism in Syria. Syrian civil society activities are essential in the fight against extremism. Moderate voices—as we represent—have the power to push back against the extremist forces and fill the vacuum on the ground. But to be able to do so, we need the international community to protect our ability to assist and serve our people. This is why we need the Geneva process to prioritise the protection of civilians and deliver meaningful negotiations that lead to peace for Syria.
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