Guardians of the Cedars - National Lebanese Movement
General Directorate.
September 15/2000
The Central Leadership for the Guardians of the Cedars Party-The Lebanese Resistance
Movement, held its weekly meeting on September 15/2000 in the Holy Land. The party’s
Leader, Mr. Abu Arz presided over the session - all board members were present.
Items on the agenda included the refugees in Israel, the displaced, and the detainees in
Beirut’s regime jails. At the end of the session the following statement was issued:
The Guardians of the Cedars Party – the Lebanese Resistance Movement, would like
to make the Lebanese people as well as the regional and international countries aware of
the fact that the Southern Lebanese currently taking refugee in Israel are not traitors or
collaborators as tagged arbitrarily by both the Lebanese and Syrian regimes. They are
patriotic, honest and decent genuine Lebanese citizens and are entitled to receive all the
help needed for an immediate safe return to their homes and land with dignity and without
pre-set conditions. At the same time thousands of our southern citizens who have been
detained illegally and arbitrarily in Lebanon’s jails since Israel’s withdrawal
must be released and their human rights respected.
Based on these facts the party would like to clarify the following issues:
- Following the withdrawal of Israel’s troops from South Lebanon in accordance to the
UN Resolution 425, thousands of peaceful Southern Lebanese citizens, and hundreds of SLA
members were forced to escape Israel fearing for their lives.
- The current presence of thousands of Lebanese refugees, from all denominations in
Israel, indicates clearly that none of them trusts the Lebanese-Syrian installed regime.
It is also worth mentioning that thousands of SLA members and Southern citizens who
trusted the Beirut regime and surrendered to its security forces are detained arbitrarily
and sentenced harshly with forged charges.
- The number one condition for national conciliation that the Beirut regime brags about,
is an unconditional, safe, internationally guaranteed return of the Lebanese refugees in
Israel. Their return should be implemented with dignity, respect, honor and an immediate
cessation of all legal cases forged against them. The Southern people who were helped and
supported by Israel during the last 25 years have refused continuously to give the Jewish
State anything in return on the account of their country and patriotism. They bitterly
found during the current ordeal that Israel has embraced them, while Lebanon, their
country has been after their heads.
- The return of the Lebanese in exile, especially the patriotic leaders, is seriously
hindered by the presence of Syria’s occupation troops and its iron fist hegemony on
the whole of Lebanon. Human rights of thousands of Lebanese citizens are infringed on by
the Lebanese-Syrian appointed regime. They are forced by fear for their lives to remain in
exile.
- The party calls on all individuals, Clergymen and politicians involved in Lebanon’s
public affairs to stop all mercenary attitudes, and put an immediate end to their
opportunistic stances. They should stop abusing the holy sacrifices of thousands of
martyrs who offered their precious lives on Lebanon’s altar. The most painful
situation a patriot might encounter is a tag of collaboration with the enemy. At the same
time, treason is the most traumatic injustice that could be inflicted on a patriotic
fighter for defending his country.
- Settlement of half a million Palestinian refugees, and the so-called re-organization of
the Palestinian existence in Lebanon are two faces of the same coin. Our party has called
continuously for the expulsion of all Palestinian refugees out of Lebanon. At present all
Lebanese leaders, from all nominations are adopting the same stance, especially President
Emile Lahoud.
History will have no mercy, all acts are documented, and the Day of Judgment is not
far.
God Bless Lebanon
Abu Arz