- SYRIA
- November 4, 2011
- 4 minutes read
Syrian Opposition Rejects Bashar’s Truce, Vows to Continue Protests
Despite confirmation by the Arab League that the Syrian regime has accepted to halt its violent crackdown against civilian protesters immediately, to withdraw its troops from the cities, to release detainees and engage in dialogue with the opposition, the Syrian opposition doubts Bashar’s seriousness in accepting the deal, amid news of 27 Syrian civilian martyrs on Wednesday and 22 more on Thursday. 
In a statement to IkhwanWeb, Yasser Al-Najjar, member of the Syrian National Council, wondered: "What dialogue are we asking for? And with whom? This is a murderous, repressive regime. Bashar is simply buying time. Here he is promising to stop the mindless violence immediately, and then unleashing his troops and security forces, only two hours later, to kill civilians and invade towns. Thus, the peaceful demonstrations will continue. It’s all we can do."
Then, he continued: "If we entered into a dialogue with this repressive regime, under the auspices of the League of Arab States, we will negotiate only for the handover of power to civilians and for the resignation of Bashar. We will not accept any attempts to legitimize this treacherous oppressive regime."
Al-Najjar said: "We hold the Arab League responsible for any violent confrontations that may challenge our peaceful demonstrations. We also hold it responsible for any complications on the Syrian scene, with the people getting even more frustrated with this bloody-minded regime’s crimes, which may lead to a devastating civil war."
Al-Najjar concluded his statement by saying: "We are trying hard to overthrow Bashar, either through the League of Arab States or the United Nations. We will double our communications and engagement with international public opinion in this regard."
Meanwhile, Amer Mohamed Muaaz, deputy coordinator of the Syrian Revolution in Egypt, echoed same sentiment, and stated Syrians will continue their sit-in at the Arab League headquarters, which they began weeks ago
"Bashar’s agreement is simply a manoeuvre. His security forces commit the most heinous crimes against the unarmed people calling for democracy and aspiring to freedom."
He continued: "Of course, we consider any initiative, with the aim of stopping the bloodshed. However, the demands of Syrian people remain until this bloody-minded regime is ousted. It’s evident that Bashar is only moving his tanks from one city to another, and from one neighbourhood to another, just to deceive the world. The number of martyrs and injured falling today is sufficient evidence of this elusive regime’s deception and lies."
