Washington, DC, October 21, 2019 (ATFL) – The Lebanese people have been demonstrating to protest their government’s lack of addressing needed reforms, more transparency in government transactions, and a robust commitment to government reform.
The American Task Force for Lebanon (ATFL), a leadership organization of Americans of Lebanese heritage, calls upon the Lebanese government and political and sectarian leadership to respect the civil and human rights of the demonstrators, eschewing violent responses, encouraging dialogue, and taking concrete, immediate steps to address the legitimate concerns being raised.
We believe it is critical for the government of Lebanon to recognize the underlying conditions that have generated the demonstrations taking place and the need to immediately address these concerns in order to peacefully restore calm to the country.
The Lebanese should know that the US supports the need for economic and political reforms, which ensure transparency and effective governance. ATFL reaffirms its determination to work with the US government to ensure that the needs of Lebanon are properly addressed.
We call on Lebanon’s leaders to enter into a good faith dialogue in a serious and trustworthy fashion with its citizens. The US, France, and Lebanon’s Western partners must also encourage such a national dialogue, one that is built on trust and partnership. It is also now timely for the US and its allies to press for the reforms called for in the CEDRE conference.
In this difficult time, the Lebanese must come together and build a country that is vibrant and strong, a country that represents the values of openness, freedom and opportunity for all its people.
