Residents of Assyrian Town Appeal for Help Against Kurdish Government Discrimination

Residents of Assyrian Town Appeal for Help Against Kurdish Government Discrimination
GMT 9-20-2013
Assyrian International News Agency

(AINA) -- Residents of Mangesh, an Assyrian town located in the autonomous Kurdish region in north Iraq, have issued an appeal to the world community, asking for relief from harassment, intimidation and discrimination directed at them by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). According to the letter, the Assyrians of Mangesh are subjected to systematic coercion to support the KRG and are prevented from exercising their civil freedoms and subjected to economic sanctions for failing to support the KRG.

Here's the full text of the letter:
We demand that the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) and on behalf of the people of the town of Mangesh, to stop their policies of intimidation in forcing the people of the town to vote for Kurdish supported candidates. We are appealing to civic and Human Rights organizations to put an end to these abuses by the Kurdish Regional Government.
We, the sons and daughters of the town of Mengesh are being harassed by Kurds and their agents in all aspects of our lives, below is a list of their bullying tactics:

1. We can't freely vote for candidates running for political office
2. Our lands are stolen and we are not able to speak out
3. We are not able to join any political party other than Kurdish parties or those parties "owned" by Kurds.
4. We are not able to host any representative from any of our nation's independent political parties.
5. We are not permitted to undertake any activity not sanctioned by the ruling Kurdish party (KDP)
6. We can't form any organization or any cultural center outside the realm of Kurdish control.
7. Any individual that attempts to stay independent or tries to join a political party that is not under Kurdish domination and specifically under the hegemony of the KDP is attacked profusely and even prevented from earning a living.
8. Anyone who doesn't blindly support the policies of the KDP is not able to get a government job.
9. Individuals that don't support the KDP or a political party controlled by the KDP are not able to register their lands in their names.
10. Members of the KDP have formed gangs to terrorize the residents of the town to intimidate them and to have complete control over their lives.
11. They (Kurds) monitor every person's moves and if they become suspicious that a certain individual has any relations with another political party not controlled by them, that person is interrogated and is threatened.

For the above reasons we're appealing to International Human Rights organizations and civil societies to help us stop Kurdish abuses because we have the right to live freely and we also have the right for self determination.
Rosa Mengesh
Steven Khanjaro
Ammo Mammo
Assyrian International News Agency

Iraq’s Kurdistan Postpones Presidential And Constitutional Vote

Thursday, June 20, 2013

September 2013 was the date set for voting on the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) president and parliament. The balloting was surrounded in controversy as President Massoud Barzani was attempting to find a way to run for a third term, despite Kurdish law saying that he could only serve two times. As part of this effort, Barzani was pushing a referendum on the region’s draft constitution, which would allow him the opportunity to serve up to eight more years. The Kurdish opposition was crying foul, and Barzani’s erstwhile allies the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) were also expressing reservations. The KRG president then conveniently postponed the election for the executive, and agreed to send the constitution back to the regional parliament. This may seem like a setback for Barzani, but it actually shows how easily Kurdistan’s ruling parties can manipulate the political system to stay in power.