Crisis in Syria

How did the protests start?• The unrest began in the southern city of Deraa in March

when locals gathered to demand the release of 14 school children who were arrested and reportedly tortured after writing on a wall the well-known slogan of the popular uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt: "The people want the downfall of the regime."

• Within days, the unrest in Deraa had spiraled out of the control of the local authorities.

• In late March, the army's fourth armored division - commanded by the president's brother, Maher - was sent in to crush the inspired protesters. – Dozens of people were killed, as tanks shelled residential areas

and troops stormed homes, rounding up those believed to have attended demonstrations.

• The crackdown failed to stop the unrest in Deraa, instead triggering anti-government protests in other towns and cities across the country, including Baniyas, Homs, Hama and the suburbs of Damascus.

• By mid-May, the death toll had reached 1,000.

What do the protesters want and what have they got?

• Protesters began by calling for democracy and greater freedom in what is one of the most authoritarian countries in the Arab world.

• Once security forces opened fire on peaceful demonstrations, people demanded that Mr. Assad resign.

• The president has resolutely refused to step down

What protestors want

1. Fall of the regime2. End to the 48-year-old

emergency law3. Immediate end to

extrajudicial killings and torture

4. Release of political prisoners and detained protesters

5. Transition to a democratic, free and pluralistic society

What Assad has offered

1. Mr. Assad has made clear that he has no intention to step down

2. He revoked the emergency law on 21 April 2011, but Syrian forces continued to open fire

3. The president has rejected as "false" allegations made by the UN that Syrian security forces have committed crimes against humanity, including killings, torture, rape, imprisonment, and other forms of severe deprivation of liberty and disappearances

4. Pardons were offered to political prisoners in May & June 2011 and January 2012. Officials say thousands were released.

5. On 26 February 2012, voters approved in a vote a new constitution, which sees the inclusion of political parties beyond the ruling Baath Party, and drops an article making the party the "leader of state and society". It also limits the president to two seven-year terms.

Protestors v. Bashar al-Assad

What is the international community doing?

• Syria is a major player in the Middle East. • Any chaos here could cause knock-on effects

in countries such as Lebanon and Israel, where it can mobilize powerful groups, such as the militant Hezbollah and Hamas movements.

• It also has close ties with Shia power Iran – an enemy of the US, Israel and Saudi Arabia - which could potentially draw those powers into a dangerous Middle Eastern conflict.

• November 2011, member states led by Qatar and Saudi Arabia surprised observers by voting to suspend Syria in an effort to force President Assad to end the crackdown.

• The Arab League later imposed economic sanctions when the Syrian government hesitated over the demanded of the withdrawal of troops and tanks from the streets.

• Damascus eventually allowed in the U.N. observers in December 2011, but they failed to halt the crackdown on dissent.

Is this a sectarian conflict?• Syria is a country of 21 million people with a large Sunni

majority (74%) and significant minorities (10% each) of Christians and Alawites - the Shia sect to which Assad belongs.

• Assad has promoted a secular identity for the Syrian state, hoping to unify diverse communities in a region where sectarian conflict is common - as seen in neighboring Lebanon and Iraq.

• However, he also focused power in the hands of his family and members of the Alawite community, who use a disproportionate power in the Syrian government, military and business elite.

• Claims of corruption and favoritism have been common among the excluded Sunni majority. And protests have generally been biggest in Sunni-dominated rural areas, towns and cities, as opposed to mixed areas.

What is the economic fallout of the unrest in Syria?

• Even before the unrest, Syrians had endured decades of high unemployment, widespread poverty and rising food prices.

• Now, business, farming and trade have been hard hit by economic sanctions imposed by the Arab League, the European Union, the United States and neighboring Turkey.

• Syrian pound has plummeted by more than 60% against the dollar.

• Unemployment is estimated to have risen to more than 20% since the uprising began

• In February 2012, the government doubled customs duties, which analysts said would lead to smuggling and price rises.

• Towns and cities, including the capital Damascus, are suffering electricity cuts, and critical products like heating oil and staples like milk powder are scarce.