Right now in Syria, the Syrian government has been engaged in a brutal and violent crackdown against its own people who were demonstrating against the killings of thousands of civilians and unjust imprisonment. The civil strife had ballooned into indiscriminate assaults on civilian areas which in turn have led to horrible situation. While the first generation of Human Rights states that “The right to own property and the right not to be deprived of it arbitrarily”, thousands of Syrian people have fled their homeland to neighboring countries while thousands more have found themselves homeless without the monetary means to seek refuge outside of Syria.
Those who have escaped the war zone that the Syrian commercial capital of Aleppo has become, find a new shock when arrived at the Ceylanpinar Refugee Camp in Turkey. Brutal heat, dust, and thousands upon thousands of white tents in a barren desert are what awaited the refugees. Meanwhile after months of generally peaceful protests, the government opposition carried out abuses such as kidnapping and violent acts of torture in an effort to quell the demonstrations and break the spirits of the protesters.
Unfortunately of these human rights violations, torture is the one being used in Syria on a constant and continual basis. Articles 2-21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights state, amongst others, that “Freedom from torture and from cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment;” is a human right.
However, as uncovered by author Ole Solvang, “The use of torture in Syria is so widespread and systematic that they indicate a clear state policy, meaning they constitute crimes against humanity” Sadly to say that the Human Rights violations do not end there, rather the Syrian government moves quickly from kidnapping and torture to execution.
The United Nations stated the government forces are committing human rights violations across the country, “at an alarming rate” However the U.N> investigation does go on to say that while the government forces are violating human rights, the rebel opposition is nearly just as bad. “Paulo Pinheiro to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, also listed multiple killings and kidnappings by armed opposition groups trying to topple President Bashar al-Assad.”
Solvang, Ole. “Voices From the Syrian GULAG”Vedimosti, 9 July 2012http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/07/09/voices-syrian-gulag
Gettlemen, Jeffery. “Escaping Syria to a Barren Plain of Sweat and Grit” New York Times, 30 July 2012http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/31/world/middleeast/syrian-refugees-escape-to-a-barren-plain-of-sweat-and-grit-in-turkey.html?pagewanted=all
Nebehay, Stephanie. “Syria Crisis: U.N. Accuses Syrian Government Of Violating Human Rights” Reuters, 27 June 2012 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/27/syria-crisis-un-accuses-s_n_1629989.html
