Canadians advised Syria of exit toll climbs

The Federal Government is advising Canadians to leave the Syria after that the security forces he killed at least 11 lament taking part in funeral processions Saturday for the demonstrators killed in anti-Government protests.

Reports of the killings, including the city of the South of Izraa and the suburbs of Damascus in the Duma, were not independently confirmed because the Syria expelled foreign journalists.

Ammar Qurabi, head of the national organization of the Syria for human rights, confirmed at least 11 dead Saturday. A total of 112 were killed Friday--regarded as the most deadly day of the uprising, with the security forces demonstrators back blows with bullets, tear gas and batons.

Violence and the likelihood of events more can, has prompted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Canada to advise Canadians against travel in the country and Syria Canadians to leave by commercial facilities while they are still available. The Ministry said those requiring emergency assistance should contact the Embassy of the Canada in Damascus.

Syrian anti-government demonstrators held a national flag bloodied during the procession on Saturday for activists murdered in Izraa. This image was captured on a phone mobile and sent to AP (Associated Press).

Over the past five weeks, the funeral of demonstrators were often transformed into anti-Government protests. During the procession on Saturday at Izraa, thousands of people chanted slogans against the regime of President Bashar Assad that they carried coffins through the streets.

Also Saturday, two members of Parliament and a religious leader resigns in protest against the killing of demonstrators during the uprising against Al-Assad.

The two legislators, Nasser Hariri and Khalil Rifai are Dara, a southern region that has triggered protests in mid-March. In contact with politicians, militants confirmed the resignation.

In addition, Sheikh Rizq Abdul Rahim Abazeid resigned his position as the mufti of Dara. "I cannot tolerate the blood of our innocent sons and children being handed over," he said.

Every Friday, a growing number of people in cities across the country took the streets despite the rapid attacks security forces.

The Suppression of heavy security Friday and Saturday came after Assad warned last week that any other disorders would be considered as "sabotage" after fact the gesture of lifting the State of emergency decades-old, who had given security forces close coverage for surveillance and arrest powers.

Unable to find in Syria and other foreign journalists have prevented access to problem areas, a large part of the statement in the country has depended on video footage phone distributed by the activists of the opposition.

Syrian human rights groups have called on the Government to establish a Commission of judicial inquiry to prosecute those who fired on demonstrators and release all political prisoners.

Some 300 people have been killed since the uprising began last month.

Several leaders have condemned the repression against the demonstrators.

"This disgraceful use of violence to suppress the demonstrations must be completed today," the US President Barack Obama, said Friday.

Jerzy Buzek, President of the European Parliament, urged the Syrian Government to stop the "bloodbath", allow to media freedoms and free "all prisoners of conscience".

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Syria lifts State of emergency

The Syria Government approved the lifting of the State of the country almost 50 years of emergency Tuesday to respond to a request of key anti-government protesters, but opposition leaders dismissed as an attempt by President Bashar al-Assad to claim reforms, but maintain its harsh rule.

The blunt answer suggested month uprising could enter into a more volatile phase: demonstrators now more to seek the eviction of Assad and his regime of warning that the demonstrations must now end.

"We want freedom!" chanted thousands of people in the South of the city of Dara and the coastal town of Banias, according to witnesses.

A prominent Syrian writer Yassin Haj Saleh, who has spent 16 years in prison for his pro-democracy links with a group, claimed that assad was looking for "a maneuver to buy time" by removing the State of emergency, which gives authorities almost infinities powers of surveillance and arrest.

People perform prayers during a protest in the Syrian city of Homs Monday, before the security forces attacked demonstrators in a raid before dawn Tuesday. (Reuters)

"They basically tell people, ' we've completed your applications, so go home and if you do we break your head,"' he told Associated Press by telephone from Beirut. "" "". But in reality, nothing will change. ?

A leader of prominent opposition strengthen these doubts, was arrested during the night, according to a Syrian human rights group.

Announced the end of the State of emergency, reviled in many signaling came in a few hours after a demonstration of force by the authorities.

Security forces stormed a square in the third largest city of the Syria. Then officials issued a severe warning to national television for protesters to pull back.

The message of the ultimatum-style seems to show that ending emergency laws will not facilitate blows in hard against opponents. Assad regime marked the protest movement, as an "armed insurrection" and a power grab by Islamic extremists - of descriptions that could give authorities coverage continue repression.

Assad last week told his cabinet to remove the State of emergency - in place since his party Baath took power in March 1963 - but he added that such an approach would demonstrators no more reason to take the streets. This could give additional Assad a pretext to move any other marches or rallies.

In this image of citizen journalism, acquired by the AP and taken Monday, Syrian pray the clock on-site in the centre of Homs in Syria. Syrian security later fired tear gas and live ammunition and hundreds of demonstrators hostile to the Government took a major place of Homs, witnesses and activists said. (Associated Press)

Official Syria SANA News Agency, said the cabinet also approved abolishing the Court of State security, which has managed trials of political prisoners and has approved a new law authorizing the right to peaceful protests of scene with the permission of the Ministry of the Interior. Changes need Parliament's approval, but no objection is expected at its next session scheduled for May 2.

"Would abrogate the emergency law do little to limit the power of the various security agencies because that the Syria has other laws that guarantee members of the immunity of the secret police for virtually any crime committed in the exercise of their functions""," said Mohamad Bazzi, a regional expert of the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.

Most of the people of the Syria $ 23 million is born or grew up under the State of emergency which, among other things, puts a strict control on the media, allows listening on telecommunications and permits warrantless arrests.

The regime had claimed the reason for the State of emergency is due to the technical state of war with arch enemy Israel, but rights groups and others say that it was used primarily as the backbone of the authoritarian system.

Openings Tuesday came shortly after the Ministry of the Interior issued a worrying warning to the nation to stop to take part in demonstrations or the sit-in. In a statement broadcast on Syrian television, the Ministry said that all laws will be implemented to protect the security of the people and the stability of the country.

Hours earlier, security forces fired on demonstrators hostile to put Government stage a sit-in in a square in the Centre of the city of Homs, chasing the streets for hours.

Witnesses said at least one person was killed and several others injured.

"They fired on everything, there was smoke everywhere in the world," activist Homs told the AP by telephone, asking that his name will not be used because he feared for his personal safety. "I saw people on the ground, some shot at their feet, some in the stomach."

Hundreds of people gathered Monday instead of the clock, in the centre of Homs providing mattresses, food and water on the site of the impasse of the Egypt-style. They are committed to stay until President Bashar al-Assad is discarded - a long month uprising brazen escalation against the authoritarian regime of the country.

At least 200 people were killed in the last month, security forces have launched a deadly crackdown on the protest movement, say human rights groups. The Government coupled dry promises of reform with brutal tactics to suppress the unrest, using widely despised security forces and liberate the uninterrupted thugs called shabiha.

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