Suppression Under Nasser and The Ba'th, 1958-1970
The United Arab Republic (UAR) was formed in February 1958. Toward the end of 1958, a savage campaign of repression against the party began. Nasser was provoked to action by a harshly critical statement made by Bakdash, who called for transformation of the UAR into a loose federation. Communists were imprisoned and in some cases killed.
The union ended in 1961 when a coup led to Syria's secession. The Communist Party was strongly identified with the secessionist tendency and suffered a loss of popular support and membership as a result. Worse was to follow, when the pro-unification coup of 1963 brought a military-based government consisting largely of Ba'thists and Nasserists to power and the party was once again repressed.
Read more about this topic: Syrian Communist Party
Famous quotes containing the word suppression:
“... peace produced by suppression is neither natural nor desirable.”
—Anna Julia Cooper (1859–1964)