Syrian tanks roll into Homs

Communications shutdown aims to silence anti-Assad protests amid more gunfire and arrests in Homs, Banias and Damascus Syria’s regime intensified its chokehold on protesters calling for the resignation of President Bashar al-Assad on Monday, combining brutal force with a communications clampdown that some activists said threatened to snuff out the revolt that has spread throughout the country. Hundreds more were arrested in Homs and Banias and gunfire and troops were reported in suburbs of Damascus. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 400 people had been rounded up in the coastal town of Banias since Saturday, adding to an estimated 7,000 already in detention across the country. A human rights campaigner in Homs said snipers were deployed in several residential neighbourhoods. “Hundreds have fled from three villages just to the southwest of Homs where tanks had deployed,” the campaigner told Reuters. One man, with a brother in Homs, said the city was terrified by the tanks rolling in and the wave of arrests. “By punishing the whole city, they want people to turn against the protesters,” he said. But activists were equally worried about the silence from other parts of the country, including the southern town of Deraa, epicentre of the seven-week revolt that has left more than 800 dead. The government has gradually succeeded in shutting down some of the communications networks, including the 3G telephone network and some satellite phones, that have enabled activists to spread news and videos around the country. Diplomats say it has been following advice from Tehran, which used a mix of force and telecommunications savvy to face down its own opposition protest movement two years ago. Some observers in Damascus have started to fear that the widespread clampdown will quash the protests. “News is so slow to trickle out and now they have taken down a lot of 3G internet and satellite phones, making it impossible for activists to work,” said one activist in the capital who did not wish to be named. Wissam Tarif, executive director of the human rights group Insan, said: “People are not afraid of the operations themselves, but they are afraid of being paralysed logistically. They can’t gather, they can’t talk to each other – it makes it an uneven game.” Tarif, who is monitoring events from The Hague, added: “The wave of detention since Friday has continued without stop. The number of people disappearing is getting higher. People are being picked out of cars at checkpoints.” As the intimidation campaign continues, Tarif says it was a struggle to keep going. But he added: “On the other side the question is how long can the regime keep this up? And in how many places? They can’t occupy the country forever.” saving insulin. It appealedon its website to the Syrian government to allow urgent medical supplies and other services to be delivered. Syria had promised to let a UN team into Deraa, but did not grant it accesson Monday . Katherine Marsh is a pseudonym for a journalist who lives in Damascus Syria Bashar Al-Assad Arab and Middle East unrest Middle East Internet Human rights Katherine Marsh guardian.co.uk

Posted by on May 9, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.