On the ninth anniversary of the Yazidi Genocide perpetrated by ISIS, the Democratic Union Party (PYD) issued a call for displaced Yazidis to return to their ancestral homeland to rebuild communities. The PYD also urged the international community to recognise the atrocities committed against the Yazidis as ethnic cleansing.
The party is known for its advocacy of democratic confederalism and women’s liberation and has been instrumental in establishing the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), a de facto autonomous region in northeastern Syria. The region, although not internationally recognised, has been lauded for efforts in promoting a multi-ethnic and inclusive society amidst the Syrian conflict.
PYD highlighted, in the statement released on 1 August, the ongoing search for thousands of missing Yazidi women and children, the discovery of mass graves, and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Yazidis. The party stressed that these individuals are forced to live in refugee camps lacking basic needs.
The PYD criticised the Turkish state’s direct intervention in 2016, following the defeat of ISIS. The party accused Turkey and its mercenaries of occupying Yazidi villages and committing acts of violence and desecration similar to those of ISIS.
The PYD emphasised the importance of organising the Kurdish community and self-defence. The party argued that if the community had been organised and had not relied on others for protection, the catastrophe would not have been as extensive.
The party also urged the Yazidi people to focus on rebuilding areas that hold significant cultural and historical value.
