Editorial: Assad’s plan Tuesday, 27 December 2011 01:50

After initial dithering and protests, Syria at last agreed to let in a delegation of Arab monitors to check if the government is adhering to a peace plan it agreed with the Arab League. The permission for the monitors to enter the country was given at the last minute as Bashar Al Assad realised that further delay or a ‘no’ would bring disastrous results for his regime.

The first group of monitors arrived in Damasucs yesterday but the bad news is that they are not enjoying the kind of freedom they must get to carry out their work impartially. The Assad government must realise that permitting the monitors to do their work freely is more important than allowing them in.

The head of the main Syrian opposition group, Burhan Ghaliun of Syrian National Council (SNC), said at a news conference in Paris yesterday that the monitors were unable to do their jobs and “they are saying they cannot go where the authorities do not want them to go.” More disappointingly, the Assad regime has intensified its crackdown in the week since agreeing to the Arab plan to stop the bloodshed. At least 23 people were killed yesterday as protests continued and there are no signs of a ceasefire or a decrease in violence.

All indications are that the visit of the monitors will do little to defuse the crisis and bring nornalcy to the streets. The Arab League plan requires the government to call back its security forces and heavy weapons from the streets, begin constructive talks with opposition parties and allow human rights workers and journalists into Syria. So far Assad hasn’t implemented any of those terms, and hasn’t said that he is planning to. In such a situation, what will the presence of the monitors achieve? Why did Assad allow them in if he has no intention to implement the peace plan? Why has he intensified the crackdown on protesters when he has be to making confidence building measures? The answers will point to a sinister design by the Damascus administration to carry on what it has been doing, flagrantly reneging on the promises it has made to the Arab League.

Up to 500 monitors are to be eventually deployed. Damascus must realise that the presence of such a huge group collecting facts and checking the situation on the ground will only expose it as the cruelties committed by the security forces and hitherto suppressed will now come to light. It’s worth noting that foreign journalists are not allowed to report from the country.

Assad must allow the monitors to work freely and impartially and allow them to meet people with grievances.