Since Tuesday, March 14, 2017, security forces of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) have abducted and arbitrarily detained numerous members of the Kurdish National Council in Syria (KNC) in the cities of Qamişlo, Efrîn, Kobanî, Amûdê, Dirbêsî, Hisiça (Hasakah), Dêrik, Serê Kaniyê, Girkê Legê and other places. At least fourty people have been arrested in the meantime. In addition to the detentions, attacks against offices of the KNC and its member parties have taken place. More than twenty offices have been torched or demolished, and subsequently were sealed up by PYD security forces. The same happened to the office of the Assyrian Democratic Organization (ADO) in Hisiça (Hasakah). Because of frequent reports on human rights violations and torture taking place in PYD prisons, the KNC is concerned about the soundness of its detained members.
Two days prior to the encroachments, the PYD had summoned the parties of the KNC to register within 24 hours – otherwise their party offices would be shut down and those responsible would be arrested. The parties of the KNC rejected this demand, as there is no independent commission in charge of the registration of parties. The commission is composed of government officials of the three cantons Cezîrê (Jazirah), Efrîn und Kobanî. These governments have neither been elected nor installed by a representative delegation of Kurdish parties, but ultimately emerged in an unknown fashion from the interim administration that had been established in November 2013. The interim administration in turn had been formed by fifty organizations, according to the PYD, whose identities however have never been communicated. The few groups that have been mentioned by name are either closely linked to the PYD or entirely unknown. The policies defined in a law for party registration passed in 2014 suggest a democratic procedure. In reality, however, it’s the PYD who makes decisions about what other parties receive authorization.
The PYD demanding compliance to the law of April 2014, and it penalising the KNC’s refusal by oppressive means and unrestrained violence at this point of time, suggests a correlation with the outbursts of military clashes in the Sinjar region since mid March. There have been violent clashes between the PKK forces positioned in Sinjar and the Roj-Peshmerga relocated to this area by the Kurdistan Regional Government – Iraq within the last week.
The severe increase of the PYD’s repressive measures against the KNC and the PKK’s attacks on the Roj-Peshmerga can similarly be interpreted as the PYD’s and PKK’s response to the KNC’s recently enhanced endeavours to achieve the Roj-Peshmerga’s return to Syria. A delegation of the KNC just recently promoted this solution, inter alia, during a visit to the USA. The approximately 5,300 Roj-Peshmerga, troops consisting of Syrian Kurds who were trained in Kurdistan – Iraq and are subject to the KNC, are currently fighting ISIS in Iraq. The KNC demands its fighters‘ return to Syrian Kurdistan, where they could firstly protect the region from ISIS. Secondly, their presence would breach the PYD’s monopole of powers, who so far is the only political party there who has armed forces, namely the People’s Defence Units (YPG) and the Asayiş, at its command. The violent actions of the PYD’s security forces against the KNC and its supporters illustrates that the PYD will never agree on a relocation of the Roj-Peshmerga and that the party will enforce its claim to sole representation with might and main.
Offices of the KNC and its member parties, that have been attacked by PYD supporters and were shut down by the PYD‘s security forces since March 14, 2017:
Dirbêsî
Kurdish National Council in Syria
Kurdistan Democratic Party of Syria (PDK‑S)
Dêrik
Kurdish National Council in Syria
Kurdistan Democratic Party of Syria (PDK-S)
Girkê Legê
Kurdish National Council in Syria
Kurdistan Democratic Party of Syria (PDK-S)
Kurdish Union Party in Syria (Yekîtî)
Hisiça
Kurdish National Council in Syria
Kurdische Demokratische Einheitspartei in Syrien
Kurdish Democratic Equality Party in Syria
Til Temr
Kurdish National Council in Syria
Kulturforum Cegerxwîn
Serê Kaniyê
Kurdish National Council in Syria
Kobanî
Kurdish National Council in Syria
Qamişlo
Kurdish National Council in Syria (three offices)
Kurdistan Democratic Party of Syria (PDK-S)
Kurdish Reform Movement – Syria
Kurdish Union Party in Syria (Yekîtî)
Amûdê
Kurdish National Council in Syria
Kurdish Union Party in Syria (Yekîtî)
Tirbesipî
Kurdistan Democratic Party of Syria (PDK-S)