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As the death toll reached 10,000 within the last fourteen months, there are 10,000 reasons why the violence in Syria must end.  Following the paths of other Middle Eastern states, in a movement called the “Arab Spring,” Syrian citizens are protesting against the current government and asking for a regime change.  Dissatisfied with their request for reforms, the opposition has been taking their concerns to the streets pressuring President Bashar Al-Assad to step down. 

Starting in March of 2011, the military action against protesters has caused both soldiers and civilians to bare arms turning a peaceful revolution into a violent bloodbath. The activist opposition that is led mainly by four actors: 1) Syrian National Council, 2) National Coordination Committee, 3) the Syrian grassroots movement and 4) army officers of the Free Syrian Army, are concerned with reaching a resolution, yet each group has different approaches to ending the violence which include: foreign intervention, combining the forces of the opposition, military retaliation, negotiations and other means of action. With a majority of victims being innocent women and children, the need to resolve the conflict is turning outwards to world leaders, human rights organizations, activists and starting to flood media outlets across the globe. 

Many nations, including the United States, have decided to shun the Syrian government, not get involved and/or push out Syrian diplomats for their hostile use of force against its own citizens. As the special envoy of the United Nations and the Arab League, Kofi Annan has developed a six point peace plan that would address all aspects of the conflict, from the concerns of the Syrian people to the protection of freedom and even the immediate stop of armed violence.  Yet, this ceasefire which was approved in April 2012 has not been fully implemented as the killings are getting worse, with at least 280 (mostly women and children) dead and counting in the massacres of the villages of Houla since May 25th 2012.

The seriousness of Syria comes out of the numerous human rights violations and crimes against humanity.  The protection of innocent civilians must be the first priority as a means to end the internal struggle for balance between the government and the people.  Whether or not this case will reach the International Criminal Court (ICC) puts the issue of time into perspective for the fragile future of Syria.

About Angela Koussian