Syria's Assad under pressure as new protests called

Released on - Thursday,31 March , 2011 -14:33

Protesters have called for rallies across Syria after weekly Muslim prayers on Friday, upping the pressure on President Bashar al-Assad after he dashed hopes of an end to decades of emergency rule.
"Our date is Friday, from all houses, all places of worship, every citizen and every free man, to all squares, for a free Syria," said a statement posted Thursday on Facebook group The Syria Revolution 2011.
The group, which remains anonymous, has been a driving force behind protests which erupted on March 15, focused mainly in Daraa, south of the capital, and in the confessionally divided coastal city of Latakia.
Assad is facing domestic pressure unprecedented in his 11-year rule as protests demanding greater freedoms in the country, which has been in a state of emergency for close to 50 years, enter a third week.
While Assad failed to announce the end of a state of emergency in his speech Wednesday -- his first appearance since the dissent broke out -- state-run news agency SANA reported a "study" was under way to replace the emergency law with new legislation on national security and counter-terrorism.
"Under a directive by President Bashar al-Assad, a committee of legal experts has been formed to study new laws on national security and counter-terrorism, in order to pave the way for ending the state of emergency," SANA said.
"The committee should finish its work by April 25," it added.
Demonstrators have defied the state of emergency with street gatherings in the south and north, emboldened by the wave of dissent that has rocked the Arab world since December.
While small protests initially surfaced in the capital Damascus, they were quickly contained by Syria's renowned security forces, and AFP correspondents have witnessed activists being dragged away by plain-clothes security force members armed with batons.
Rights activists estimate more than 130 people have been killed in clashes with security forces, mainly in Daraa and Latakia. Officials put the death toll at closer to 30.
Assad has blamed Syria's "enemies" for the unrest, saying they were targeting Syria's unity and taking advantage of the needs of the people to incite division, in a country that has long prided itself on coexistence in a region torn by sectarian strife.
"This conspiracy is different in shape and timing from what is going on in the Arab world," he said. "Syria is not isolated from the region... but we are not a copy of other countries."
Key Assad aide Buthaina Shaaban had told AFP on Sunday that the government intended to lift the state of emergency, but she could not say when.
Syria's emergency laws authorise the arrest and interrogation of any individual and restrict gatherings and movement.
Assad, who appeared relaxed and exchanged jokes with parliamentarians, echoed that statement on Wednesday, saying talks were under way on new laws on the media and political pluralism.
"There are more, unannounced reforms... but giving a timeframe is a logistic matter. When we announce it in such circumstances, it is difficult to meet that deadline."
Gunfire broke out in Latakia immediately after Assad's speech, with unconfirmed reports of casualties.
But his address failed to impress rights groups, who said the 45-year-old president had failed to seize a golden opportunity to improve the Baath-ruled country's human rights record.
Amnesty International said Assad had "missed a crucial opportunity" to lift the emergency laws.
Nadim Houry, senior researcher at Human Rights Watch, described the speech as "extremely disappointing."
"President Assad simply repeated the same vague promises of reform that he’s been uttering for over a decade," Houry told AFP.
Washington said the speech "fell short", while Republican Senator John McCain and Independent Senator Joe Lieberman urged US President Barack Obama to get behind the opposition to Assad.
Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed Naji Otri's government tendered its resignation on Tuesday and a new cabinet is expected to be announced in days.