DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – Damascus university students expressed their dissatisfaction with the presence of the security apparatus members and military troops within the university campus, in conjunction with harassment, despite the knowledge of the university administration.
Ghadir Ali (a pseudonym), a university student, said students are not allowed to visit their friends or relatives in other colleges, while security members and soldiers move freely among faculties, even harassing women.
Annoyance and harassment
Bayan Sheikh (a pseudonym), a university student in the Law Faculty, said that she was repeatedly harassed by soldiers on her college campus and that she complained to the college’s administration, but was ignored.
The university administrative body, which is consists of students chosen by the students’ union, guards the university campus and resolves disputes.
Since the beginning of Syrian crisis, security apparatus’ members have been responsible for university security conditions, according to students who have been questioned by thenm.
Nazir Kiki (a pseudonym), a student in the Faculty of Science, said ”There is not a big difference between the students’ union and security members in term of leading; the former conceals the bad practices of the security members and soldiers.”
Monopolized canteens
Additionally, an employee in the college of Literature in Damascus University who preferred to be unidentified said that all canteens of faculties in Maza are led by a security official called Abu Allaa.
She added, “Abu Alaa is the manager of the all canteens, he invests in them from the government at low prices then he offers them for investment at high prices.”
A place for soldiers
Loay Wafiq (a pseudonym), an employee at Damascus University, said that the security apparatus is directly responsible for university security.
Members of the security apparatus and officials of Ba’ath Brigades (a volunteer militia made up of Syrian Ba’ath Party members loyal to the goernment) are deployed at the entrances of Damascus university.
Wafiq believes that “”These matters frighten and terrify the students.”
Furthermore, students complained that security members and soldiers move within faculties without restrictions, and that “they come to the university in order to spend time and harass the university students, while the university management is silent.”