THE KURDISH PRESSURE ON THE SYRIACS DISCUSSED IN THE SWEDISH PARLIAMENT

The pressures imposed on the Christian Syriacs, Assyrians and Chaldeans in Northern Iraq by mainly the Kurdish Hizbullah organization led by Etem Barzani and also by the PKK, KDP, PUK and other Kurdish organizations and parties were brought to agenda at the Swedish Parliament.

According to the information obtained from the web site of the Swedish Parliament, The Swedish Leftist Party Deputy Murat Artin and the Swedish Social Democrat Party Deputy and Syriac originated Yılmaz Kerimo have separately presented a proposal of questioning to be responded in a written form by the Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs Anna Lindh.

The Swedish Leftist Party Deputy Murat Artin pointed out the following matters in his proposal of questioning, which he presented on 14th August 2001 and which was about the adverse developments to which the Syriacs, Assyrians and Chaldeans in Northern Iraq were subject to:

"The Kurds living in Northern Iraq are struggling with the Iraqi authority for years to establish a federation. The Kurds are also harassing the Assyrian, Syriac and Chaldean minorities living in the same region. Many political murders have been committed in the region for years. The KDP and PUK which dominate Northern Iraq have violated the human rights of these ethnic groups. As a result of harassment the population of these ethnic groups decreased and many of them fled abroad. Harassment was provoked by local Muslim radios. The latest example to these harassments is the arrest and torture of Youkhana Yalda Khaile who worked for the restoration of a church in Chilka Nisar. These conducts are unacceptable. Such a situation forms an obstacle for Kurdish support. What kind of initiatives will the Swedish Parliament take on the international level for the harassment policy of the Kurdish parties and official authorities in Northern Iraq against the Syriac, Assyrian and Chaldean minority?"

Syriac originated Swedish Social Democrat Party Member Yılmaz Kerimo pointed out the following issues in his proposal of questioning which he presented on 16th August 2001 about the same issue:

"The Syriacs, Assyrians and Chaldeans living in the autonomous region in Northern Iraq with the Kurds are in difficult conditions. We receive information reporting that these communities are subject to pressure and ethnic cleansing. This evokes great anxiety. Sweden is a country which gives support to the democratization process which began in Northern Iraq in recent years. However, it is deemed important that Sweden asserts the full implementation of the UN International Declaration of Human Rights and the Civilian Political Rights Convention. These should apply not only to Kurds but also to other ethnic groups such as the Syriacs, Assyrians and Chaldeans. Information on these developments in Northern Iraq which have reached the Parliament members evoke great anxiety. The situation in which the ethnic groups are in should be clarified. What initiatives does the Minister of Foreign Affairs plan to take to clarify the conditions prevailing in that part of Northern Iraq which is under the UN supervision where the Assyrians, Syriacs and Chaldeans living in?"

I congratulate the Swedish Parliament members Murat Artin and Yılmaz Kerimo for bringing the suppression applied by Kurds to the Syriacs to the agenda.

Meanwhile I recommend them not to forget the suppression of the PKK terrorism which has been going on for years towards the Syriacs and Assyrians and to bring it to the agenda as soon as possible.