Vice-president of the Syrian Coalition Abdul Hakim Bashar said that recent clashes between Assad forces and the PYD militias in Hasaka province are designed to silence any opposition to the PYD’s repressive practices.
Bashar pointed out that the Assad regime steps in whenever the PYD faces political trouble, noting that thousands of citizens protested against the PYD several days ago in Amouda, Qamishli and other areas under the control of the PYD militias.
Similar clashes took place between the two sides last year, Bashar said, adding that the Assad regime is trying to suppress protests by the Kurds by targeting the YPG, the armed wing of the PYD. The YPG, meanwhile, exploits these attacks to convince the Kurds that they are fighting the Assad regime, Bashar added.
Bashar pointed out that the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a militia that includes YPG militants in its ranks, is a group loyal to and paid by the Assad regime acting to serve the regime’s interests.
Bashar went on to say that the primary goal of the SDF is to protect the Assad regime as it was formed by the merger of small militias allied to the regime under the name of SDF. He added that the YPG militias are allied to the Assad regime regularly receiving weapons and money from the regime. Although the YPG receives support from the US under the pretext of fighting ISIS, the US does not lend any political weight to this militia.
Bashar concluded his remarks by stressing that the PYD policies do not reflect the aspirations of the Kurds, adding that PYD repressive practices over the past four years are not different to those carried out by the Assad regime. The PYD seeks to foment hatred and hostility between the Arabs and the Kurds, a policy that will backfire on the Kurds in Syria, he said. (Source: Syrian Coalition + Anadolu Agency)
