Holding their ground Syria's Kurds join the uprising

摘要

1.State repression of Syria's Kurdish population, in addition to external factors, historically prevented them from mounting a sustained challenge to the state.rn2.The beginning of the anti-government uprising in early 2011 changed this, with a rapid mobilisation of Kurdish organisations and militias across northeast Syria.rn3.Kurdish groups have emerged as key, pragmatic neutral actors in Syria, although this stance has resulted in clashes with anti-government forces.