Zeenews Bureau
Damascus: Claiming that Assad’s regime is on an abducting spree as they lift people “off the streets”, the human rights groups working in Syria have raised concern about the ever increasing number of missing people that has hit a mark of at least 28, 000.
As per a BBC report, most of the Syrians have disappeared after the regime troops abducted them, claim the rights groups.
"Syrians are being plucked off the street by security forces and paramilitaries and being `disappeared` into torture cells”, said Alice Jay, an online rights activist, who is director at Avaaz.
Fearing “nobody is safe” in Syria, the activist further added that Syrian regime troops didn’t hesitate to abduct even “women buying groceries or farmers going for fuel”.
The rights activist claimed that it was Syrian regime strategy to terrorise civilians.
The online rights activists’ group Aavaz also has with it statement of Syrian civilians detailing harrowing accounts of how their relative were abducted by the Syrian forces, reports BBC.
Syria is into nineteenth month of conflict as rebels continue their bid to topple President Bashar al-Assad and at least 33, 000 people have been killed so far, say the activists.
International diplomacy has so far not been able to establish ceasefire in Syria and two resolutions over sanctions to Syria have been vetoed out by China and Russia whi are two staunch allies supporting the Assad regime.
In wake of a Muslim holiday Eid that starts on October 26, he international envoy to the Syrian conflict urged the Syrian government to take an initiative towards implementing a cease-fire.
Lakhdar Brahimi said rebel representatives have assured him they will also observe the truce if the government takes the first step.
"The Syrian people are burying hundreds of people each day, so if they bury fewer people during the days of the holiday, this could be the start of Syria`s return from the dangerous situation that it ... is continuing to slip toward," he told reporters in Beirut.
Unlike his predecessor as joint U.N.-Arab League envoy, Kofi Annan, Brahimi has said he has no grand plan to end Syria`s civil war. Instead, he presented the truce as a "microscopic" step that would alleviate Syrian sorrow temporarily and provide the basis for a longer truce.
Brahimi spoke following meetings with top Lebanese officials as part of a regional tour. He said all countries must work to stop the bloodshed by halting arms shipments so the conflict doesn`t spread.
Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are sympathetic to the rebels and are believed to be facilitating their acquisition of weapons or arming them directly. Iran and Russia are Assad`s biggest supporters and provide the Syrian military with most of its advanced weaponry.
"These countries need to realize, as we heard today in Lebanon, that it is not possible that this crisis will stay inside Syrian border forever," Brahimi said. "Either it has to be taken care of or it will spread and spill over and consume everything."
Rebel leaders were not immediately available for comment on the proposed truce.
Human Rights Watch on Sunday cited allegations that Assad`s government has been using cluster bombs — indiscriminate scattershot munitions which are banned by most nations — basing its conclusions on amateur video and testimony from the front lines.
The Syrian military has denied using such bombs.
The civil war has displaced more than 1 million Syrians inside the country and sent hundreds of thousands more over the borders to seek refuge in neighboring nations.
On Wednesday, UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos said more than half of Syria`s health facilities have been destroyed or damaged in the war and many children are not getting vaccinated or going to school. She also expressed concern over those near Syria`s borders who have not been allowed to leave the country.
With Agency Inputs
