Sweida: Clashes rattle civilians as truce frays

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00:00Well, following massacres that left over 1,400 dead, according to the Syrian Observatory for

00:04Human Rights, Syria's government vowed to investigate the second major episode of sectarian

00:09violence to hit the country since Bashar al-Assad was ousted. The decree says that a seven-person

00:14committee, including judges, lawyers and a military official, will report on the findings within

00:19three months. Well, the violence between tribal fighters and Druze factions in Sueda began in

00:24mid-July, with bloodshed worsening when government forces were sent to quell the fighting.

00:30Now, observers have also expressed concern about what could be a growing phenomenon in

00:34post-Assad Syria, and that's the kidnapping of women. Take a listen to the UN's special

00:38reporter.

00:40I'm seriously concerned by credible reports received by the UN Human Rights Office and also

00:48my office indicating widespread violations and abuses, including summary executions and

00:57arbitrary killings, kidnappings, destructions of private property, and looting of arms.

01:05Among the reported perpetrators, the members of security forces and individuals affiliated

01:13with the authorities, as well as other armed elements from the area, including Druze and

01:21veterans. Let me also stress my concern at reports of abductions of Druze women after

01:29the entry of the security forces into particular areas, and at reports of women, children and

01:36men who are missing. The parallels with similar incidents involving Alamite women earlier this

01:43year, and which are reportedly ongoing, are alarming. There are growing concerns of emerging patterns,

01:51and the treatment of women, including by combatants.

01:57Well, on Sunday today, then, armed groups attacked Syria's internal security forces in

02:02Sueda, killing one member of security forces and injuring several others, according to state-run TV.

02:08A security source also said that the incident marks a violation of the hastily agreed ceasefire

02:12that was reached last month. For more, we'll cross now to Amr Fahed, an artist and human rights

02:18activists in Syria. Amr, thank you so much for joining us today. So if I understand correctly,

02:24you personally witnessed this episode of violence in July. Can you talk a bit about that? I mean,

02:30was it different than other episodes of violence that we've seen since Bashar al-Assad was ousted?

02:35Hello, good evening. Thank you for this chance. I think it's the same climate, because Bashar al-Assad was

02:47attacking directly the cities and killing the people with weapons. And now what's happening, I think

02:56it's the same. Bashar al-Assad was always surround the cities and try to push in so many humanitarian

03:10sides. This regime now is doing the same thing in two sides, the military works and the humanitarian

03:20side on Sweda. So does that mean, Amr, that essentially for the residents of Sweda right

03:28now, there's essentially very little difference between what life looked like under Bashar al-Assad

03:33and what life looks like now? Actually, actually, Sweda before was not, they don't have many

03:45problems while Bashar al-Assad, but that there was no government here in Sweda. But now the situation

03:55is different because now we are attacking by the, what they call the Syrian army or the Syrian

04:05government. And they are surrounding us, surrounding the city with their checkpoints. They are not

04:14allowing the humanitarian aid to come inside the Sweda, even if some of them or some of the aids

04:20come, but it's very little. It's not enough for the people who are now Sweda, especially after

04:28hundreds of refugees who were living on the countryside of Sweda come to the Sweda city because

04:35their countryside now is not safe.

04:38So can you give us some background and context into the violence then that started in Sweda?

04:45If I understand correctly, it sounds like things were actually much calmer there under Bashar al-Assad.

04:51So why would that situation, why do you think that that situation has changed? What's behind it?

04:55Actually, this government, they are not showing good attention to Sweda because after they entered the

05:07Sweda in a few minutes, they start making the Damascus and field execution with the people. And we saw many

05:19videos telling these things about what happened on the few days when they came inside to Sweda.

05:28So this is the point. This is the big difference. They are in bad situation. They didn't show the good

05:38attention to the civilians of Sweda. This is the big difference. Bashar al-Assad before didn't attack us.

05:50That doesn't mean that Sweda agree with the old regime. But for us, the situation is more difficult,

06:00more bad than the old regime. So again, in my understanding, reporting suggests that the Druze

06:09community is being targeted. Is there an ethnic sectarian element then to the violence that we've

06:15seen there? Actually, yes, they were focusing on this point. If you are not a Muslim, you are a

06:24disease, then we have to kill you directly. Even if you don't have weapons, if you are living with your

06:31family inside the house, your home or your house, they don't care about these details. They're only

06:39focusing on what is your religion and why you are not Muslim. If you are not a Muslim, Sunni, then we

06:46have to kill you. This is their culture, actually.

06:50So Al-Sharaz government, Amr, vowed to carry out an investigation into the events. Do you trust this

06:59government's pledges to reject sectarian violence, to protect minorities, including the Druze community,

07:04as it had promised earlier this year? Actually, I think, in my opinion, how can we make such things

07:13from the same side who are attacking us? How can I trust them? It's the same. I come and kill you,

07:24and then I'll say to you later, okay, don't worry. I will ask about who did these things with you.

07:29You are safe. I think nobody trusts the government or any kind of

07:34move they will make to solve this problem. I know this is a really complex,

07:42multifaceted problem, as you suggest there, with decades of history and, amongst other elements,

07:48affecting the way that this will play out. But in your view, what do you think the most effective

07:53solution would be to avoid a deeper sectarian crisis in Sweda and in Syria at large?

08:03Let me start with Sweda. I think that the first thing, they have to show the good attention,

08:08because they are always attacking Sweda. They go and say, okay, we have to stand the army

08:18actions. And after a few minutes from there announced, they start attacking Sweda again. So,

08:26first of all, showing the good attention. The second point is that I think the international society

08:34should push on this government to stop this kind of military movement and stop attacking the city.

08:44I think that the international side, or the international groups, or the UN, or they should

08:53push on this government to stop killing people, first of all. Then let the aides go inside the Sweda with

09:04as much as they can. Okay? Then we will find the solutions after they make this movement.

09:12Aamir Fahed, Syrian human rights activist and artist, thank you very much for joining us today.

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