The Syrian opposition called on Wednesday for two-days of demonstrations across the country to mark the 30th anniversary of the 1982 Hama massacre, which claimed thousands of lives.

"We call for demonstrations in all of Syria on 2 and 3 February on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Hama massacre," said the opposition Syrian National Council and other groups in a joint statement.

The regime of Hafez al-Assad, the late father of the current president, squashed an Islamist revolt in the central city of Hama in 1982, killing an estimated 10,000 to 25,000 civilians, according to international rights groups.

The opposition said it wanted to "show its solidarity with the victims of this massacre which was ignored for 30 years and to affirm our determination to overthrow the current regime" of President Bashar al-Assad.

Hama, which has been targeted in military campaigns to crush an unprecedented wave of dissent this past year, has become a symbol of resistance against the Assad clan.

Hafez al-Assad ruled Syria from 1970 until his passing in 2000. He was succeeded by his son Bashar.

The opposition also called for "the trial of the regimes of Hafez and Bashar al-Assad for massacres against humanity committed against the Syrian people."

"The silence of the Arab and international community in the face of the crimes committed by Hafez al-Assad and his cronies 30 years ago is largely responsible for the continuation of daily crimes and atrocities committed by Bashar," the text said.

The statement was also signed by the General Commission of the Syrian Revolution, the Local Coordination Committees, the Supreme Command Council of the Syrian Revolution, and the Facebook group Syrian Revolution 2011.

Short link:

