Tuesday, June 21, 2011

'Pro-Assad rallies' held in Syria

21 June 2011 Last updated at 14:18 GMT State TV said there were pro-Assad protests taking place across Syria

Large rallies in support of President Bashar al-Assad are being held across Syria, including in Damascus, Deraa, Hama and Homs, state media say.

They also say Mr Assad has issued a decree granting a new amnesty for crimes committed before 20 June.

He addressed the country on Monday, calling for a national dialogue and urging refugees in Turkey to return.

At least three people have been killed in clashes in Homs and Deir al-Zor, reports say.

The clashes broke out between pro- and anti-government demonstrators in the two cities. Activists say three people were killed when security forces intervened against opposition demonstrators.

Mr Assad's address on Monday was the third since pro-democracy protests began in March.

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Assad's promised reforms, if they are actually implemented, will lead to nothing more than a sham democracy”

End Quote Yasir al-Zaatrah Jordan's Al-Dustur A state TV presenter said there were millions of Syrians across the country expressing support for the reforms announced by the Syrian president in Monday's speech.

TV images showed large crowds carrying Mr Assad's portraits and waving Syrian flags.

On Monday, some anti-government protesters said reforms were no longer enough, and that the only solution was a change of regime.

Protesters also pointed out that there was no announcement on ending the violence, nor any mention of holding the security services accountable for the recent crackdown in the country.

The president ordered a general amnesty on 31 May for all political prisoners, including members of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood.

Hundreds of detainees were released, but thousands more remain in jail, according to rights groups.

In Monday's speech, Mr Assad blamed recent anti-government protests on a small group of "saboteurs" who were exploiting popular grievances.

He also said Syria should deal with people's demands for reform and that a national dialogue would shape Syria's future.

Rights groups say at least 1,300 civilians have been killed in demonstrations since March, and more than 300 soldiers and police.

Fears and trauma Meanwhile, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) says its representatives went on a government-organised visit of the town of Jisr al-Shugour on Monday.

Jisr al-Shughour is the town in the north-west of the country near the border with Turkey where the government claimed that 120 of its soldiers were killed earlier this month by armed gangs.

Villages were increasingly empty from around 40km away from Jisr al-Shugour, and there was no evidence of people working in the fields, the UNHCR said.

Jisr al-Shugour itself was almost deserted, with most shops shuttered and closed.

"Syrian refugees spoke to our team about their fears and trauma. Many had lost family members, who they said were either killed, missing or in hiding," UNHCR said in a statement.

"Our team heard accounts of murders, targeted assassinations, assaults, civilians getting killed in crossfire, torture and humiliation by the military.

"Most of these people had lost virtually all their belongings and property. In many cases, their livestock were shot, fields were torched, and homes and businesses destroyed or confiscated."

More than 10,000 Syrian refugees have crossed the Turkish border, and Ankara says another 10,000 are sheltering on the Syrian side.


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