Statement to Public Opinion

The Democratic Autonomous Administration of the North and East Syria Region is following with grave concern the escalating events taking place along the Syrian coast and in a number of areas across the country, in the aftermath of peaceful protests in which Syrians took to the streets demanding their legitimate rights to freedom and dignity, and calling for the building of a democratic, federal Syria that guarantees justice and equality for all its people.
The intervention of forces affiliated with the Syrian Transitional Government to suppress these peaceful protests, and the use of excessive violence against demonstrators—going so far as to employ live weapons—has resulted in the killing and injury of a number of innocent civilians. We condemn this in the strongest possible terms and consider it a flagrant violation of Syrians’ right to peacefully express their opinions and legitimate demands.
The Autonomous Administration expresses its deep concern over this dangerous escalation and holds those responsible within the Syrian Transitional Government accountable for these practices, which only serve to deepen chaos and instability, prevent the Syrian people from claiming their political and civil rights, and reproduce the very policies of repression against which Syrians revolted.
These practices, carried out by certain elements of the transitional government and its loyal forces, and driven by hate speech, incitement, the fueling of sectarian tendencies, and the spread of animosity among the sons and daughters of the one Syrian people, serve only the enemies of Syria—those seeking to undermine security and stability and to strike at efforts aimed at unifying the Syrian national discourse and building an inclusive future for all Syrians.
We stress that what is happening today is not the first time Syrian regions have been subjected to attacks and violations against civilians by these forces. Just yesterday, Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods in Aleppo, the southern regions of Syria, and other areas witnessed similar attacks and practices. This calls for a serious national stance to put an end to these dangerous policies and to hold those responsible accountable.
These practices constitute a real obstacle to any consensus or comprehensive national dialogue and undermine the chances of building a new Syria—a free, democratic, decentralized Syria—after more than half a century of injustice, tyranny, and aggression perpetrated by the defunct Baathist regime against the Syrian people.
We also affirm that Syria’s rich mosaic, with its ethnic, religious, and social diversity, is a source of strength and pride for Syria and Syrians. Preserving, promoting, and refining this diversity is the true guarantee of the country’s unity and stability, not a cause for division or conflict.
In conclusion, the Democratic Autonomous Administration of the North and East Syria Region calls upon all Syrians, as well as all Syrian national and democratic forces, to intensify efforts and work jointly to reach a comprehensive political solution to the Syrian crisis—one based on dialogue and mutual recognition, and far removed from hate speech, incitement, and animosity that those seeking to undermine civil peace and tear apart the Syrian national fabric.

The Democratic Autonomous Administration
of the North and East Syria Region