E. Mail (charbel@inforamp.net)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
June 19/1999
To: The Honorable Mr. Lloyd Axworthy,
Foreign Minister
Dear Mr. Axworthy
On behalf of 12 major Lebanese-Canadian organizations, whose members are very proud to be
Canadians of Lebanese descent, I would like to share with you our concerns in regards to
the occupational Syrian role in Lebanon. We know very well that you are a strong advocate
for human rights and a courageous believer in the right of people to live in peace,
dignity and freedom.
Unfortunately Syria and since 1990 is occupying Lebanon, installing its governments and
officials, blocking the withdrawal of the Israelis from it South, hindering the
implementation of the UN resolutions 425, 426 and 520, not allowing the Lebanese to
implement the "Taef agreement", destroying the nation's economy, impoverishing
the people and infringing on every article of the charter of Human Rights.
Dear Mr. Axworthy
On Monday 21/6/ 1999 you will be meeting with Syria's Foreign Minister Mr. Farouk Charaa
during his visit to our beloved country, Canada. We appeal to you, you the champion of
human rights to take into consideration during your talks with him the following vital
facts:
1- Syria forced the "Taef Accord" on the Lebanese people and after conquering
the country and ousting its legitimate government, headed by General Michel Aoun in 1990,
it refused to implement from this accord except what serves its interests e.g. the Syrian
troops should have withdrawn from the capital and other regions in 1992, but instead they
were deployed heavily and unnecessarily in every city and town.
2- The Lebanese governments and officials since 1990 are all appointed directly by Syria
under the camouflage of fake and fabricated elections. Accordingly the Lebanese parliament
is crippled and its only role is to execute the Syrian orders, and the cabinet works
solely to protect Syria's interests and not those of Lebanon.
3- The Lebanese Legitimate leaders are either in jail or in exile and the few who still
live in Lebanon are oppressed and forced to remain silent in fear for their safety and
that of their families and beloved ones.
4- Half million Lebanese are still displaced in their own country, mostly Christians and
are not allowed because of the Syrian hegemony to return to their own villages and
property.
5- Thousands of Lebanese who were forced to emigrate are scared to return because of the
persecution and intimidation, especially against those who oppose the Syrian occupation.
6- More than 400 thousand foreigners, mostly Syrians were granted the Lebanese citizenship
illegally, after 1990, endangering the very delicate demographic balance of the country.
7- More them one and half million Syrian workers conquer the Lebanese labor market and
force the Lebanese to be jobless and ultimately to leave Lebanon and emigrate.
8- Syria has forced on Lebanon tens of unfair and biased mutual agreements almost in every
sector from military to transportation etc, making the country and its institutions a
Syrian puppet and turning the Lebanese to second class citizens in their own country.
9- Syria through its full hegemony over the Lebanese installed officials is changing the
country's history, destroying its cultural roots, undermining its distinguishable
identity, and forcing on the Lebanese a new non-Lebanese identity, political system,
culture and history.
10- Hundreds and hundreds of innocent Lebanese citizens are still detained arbitrarily in
the Syrian Nazi-like detention centers for religious and political reasons without clear
charges or trials. The Syrians are still denying the detainees whereabouts and not making
their jails accessible to the international human rights organizations or to the
International Red Cross.
11- Syria through its Army controls the entire Lebanese media, depriving the Lebanese
people especially the opposition from all their rights of freedom of speech.
12- Syria has disarmed the Christian militias and kept the other militias heavily armed,
like Amal Movement (headed by the house speaker Mr. Berri) Hizbiollah and numerous
Palestinian armed groups who oppose the Israeli-Palestinian Oslo Agreements. Syria is even
allowing Hizbollah and the Palestinians to have their own jails and to arrest charge,
sentence and imprison citizens. The Syrians are creating states inside the State of
Lebanon using the divide and conquer strategy.
13- Hundreds of university students are arrested on continuous basis by the Lebanese and
Syrian forces. They are intimidated, beaten, humiliated and forced to sign affidavits
stating that they will not practice any activity opposing the Syrian occupation. The basic
human rights of the students as well as those of the rest of the Lebanese people are
infringed on, every day.
14- Hundreds of South Lebanon's residents are charged unjustly with treason and sentenced
harshly in absentia because they are merely forced to live under the Israeli occupation
and communicate with the Israelis, or to serve in the South Lebanon Army ranks.
15- Syria has forced the Lebanese regime this month not to deploy the Lebanese Army in the
City of Jezzine after the South Lebanon Army left it. The residents there are in serious
danger and could be massacred at any time.
Dear Mr. Axworthy
we ask you to lobby for the liberation of Lebanon, the independent, free, sovereign state
and to help the Lebanese people in reclaiming their own country back from Syria and Israel
through the implementation of the UN resolutions 425, 426 and 520.
We appeal to you that the Canadian government pressure Syria to release the hundreds of
Lebanese detainees in its jails and to withdraw its occupational forces from Lebanon,
leaving the Lebanese to decide their own future freely and elect their own officials.
Long Live Canada
Long Live Freedom.
Yours truly
Media Chairman
Elias Bejjani
===================================================================