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Syrian rebel leader believes Japan can play key role in rebuilding program

“It will take 20 years to recover from Assad’s crimes against humanity,” he says. (AFP)
“It will take 20 years to recover from Assad’s crimes against humanity,” he says. (AFP)
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29 Dec 2024 09:12:25 GMT9
29 Dec 2024 09:12:25 GMT9

Arab News Japan

TOKYO: The Chairman of one of the key rebel forces that helped to depose Syria’s President Bashaar Assad says Japan will be an important partner in Syria’s recovery.

“I want Japan to provide technical training and investment for the reconstruction effort,” Hadi Bahra, a key figure in the new Syrian government and leader of the Syrian National Coalition, told Japan’s FNN TV station. “Japan has been supporting Syria in the humanitarian field for the past 14 years and is a member of the Syria Reconstruction Trust Fund for Syria’s reconstruction. We expect Japan to make even greater contributions to the fund.”

While the social and psychological scars of Assad’s regime will take a long time to heal, he is confident the country itself can be rebuilt quickly.

“It will take 20 years to recover from Assad’s crimes against humanity,” he says. “But Assad is gone and there is no more war, so we can go home. We will rebuild Syria. We can start a new life. I think order will be restored in Syria and things will improve.”

Many refugees from Turkey and other countries have returned to Syria with the hope that the country will see freedom again. However, there are many issues to be addressed, including the effects of more than 50 years of authoritarian rule, the scars of the civil war and a ruined economy.

Assad is believed to have been responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of his own countrymen and half of Syria’s population were driven from their homes, turning them into refugees both inside and outside the country.

“The Syrian people have rebelled against the dictatorial regime of Assad, who enforced rule by gun, so we are not going to control the future with guns,” Bahra says. “We must build a future based on peace, dialogue and the basic rules of democracy.”

Bahra stated that Syria needs to be reformed “on a secular basis” with religious freedom and based on free elections in which all Syrians can participate.

“The new government must include all sections of the Syrian people, and it needs to be based on a secular basis,” he emphasizes. “No part of the population should be excluded from the political process.” He anticipates a new constitution, elections within two years and a unified military force. Another issue is UN sanctions that were imposed on the Assad regime.

“We hope that the sanctions imposed by the United States and Europe will be lifted as soon as possible,” Bahra says. “However, some countries are waiting to see whether Syria will stabilize and whether a government will be established in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions. For that to happen, the government must meet international standards for transparency and accountability.”

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