HONG KONG - Asian governments struggled on Thursday toevacuate nationals from war-torn Lebanon, with some coming in for criticism, as the Philippine president asked for 30,000 Filipinos trapped by the conflict to be spared.| Guess we're not the only ones a little slow off the mark. |
But Filipino officials have conceded they are unable to evacuate thousands of people on their own and have asked foreign governments for help. “The Philippines makes a special appeal to all combatant forces to spare Filipino nationals who have no wish other than to be taken out of harm’s way,” the president said in a statement. “In the name of humanity, I ask the combatants not to harm them,” she added, while appealing for other countries to “help us in the evacuation process.”
The foreign ministry said a majority of thw workers wanted to stay with their employers and the decision on evacuation was up to them. But Connie Regalado of suppport group Migrante International denied most Filipinos wanted to stay. “There is just neglect in the slowness by which the government responded,” Regalado said as she led families of workers stuck in Lebanon in a protest outside the ministry.
Criticism of AustraliaÂ’s evacuation effort also mounted Thursday. The effort has suffered several setbacks, including the failure of a chartered ferry to arrive at BeirutÂ’s port Wednesday because it was double-booked.
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said hundreds more Australians were left stranded on the dock after Israel refused to extend a deadline and guarantee a Greek navy rescue ship safe passage. He said six ships were scheduled to arrive in Lebanon from Friday to evacuate around 6,000 Australians, providing the ships could get into BeirutÂ’s packed port.
“People have the impression that the evacuation is a farce and the government does not care,” Keysar Trad, the outspoken founder of the Islamic Friendship Association of Australia, told AFP. Sections of the Australian press were also critical. “Exodus descends into farce,” said The Sydney Morning Herald in its front-page headline.
Australian Prime Minister John Howard rejected criticism. “The main message I want to convey to distressed relatives in Australia and indeed through them to their loved ones in Lebanon is that we are concerned, we have not abandoned them,” he said.
Canberra said there were some 25,000 Australians in Lebanon, although the majority have dual nationality and did not plan to leave.
