(en) France, Alternative Libertair #222 - Syria: Advice Popular elected (fr)

In continuation of struggles switched in Tunisia and Egypt, the Syrian people's resistance 
continues to expand since the beginning of the revolutionary process in March 2011. 
Libertarian alternative publishes excerpts from an open letter to the Syrian revolutionary 
Left. ---- The Syrian uprising, arising out of the global financial and economic crisis, a 
revolt against the neoliberal policies imposed by the authoritarian regime, and encouraged 
by international financial institutions like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the 
World Bank (BM). The neoliberal served dismantling and weakening growing utilities in the 
country, removal of subsidies, especially for basic necessities, while accelerating the 
privatization process, often in favor of the ruling classes and bourgeois related to 
political power.

The neoliberal reforms of the regime have encouraged a policy based on the reception of 
foreign direct investment, export development and service sector, especially tourism. The 
repressive apparatus of this country has served as a "safety officer" for these companies, 
guarding all disorders or social demands. State has played the role of matchmaker for 
foreign capital and multinationals, while ensuring the enrichment of a bourgeois class 
linked to the regime.

Concentration of wealth

The implications of these plagues many neoliberal policies are in Syria. Include the high 
rate of unemployment and underemployment. The process of economic liberalization has 
created greater inequality still in Syria. The poorest are struggling to get by, while the 
middle class falls freely to the poverty line. There are now unemployment rate of about 20 
to 25%, reaching 55% for less than 25 years. The percentage of Syrians living under the 
poverty line increased from 11% in 2000 to 33% in 2010 according to official figures. In 
agriculture, the sale of land by hundreds of thousands of farmers in the Northeast because 
of drought should not be considered the result of ine single natural disaster. Indeed, the 
growth and intensification of land use by large commercial farmers, including land 
previously held for grazing, as well as illegal drilling of wells and the installation of 
water pipes selective meet the requirements of new landlords - all facilitated by the 
corruption of the local government - have developed the agricultural crisis. The economic 
liberalization policy regime almost reproduces the socio-economic situation prevailing 
before the Baath Party took power in 1963, 5% of the population owns more than 50% of 
national income. Privatization processes have created new monopolies in the hands of close 
to an integral part of the system of corruption and benefiting mainly the ruling class. 
Armed groups in the Free Syrian Army (SLA) are largely composed of rural and urban 
proletariat and middle classes economically marginalized who underwent the application of 
neoliberal policies, especially since the coming to power of Bashar Assad in July 2000. 
During the month of December 2011, general strikes have paralyzed large parts of the 
country, showing that the mobilization of the working class and the exploited-es lies at 
the heart of the Syrian revolution. Universities have also established centers of popular 
resistance. University of Aleppo has witnessed massive demonstrations of students in May 
and previously as well. They were violently suppressed by the security forces killed four 
people and arrested hundreds of others. Founded September 29, 2011 to fight against the 
regime, the Student Union Free Syria (SFSU) is a bastion of political and trade union 
resistance to a democratic society in the life of the student movement.

The popular movement still active

The popular movement in Syria has not withdrawn the streets despite the repression and 
violent regime multiforme. Coordinating committees People are the real backbone of the 
grassroots movement mobilizing people for events. They also developed forms of popular 
self-organization-based masses in the liberated areas from the yoke of the regime. 
Revolutionary People's Councils are elected more often in place to deal with the liberated 
areas, proving that it is the system which causes anarchy and not the people. Coordinating 
committees and armed political actions are implemented. A code of good conduct, respect 
for international law and against sectarianism was signed by a large number of armed 
groups belonging to the armed popular resistance against the regime. Composed of deserters 
and civilians who took up arms, the armed popular resistance has real roots in the popular 
insurrection. The popular movement has reaffirmed its unitary struggle, developing a sense 
of national solidarity that transcends social and ethnic and sectarian divisions.

Destructive neoliberal policies

Permanent revolution means to oppose and overthrow the dictatorial regime of Assad, while 
opposing the imperialist global and regional, which attempt to hijack the process for 
their own revolutionary Syrian interests against those of the Syrian people. It is for 
this reason that we reject and condemn all foreign intervention in Syria, whether the axis 
Western and Saudi-Qatari axis or Iranian-Russian. The development of the revolution is in 
Syria will build a free, democratic, secular and revolutionary who seeks to eliminate all 
inequality and social discrimination, ethnic, gender and religious, to support the right 
to self-determination Kurdish people to respect the religious and ethnic minorities, and 
to ensure democratic freedoms and political all. The revolution is committed to assisting 
other peoples of the region in their struggle against their dictator and imperialism. It 
is necessary that all progressive and democratic forces are supporting the Syrian popular 
movement. That is why we invite you to articulate your support and solidarity with the 
Syrian revolution and the Syrian people revolted. Vive la Revolution Syrian People

Left current of the Syrian Revolutionary