Syria concessions fail to ease fears ahead of Dignity Friday

The Syrian government last night vowed to consider lifting draconian restrictions on political freedom and civil liberties in a bid to quell a week-long uprising that protesters say has left dozens dead, shot down by security forces.

The pledges appeared unlikely to satisfy demonstrators in the southern city of Daraa, where thousands have defied the crackdown as they take to the streets for funeral marches.

Presidential adviser Buthaina Shaaban blamed the unrest on outsiders but told reporters in capital Damascus that president Bashar al-Assad's government would consider lifting a state of emergency, in place since 1963, that allows people to be arrested without warrant.

She said the government was drafting a law that would allow political parties other than the ruling Baath party, and loosen media restrictions. It also intends to increase public sector pay, provide health insurance, and try to reduce corruption.

Ms Shaaban said Mr Assad had given orders for security forces not to open fire in Daraa even if attacked but "there were, maybe, some mistakes". Sporadic bursts of gunfire were heard across the city yesterday. Almost all shops were shut, the streets virtually empty and soldiers and anti-terrorism police stopped people at checkpoints.

An activist in contact with residents of Daraa said massive crowds shouted "Syria, freedom!" as they marched to one of the city's main cemeteries. Inspired by pro-democracy protests across the Arab world, the uprising in Daraa and at least four nearby villages has become the biggest challenge since the 1970s to the Syrian government. Security forces have responded with water cannon, tear gas, rubber bullets and live ammunition.

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Abdul-Karim Rihawi, who heads the Syrian Human Rights League, said arrests "will only increase tension".

A statement posted last night on the Facebook page "The Syrian Revolution 2011" held Syrian authorities responsible for the violence and called on Syrians to protests today, "Dignity Friday".

A resident of Daraa said witnesses reported seeing at least 34 people killed when police launched an assault on Wednesday on a neighbourhood sheltering protesters, in an operation that lasted nearly 24 hours.

He said at least 20 bodies were brought to Daraa National Hospital, and seven were taken to hospitals in neighbouring areas. In the early evening, people from the villages of Inkhil, Khirbet Ghazale and al-Harrah tried to march on Daraa but security forces opened fire and hit them with rifle butts. The resident said seven were killed and hundreds wounded.

"There is a state of undeclared curfew in Daraa, whenever troops see four or five more people gathered they open fire," he said. "Daraa is like a ghost town, we are very scared."Troops were in control of the area around al-Omari mosque, where most of Wednesday's fighting occurred. Ahed Al Hendi, a Syrian dissident and Arabic programme co-ordinator for the US-based human rights organisation cyberdissidents.org, said at least 45 people were killed on Wednesday.