By Brittani Howell
Impunity Watch Reporter, The Middle East
DAMASCUS, Syria – Thousands of Syrian civilians have been displaced from their homes by the Autonomous Administration. The Autonomous Administration is led by the Syrian Kurdish party Partiya Yekitiya Demokrat (PYD). The United States has backed the Autonomous Administration in its fight against the Islamic State.
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The Senior Crisis Advisor at Amnesty International, Lama Fakih, stated, “By deliberately demolishing civilian homes, in some cases razing and burning entire villages, displacing their inhabitants with no justifiable military grounds, the Autonomous Administration is abusing its authority and brazenly flouting international humanitarian law, in attacks that amount to war crimes.”
The Autonomous Administration instructed a local armed group, the People’s Protection Units or YPG, to force Arabs and Turkmen from their homes.
According to Amnesty International, some civilians have reported that if they failed to leave, the U.S. led coalition would conduct airstrikes. One civilian, Safwan, told Amnesty International, “They told us we had to leave or they would tell the US coalition that we were terrorists and their planes would hit us and our families.”
The Kurdish authorities insist that displacement was limited and only for security purposes, to keep civilians out of areas facing conflict. However, there has been evidence that whole communities have been displaced and have had their homes destroyed.
It is alleged that the YPG threatened to burn down a house, with the inhabitants still inside. Bassama, a relative of the family, stated, “They started pouring fuel in my in-laws’ house. My mother-in-law was there refusing to leave and they just poured it around her.”
Amnesty International called for the United States and other allies of the Autonomous Administration to not turn a blind eye to the displacement of civilians. The forcible displacement of civilians for no military necessity is a violation of international humanitarian law.
Amnesty International also called for the Autonomous Administration to stop the displacement of civilians and to compensate the civilians whose homes were destroyed.
For more information, please see:
Amnesty International – Syria: US Ally’s Razing of Villages Amounts to War Crimes – 13 October 2015
The Guardian – US-Backed Kurdish Forces ‘Committing War Crimes Against Syrian Civilians’ – 13 October 2015
FOX News – Amnesty Says US-Backed Kurds Displace Thousands of Arabs in Syria, Demolish Villages – 12 October 2015
The Washington Post – Report: U.S.-Backed Kurdish Rebels May Have Committed War Crimes in Syria – 12 October 2015