On Afrin occupation 8th anniversary: Forced displacement rejected, return right affirmed

On the eighth anniversary of the occupation of Afrin city and its countryside, the Afrin-Shahba Displaced Persons Council issued a statement to the public opinion at Afrin Square in Qamishlo city, with broad participation from displaced Afrin residents living in shelters in the city.

The statement was read in Kurdish by the council member Rizgar Lolo and in Arabic by the member Mohamed Bayram. The statement emphasized the ongoing violations against the residents, and the displaced people's unwavering commitment to their right of return.

The statement noted that March 18th marks the anniversary of the displacement of the people of the Syrian region of Afrin from their homes, which occurred in 2018 following the Turkish attacks.

The statement noted that, according to human rights reports, as eight years of the Turkish forces and their so-called "National Army" factions' control of the region passed, a series of crimes and violations against the indigenous Kurdish population have been documented; murder, torture, kidnapping, arbitrary arrest, forced displacement, the cutting down and burning of trees, violations against women, looting, the confiscation of property, the imposition of taxation, and the destruction of archaeological sites to erase the region's historical identity.

The statement confirmed that "what the people of Afrin have endured constitutes an ongoing humanitarian tragedy, in which families have been displaced from their homes and a reality that contradicts the most basic human values imposed. Nevertheless, the will to return remains alive, unbroken, and uncompromising."

The council clarified that it affirms to the public opinion that the return to Afrin is a legitimate human right that cannot be forfeited by the passage of time or nullified by force, and the forced displacement is a crime that cannot be legitimized nor its consequences be accepted. It noted that human dignity begins with one's land and the right to live in safety.

The statement also stressed its rejection of all attempts to alter the identity of Afrin, emphasizing that "the land knows its owners, and history is not written by force, but by the will and resilience of the people."

The statement addressed the public opinion, the international community, and all people of conscience, saying, "We affirm that silence regarding the suffering of Afrin people is not neutrality, but rather an abdication of human and moral responsibility. What is required today is a clear stance that guarantees a safe and dignified return for the rightful owners of the land, and puts an end to the suffering that has persisted for years."

The council appealed to the Syrian Interim Government to reveal the fate of the hundreds of people who have been missing since the beginning of the Syrian revolution and to release them, and to guarantee the safe return of the residents to their homes, free from any political compromise, while compensating them for the damages inflicted on them.

The statement concluded with addressing a message to the people of Afrin, saying, "You are not just displaced people; you are right holders. You are not victims; you are the makers of the future. Hold on to your land, preserve your memory, and continue to believe that return is not a dream, but a promise that will be fulfilled. Afrin will return, and it will return with the dignity of its people.”

ANHA