The Hague (AINA) -- The recent bombings in mosul of school buses carrying Assyrian university students have prompted three Dutch MPs to submit written questions to the Dutch Parliament concerning the Assyrians of Iraq. Pieter Omtzigt, member of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party, Voordewind (Christian Unity party) and Van der Staaij (SGP) submitted four questions to the minister of foreign affairs about the bomb attacks on buses in Mosul, Iraq:

1. have you learnt about the bomb attacks on a number of busses with Christian students in the Iraq city of Mosul, in which people were killed and wounded
2. This is the newest attack in a long series in Mosul. Minorities, like Christians, flee from Iraq in large numbers. Which international action will you take for a larger international presence and better international control on the protection of minorities?
3. Are you willing to take the initiative to organize a round table about the protection of minorities in Iraq and the prevention of people fleeing? Are you willing to organize that together with other countries like Iraq?
4. Are you prepared to take the initiative in the UN to better protect religious minorities?

According to Mr. Omtzigt, the initiative to organize a round table concerning the protection of Assyrians and other minorities in Iraq has the highest priority, given the continued persecution of Assyrians (report) and their disproportionate percentage as refugees in Syria and Jordan. Though Assyrians comprised only about 8% of the Iraqi population in 2003, they comprise more than 40% of the refugees in Syria and Jordan (report).