Salwa Aksoy, a member of the Political Committee of the Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC), has condemned the Assad regime’s persistent reliance on the military option instead of addressing the demands of the people. According to Aksoy, this approach reflects the regime’s coercive and suppressive policy, rather than being a spontaneous reaction.
Aksoy highlighted the alarming evidence provided by local activists through videos and photos, which depict children in rural Suwayda being trained on the use of weapons by the Assad regime. She emphasized that this regime views children solely as potential soldiers, instrumentalized to defend its power and maintain control. This disregard for the welfare, safety, and future of children reveals the mentality of an unjust regime, whose primary focus is the militarization of society to perpetuate its hold on power. Aksoy also pointed out that this is occurring with the knowledge of governments worldwide.
Furthermore, Aksoy argued that the Assad regime’s security and military agencies do not teach children to use weapons out of a genuine concern for their self-defense. Rather, their primary objective is to instill a culture of violence and dominance from a young age.
Recently, Suwayda 24, a local news website, published pictures from the town of Ura in western rural Suwayda, showing young children undergoing weapon training by the Baath Brigades, the military wing of the ruling party in Syria. This development has drawn severe criticism from the residents of the province.
(Source: SOC’s Media Department)
