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Syria Denies Existence of Mass Grave

   VOA News  May 17, 2011
   Syrian woman and men chant slogans against Syria's President Bashar
   al-Assad after arriving in Wadi Khaled in northern Lebanon, near the
   Lebanese-Syrian border May 16, 2011

Photo: REUTERS

   Syrian woman and men chant slogans against Syria's President Bashar
   al-Assad after arriving in Wadi Khaled in northern Lebanon, near the
   Lebanese-Syrian border, May 16, 2011

   Syria's Interior Ministry has denied the existence of a mass grave in
   the southern city of Daraa, where the army entered last month to put
   down anti-government protests.
   A ministry official told the state news agency Tuesday that reports of
   the mass grave are completely false, adding that the reports are part
   of a campaign of incitement against Syria.
   Daraa residents and human rights activists say locals discovered the
   grave on the outskirts of the town, but authorities later blocked
   access to the area to prevent removal of the bodies.
   Activists say more than 850 civilians have been killed across the
   country since mid-March when protesters began calling for Syrian
   President Bashar al-Assad's resignation. Authorities have arrested at
   least 7,000 more as part of the crackdown.
   On Tuesday, Syrian activists called for a general strike Wednesday in
   protest of the crackdown. The announcement was posted on the Facebook
   page of Internet-based opposition group Syrian Revolution 2011.

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References

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