August 19^th, 2002
PRESS RELEASE
DIASPORA GROUPS ASK UN TO INTERVENE AGAINST "CRACK DOWN ON MEDIA IN LEBANON"

Addressing the office of the Secretary General of the United Nations,Diaspora based Lebanese groups stigmatized the "pressures applied by the pro-Syrian regime in Lebanon against media." A joint memorandum was presented to the office of Mr Kofi Anan in New York by a representative of the alliance. Mr Tom Harb, Chairman of the American Maronite Union, remitted a memorandum on behalf of six Lebanese organizations in the US and worldwide. Mr Harb met with high-ranking officials at the UN Secretariat in New York and discussed the deteriorating situation of public liberties in Lebanon. Harb said: "our ongoing action on behalf of Lebanon's freedoms and independence is focusing on the United Nations and the various other international bodies."

Find below the text of the memorandum.
August 14, 2002
The Honorable Dr Kofi Anan
Secretary General
United Nations New York, N.Y.
Dear Secretary General:
Once again the pro-Syrian authorities in Beirut have waged a campaign aiming at breaching the basic human rights of Lebanon's civil society. Two months after the assassination on May 20, of a Lebanese student leader, Ramzi Irani, in an area under Syro-Lebanese control and where Hizbollah maintains militia presence, several TV and radio stations are now targeted for prosecution and ultimately for shut down. Among the suppressed media are the Lebanese Broadcasting Company International (LBCI) and Murr TV (MTV), as well as al-Nur Catholic radio station.

The authorities are accusing the above-mentioned media of speaking the truth as a result of a mass killing of 7 civilians on August 1st at the hands of a gunman, allegedly belonging to a pro-Syrian militia. The TV and radio stations to be targeted for closing or heavy fines, have traditionally expressed the views of a large segment of the civil society, despite the regime's suppressive methods over the past decade.

These threats, which are taking place in an environment of terrorism, are the extension of years of political and security oppression of the Lebanese population by the Syrian occupation and their sympathizers in the ruling regime. However the current attack against Lebanon's last free media is an extremely dangerous development. For it is known that such suppression of media is a prelude to subsequent acts of collective violence against an unprotected population.
We remind you again of the similar tragic events in East Timor and Kosovo which led to catastrophic losses and a massive deterioration of stability. It becomes therefore a must for the international community to initiate a serious intervention in Lebanon, before the worse could occur. We demand from the Secretary General to call the attention of the Security Council to the ongoing deterioration of Human Rights in Lebanon and send an inquiry commission to the country.

The successive assassinations, detention, torture and exile of political opposition cadres and leaders,  as well as the imminent action against the media is to be taken seriously by the international community, which at this point is held responsible for the ongoing and upcoming persecutions in Lebanon.

We, as representatives of the Lebanese Diaspora and expatriates groups call on you to act immediately in this regard. We will make ourselves available for any consultation and cooperation with the United Nations.

Sincerely yours,
Sami Khoury, President, World Maronite Union
Dr Joseph Gebaily, Director, Lebanese Information Center
Tom Harb, Chairman, American Maronite Union
Joseph Hage, Chairman, US Kataeb
Mel Zohrob, President, American Lebanese Assembly
Tony BouSamra, President, American Lebanese Alliance
Theo Sokhn, World Lebanese Organization