Mahnoor Aslam

Syria's coast has been marred by shocking violence, violating the already broken promises of the new leadership. Instead of a break from the dissolution past, it has become a reminder for history repeating itself. It is concerning that there are indiscriminate shootings, summary executions, and grave violations of human rights taking place in Tartus and Latakia.  The insurgent forces along with the Syrian military have opened their fury on civilians, specifically those in the Alawite region. The government’s answer to their citizens wasn't protection; it added more fuel to the fire. The new government’s supposed rhetoric of change seems like a laughable attempt to deny reality.  The gap between the claims and the ground situation continues to expand. An independent committee to look into the violence has been set, but that appears to be nothing more than another bureaucratic measure intended to evade accountability. Citizens panic amidst these times because they feel the absence of solid safety assurance. The law is not solidly enforced on the streets while the idea of justice remains lacking. The indiscipline of the state security apparatus and the affiliated militias cast serious doubts on the credibility of the government. If this indeed is the new Syria, what has changed?

The terrible news coming from the province of the coast unveils a terrible truth about the absence of governance. Organizations like Human Rights Watch and The Syrian Network for Human Rights have tracked and reported on extrajudicial killings, arbitrary imprisonment, and a great deal of forced migration. The government’s violence has gone beyond all limits in the scope, as whole population groups are treated as enemies instead of differentiating combatants from civilians. Unverified clips showing the killing of civilians alongside security officials and the stores being emptied of goods candidly illustrate the new norm: anarchy. It would be naive to think that way about Syria’s journey towards stability when its people are running for their lives only to hide in the most obscure of villages, or worse, flee to Lebanon.

Perhaps the most worrying part of this crisis is the sectarian context in which the violence occurs. Anti-Alawite sentiments have been intensified, and violence directed against certain religious sites alongside the indiscriminate proliferation of propaganda displays an alarming trend. The intentional assault against villages that are predominantly Alawite indicates that the new leadership is either incapable or unwilling to stop governmental fragmentation from escalating out of control A reconsideration of the situation in Syria deeply causes an alarm given the likelihood of continued bloodshed in the region. Historically, it has been one of the most destructive factors in the prolonged conflict in the country. If there is no serious attempt to prevent this self-inflicting hatred, then the country is bound to face the most dismal periods of its history.

These offenses cannot be excluded from the concern of the rest of the world. The new authorities in Syria must be subjected to scrutiny, while the borders of the state should be opened to investigators who are willing to collect and analyze evidence of human rights abuse. The creation of a new independent national committee to investigate the murders is a step in the right direction, however, the political meddling of the system makes its success questionable. Justice is not and should never be selective; all those who perpetrated war crimes in Syria should be made to answer for their actions, irrespective of their standing. If no chances are availed, it will only give the Syrian regime the green light to perpetrate such violations of human rights without fear of retribution.

Moreover, there is a need to deal with the reform of the security sector in its entirety. The new government’s dependence on militias with dubious credentials is a disaster on the waiting list. For the maintenance of peace, there has to be a security system informed by the international best practices on human rights which include purging known violators of human rights from the system. In the absence of these changes, the Syrian system will remain subservient to the internal suppression of the citizens.

Humanitarian action must be taken immediately to improve the plight of the civilians in the coastal region. Indiscriminate security operations have forced thousands to flee their homes, and many are having trouble getting access to food, shelter, and healthcare. The international community must demand that humanitarian actors be allowed access to aid displaced families and that safe corridors be made available to those seeking safety.  The White Helmets and the Syrian Red Crescent, despite all their efforts, do not possess the ability to manage the scope of this disaster by themselves. They need support from outside so that no further lives are lost.

Finally, Syria's new government must see that justice is not justice if it is only for some. The crimes against humanity in the coastal area are a blight on the credibility of the government and a challenge to its seriousness about human rights. If real reform is to occur, responsibility has to be absolute, and the safety of civilians has to be the first consideration. Unless these steps are taken, Syria will continue to be mired in a cycle of brutality, in which every new government simply replicates the mistakes of the last. The people of Syria deserve better than vacuous rhetoric and repackaged brutality. The world needs to ask for more than words, it needs to ask for action.

 (Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official stance of The Himalayan Research Institute Pakistan - (THRIP)

_________________________________

Mahnoor Aslam is an International Relations graduate with a deep interest in global politics, conflict resolution, and human rights advocacy. She explores humanitarian crises, refugee policies, and environmental security, with a special focus on Pakistan's role in international affairs.