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Assyrian Awareness: Organizations Responses
FRÅGA TILL STATSRÅD
The Assyrians, Syriacs, and Chaldeans in Northern Iraq:
Like many areas in the Middle East and Turkey, northern Iraq is undergoing a systematic cleansing of Assyrians/Syriacs/Chaldeans. It is due to harassment that has been ongoing for many years, despite that it is happening under the UN protected zone. The goal of the Kurds (Barzani, KDP), who are the administrators of this area in Northern Iraq, is to homogenize the area.
Homogenizing coincides well with individual Moslem tribes and property owner interests. The KDP encourages this tight clinch. Since 1991 the population decreased from 200,000 to the current dimension of 25,000. Assyrian villages have been besieged, people have been murdered, tortured, plundered and driven away.
Youkhana Yalda Khaie, an Assyrian property owner from the village Chilke Nisar has established a fund to rebuild a church in his hometown, which was destroyed by Baghdad government troops in 1979. Despite repeated threats, he has not given up his efforts. As a result of this, he has now been kidnapped and taken away by KDP. He is now jailed, tortured, and severely injured and ill in a diminutive cell in Dihuk. Because a nun paid him a visit, the whole family has now been threatened. According to the nun, the KDP has tried to force the brother of Youkhana Yalda Khaie, to hand over his properties and leave the area. Through torture, the KDP has also tried to force a confession that Youkhana collaborates with the PKK.
However, neither Youkhana nor his family have any dealings with the PKK whatsoever. My question to the International Minister: In what way has the Government planned to work with the UN to achieve security for the Assyrians/Syriacs/Chaldeans in Northern Iraq?
News Conference
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