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PRIME MINISTER
FOR MEDIA 12 M4AY 1989
In recent weeks the tragic situation in Lebanon has
deteriorated again, with renewed fighting and accompanying
injuries and deaths of Lebanese people, including many
civilians. Australia's Lebanese community has naturally been gravely
concerned about thi6 situation and I have in recent days met
with representatives of the community, both Christian and
Muslim. Community and religious leaders have given me at
first hand their views on the tragedy, and I have taken the
opportunity to outline the Government's position.
After fourteen years of fighting in Lebanon it is clear that
violence does not provide an answer to the country's
problems; it has failed totally to resolve the basic issues
at stake and cannot be expected now to bring the
confrontation to a conclusion. The human cost of the
violence has been immeasurable and it is clear that only
compromise, accommodation and peaceful political reform can
now bring the fighting to an end.
Eventually, Lebanon must return to a situation where it
fully exercises its sovereignty within its own borders and
becomes again, as it used to be, a haven for people of all
confessions and beliefs, where all communities have
reasonable access to political life and the fruits of
economic prosperity.
For such a goal to be achieved it is essential that violence
be rejected by all groups within Lebanon and that Lebanon's
neighbours play a part in advancing, not spoiling, the
process of reconciliation. This will require the withdrawal
of the Syrian and Israeli forces.
Until that happens it is essential that foreign forces in
Lebanon should not act as participants in the fighting or as
instigators of new phases of conflict. Nothing excuses the
unleashing of mass violence and carnage in the name of
pacification as practiced by Syrian forces in recent weeks.
Those actions will not bring Lebanese to the conference
table but only entrench the more extreme elements on both
sides who have an interest in the final breakdown of all
vestiges of the Lebanese state.
2.
My appeal is to Lebanon's leaders and, especially, to the
ordinary Lebanese, those who have taken shelter in recent
weeks from all t-his madness in cellars and shelters; those
whose voice is silent. My appeal, too, is to the Arab
League leaders who have tried in recent weeks to find some
way to call a halt to this killing, to continue and redouble
their efforts. I have already conveyed to the Arab League,
via the Algerian Ambassador in Canberra, Australia's wish to
do anything we can to help its attempts to find a basis for
a ceasefire and negotiations.
I will also appeal to the United Nations Secretary-General
to keep in touch with Arab efforts and lend support to a
resolution of the immediate and fundamental causes of the
conflict. My final appeal is to Syria to show restraint and ensure
that its forces, for as long as they remain, desist from
destructive action against population centres.
I will be visiting a number of European countries and the
United States in June and will use any opportunities that
arise to help advance international moves towards peace in
Lebanon. In further response to the situation in Lebanon and to the
representations made to the Government by Lebanese community
groups the Government has also decided to provide a
substantial increase in humanitarian aid to Lebanon.
A total amount of $ 500,000 will be provided to the
International Committee of the Red Cross and to the United
Nations for work they are currently doing to assist those
Lebanese who are worst affected by the ongoing strife and
bloodshed. This money will, of course, be allocated,
regardless of any religious or factional boundaries.
The Government will communicate to the International
Committee of the Red Cross and the United Nations the views
of the Australian Lebanese community on how the money might
best be spent.
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