Assad intensifying crackdown on protestors

The Syrian government is escalating its use of force against anti-government protestors. Meanwhile Arab League officials have urged the country to stop the violence.

President Bashar al-Assad met with representatives of the Arab League in the capital Damascus on Wednesday.

Details of the talks have not been released. However, the League said Assad has agreed to continue talks with them in order to quell the current uprising in Syria.

On October 16th, the League appealed for an immediate end to the violence and proposed that the government and opposition meet in Cairo for talks within 15 days.

Human rights groups in Syria say the government has been intensifying pressure against anti-government demonstrations since the Arab League started mediation between the government and the opposition at the middle of this month.

The human rights group Amnesty International says that security forces tortured injured protestors in hospitals and arrested medical staff who treated them.

It is estimated that 200 people have been killed so far in the government crackdown.

Friday, October 28, 2011 06:47 +0900 (JST)