The Genocide in Syria - Essay Example

The categorization of the group and the various individuals in that group is usually seen to defined by the perpetrators of the action. Perhaps the most distinctive contribution of this definition as proposed by chalk and Jonassohn is the description that the particular victim group and its various members are actually defined by the perpetrators. This aspect of the definition allows for the emphasizing that the perpetrators fundamentally work primarily according to their own individual and often fantastical, ideas of perceived enemy groups (30).

The widely accepted definition as formulated by the UN terms genocide as being actions that are seen to be committed with the prime intent of attempting to destroy, the whole or specific parts of a national, ethnic, religious or racial group (Melson 23). The Origin of the Syrian Situation The Syrian civil war that has now turned into a genocide is seen to have initially grown out of a popular uprising against the current reigning al-Assad regime. The uprising which began in March 2011 was part of the series of Arab Spring uprisings which were experienced in some regions of the Middle East having been inspired by the early 2011 fall of the repressive Tunisian regime.

Among the key factors that resulted in causing the initial series of protests in Syria include widespread anger over the huge unemployment rates, state corruption, the numerous decades of dictatorship and state violence. By using a brutal response against the initial peaceful protests, the regime’s security forces were seen to inadvertently trigger a full-scale civil war that has now degenerated into a genocide. Despite experiencing some periodical ascents and descents, the current raging war in Syria is seen to have been continuously raging for a time period of over two years.

Massive deaths (genocide) as a result of the Conflict According to the latest UN estimates, an approximated 5,000 Syrians are currently dying each month primarily as a result of the civil war and nearly 100,000 Sunnis are now estimated to have been destroyed by the reigning Assad regime since the advent of the war. Of note is that, there happens to be no magic number of actual deaths that can be used to categorize genocide. The ongoing genocide can only be identified by the act itself which is seen to have taken the form of deliberate and widespread destruction of extensively large numbers of non-combatant Sunni civilians (Carey 2013).

As opposed to there being peaceful marches by Syrian citizens on the streets advocating for their freedom demands, the streets of Syria are now seen to primarily be peopled by a number of uncontrolled armed groups as well as the regime’s military powers. This has resulted in destruction levels in the country reaching a hitherto unprecedented level. CBC News (2013) reports that the an estimated over two million Syrian have reportedly fled the country with 1.93 million being registered as refugees and an additional 174,000 waiting for their refugee registration as at Sept 2013.

The number of displaced persons inside the country is constantly on the increase and various aid agencies reported an estimated over four