FORMING OF SYRIAN CONSTITUTIONAL COMMITTEE WITH RUSSIA AND IRAN COORDINATION CAN’T BRING PEACE AND DEMOCRATIC TRANSITION IN SYRIA

To:     The Right Honourable the President of Syria Hon. Bashar al-Assad

From: Athinarayanan Sanjeevraja

Date: October 2, 2019

RE:     FORMING OF SYRIAN CONSTITUTIONAL COMMITTEE WITH RUSSIA AND IRAN COORDINATION CAN’T BRING PEACE AND DEMOCRATIC TRANSISTION IN SYRIA.   

Suggestion: Hon. President, let me start paying my respects to you and through you to. I have written to you in the month of May, 2013 on Turkey–Syria relationship. I am writing to you again on formation of Syrian Constitutional Committee. This is good news that you at least agreed on forming Syrian constitutional committee. But I disagreed forming of Syrian constitutional committee with Russia and Iran coordination. If your government include in a constitutional convention with Russia and Iran coordination or you might considers Russia or Iran draft constitution for Syria will be a major spoilers. Forming of Syrian constitutional committee might be vital component of political settlement of Syria but these alone will remain futile. It is insufficient for Syria peace process and for the process of democratic transition in Syria. The actual positions of Syria, Russia and Iran paths are far more diverged. Moreover, I have a doubt that Will Russia and Iran broad enough to address the Syria legislative and political issues between Syria and its conflicts. Thus, forming of Syrian constitutional committee with Russia and Iran coordination will not bring peace and democratic transition in Syria. You also made it clear that forming Syrian constitutional committee would not be linked to any foreign parties. In other words your government would not be allowed to draft constitution outside Syria. IMHO, new constitution drafting itself is a hurdle without the EU or the US or any advanced economies.  If the EU drafts Syrian constitution, I’m sure that the EU is broad enough to address Syrian conflicts and will reach some form of democratic transition in Syria in couple of years. If the US drafts the Syrian constitution under Hon. Trump administration or other advanced economies will throw Syria into chaos. The US never works with Russia or Iran. If the US and Russia work together more than half of the world’s problems will vanish and world will be better place. I would recommend that your government request the UNSC better start working with the EU constructively together for Syria peace process and democratic transition in Syria. I really hope this is the start of positive change in Syria. If the UNSC ready to work with the EU for Syrian civil war, then the solution should be forthcoming soon.

Hon. President, first, the UN Security Council (UNSC) should have approved a resolution for ceasefire on Syria that could put a temporary stop on the displacement of the people and the refugee exodus then, forming Syrian constitutional committee for Syria peace process because Syria new constitution drafting and requires legal actions that restore confidence in the overall systems of all governance at all levels takes very long time. In addition, genuine process of democratic transition in Syria requires structural change which includes accountability, elections, combating terrorism also takes very long time. To end the Syrian civil war what is needed is an absolute end to violence so that legitimate peace obtained. I don’t think ISIS to agree to Russia or Iran call for cease-fire in Syria. I can’t believe that I have lived long enough to see Russia and Iran given praise for negotiating peace. Thus, the roadmap to Syrian peace seems to fail with Russia and Iran coordination. Thus, I want to persuade both UNSC and the EU to help rebuild Syria.       

Hon. President, indeed, institutions particularly military ones need long time to shift allegiances. History reveals that all sides to the conflict can no longer gain a military advantage. Conflicts and wars should be ignored. Conflicts and wars should not be allowed to shape the future of humanity. Peace on the planet to human beings of goodwill. Conflicts will continue if forming Syrian constitutional committee with Russia and Iran coordination because Iran is main supporter of Shia and Allavites in Syria. Iran is very close to nuclear bomb and proven sponsor of worldwide terrorism and will give its first nuke to ISIS to use against Israel or the US. Saudi Arabia is fighting a proxy war with Iran and in Yemen. Iran’s interest in Syria is in Using Syria to arm Hezbollah. Russia increased its military presence in Syria with soldiers, planes and ships. Moreover, Russia actively started to bomb, sent missiles into Syria and Russian soldiers are engaged with the Syrian army. If I am not mistaken, UN recommended plan was vetoed four times by Russia in 2012. Your government missed the golden opportunity in 2012 that has created Syria instability till today. The Conventional army, air-force, militia and internal security forces have killed minimum 500, 000, wounded at least that many, destroyed the country’s infrastructure and forced millions of Syrians to flee, refugees are destabilise the Europe due to Russia and Iran are playing overwhelming role in Syria. Moreover, Russia and Iran have started ISIS to serve their agenda and divert attention from those opposing dictatorship. They are serving as an excuse for ethnic cleanising and future agenda in the region of Russia. That is the main reason they have not seriously attacked ISIS. They are continuing trading with ISIS. ISIS never declared war against Syria but carried out terrorist attacks in Arab countries of Sunnis majority and western countries that showed sympathy for Syrian people.

Hon. President, you must be aware that there are so many factors into the Syria new constitution. For instance, creating a new culture of democracy, security concerns, strengthen and promote Syria identity, issues of citizenship, citizens right of return, build trust between different components of Syrian society, property rights, destruction of the cancerous ISIS ideology from Syria and many more. How will the Russia and Iran coordination to facility the process of creating stability in Syria? IMHO, Russia and Iran coordination will leave a vacuum for Jihadist groups to achieve the opposites of the results we seek. I was struck how effective false flag chemical attacks by jihadist groups have been? Chemical weapons attack was never proven by a reliable source till today and has led to the tens of thousands of innocent Syrians died. Syria is already in chaos and virtually destroyed. Syria has more intractable conflicts. Partition has already happened on the ground. Thus, Syria new constitution should seek to achieve a unified, pluralistic and non-sectarian Syria. The vision of unified, pluralistic and non-sectarian Syria should be shared by the rebels in Syria. Without unified, pluralistic, non-sectarian Syria and call for cease-fire there has been a vacuum for bring peace in Syria. My argument is that will forming new constitution with Russia and Iran coordination to achieve a unified, pluralistic and non-sectarian Syria? How Syria peace guarantees without discussing overwhelming role of Russia and Iran? How can Syria new constitution that meets the needs of all Syrians with Russia and Iran coordination? What contributions to the stability and welfare of Syrians entitle Russia or Iran to intervene in Syria’s sovereignty? Forming of Syrian constitutional committee with Russia and Iran sounds nice but carries no solution. IMHO, any Syria peace deal coming to pass definitely couldn’t be as a result of Russia or Iran. Similarly, any Syria peace deal coming to pass definitely could not be as a result of UNSC alone. UNSC sponsored deal has shown itself irrelevant in present day and age. The UNSC is not been active and visible from the start of the Syrian meltdown, the UNSC failed to keep track of events in Syria, the UNSC failed to inform the world of the realities in Syria and options for resolution, the UNSC failed to defend human rights and putting hard pressure on Syria. The UN ignored its own R2P resolution for five years and enacts a resolution forming Syrian constitutional committee after tens of thousands of Syrians died and more than 4 million refugees flee to Europe and rest of the world. Why the UNSC has has been ignored Syrian civil war against humanity for so long? Why the State’s law enforcement and security personnel failed their duty and responsibility to protect the Syrians for so long? Why the State’s law enforcement and security personnel failed to rid the country of Islamic extremists? Sorry to be pessimistic about the UNSC and your government. I firmly believe that constant criticism about the UNSC and your government makes periodic course correction to Syria policy objective. I am sure that Russia and Iran coordination can’t resolve Syrian civil war anytime soon. The message is that the EU and the UNSC must form Syrian constitutional committee based on democratic values, humanitarian principles and international law and implement it preciously if the UNSC is add to credibility to help Syrians bring about peaceful resolution to Syrian civil war. In addition, the UNSC and the EU forces to defeat ISIS in order to implement the new Syria constitution and then there is a hope that Syria peace plan and democratic transition may be achieved. Otherwise, Syrian civil war is going for very long time.          

Hon. President, Let’s hope and pray that the Syrian’s achieve a long overdue peace which they certainly deserve. I hope and pray for the Syrians for the formation of Syrian constitutional committee and democratic transition in Syria may lead to complete peace within Syria soon.    

Thank you very much for your kind attention Hon. President!

Respectfully yours,

Athinarayanan Sanjeevraja

Tamil Nadu