The government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad insisted on Monday that it is responding to its people's demands for reforms, touting the overwhelming approval of a referendum ushering in a new constitution and multi-party democracy. But to many observers on the outside and activists on the inside, the referendum was a "farce," and Assad continues to mercilessly kill anyone demanding change, especially in the restive city of Homs. Mother Jones reported Monday it had obtained a leaked government "hit list" with details on where to find thousands of government opponents, presumably to capture or kill them. Here, a by-the-numbers look at one of the longest, bloodiest offshoots of the Arab Spring:
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9,000
Citizens killed by Assad's forces over the past year, according to opposition groups
2,000
Security force members killed by "terrorists," according to Syria's government
57.4
Percent of eligible voters who cast ballots in Sunday's referendum, per government figures
735,000
Voters who opposed the new constitution in Sunday's vote (9 percent of voters)
7.5 million
Voters who approved the new constitution, according to government tallies (89.4 percent of voters)
2028
Year Assad would be term-limited out of power under the new constitution approved Sunday
1970
Year Assad's father seized power in a coup. The family has ruled Syria ever since.
144
People killed by government forces on Sunday and Monday, according to opposition groups
64
People reportedly stopped at a checkpoint and killed by government forces in single "horrifying massacre" when trying to flee shelling in Homs on Sunday evening
718
Pages of names on an apparent government "hit list" detailing the whereabouts, activities, and personal details of thousands of targeted dissidents, according to Mother Jones
186,000
Average tweets per hour about Egypt's uprising in January 2011, according to Slate
25,000 to 50,000
Average tweets per hour about the Iranian uprising in June 2009
3,000 to 6,000
Average tweets per hour about the Syrian uprising in February 2012
90,000
Tweets every 10 minutes about the British singer Adele on Feb. 13, the day after she won six Grammys
70
Countries that attended a "Friends of Syria" meeting in Tunisia last weekend to seek an end to the violence
2
Countries — China and Russia — blocking any meaningful action at the U.N. Security Council
Sources: AP, Bloomberg, CNN, Mother Jones, New York Times, Slate
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