ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdish security forces of the ruling Democratic Union Party (PYD) denied reports that they had burned the Kurdish flag over the weekend in the city of Amuda in Rojava, northern Syria, after they dispersed demonstrations staged by supporters of the opposition Kurdish National Council (KNC) in Qamishli. “Following investigations conducted regarding direct charges that we lowered or burned the Kurdish flag, it turned out our forces did not commit this work at all as the Asayesh forces were and are still respecting all the symbols and sanctities of Kurdistan,” said the General Command of the Asayesh forces of Rojava, in a statement they sent out “to the Kurdish people in the four parts of Kurdistan.” Mohamad Shwesh, general-secretary of the KNC, in an interview with Rudaw on Friday. claimed that supporters of the PYD and the Asayesh security forces in Amuda attacked the KNC building in the city, destroyed their facilities, and then burned the Kurdish flag. The following day, Masoud Barzani, President of the Kurdistan Region, issued a harshly worded statement. “Those who burn the Kurdistan flag, torture the Kurdish youths will be humiliated, and they will inevitably pay for their crimes,” he stated. The tri-colour flag with the sun in the centre, adopted by the Kurdistan Region, is widely regarded by many Kurds around the world as the flag of the future state of Kurdistan and was the one reportedly burned in Amuda. The Rojava administration has adopted a different flag. The Rojava Asayesh have arrested some 30 KNC leaders and expelled tens of its members to the Kurdistan Region. PYD supporters allegedly also raided the offices of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (Syria) and the Kurdish Union Party over the weekend, smashing their office equipment, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The Asayesh statement stressed that their force “maintains public security. It protects and maintains offices of all democratic and opposition parties, in particular the Kurdish National Council party offices and the Kurdish flag is still flying over their offices.” The security force added that the KNC demonstration had been illegal as they had not obtained permission from the authorities.
