Months into open violent conflict and dozens of atrocities Syrian rebels accuse Assad officially | Democracy, elections and voting at Democracy Chronicles

Assad speech ‘incitement to violence’: Syria rebels

As thousands poured on to the streets outraged by the leader’s comments, diplomats said privately that there was no realistic chance of the UN Security Council passing a resolution condemning the regime’s violent suppression of protests because of stiff opposition led by Russia and China. The admission emerged as Europe’s foreign ministers were planning new sanctions against the regime after President Assad defiantly faced down international condemnation of the forceful crackdown.

In only his third speech since widespread anti-government unrest began in mid-March, President Assad floated the possibility of political reforms and presented a proposal to end one-party Baathist rule in Syria. But he also said peaceful protesters were being used as a “shroud” by gunmen intent on carrying out attacks on civilians, and accused the media of being involved in a “conspiracy”.

“What is happening today has nothing to do with development or reform,” he said, in reference to the unprecedented wave of dissent which has swept across Syria over the past three months. “What is happening is sabotage.”

Responding to Mr Assad’s speech, thousands of people across Syria reportedly poured on to the streets chanting anti-government slogans. In the Damascus suburb of Irbin, about 300 marchers shouted “No to dialogue with murderers” after listening to the address. “We are on the 98th day of the protest today and Bashar is still in denial,” tweeted Malath Aumran, a Syrian blogger. Human rights groups say more than 1,400 civilians have been killed by security forces since the insurrection began. In the weeks following the first wave of protests in March, Mr Assad sought to appease protesters by announcing an end to the country’s emergency laws and abolishing a notorious court used to process political prisoners. He announced plans yesterday to expand a recently announced amnesty for political opponents.

But the measures have done little to stem the tide of unrest. More than 10,000 refugees have now fled into Turkey from the country’s north-west, escaping an army clampdown in which helicopter gunships strafed villages and troops backed by tanks torched crops and shot dead livestock.