The sit-in of the Iraqi refugees in its 3d day:

A <<compulsory>> hunger strike and <<arrest>> 2 persons!

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Instead of start their hunger strike on Monday, the Iraqi refugees whom sit-in, in the garage of the UNHCR office at Almatihaff, had been forced to go on the hunger strike yesterday, this happened because the security forces closed the gate on them and prevented any direct contact with them. When we questioned the one responsible of the localized forces in front of the iron door of the garage about the 'food' supplies for the strikers inside, he said "they had prepared themselves, and they have enough" then he added "we can estimate the urgency of the situation". The closure of the gate, according to the security forces itself is not final, it’s only to prevent anyone joining them, it's possible for any one of them to leave.

That wasn't the only progress yesterday in the third day of the open sit-in by tens of Iraqi refugees; these people had been given approval for resettlement in USA before September 11th of last year. They haven't been given any clear answer about their destiny under security chasing for them, cause the government of Lebanon don't recognize the refugees and it considers their residence illegal on Lebanese territories despite their obtaining a letter from the office of the UNHCR, "that office" as the director said to 'Assafir' "is not able to impose anything on the government, nor on the USA".

The second event according to the strikers, who were speaking from behind the iron gate, was about arresting 2 of them [refugees] after they had been called into the director’s office of the UNHCR, Mr. Mustapha Djemali, around 5 pm where they stayed for nearly half hour, then they were seen going out with the security forces. In a call with the detainees via a phone belonging to the security forces, the strikers were advised to ‘stop the sit-in otherwise they will have the same fate’ they meant that they would also be arrest. That’s what the person responsible for security at the sit-in place denied and he said that the persons involved walked out freely, and when he had been asked "how they went out freely with companionship of the security forces??" He answered <<yes>>.

The director of the office who was still in his office after the normal work time, when we asked to meet him we were told by a person in civilian clothes that was posted at his office's door that he was busy calling Geneva and we couldn't see him, and the office is closed, that means its after normal office hours. Mr. Djemali called the detainees into his office, and was accused by one of the strikers as being the one who delivered the men to the security forces.

The security forces asked the strikers to stop the sit-in because it isn't possible to look at their case at the weekend (formal holiday). But the strikers who are estimated to be around 20, yesterday confirmed their intention to continue with the sit-in. moreover a delegation from 'The Iraqi coordination community' in Lebanon, (from the Iraqi opposition), visited the strikers and promised them 'To move their case on' according to the strikers who had a big message on a white cloth sign which could be seen from far away (for those who can't get near them because of the security forces) said "Oh dove of peace tell the Prophet and Jesus on our behalf, that we will die starving until prove the truth and peace obtains victory". But the angry frightened eyes of Hussein (one of the strikers) started to change to a sufficient message to whom it may concern.