Trapped dancers desperate to flee

Border Mail, Australia
July 17 2006

MEMBERS of an Australian dance troupe stranded in Lebanon are waiting
desperately for the Federal Government to come up with an escape plan.

The 45 young performers and 36 parents and supervisors travelling
with the Sevan Dance Group are bunkered in their Beirut hotel as the
Israeli military continues its bomb attacks on the Lebanese capital.

Prime Minister John Howard yesterday flagged the Federal Government
was working as quickly as possible on a plan to evacuate the group,
and any other stranded Australians, by ferry to Cyprus.

The Sydney-based Armenian dance troupe’s leader, Asadour Hadjian,
has been in regular phone contact with his sister in Australia and
assured her all of the group are safe.

But his sister, Betty Marashlian, said the troupe was desperate to
escape Beirut.

Mrs Marashlian said her brother had been told Australian officials
in Beirut were still working on a plan.

"The officials told everyone to put everything in their handbags and
to forget about their luggage," she said.

"He said they told us yesterday they will have a plan but it’s not
clear yet.

"They are all afraid. They want to come back home.

The dance troupe performed in Beirut last Tuesday and was meant to
fly out to Sydney last Thursday, but Israeli bomb attacks closed
the airport.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress