Human rights groups say Syrian forces killed nearly 140 people on Sunday, as President Bashar al-Assad crushed dissent on the eve of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Of those killed, about 100 died when the army stormed the flashpoint city of Hama, they said.
In the same city in 1982, his father, former President Hafez al-Assad killed at least 10,000, and as many as 20,000 people, when he crushed an Islamist uprising.
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SBS spoke to Deakin University's Mat Hardy who says the situation seems unlikely to be resolved in the near future, with President Assad enjoying strong and seemingly loyal support in his inner circle and upper ranks of the army.
Although Western leaders have been talking tough, Hardy says the international community is unwilling to engage in a country firmly in the 'too hard basket.'
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