Syrian Government Continues Crackdown on Protesters

The uprising began in mid-March after authorities arrested 15 teenagers for writing anti-government graffiti on walls in the city of Daraa in southern Syria.

A human rights group told the Associated Press that so far 757 civilians have been killed in the crackdown.

According to NPR, among the victims has been a 12-year-old boy who died amid gunfire and shelling from tanks and security forces. A 10-year-old boy was also arrested, apparently to punish his parents for anti-government activity.

Because the Syrian government has banned nearly all foreign media and cut off troubled areas, getting solid information on the situation has been a challenge.

"The current crisis in Syria will be overcome and that the process of administrative, political and media reforms are continuing," al-Assad said Monday, according to al-Watan, a private pro-government newspaper.

Who is President Bashar al-Assad?

	Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has been in power for 11 years and took over from his father.

In 2000, Assad succeeded his father, Hafez al-
Assad, and became the president of Syria. The younger Assad is a trained eye doctor who studied in London and speaks fluent English. For these reasons, many Western governments expected him to open Syria to the West and improve diplomatic relationships. However, although Assad tried to set himself apart from his father’s oppressive nature, he has been criticized for a disregard for human rights, economic mistakes and fraud since taking power.

Assad’s leadership was put to the test when protests, inspired by successful uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia, broke out in March and a bloody battle developed between armed forces and protesters.  

The Syrian leader decided to maintain tight control through a strong family network. His brother, Maher al-Assad, is head of feared Republican Guard, a particularly brutal branch of the Syrian military, and his sister Boushra is also active in maintaining the family’s grip on power.

In an attempt to regain his people’s favor in the midst of the protests, President Assad lowered the prices of popular food items and loosened some harsh restrictions. He has even staged mock celebrations, complete with fireworks, proclaiming that the government had defeated the protesters, whom it calls “terrorists.”

A government newspaper recently reported that the ban on peaceful protests had been lifted, “as long as the Interior Ministry approves.”

Alliances make foreign intervention difficult, unlikely

	Syria has alliances with neighboring countries that could cause widespread political chao in the Middle East.

Journalists, human rights groups denied access

	Syrian citizens are utilizing social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter to organize protests called a "Day of Rage."

Because the Syrian government is keeping out foreign journalists, it has been difficult to keep track of the protests and government response. Many journalists who managed to stay in the country have been detained and questioned by Assad’s forces. Outside news organizations must rely on social media, phone calls from people inside the country and crudely shot cell phone videos and photos for information.  

Human rights groups, most notably the United Nations, have not been able to get to parts of Syria. When U.N. human rights workers tried to get into the heavily embattled city of Daraa, they were turned away by government forces.

“Syria has a responsibility to protect its population from crimes against humanity and other international crimes,” said Kyung Wa-Kung, the U.N. deputy high commissioner. "Any official...undertaking of attacks against the civilian population can be held criminally accountable.”