The last week was by all means a black week for Syrian liberties and human rights. Following the sentencing of the prominent lawyer and human rights activist Anwar al-Bunni to five years in jail for “spreading hostile information and joining an illegal political group.” The regime’s crackdown on Syrian dissidents continued even stronger, Dr Kamal Labwani was sentenced to life time in prison with hard labor [charges were “undermining national security”], which was communed to 12 years. Ironically, at the very same time, President Bashar al-Assad was giving his speech to the newly elected parliament, a mere 15 minutes away from the State Security Court where all the political prisoners are put on trial. In that same session the parliament rubber stamped its first duty, the nomination of the president for his second term in office, which will be decided in a referendum later this month.
對敘利亞的自由和人權來說，上星期絕對是黑暗的一周。先是活躍的律師兼人權份子Anwar al-Bunni 因「散佈懷有敵意的訊息與參加非法政治團體」的罪名被判處五年徒刑，接著當權政府對異議份子的打壓更形加劇，Dr Kamal Labwani以「破壞國家安全」遭判無期徒刑，附加十二年的勞動。極為諷刺的是，正當所有的政治犯遭受審判的同時，離國家安全法庭(State Security Court )十五分鐘車程的不遠處，總統Bashar al-Assad正向新選出的國會議員發表演說，在這場會議上，新科議員們第一次正式行使職權來提名總統進行連任，最後的結果將在這個月不久後的公投決定。
And just as I was writing this roundup, news arrived from Damascus about activists Michel Kilo and Mahmoud Issa, who were sentenced to three years in jail. The veteran activists were convicted of “spreading false information, encouraging sectarian strife and weakening national sentiment.”
當我正在寫這篇報導的同時，從大馬士革（Damascus）傳來Michel Kilo 和Mahmoud Issa被判處三年徒刑的消息。這兩位經驗豐富的社運份子遭判處「散佈錯誤訊息、鼓動宗派衝突、削弱國家情感」的罪名。
It is by far, the worst crackdown on civil liberties and activists in the country since 2001, when the authorities cracked down on what has since been called “Damascus Spring”.
這是自2001年的「大馬士革之春」(Damascus Spring)以來，當權政府對公民自由和社運份子最嚴重的一次打壓。
Earlier last week, the prisoners of conscience at Damascus Central Prison [’Adra Prison] sent a public statement, and a letter to the world, following the sentencing of Anwar al-Bunni. The Syrian blogsphere republished the letter in many of its blogs to spread the word, and help rally support for their cause…
上星期稍早，在Anwar al-Bunni的判決下來後，大馬士革中央監獄(Damascus Central Prison)Adra Prison的犯人向世界發表了公開聲明和一封信，敘利亞部落圈裡許多人也在自己的部落格轉載這封信來替這些訴訟案尋求聲援。
Taken from Fares’ Free Syria writes:
節錄自Fares的 Free Syria裡，信的內文如下：
We are prisoners of conscience and opinion in Damascus Central Prison, lawyer Anwar Al Bunni, writer Michel Kilo, Dr. Kamal Labwani, activists Mahmoud Issa, and Faek Al Mir, and Professor Aref Dalila who could not be reached as he spends his sixth year in solitary confinement. After the sentencing of lawyer Anwar Al Bunni on 24 April 2007, we would like to say thank you and greet our families, friends, and all the people, groups, committees, organizations, associations, parties and political assemblies of Arabs, Kurds and Assyrians in Syria and the Arab world. We thank and greet the official representatives, countries, media and websites that support us by protesting our trials and arrests, and denying the accusations against our colleague Anwar Al Bunni.
律師先生Anwar Al Bunni、作家Michel Kilo、醫師Kamal Labwani、社運人士Mahmoud Issa以及 Faek Al Mir、還有已被獨自監禁六年且無法和外界接觸的教授 Aref Dalila，我們是大馬士革中央監獄裡一群有良知的囚犯。在2007年4/27 Anwar Al Bunni的判刑確定後，我們要向你們以及我們的家人朋友和所有的人、團體、委員會、組織、聯盟、政黨和在敘利亞及阿拉伯世界的阿拉伯人、庫德人、亞述人的政治團體表達謝意。對所有為了我們所遭受的逮捕和審判，以實際抗議行動支持我們，以及拒斥對我們的同伴Anwar Al Bunni的指控的官方代表、國家、媒體、網站等，我們要向你們道謝並致敬。
The sentencing of Labwani for 12 years, was especially shocking because of its harshness as well as the inhumane conditions Dr. Labwani has been kept in.
Labwani判處十二年徒刑一案尤其使人震驚，不僅是由於過於嚴厲的刑罰，也因為Labwani醫生所遭受到的不人道待遇。
Abu Kareem of Levantine Dreamhouse says:,
Dreamhouse的Abu Kareem 表示：
Yet when will the Syrian people reach their limit? What is it going to take to light a fire under our collective Syrian asses? Until that happens, the Labwanis, Kilos and others, courageous individuals willing to speak truth to power will remain easy targets to a paranoid, tyrannical regime.
敘利亞人什麼時候才會到達忍耐的極限?要怎樣的事情才能讓他們火燒屁股感覺到事情的嚴重性?等到他們覺醒時刻來臨前，Labwani、Kilos和其他勇於向權力說出事實的人仍將是這個多疑且暴虐政權的攻擊標靶。
Rime Allaf, writes about the heavy price of civility, and notes that the Syrian regime is most vicious against its own people when it is comfortable, and relieved from external or internal pressure. Contrary to the common excuses that many bring out, that the regime is cracking down on dissidents to face up to international pressure without internal nuisance.
Allaf寫出文明的沉重代價，跟許多人所說的相反，也就是敘利亞政權在國內靜默而壓力來自國際間時才進行對異議份子的打壓；相反地，當政府在沒有內、外部的壓力時反而會更輕而易舉地把槍口對準自己的人民。
Indeed, it is a mistake to conclude that the regime acts more harshly when it is under pressure; on the contrary, it is never so severe as when it has the time to “take care” of its citizens.
的確，認為當局在面對壓力時會實施更嚴厲的鎮壓是個錯誤的結論；相反的，當它有時間來「好好照顧」自己的人民時，反而是壓迫最嚴重的時候。
During the so-called Damascus Spring and the ensuing Damascus Winter, pre-9/11, before Afghanistan, before Iraq, when today’s March 14 leaders were singing the praises of Syria’s entire ruling class and bowing to representatives big and small, when the nouveau régime was thought to be full of promise and Tony Blair, Jacques Chirac and other EU leaders couldn’t wait to take Bashar Assad under their wing, when George W. Bush was mostly concentrating on his own turf, this was the period when Syrian civil society activists were harrassed and arrested, including two prominent MPs who had their parliamentary immunity revoked. Syria was not under pressure then, but this did not save Riad Seif, Mamoun Homsi and Aref Dalila.
在大馬士革之春及其後接踵而至的大馬士革之冬，在911以及美國和阿富汗、伊拉克的戰事發生之前，當新政權被視為充滿希望、今日的意見領袖們讚賞統治階級的開明、布萊爾以及席哈克和其他歐盟領導人等不及要好好支持和保護Bashar Assad時，當布希把大部分時間專注在自己地盤的那時，正是敘利亞的公民社運份子被騷擾及逮捕的時候，包括兩個重要的國會成員因國會豁免權被撤銷而遭逮捕。敘利亞當時氣氛祥和，並未有任何社會壓力刺激政府採取強硬手段，但這並無法解救Riad Seif、Mamoun Homsi 和Aref Dalila。
There also is a very vibrant and informative discussion in the comments section of that post.
這則文章也引起一場豐富且激烈的討論。
We will stay in politics, but we move to yet another grave concern to every Syrian, The occupied Golan Heights. Since the 1967 six-day war with Israel, and consequent occupation and annexation, the Golan Heights has been the main influential cause of Syrian politics. Returning the Golan Heights is one of the few things no Syrian government had been able to shake from the heart of Syrians.
我們會持續關注政治，但同時也關心另一個所有敘利亞人心中的嚴肅議題－－－遭佔領的戈蘭高地。1967年敘利亞與以色列間的六日戰爭後，戈蘭高地被佔領並納入以色列版圖，自此之後戈蘭高地就成為影響敘利亞政局的主要因素，沒有政府當局能動搖敘利亞人重返戈蘭高地的決心。
But since the War on Terror was brought up, the Peace Process has almost been put on the back burner, and so has the Syrian dream of skiing on the slopes of Mount Hermon.
但自從反恐戰爭開始之後，和平進程就被擱置在一旁，敘利亞人也就無法一圓在黑門山(Hermon)滑雪之夢。
The Golan Heights will always find its way to any posting about Syria’s future. Philip I from Via Recta, brings the Golan back into focus as our collective aim…
在任何有關敘利亞未來的文章裡總會提到戈蘭高地，Philip I在他的部落格Recta裡就把戈蘭高地的問題再度置於焦點下，使它成為每個人的共同目標。
Israel has been exploiting her war victory and occupation of the Golan for 40 years. Economically, the Golan has yielded enormous benefits in agricultural produce, tourist receipts and clean water. A peace deal based on a gradual but complete return of the Golan to Syria over 20 years, without destruction of existing infrastructure or compensation on either side, is both possible and feasible. Both sides must see opportunity in promoting peaceful coexistence and regional economic cooperation, but also a serious and constant danger of armed conflict and possible defeat if they fail to make progress.
以色列仗恃著勝戰而佔領戈蘭高地至今已四十年了，經濟面上，戈蘭高地的農業生產、觀光收入和乾淨的水資源帶來龐大的利益。只要不破壞雙方現存公共設施、不危及彼此的補償利益，一個橫跨二十年、逐步但完整得歸還戈蘭高地給敘利亞的和平協定是有可能實現的；兩方的人都必須正視推展和平共處與區域經濟合作的機會，但如果雙方都無法在和平議題上有長足進展的話，持續且嚴重的武裝衝突和兩敗俱傷也有可能到來。
Rime Allaf again, has a very different approach to the so-called Peace Process…
Some analysts have since argued that the Syrian regime is only interested in its own survival (a point which certainly holds merit) and that it would use negotiations with Israel and engagement with others merely as a means to an end – the end being its longevity and security. As long as the Syrian regime is engaged and negotiating, goes the logic, it escapes the pressure of the Hariri investigation and tribunal, amongst others.
有些分析家認為敘利亞當局只對如何維繫自己的政權有興趣(這個論點的確有其參考價值)，當局和以色列的談判以及各種和其他人的協定只不過是他們用來確保政權能長治久安的工具；照這個邏輯來看，只要持續談判，敘利亞政權就能逃避來自Hariri 刺殺案的調查與法庭審判的壓力。(譯註：Hariri 是前黎巴嫩總理，2005年遭自殺炸彈攻擊身亡，此案件外界廣泛猜測與敘利亞當局有關聯。)
There are some flaws in these arguments. For one, it is simplistic to imagine that the Syrian regime would only prefer the status quo to peace with Israel; on the contrary, there is merit to the case that the retrieval of the Golan Heights would give the regime renewed legitimacy, and a popularity which would allow it to ride a wave of acceptance for many years. In fact, this seems to be validated by the very generous concessions the regime seems willing to give just to rekindle the peace process. While this could be purely tactical, given Israel’s public refusal to give back the land it occupied in 1967, the regime is clearly prepared for a scenario of peaceful relations.
這個論點有些瑕疵，認為敘利亞政權喜歡維持現狀勝過與以色列和平共處是個過於簡化的想像；相反的，若是取回戈蘭高地，這個政績反而替當局增添統治的合法性，讓他們利用因此贏得的民心再統治個好幾年。而後者的論點也有其可信之處，因為當局似乎願意做出讓步來重燃和平進程的希望。
And to close off, back to Abu Fares, and his cry against censorship…
在結束之前，讓我們再回到Fares的文章以及他對檢查制發出的怒吼
I have previously expressed my dislike of and disagreement with a few blogs on political grounds. However, blocking them is wrong and nobody has the right to do so. I have made that choice on my own and refused to read them long before Blogspot was blacklisted. I feel exactly the same about pornography and “morally” questionable material. I would not go purposely on a quest to find pornographic sites. However, I stand by their right to exist and the right of any adult to browse these sites till he or she drops. Is it not strange that in a city like Dubai, where soliciting the services of a prostitute is as easy as ordering a pizza by phone, internet sites are blocked because of their morally unacceptable content? What about the other Arab countries from where I keep getting hits everyday on a long gone post about Fairuz. Through search engines and from behind firewalls, these maverick browsers were looking for a “smooth ass”. Who has the right to deny these poor souls their right to see an ass? I have previously made a joke about this particular incidence but now I repent.
我先前曾對一些部落格的政治立場感到不滿；然而，封鎖他們是不對的，因為任何人都沒有權利這麼做。早在Blogspot被列入黑名單前我就拒絕看該網站，但那是我自己做的決定，這其中的道理與我對A片和那些道德上有問題的東西的態度是一樣的。我不會特地上網找A片網站，然而，我支持它們存在的權利以及任何成年人都有權瀏覽這些網站。在像杜拜(Dubai)這樣召妓如同用電話訂披薩一樣容易的城市，有道德爭議的網站卻被封鎖，這不是件很奇怪的事嗎? 那麼其他的阿拉伯國家呢?即使內容已經移除，某些國家的人每天還是持續陰錯陽差地連結到我的部落格裡那篇有關Fairuz的文章，(譯註：1. Abu Fares曾寫過一篇關於阿拉伯世界的歌手Fairuz的文章，但他發現那篇文章的超高點擊率並非源自Fairuz的名氣，而是因為他曾在該文裡寫到"smooth ass"一字。也就是說，許多在網路上找A片的人透過關鍵字搜尋而誤打誤撞地連到這篇其實與他們的目的毫無關係的文章。2. 這邊Abu Fares應該是指人們這些morally unacceptable的需要是有權存在且不該被拒絕的)透過搜尋引擎以及防火牆，這些不服於網路檢查的使用者正在尋找「光滑的屁股」，誰有權拒絕這些可憐靈魂想看屁股的權利?我先前曾對這些上網尋求樂子的人開了一個玩笑，但現在我後悔了。