THE CANADIAN COORDINATION COUNCIL
OF THE LEBANESE ORGANIZATIONS (CCCLO)
E-mail (cadmous2000@yahoo.com)
Phone & Fax # (905) 272-9389
505 Ginger Downs
Mississagua, Ontario - Canada L5A 3A8
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April 7/2000

To: Prime Minister of Canada

Dear Mr. Jean Chretien

On behalf of twelve major Canadian-Lebanese groups and organizations, I would like to share with your Excellency, before the start of your official visit to Lebanon, some of our communities’ dire concerns:

1-As Canadians of Lebanese descent, we are very proud of our Canadian democratic system and consider ourselves privileged to be Canadian citizens. At the same time, we are eager to see our native homeland Lebanon, regaining back, as soon as possible, her repressed freedoms and legitimate basic human rights. Mr. Chretien, as Prime Minister of our great country, you represent a pillar of humanity in a multi-cultural nation not unlike Lebanon. With your help, Lebanon can achieve true peace, sovereignity and independence upon the withdrawal of Syrian and Israeli occupational forces.

2-Knowing that Lebanon is currently occupied by both the Israelis and the Syrians, we would have preferred that all Canadian officials’ visits to our oppressed Lebanon, would have been postponed till after full liberation and the reclamation of its confiscated free decision making process and independence.

3-We would like to stress the fact that Lebanon’s current political regime was installed by Syria. This was done against the will of the majority of the Lebanese people and contradicts the democratic foundation that Lebanon was built upon. Lebanon’s officials, including the President, Prime Minister, Speaker and most of the MP’s as well as many high ranking employees, do not represent the wishes, hopes or aspirations of the peace wanting people of Lebanon. They are forced or bribed into advocating and lobbying for Syria’s interests and political agendas.

4-All the presidential, parliamentary and municipal elections that took place since 1990 were orchestrated by Syria and fully manipulated by its occupation troops. All Lebanese patriotic leaders, who opposed the Syrian occupation, are in jail, killed, harassed or forced into exile.

5-Hundreds of innocent Lebanese citizens are detained arbitrarily in Syrian, Nazi-like jails. Some of these Lebanese have been detained for over twenty years and all are deprived of their basic human rights. These facts have been well documented on an annual basis by all international human rights organizations’ reports for the last 20 years.

6-The people of Lebanon implore you to help their country, through encouraging the implementation of UN resolutions 425, 426 and 520. They are eager to live in peace with all their neighbors with mutual respect of freedom and sovereignity.

7-The people of Lebanon, as well as the Canadian-Lebanese Community, are looking forward to the establishment of sincere and friendly relations with Canada in all fields and in every aspect after the liberation of Lebanon.

8-Our Canadian-Lebanese Community calls on this government to limit its financial support to Lebanese educational, humanitarian and social institutions and not to the subservient Syrian installed regime. This regime has a notorious record of bribery and embezzlement and any generous aid in their hands would not serve the needs of the people.

9-Last but not least, the basic and fundamental human rights of the Lebanese people are savagely breached and infringed upon under the ruling of the current Syrian-dominated Lebanese government. These violations are well documented by the USA State Department annual reports and by each and every International Human Rights organization.

We hope that our beloved Canada, under your wise leadership, will continue to support democracy, freedom, multi-culturalism, sovereignty and integrity of Lebanon as a free nation.

God Keep Our Land
Glorious and Free

Yours truly
Elias Bejjani
Media Chairman and Secretary
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