Präsident Obama standen wir von dir in deinem Gebot während Ihrer Wahl 2008, jetzt haben wir Sie bitten, den von uns bei der Unterbindung der Einladung des Tyrannen Meles Zenawi, die das Töten unserer Leute ist wieder zu Hause stehen und wird Begehung schwerer Verbrechen gegen unser Volk davor zu eingeladen das Camp-David-Treffen am 19. Mai 2012.

Wir bitten Sie im Namen von Millionen von Menschen leiden, wieder zu Hause sind!

Registrieren Sie die Petition vor dem 9. Mai 2012, so dass wir es ins Weiße Haus und das Außenministerium liefern können

Klicken Sie hier, t0 Zeichen

Pressemitteilung 13. Mai 2012

Senden Meles nach Guantanamo nicht nach Camp David

Verurteilen Präsident Obamas Einladung von Diktator Meles von Äthiopien.

Präsident Obama braucht nicht mehr zu unterstützen afrikanische Diktatoren. Obamas Sieg löste große Aufregung, Hoffnung und Stolz für die Menschen in Afrika. Leider stürzte seine Einladung eines der schlimmsten Diktator Afrikas, Meles Zenawi von Äthiopien nach Camp David am 18. Mai 2012 alle Hoffnungen auf Obamas Erlösung als Freund von Afrika oder Pro Menschenrechte stehen auf dem Kontinent. Als Gewinner des Friedensnobelpreises, sollte er mit den Unterdrückten nicht mit dem Unterdrücker zu stehen.

Wie frühere US-Präsidenten hat er beschlossen, ein Auge auf afrikanische Diktatoren in der Vorwand der Terrorismusbekämpfung zu zeigen. In der Realität vieler afrikanischer Diktatoren ihr eigenes Volk terrorisiert, insbesondere Diktator Meles Zenawi von Äthiopien ist bekannt, dass in außergerichtliche Tötung, Völkermord, rechtswidrige Inhaftierung von Journalisten wie Eskinder Nega und andere politische Aktivisten engagieren.

Durch die Beschlagnahme sämtliche Grundstücke, Internet und wichtigen Branchen, Diktator Zenawi buchstäblich besitzt das Land. Er einseitig verworfen jede Rechtsstaatlichkeit, der Eigentumsrechte und Pressefreiheit. Er hat die Wirtschaft und die äthiopischen Nationalismus durch Einspritzen von Tribalismus, um sich zu teilen und zu kontrollieren zerstört. Meles hat die Macht, zu verzeihen, zu töten, einsperren oder irgendetwas tun, er will, auf 85 Millionen Äthiopier verarmten völlig ungestraft.

Präsident Obama hat zu Speis und Trank mit diesem afrikanischen Diktator entschieden, während sie sich gegen andere Diktatoren im Iran, Kuba, Venezuela, Nordkorea und anderen Ländern im Namen der Demokratie. Neben der Angabe moralische Unterstützung durch diese Aktion, wird Präsident Obama auch Trichterbildung Milliarden US-Steuerzahler Gelder zu Diktator Meles Zenawi stützen. Wir, Äthiopier eindeutig verurteilen diese Politik der Doppelzüngigkeit, Essen und Trinken und Verbrüderung mit solchen Brute afrikanischen Diktator.

Wir bitten um bewußte Amerikaner mit den Menschen in Äthiopien in ihrem Streben nach Freiheit und Gerechtigkeit, indem er Präsident Obama, Diktator Meles ausladen zu stehen. Urge-Präsident Obama wieder rückgängig zu Söldner Meles 'wie DLA Pipers, einigen Mitgliedern des Kongresses und andere Lobbyisten, eine Partei zu dieser Verschwörung, Völkermord und Verbrechen stattfindet, in Äthiopien sind.

Trotz der Tatsache, dass Meles, um Pol Pot verglichen wurde, hat Iwan der Schreckliche und Idi Amin oder andere Brute Diktatoren, Präsident Obama entschieden, die Augen zu zeigen. Bitte lassen Sie ihn nicht. Lasst uns gegen diese Doppelzüngigkeit zum Wohle von Millionen Äthiopier leiden unter Diktator Meles und im Interesse des Friedens in Afrika.

Verlangen Sie sofort aufhören US Beihilfe und Anstiftung Diktator Zenawi und fordern ein Ende seiner diktatorischen Herrschaft. Helfen Sie uns, die Demokratie wiederherzustellen, freie Presse, und alle politischen Gefangenen freizulassen indem sie sich mit den Menschen in Äthiopien. Unterstützen Sie die Einrichtung einer Übergangsregierung, um eine freie und faire Wahlen zur Demokratie wiederherstellen zu halten.

Meles verdient es, in Guantanamo nicht in Camp David zu sein und fragen Sie Präsident Obama, diesen Brute afrikanischen Diktator ausladen. Rufen des Weißen Hauses unter: 202-456-1414 , um zu einer lebenden Person oder sprechen 202-456-1111 Kommentare zu hinterlassen.

Äthiopier für Demokratie und Gerechtigkeit (EDJ), http://: www.ethiodemocrat.com POBox 53573, Houston, TX 77052, Tel. 713-396-2621

Die letzten zwei Wochen waren herrliche Tage für die Afrikaner. Eskinder Nega, wurde der heroische äthiopische Journalistin mit Pen Amerikas Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write-Award geehrt. Der Preis ehrt Autoren auf der ganzen Welt, die mutig sind im Angesicht von Widrigkeiten kämpfte für das Recht auf freie Meinungsäußerung. Charles Taylor, Warlord-turned-liberianischen-Präsident, wurde von 11 Grafen von Kriegsverbrechen und Verbrechen gegen die Menschlichkeit von der UN-Sondertribunal für Sierra Leone verurteilt. Gestern Reeyot Alemu, der junge äthiopische Journalistin, wurde der Gewinner des Internationalen Frauentages Media Foundation 2012 Courage in Journalism Award.

Reeyot, 31, ist Lehrerin und Kolumnist für die unabhängige Wochenzeitung äthiopischen Feteh. Als sie und ihre Mitangeklagten Woubshet Taye im Juni 2011 verhaftet wurden, wurden sie vom Plotten, Telefon-und Stromleitungen und ohne Kontakt zur Außenwelt zu sabotieren vorgeworfen. In einer Spalte 17. Juni in Feteh, kritisierte Reeyot Zenawis verrückten öffentlichen Spendenaktion für die sogenannten Grand-Renaissance-Staudamm am Abay River-Projekt. Das schien zu bekommen Spalte Zenawis Ziege haben. Aber Reeyot hat in ihrer Kritik beharrlich. Sie hatte sogar die Kühnheit, verängstigte Kuh Nick Zenawis, die unausgegorenen sogenannten Fünf-Jahres-Wachstum und Transformation Plan. Im September wurden Reeyot und Woubshet mit "Verschwörung zu terroristischen Handlungen und die Beteiligung an einer terroristischen Vereinigung zu begehen" unter Meles Zenawi die geladenen Cut-and-Paste Anti-Terror- Gesetz.

Der sogenannte Beweis für die "Verschwörung" gegen Reeyot in Femegericht bestand aus abgefangenen E-Mails und abgehörten Telefongesprächen sie zu friedlichen Protesten und verändern sich mit anderen Journalisten hatte. Reeyot Satzung in Feteh und andere Publikationen auf dem äthiopischen Review-Website über die Aktivitäten der Oppositionsgruppen wurden ebenfalls als Beweismittel eingeführt.

Reeyot und Woubshet hatte keinen Zugang zu einem Rechtsbeistand während der drei Monate in Untersuchungshaft. Beide wurden während der Verhöre Anwalt verweigert. Das Känguru Gericht weigerte sich, ihre Vorwürfe von Folter, Mißhandlung und Verweigerung der medizinischen Versorgung in Haft zu untersuchen.

Regime Mundstück Shimeles Kemal in Interviews über Reeyot und Woubshet das gewisse Beteiligung an der Planung terroristischer Handlungen während der Fall vor Gericht anhängig war geschwafelt. Er schien völlig ahnungslos von Kunst. 20 (3) der äthiopischen Verfassung garantiert: "Während der Verhandlung beschuldigte Personen ein Recht, als unschuldig zu sein haben." Die Känguru-Gericht verurteilte Reeyot zu einer 14 jährigen Haftstrafe und einer Geldstrafe von 33.000 Birr ihr.

In Bezug auf das Urteil des Känguru-Gericht wurde von Amnesty International entsetzt: "Es gibt keinen Beweis schuldig, dass sie erhobene strafrechtliche Vergehen sind. Es gibt keinen Beweis schuldig, dass sie erhobene strafrechtliche Vergehen sind. Wir glauben, dass sie politische Gefangene, die wegen ihrer berechtigten Kritik an der Regierung strafrechtlich verfolgt worden sind. Sie müssen unverzüglich und bedingungslos freigelassen werden "Human Rights Watch wurde von der Idiotie der Ladungen verwechselt:". Laut der Anklageschrift bestand die Beweise in erster Linie von Online-kritische Artikel über die Regierung und die Telefon-Gespräche vor allem auf den friedlichen Protestaktionen, die nicht Betrag, um Terrorakte. Darüber hinaus haben sich die Beschreibungen der Gebühren in der Vorlage nicht enthalten Blatt sogar die grundlegenden Elemente der Verbrechen, von denen die Angeklagten beschuldigt werden .... "

In Anerkennung für seine Reeyot Courage in Journalism Award, dem IWMF das erklärte:

Frauen sind grob in Journalismus und Medien in Äthiopien unterrepräsentiert. Es gibt nur wenige äthiopische Journalisten in Äthiopien (staatlichen Medien), und noch weniger in den unabhängigen Medien. Journalismus in Äthiopien wird traditionell von Männern und gesellschaftlichen und kulturellen Erwartungen dominiert entmutigen Frauen von der Wahl der Bereich des Journalismus. Kulturelle Stereotypen sind besonders entmutigend, junge Frauen im Journalismus interessiert. Die Tatsache, dass die äthiopische Regierung verfolgt und verfolgt mutig, tapfer und professionellen Journalistinnen verheißt nichts Gutes vor allem für junge Frauen, die im Journalismus interessiert sein könnten. Als Ergebnis werden die Stimmen der Frauen (als Reporter, Redakteure, Journalisten, Entscheidungs-Kammern) nur selten zu hören und Frauen werden oft zweitrangige Position verwiesen.

Herzlichen Glückwunsch an Pressefreiheit Heroine Reeyot Alemu!

After her sentence, Reeyot's father, Ato Alemu, in an interview said that his daughter will not apologize, seek a pardon or apply for a clemency. “As a father, would you rather not advise your daughter to apologize?” Ato Alemu replied:

This is perhaps one of the most difficult questions a parent can face. As any one of us who are parents would readily admit, there is an innate biological chord that attaches us to our kids. We wish nothing but the best for them. We try as much as humanly possible to keep them from harm…. Whether or not to beg for clemency is her right and her decision. I would honor and respect whatever decision she makes… To answer your specific question regarding my position on the issue by the fact of being her father, I would rather have her not plead for clemency, for she has not committed any crime.

When Zenawi jailed Birtukan Midekssa in December 2008, he emphatically and sadistically guaranteed that “there will never be an agreement with anybody to release Birtukan. Ever. Full stop. That's a dead issue.” No doubt Zenawi would like to make Reeyot, Eskinder, Woubshet, the Swedish journalists Martin Schibbye and Johan Persson , the 193 unarmed protesters massacred in 2005…. a dead issue. But they shall live in our hearts, in our spirits and even our souls, for they are freedom of expression personified.

This past Monday I raised my pen to salute my hero Eskinder Nega. Today I rise up to salute my heroine Reeyot Alemu. In the face of the wicked enemies of press freedom, my cup runneth over! Two home runs in one week! It just doesn't get better than that!

FREE REEYOT ALEMU! FREEYOT ALEMU!

Amharisch Übersetzungen der jüngsten Kommentaren des Autors können Sie unter:

http://www.ecadforum.com/Amharic/archives/category/al-mariam-amharic

http://ethioforum.org/?cat=24

Vorherige Kommentaren des Autors finden Sie unter:

http://open.salon.com/blog/almariam/ und

www.huffingtonpost.com/alemayehu-g-mariam/

Eskinder Invictus!

On May 1, 2012, Eskinder Nega, Ethiopia's foremost journalist and political prisoner, will be awarded the “Freedom to Write Award”, the highest honor given out by Pen America, one of the great international free press institutions that has been in continuous operation since 1922. The award honors writers throughout the world who have fought courageously in the face of adversity for the right to freedom of expression. Eskinder will not be able to accept the award in person in NY City because he is jailed by arch dictator Meles Zenawi. The award confirms Eskinder is truly an international hero of press freedom. But he is also the hero of the ordinary African who has been denied human rights and democracy. To his countrymen and women, Eskinder is the symbol of absolute defiance to tyranny, dictatorship and despotism and a candle of press freedom that shall never flame out.

Eskinder Nega: The Heroes' Hero

Eskinder Nega has been jailed as a “terrorist” by state terrorists since last September. But he is a hero to so many heroes of press freedom throughout the world. Recently, world renowned journalists who have themselves suffered at the hands of dictatorships and others stepped up to demand Eskinder's release. Among the petitioners include:

Kenneth Best, founder of the Daily Observer (Liberia's first independent daily); Lydia Cacho, Mexico, one of Mexico's most famous journalists and noted author; Juan Pablo Cardenas, Chile, chief editor of Análisis during General Pinochet's regime and professor of journalism at the University of Chile's School of Journalism; May Chidiac founder and president of the May Chidiac Foundation in Lebanon who nearly lost her life in a car bomb attack in 2005; Sir Harold Evans, one of Britain's most respected journalists and editor of The Sunday Times; Akbar Ganji, Iran's foremost dissident; Amira Hass one of the foremost independent journalists in Israel; Daoud Kuttab, Founder of AmmanNet in Jordan, the Arab world's first Internet radio station; Gwen Lister, founder and former editor of The Namibian in Namibia; Raymond Louw veteran champion of press freedom and journalists' rights in South Africa and Chairman of the South African Press Council. Veran Matic, co-founder of Radio B92 in Serbia, who provided accurate and impartial account of events in Serbia in the 1990s; Adam Michnik, editor in chief of the first independent (and bestselling) Polish daily foremost dissident and Polish human rights advocate; Fred M'membe, editor-in-chief for The Post in Zambia; Nizar Nayouf, chief editor of Syria Truth and Sawt Al Democratiyya; Pap Saine, Gambian publisher and editor Pap Saine and a Reuters correspondent for West and Central Africa; Faraj Sarkohi, a long time Iranian writer and journalist persecuted by both the Shah of Iran and the Islamic Republic of Iran; Nedim Sener investigative journalist with Turkish daily newspaper Posta; Arun Shourie, one of India's most renowned and controversial journalists and editor of the English-language daily Indian Express; Ricardo Uceda, one of Peru's most renowned investigative journalists and editor of newsweekly Sí, Ricardo Uceda; Jose Ruben Zamora, founder and former editor-in-chief of the independent daily Siglo Veintiuno….

These journalists in their letter to Zenawi

express[ed] [their] extremely strong condemnation of the Ethiopian government's decision to jail journalist Eskinder Nega on terrorism charges on September 14, 2011. We believe the government's decision to arrest him violates the rights of freedom of speech and freedom of the press guaranteed by the Ethiopian Constitution, the United Nations' International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The imprisonment of Eskinder Nega and other journalists represents the criminalisation of investigation and criticism, which should be part and parcel of any democratic society.

In September 2011, William Easterly, Professor of Economics, New York University; Mark Hamrick, President, National Press Club, Washington, DC, Aryeh Neier, President, Open Society Foundations; Kenneth Roth, Executive Director, Human Rights Watch and Joel Simon, Executive Director, Committee to Protect Journalists called for US involvement in securing Eskinder's release and to “publicly repudiate Ethiopia's efforts to use terrorism laws to silence political dissent” and “ensure that our more than $600 million in aid to Ethiopia is not used to foster repression.”

What Makes Eskinder a Hero?

There are all sorts of heroes in myth and folklore. Some become heroes for showing moral excellence and martial courage in the face of danger and adversity. Others become heroes by fighting for honor and principles. Still others become heroes by slaying their enemies in the battlefield. There are romantic heroes and tragic heroes. There are traditional and modern heroes; and there are unsung heroes. But all heroes share some common virtues in one form another: sacrifice, integrity, courage, determination, conviction, perseverance, and so on.

Eskinder is a hero of a special kind. He is a hero who fights with nothing more than ideas and the truth. He slays falsehoods with the sword of truth. He chases bad ideas with good ones. Armed only with a pen, Eskinder fights despair with hope; fear with courage; anger with reason; arrogance with humility; ignorance with knowledge; intolerance with forbearance; oppression with perseverance; doubt with trust and cruelty with compassion. Above all, Eskinder speaks truth to power and to those who abuse, misuse, overuse and are corrupted by power. Eskinder is the one man who looked straight into the vengeful eyes of the Beast and said: “You can arrest and jail me for the eight time; you can beat, torture and throw me into solitary confinement; you can persecute and prosecute me; you can starve and deny me medical care in your stinking jail; you can scandalize my name and defame my character; you can even persecute and humiliate my wife and laugh at my child as he cries his eyes out when your goons manhandle me; and you can harass, intimidate and make life hell on earth for me and my family. But I will never, never, never bow down to your tyrannical rule, your corruption, your brutality, your sadistic cruelty and abysmal barbarity! For I am Eskinder Nega. I am the master of my fate and captain of my soul!”

Eskinder Nega: A Hero for All Seasons

Eskinder is a man of courage. Seven months before he was arrested, Eskinder was summoned by Zenawi's “police commissioner” and told to shut up or else:

Your writings on the Internet and the interviews with various media outlets were inflammatory. You write about General Tsadkan to undermine the army. But be assured that EPRDF is capable of defending the constitution. If anything happens, we will first come to you.” Eskinder asked, “Are you asking me to stop writing and giving interviews?” “No,” the police commissioner said. “But be warned that you have already crossed the boundary. We have enough to convict you already. I want you to understand that this is a serious warning.” Eskinder kept on writing until the day he was arrested vehicle picking up his son from school. (His official captors videotaped the arrest and laughed as the traumatized child cried out for his daddy.) Today Eskinder is facing “trial” in Zenawi's kangaroo court even though he was convicted long before he committed the alleged crime.

Eskinder is a man of integrity. When Zenawi came to Columbia University in September 2010 to speak, Eskinder, and his equally extraordinary journalist wife, Serkalem Fasil, wrote a letter to Columbia President Lee C. Bollinger to expose Zenawi's bottomless capacity for cruelty and inhumanity:

We are banned Ethiopian journalists who were charged with treason by the government of PM Meles Zenawi subsequent to disputed election results in 2005, incarcerated under deplorable circumstances, only to be acquitted sixteen months later; after Serkalem Fasil prematurely gave birth in prison.

Severely underweight at birth because Serkalem's physical and psychological privation in one of Africa's worst prisons, an incubator was deemed life-saving to the new-born child by prison doctors; which was, in an act of incomprehensible vindictiveness, denied by the authorities. (The child nevertheless survived miraculously. Thanks to God.)… While we acknowledge his right to express his views, it is an affront to his government's numerous victims of repression to grant him the privilege to do so on the notable premises of Columbia… Such is the government that PM Meles Zenawi leads.

Eskinder is a man of compassion and empathy. When Birtukan Midekssa, the first woman political party leader in Ethiopian history, was released from prison having served nearly two years (without trial) on the ridiculous charge of “denying a pardon”, Eskinder spoke with her:

'We are proud of you,' I told her. 'You are our hero.' There was pained expression on her face. Something is visibly bottled up in her, pushing to explode. But there were too many people in her living room for an intimate conversation. She nodded when I finished, her head slightly inclined downwards to avoid eye contact.” Thank you,” she finally said faintly. I could barely hear her. And suddenly I felt guilty. Though I meant what I said, I worried whether I was making things worse by sounding patronizing. This is not what Birtukan needs right now. Sitting next to me is a woman at what is one of her worst moments in her life. A woman suffering profoundly on the inside — exactly what coldhearted aging men, addicted to unaccountable power after two decades at the helm of a nation they have persistently pushed towards dysfunction (so far unsuccessfully), intended in their pitiless drive to destroy their 'enemies.'” (Ironically, today Eskinder has taken Birtukan's place in Zenawi's prison.)

Eskinder is a man of honor and dignity. When “abune” Paulos, the “patriarch” of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church commissioned a grandiose bronze statute of himself to commemorate his 18th year of papacy, Eskinder questioned:

Statuary was rejected by Orthodox Christianity because the dimensional representations were considered to glorify the human flesh rather than the divine spirit. Orthodox iconography, which has a rich history in Ethiopia, was alternatively developed to emphasize the spiritual holiness of figures rather than their humanity. And thus, no statues have ever been built for Abune Selema, who brought Christianity to Ethiopia; Yared, who developed the Church's sacred gospel music; Lalibela, who built the Church's greatest relic, the rock-hewn Churches in Lasta; and Abune Tekle-Haymanot, Ethiopia's greatest native-born Saint. But they have all been amply represented by Ethiopian iconography. Why is Orthodox tradition being uprooted?

Eskinder is a witness for the suffering people of Ethiopia.

The repression is as unrelenting as ever. Food inflation has reached the atrocious 50% mark. Unemployment shows no sign of declining. Small businesses, the backbone of the expanding service sector, are suffering perceptibly. The specter of famine dominates the headlines. Corruption is getting worse. There is growing tension within the ruling party.

Eskinder is a voice of hope.

…Hope not oppression that had made revolutions possible. Neither Egyptians nor Libyans had more reason to rebel in 2011 than they did for decades. Too few were any more capable of imagining life free from the oppressive status-quo. Too many had been co-opted; many more had simply learned how to muddle through. But events in Tunisia changed everything. Change was proved possible… Hope will come to sub-Sahara's remaining dictatorships, too. The Arab Spring has already brought it to their doorsteps. It will not wait forever to get in. No one knows which sub-Saharan dictatorship will relent first. But that is almost irrelevant. What matters is that its spread will be unavoidable once it begins. The triumph of hope in only one sub-Saharan dictatorship will beget a continent wide African Spring, hopefully all peaceful. And as Egypt, the Arab world's biggest dictatorship during Mubarak's reign, was the Arab Spring's golden prize, so will Ethiopia, sub-Sahara's biggest dictatorship, be the golden prize for an African Spring. There couldn't have been an Arab Spring without Egypt. There will be no African Spring without Ethiopia.

Eskinder is a man with a message .

Ethiopia's Meles Zenawi, who now leads Africa's largest dictatorship, and who many suspect is calculating as Gaddafi did at first, should take serious note. Killings enraged Libyans as it did Tunisians and Egyptians before them. Inexplicably and suddenly massacre failed to terrorize the young any more. Despite Gadhafi's assertion that only a drugged youth could have refused to succumb to live bullets, hope is really what had fueled the protests….

Hope is the greatest weapon against tyrants. Keep hope alive in Ethiopia!!!

I wish I had the eloquence of diction to express my deep sense of pride and respect for Eskinder Nega for he represents the quintessentially irrepressible impulse for freedom that inhabits the soul of every human being. On the occasion of the 2012 PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award, I rise to salute Eskinder Nega with William Ernest Henley (1875) poem “Invictus” (“unconquered”), a poem which sustained Nelson Mandela's spirit through the years in Apartheid South Africa's prisons.

Eskinder Invictus! Eskinder Aybegere!

“Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.” Mahatma Gandhi

FREE ESKINDER NEGA!

Amharic translations of recent commentaries by the author may be found at:

http://www.ecadforum.com/Amharic/archives/category/al-mariam-amharic and

http://ethioforum.org/?cat=24

Previous commentaries by the author are available at:

http://open.salon.com/blog/almariam/ and

www.huffingtonpost.com/alemayehu-g-mariam/

A Call for an End to the Persecution of Journalists in Ethiopia

By: Naomi Hunt, Press Freedom Adviser for Africa & the Middle East

VIENNA, Apr. 23, 2012 – Twenty international journalists who have been recognised as World Press Freedom Heroes by the Vienna-based International Press Institute (IPI) have condemned the Ethiopian government's decision to jail Eskinder Nega and other journalists on terrorism charges, and called for their immediate release.

Eskinder Nega, an online writer and critic of the current Ethiopian government, was arrested in September 2011 and is accused of supporting terrorism, for which he could face the death penalty if convicted. He was jailed shortly after having criticized the government's use of anti-terrorism laws to jail other journalists and opposition figures. This is hardly Eskinder's first brush with the authorites – he and his wife, also a journalist, were jailed for 17 months on treason charges in the aftermath of the disputed 2005 elections. Their son was born in prison. Since then, Eskinder has been banned from journalism but has continued to speak out and write.

Ethiopia, which is set to host the World Economic Forum on Africa in May 2012, jailed Eskinder and four other journalists on anti-terrorism charges over the past year. Woubshet Taye, deputy editor of the now-defunct Awramba Times , and Reyot Alemu of Feteh newspaper were convicted and sentenced to 14 years in prison this January. In December, Swedish journalists Martin Schibbye and Johann Persson were sentenced to 11 years in prison for aiding terrorists. They had been arrested last year in the company of rebels in the Ogaden region.

Last month, IPI Executive Director Alison Bethel McKenzie called on United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon to speak out against Ethiopia's use of anti-terror laws to jail journalists, which IPI said “makes a mockery of the universal right to 'hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.'”

IPI noted that this practice also undermines “the fight against real terrorists, who use violence – and not words – to achieve their ends”.

Each of the men and women who signed this petition has been honoured for their contributions to freedom of the press in their home countries and around the world. Many have themselves been jailed for their work – indeed Turkish author and investigative reporter Nedim Şener's battle against terrorism charges, believed by observers to be designed to silence him as a journalist, is not over yet. Read their call for Ethiopia's journalists to be freed, below:

*******************************************************************************

HE Meles Zenawi

POBox 1031

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Via Fax: 2511-55-20-20

Dear Prime Minister,

We are writing to express our extremely strong condemnation of the Ethiopian government's decision to jail journalist Eskinder Nega on terrorism charges on Sep. 14, 2011. We believe the government's decision to arrest him violates the rights of freedom of speech and freedom of the press guaranteed by the Ethiopian constitution, the United Nations' International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The imprisonment of Eskinder Nega and other journalists represents the criminalisation of investigation and criticism, which should be part and parcel of any democratic society.

We are particularly concerned by reports from Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International that Eskinder may be subject to torture during his imprisonment.

We call on the Ethiopian government to unconditionally release Eskinder and other journalists unjustly detained; to ensure that he and others are treated humanely; to halt the use of anti-terrorism laws to prosecute journalists; and to fully defend the rights of the press outlined by Ethiopia's constitution and international agreements.

Please note that we are sending this statement to the authorities of the African Union – including the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Dr. Jean Ping, and the Chairperson of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, Catherine Dupe Atoki. We wish to draw their attention to the fact that the conduct of the Ethiopian Government is in conflict with the protocols of the African Union, the African Union Charter, and the guarantees of freedom of expression protected under various international human rights instruments including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Moreover, we find that the conduct of the Ethiopian government also brings the African Union into disrepute because its headquarters are in Addis Ababa.

Signed by:

Kenneth Best, Liberia – Kenneth Best founded The Daily Observer , Liberia's first independent daily, in 1981. As a result of its critical reporting of Samuel Doe's dictatorship, Kenneth Best was arrested on multiple occasions and the paper shut down four times, once for a period of two years. In 1990, when The Daily Observer facilities were burnt down, Kenneth Best and his family were exiled to The Gambia, where another newspaper of the same name was established.

Lydia Cacho, Mexico – One of Mexico's most famous journalists, reporting on organised crime, political corruption, domestic violence, and child prostitution, Lydia Cacho has raised awareness of serious issues facing women and children in Mexico. Lydia has written for Novedades de Cancún and Por Esto , as well as books including Los Demonios del Eden: El Poder Que Protege a la Pornografía Infantil (“The Demons of Eden: The Power That Protects Child Pornography”). Lydia Cacho remains committed to her work despite having been imprisoned and tortured.

Juan Pablo Cardenas, Chile – As chief editor of Análisis during General Pinochet's regime, Juan Pablo faced constant harassment and legal prosecution. Despite the murder of one of his journalists, Cardenas remained committed to reporting on government corruption and human rights abuses. He once endured a 541-night prison sentence for offending the armed forces in his editorials. Now, Juan Pablo continues to write for national and international publications and is currently a professor at the University of Chile's School of Journalism.

May Chidiac, Lebanon – Dr. May Chidiac is the founder and president of the May Chidiac Foundation. Known for her criticism of Syria's sway over Lebanon, an issue that was seldom critically discussed in the country, May Chidiac worked as the main anchor on political talk show Bi Kol Jor'a. May Chidiac nearly lost her life in a car bomb attack in 2005, which left her severely injured.

Sir Harold Evans, United Kingdom - One of Britain's most respected journalists and the crusading editor of The Sunday Times for 14 years, Sir Harold Evans brought a new style of investigative reporting to his country. He has authored and edited best-sellers and served as a contributor to various media houses including The Guardian and the BBC. In 2011, Sir Evans joined the Reuters news agency as editor-at-large.

Akbar Ganji, Iran – Often called 'Iran's most prominent political dissident', Akbar Ganji spent six years in Evin prison for a 1999 series of articles he wrote for Sobh Emrouz newspaper about Iran's notorious 'chain murders'. Akbar Ganji also wrote a number of articles accusing high level political figures and clerics of being involved in assassinations of dissidents and intellectuals. In 2000, Ganji was arrested for spreading propaganda and endangering national security. He spent six years in prison, much of it in solitary confinement. However he used this time to write his “Republican Manifesto”. After his release in 2006, Akbar Ganji left Iran and has been campaigning for democracy. He published his first book in English in 2008, entitled The Road to Democracy in Iran .

Amira Hass , Israel – As a journalist for Ha'aretz , Amira Hass has covered the Gaza strip and Palestinian affairs for years, becoming the first Israeli journalist to live in the Palestinian territories. Amira Hass was convinced that the Israelis needed to know the truth about the plight of the Palestinian people. Despite arrests and confrontations with the Israeli authorities and the Palestinian National Authority, she continues to report with independence.

Daoud Kuttab , Jordan – Daoud Kuttab is General Manager at the Community Media Network, Amman and Founder of AmmanNet, Amman, Jordan, the Arab world's first Internet radio station. One of the best known Palestinian journalists, Kuttab fought for a free media in the Palestinian Territories under both the Israelis and the Palestinian Authorit. He has worked for a number of publications including Al Fajr and Al Quds, but went on to help establish both the Arabic Media Internet Network in 1995 and the Institute of Modern Media at Al Quds University in 1996.

Gwen Lister, Namibia – As founder and former editor of The Namibian , Gwen Lister remained committed to reporting injustice and corruption both before and after Namibia's independence from apartheid South Africa, despite prosecutions, raids and violent attacks. She previously co-founded the Windhoek Observer and worked as a political editor. She is a founder of the Media Institute of Southern Africa.

Raymond Louw, South Africa – Raymond Louw is a veteran champion of press freedom and journalists' rights. Chairman of the South African Press Council and one of the founding members of the South African National Editors' Forum, until 2011 Louw also worked as the editor and publisher of Southern Africa Report , a private current affairs weekly. Raymond Louw previously worked for the Sunday Times and the Rand Daily Mail , which was renowned for its investigative journalism with regards to apartheid and other issues.

Veran Matić, Serbia – As co-founder of Radio B92, Veran Matic provided an accurate and impartial account of events in Serbia, whilst standing up to pressure from the authorities and withstanding multiple threats, physical attacks and arrests. B92 was banned in 1991 and again in 1996. The radio station was repeatedly jammed and then closed down, but it continued to operate via the Internet. Mass rallies and protests forced the authorities to open the station again. Matic established the Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM), a network of independent radio stations in Serbia and Montenegro, in an attempt to provide listeners with objective news. ANEM is still going strong today with more than 50 independent radio and television stations.

Adam Michnik, Poland – As a former dissident, writer, historian, lecturer and journalist, Adam Michnik is known for his defence of human rights. He spent a total of six years in prison between 1965 and 1986 for his opposition to communist rule in Poland. As editor in chief of the first independent Polish daily, Gazeta Wyborcza , Adam Michnik has remained committed to the paper's independence. Today, the newspaper remains the top-selling daily in Poland, and one of the most respected in Europe.

Fred M'membe, Zambia – Known for his outspoken defence of press freedom and his paper's exposés on government corruption and abuses of power, Frank M'membe is founder and editor-in-chief for The Post , Zambia's leading independent daily. Despite harassment, raids, multiple lawsuits including accusations of defamation and treason confiscation and censorship, Frank M'membe continues to uphold the principle of press freedom. Frank M'membe is also a founder of the Media Institute of Southern Africa, which fosters a free and independent media.

Nizar Nayouf , Syria – Nizar Nayouf repeatedly paid the price for his work. While working as editor in chief for Sawt Al Democratiyya , and because of his affiliation with the Committee for the Defence of Democratic Freedom, Nayouf was sentenced in 1992 to ten years in prison. He spent most of this time in solitary confinement and was tortured, but still managed to write four books. Since his release from prison, Nizar Nayouf has left Syria and is chief editor of Syria Truth .

Pap Saine, The Gambia – Gambian publisher and editor Pap Saine is the publisher and editor of The Point and a Reuters correspondent for West and Central Africa. Pap Saine has faced imprisonment and harassment for his work, particularly for his commitment to press freedom and revealing the truth about Deyda Hydara, his co-founder who was murdered by unknown men in 2004.

Faraj Sarkohi , Iran   – A writer and journalist, Faraj Sarkohi was persecuted by both the Shah of Iran and the Islamic Republic of Iran. As a result of his work for Adineh , a literary monthly he founded and edited, Faraj Sarkohi faced imprisonment and torture before he was forced into exile. He continues to campaign for greater press freedom in Iran.

Nedim Şener, Turkey – After spending a year behind bars, Nedim Şener was recently released from prison pending trial. He faces allegations that his criticism of government investigations into alleged coup plots demonstrated support for those plots. Şener is an author and investigative journalist with Turkish daily newspaper Posta . His work includes publication of a book on the 2007 murder of his friend, Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, which accused Turkish security agencies of failing to prevent Dink's murder.

Arun Shourie , India – One of India's most renowned and controversial journalists, Arun Shourie was the uncompromising editor of the English-language daily Indian Express , and introduced a new style of independent investigative journalism to India. At one stage, there were 300 cases filed against the Indian Express by the government but Shourie remained committed to press freedom, ensuring him a vast following, and many enemies, across India. Arun Shourie is now working in politics and previously was a Minister for the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Ricardo Uceda, Peru – Famous for his fearless reporting on government corruption and the military's abuse of human rights, Ricardo Uceda is one of Peru's most renowned investigative journalists. As editor of newsweekly Sí , Ricardo Uceda revealed military abuses and faced physical threats and censorship. Ricardo Uceda also founded the Investigative Unit of El Comercio , Peru's oldest daily, and previously he also worked for El Mundo , Expreso , El Diario , El Nacional , Canal 2 and La Razón , and is a founding member of Instituto Prensa y Sociedad (Press and Society Institute).

Jose Ruben Zamora, Guatemala – Founder and former editor-in-chief of the independent daily Siglo Veintiuno (21st Century), Jose Ruben Zamora has built up a reputation for reporting on taboo subjects and exposés covering corruption, drug trafficking and human rights violations. Zamora resigned as editor in chief of Siglo Veintiuno in 1996 and launched a new daily, El Periódico , which continues its critical coverage. Zamora has faced censorship, harassment, death threats, kidnapping and attacks for his work.

An Open Letter to Ethiopian Muslims, Christians, Jews and all believers in freedom

Read:- SMNE Press Release

April 12, 2012:

Leading Free Expression Advocate on Trial for Terrorism

For more information contact:
Larry Siems , (212) 334-1660 ext. 105
Sarah Hoffman , (212) 334-1660 ext. 111

New York City, April 12, 2012—PEN American Center today named Eskinder Nega , a journalist and dissident blogger in Ethiopia, as the recipient of its 2012 PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award . Nega, a leading advocate for press freedom and freedom of expression in Ethiopia, was arrested on September 14, 2011, and is currently being tried under the country's sweeping anti-terror legislation, which criminalizes any reporting deemed to “encourage” or “provide moral support” to groups and causes which the government considers to be “terrorist.” He could face the death penalty if convicted.

The award, which honors international writers who have been persecuted or imprisoned for exercising or defending the right to freedom of expression, will be presented at PEN's Annual Gala on May 1, 2012, at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

"Die äthiopische Schriftsteller Eskinder Nega ist, dass tapfersten und bewundernswert von Schriftstellern, einer, der abgeholt seiner Feder, um Dinge, die er kannte würden sicherlich setzte ihn in ernste Gefahr zu schreiben", sagt Peter Godwin, Präsident des PEN American Center. "Doch er tat es trotzdem. And indeed he fell victim to exactly the measures he was highlighting, Ethiopia's draconian ''anti terrorism' laws that criminalize critical commentary. This is at least the seventh time that the government of Meles Zenawi has detained Eskinder Nega in an effort to muzzle him. Yet Nega has continued his spirited pursuit of freedom of expression. Such humbling courage makes Nega a hugely deserving recipient of the PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award .”

Eskinder Nega has been publishing articles critical of the government since 1993, when he opened his first newspaper, Ethiopis , which was soon shut down by authorities. He was the general manager of Serkalem Publishing House, which published the newspapers Asqual , Satenaw , and Menelik , all of which are now banned in Ethiopia. He has also been a columnist for the monthly magazine Change and for the US-based news forum EthioMedia, which are also banned. He has been detained at least seven times under Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, including in 2005, when he and his journalist wife Serkalem Fasil were imprisoned for 17 months on treason charges for their critical reporting on the government's violent crackdown of protests following disputed elections, and briefly in February 2011 for “attempts to incite Egyptian and Tunisian-like protests in Ethiopia” after he published articles on the Arab Spring. Their newspapers have been shut down and Nega has been denied a license to practice journalism since 2005, yet he has continued to publish columns critical of the government's human rights record and calling for an end to political repression and corruption.

Nega was again arrested on September 14, 2011, after he published a column questioning the government's claim that a number of journalists it had detained were suspected terrorists, and for criticizing the arrest of well-known Ethiopian actor and government critic Debebe Eshetu on terror charges earlier that week. Kurz nach seiner Verhaftung wurde Nega mit Zugehörigkeit zur verbotenen politischen Partei Ginbot 7, die die äthiopische Regierung betrachtet einen terroristischen Organisation angeklagt. On November 10, Nega was charged and further accused of plotting with and receiving weapons and explosives from neighboring Eritrea to carry out terrorist attacks in Ethiopia. State television portrayed Nega and other political prisoners as “spies for foreign forces.” He is currently being held in Maekelawi Prison in Addis Ababa, where detainees are reportedly often ill-treated and tortured.

PEN, Human Rights Watch, the Committee to Protect Journalists, and many other international organizations have long been concerned about Ethiopia's use of anti-terrorism legislation to justify the jailing of journalists and members of the political opposition. Eskinder Nega's trial on charges under the 2009 Anti-Terrorism Proclamation, which covers the “planning preparation, conspiracy, incitement, and attempt” of terrorist acts, illustrates this trend. During his trial, which opened on March 6, 2012, the prosecution has presented evidence that consisted of nearly inaudible recordings of telephone conversations and other comments and a video of a town hall meeting in which Nega discusses the differences between Arab countries and Ethiopia. Nega took the stand on March 28 and denied all charges against him, saying he has never conspired to overthrow the government through violence and admitting only to reporting on the Arab Spring and speculating on whether a similar movement could take place in Ethiopia. Serkalem Fasil, who was the recipient of the 2007 Courage in Journalism Award from the International Women's Media Foundation, maintained that her husband is “a journalist, not a member of a political party.”

In announcing the award today in New York, Freedom to Write Program Director Larry Siems praised Eskinder Nega's “courageous use of the written word to advocate on behalf of his fellow journalists and citizens.”

“Nega's critiques of the Zenawi government go back two decades, and in recent years he has written fearlessly about the need for peaceful democratic transition and about the fate of other journalists unjustly silenced under the pretense of fighting terrorism,” Siems said. “Now as he faces the same fate, in no small part because he spoke out on their behalf, he continues to press for freedom of expression from behind bars. He is truly an extraordinary individual and we are proud to be able to award him this honor.”

Siems joined Godwin in urging the Obama administration to press Ethiopian authorities to halt the use of anti-terror legislation to target journalists for their legitimate work and release Eskinder Nega, one of the most visible symbols of the Ethiopian government's persistent press freedom violations, and all other journalists jailed under national security laws in violation of their right to freedom of expression.

Writer, historian and PEN Member Barbara Goldsmith underwrites the PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award. This is the 26th year the award has honored an international literary figure who has been persecuted or imprisoned for exercising or defending the right to freedom of expression. Candidates are nominated by PEN International and any of its 145 constituent PEN centers around the world, and screened by PEN American Center and an Advisory Board comprising some of the most distinguished experts in the field. The Advisory Board for the PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award includes Carroll Bogert, Deputy Executive Director for External Relations at Human Rights Watch; Vartan Gregorian, President of the Carnegie Corporation; Joanne Leedom-Ackerman, International Vice President of PEN International and PEN American Center Trustee; Aryeh Neier, former president of the Open Society Foundation; and Joel Simon, Executive Director of the Committee to Protect Journalists.

The Freedom to Write Award is an extension of PEN's year-round advocacy on behalf of the more than 900 writers and journalists who are currently threatened or in prison. Sechsundvierzig Frauen und Männer haben die Auszeichnung seit 1987 erhalten hat; 33 der 37 Preisträger, die im Gefängnis an der Zeit wurden sie geehrt waren, wurden später freigelassen.

PEN American Center is the largest of the 145 centers of PEN International, the world's oldest human rights organization and the oldest international literary organization. The Freedom to Write Program of PEN American Center works to protect the freedom of the written word wherever it is imperiled. It defends writers and journalists from all over the world who are imprisoned, threatened, persecuted, or attacked in the course of carrying out their profession. For more information on PEN's work, please visit www.pen.org

Related Articles

• Eskinder Nega's Case Page

• TAKE ACTION: Write a letter on behalf of Eskinder Nega

Source: http://www.pen.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/6494/prmID/172

BBC News

The UN special rapporteur on slavery has urged the Lebanese government to carry out a full investigation into the death of an Ethiopian domestic worker.

Alem Dechasa, 33, killed herself on 14 March, a few days after she was filmed being beaten by men and dragged into a car in the Lebanese capital, Beirut.

Gulnara Shahinian said the “cruel” images reminded her of the many migrant workers she met in Lebanon last year.

She urged the country to uncover the truth about such rights violations.

Last month, eight civil society groups called on the Lebanese authorities to reform restrictive visa regulations and adopt a labour law on domestic work to address high levels of abuse and deaths among migrant workers.

'End impunity'
On 8 March, the Lebanese television network LBCI released a video filmed on 24 February by an anonymous bystander in which a man physically abuses Ms Alem outside the Ethiopian consulate in Beirut.

As she tries to resist, he and another man drag her into a car.

LBCI later identified the man beating her as the brother of the head of the recruiting agency that brought her to Lebanon.

He alleged that his brother's agency had been trying to return her to Ethiopia because she had mental health problems.

Police later found Ms Alem and took her to a detention centre.

Following a request by the Caritas Lebanon Migrant Center, they transferred her to the Deir al-Saleeb psychiatric hospital two days later, but did not arrest those alleged to have carried out the beatings.

Ms Alem killed herself at the hospital on the morning of 14 March.

After the beating video was circulated, the labour and justice ministries began investigations, but their outcomes have not been made public.

On Tuesday, Ms Shahinian issued a statement strongly urging the Lebanese authorities to investigate the circumstances leading to Ms Alem's death and make public their findings.

“There are a number of reports circulating about the human rights violations Alem Dechasa experienced as a migrant domestic worker in Lebanon and the facts surrounding her death,” she said.

“States are under an obligation to ensure the realisation of the right to truth about violations in order to end impunity and promote and protect human rights and provide redress to victims and their families.”

Ethiopian migrant suicide: 'I can't tell my daughter that her mother is dead' – videoAlem Dechasa, an Ethiopian migrant, was beaten in the streets of Beirut by men who allegedly worked for the company that recruited her in Lebanon. Later she was found dead in hospital, having apparently killed herself. Alem's partner, Lemesa Ejeta, explains why he cannot bring himself to tell their two children that she is dead

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2012/apr/09/ethiopia-migrant-suicide-video

ከአዲስ አበባ

ይድረስ በውጪ ሀገራት ለምትኖሩ የሃይማኖት አባቶችና የማንኛውም ሃይማኖት ምዕመናን፣

ይህን የጭንቀት ደብዳቤ የምንጽፍላችሁ ወገኖቻችሁን በጥሞና አዳምጣችሁ የምንለውን በተግባር እንደምታውሉልን ተስፋ እናደርጋለን፡፡

በዛሬዋ ዕለት በተነበቡና በተደመጡ የሚዲያ ውጤቶች እንደተረዳነው የኢትጵያ ሕዝብ ከመቼውም ጊዜ በበለጠ ዛፍ ያጣ ጉሬዛ መሆኑን ልንረዳ ችለናል፡፡ በኢንተርኔት ከሚወጡ ዜናዎች እንደተረዳነው በሀገር ውስጥ በገዢው መደብ ድጋፍና ማበረታቻ የተነሳሱ ኃይሎች በተወሰኑ የሕዝብ ወገኖች ላይ እያደረሱት ያለው ከመኖሪያ ቦታ የማፈናቀልና ሀብት ንብረትን እየቀሙ በገዛ የጋራ ሀገራቸው እንደባዕድ ዜጋ ጓዜን ጨርቄን ሳይሉ እግር አውጪኛቸውን እንዲባረሩ እየተደረገ መሆኑን አውቀናል፡፡ ይህ ጉዳይ እንዲቆምና ችግሩ ዕልባት እንዲያገኝ ለገዢው መደብ አቤቱታ ቢቀርብም አቤቱታ ማቅረብ እንደኃጢያትና ወንጀል እየተቆጠረ ለአቤቱታ የተላኩ ወኪሎች ሳይቀሩ ደብዛቸው እየጠፋ እንደሆነ ሰምተናል፡፡ ይህ ዓይነት ፍርደ ገምድልነት ባለባት ሀገራችን ውስጥ እያንዳንዱ ዜጋ ቀኑ መሽቶ እሚነጋለት በተዓምር እንጂ በሕግና ሥርዓት የሚያስተዳድር መንግሥት ኖሮን እንዳልሆነ አረጋግጠናል፡፡ በዚህ ረገድ በሀገር ውስጥ ያሉት የማንኛውም ሃይማኖት አባቶች ይህን ሁሉ ግፍና በደል እያወቁ ለዓለማዊ የሰዎች ሥርዓት በማገብደድ ፈጣሪን ረስተውና ለምድራዊ ኑሯቸው ሳስተው የቆሙለትን የነፍስ መንገድ በመሳታቸው ሕዝቡ ከነሱ ምንም እንዳይጠብቅ ተስፋውን አመንምነውታል፡፡ ብዙ ጊዜም ታይተው በፈተና ወድቀዋል፡፡

በምሽቱ የአሜሪካ ድምፅ ደግሞ በየመን ሀገር 1500 የሚሆኑ ስደተኛ ኢትዮጵያውያን እየደረሰባቸው ያለውን ተደራራቢ ስቃይና እንግልት ያዳመጥነው በከፍተኛ ጭንቀት ውስጥ ገብተን በሃሳብ ነሁልለን ነው፡፡ እንዲህ ዓይነት በውስጥም በውጪም በዜጎች ላይ የተነጣጠረ ዋይታና ልቅሶ በተለይ በአሁኑ ወቅት እየደረሰ ያለው በኛ በኢትዮጵያውያን ላይ እንጂ በሌላ በማንም እንዳልሆነ ከነባራዊው የዓለም ሁኔታ መረዳት እንችላለን፡፡ አንድ ዜጋ በሀገሩም በተሰደደበትም ሥፍራ እንዲህ መፈጠሩን እስኪራገም መጨነቁና መጠበቡ በእጅጉ ያሳዝናል፤ ያስለቅሳልም፡፡

ይህን መሰሉን ተደራራቢ ችግር የምንጋፈጥ ኢትዮጵያውያን በሀገራችን ባሉ የአምልኮት ቤቶች ፈጣሪን በጸሎት እግዚኦ ብለን እንዳንጠይቅ በዬሃይማኖታችን የተሰገሰጉ የገዢው መደብ የሃይማኖት አባት ተብዬዎች አይፈቅዱልንም፡፤ ሕዝቡን ለምህላ የሚጠሩ በሕዝብ ችግር የሚያዝኑ የሃይማኖት አባቶች ይታሰራሉ፤ ከሥራ ቦታቸው ይባረራሉ በቀላሉ ከተማሩም ከፍተኛ ማስጠንቀቂያ ይሰጣቸውና ተራ የሠርክ ጸሎት ብቻ እንዲያደርሱ ይገደዳሉ፡፡ እንደሚታወቀው በችግር ጊዜ የሚደረግ የእግዚኦታ የምህላ ጸሎትና የዘወትር ቅዳሴና ጸሎት ይለያያሉ፡፡ እናም በሀገራችን በተለይ በኦርቶዶክሱ በኩል በፓትርያርኩ ልዩ ትዕዛዝ መሠረት እግዚኦ የሚባልበት ቤተ ክርስቲያን ወይም ደብር አለቃው ይቀጣል፤ ከሥራም ይታገዳል ወይም እንደግል ማኅደሩ ይዞታ ከዚያ ከፍ ያለ ቅጣትም ሊደርስበት ይችላል፡፡ በጭራሽ አይፈቀድም፡፡ ‹በሀገራችን ሰላምና ጥጋብ ሞልቶ የምን እግዚኦታ ነው› በሚል አመክንዮ፣ የተለዬ የምህላ ጸሎት እንዲደረግ የሚፈቅድ የሰበካ ጉባኤ ቆሞስ ይቀጣል፡፡

ስለዚህ በውጪ ሀገር ያላችሁ የሃይማኖት አባቶችና ምዕመናን – እስላሙም ክርስቲያኑም- በቅርቡ ተመካክራችሁ ከፍ ሲል የገለጽነውን በመሰለ የሰቆቃ ሕይወት ውስጥ ለሚገኙ የሀገራችን ዜጎችና በጠቅላላው ለሀገራችን ሰላም የአንድ ቀን ጸሎት በየአብያተ አምልኮዎቻችሁ እንዲደረግ ታሳስቡልን ዘንድ በእግዚአብሔር ስም እንማጸናለን፡፡ ጸላዮቹ በቋንቋ፣ በእምነት፣ በክልል፣ በወርድና በቁመት፣ በፆታና በመሳሰለው ሰውኛ ልዩነት ላንመሳሰል ብንችልም የጸሎታችን ሰሚ ግን አንድ ፈጣሪ በመሆኑ በአንድ ልብ ሆነን ለአንድ ፈጣሪ ከጸለይን ይሰማናልና አንድ ቀነ ቀጠሮ ይዘን ብንችል ጎን ለጎን ቆመን ወይ ተቀምጠን በየሃይማኖታችን እንጸልይ፡፡ ይህን የጸሎት ፕሮግራም ለማስተባበርም ከሁሉም ወገን የተውጣጣ አንድ ኮሚቴ ቢጤ እንዲኖር ቢደረግ አመቺ ይሆናል፡፡ የድረ ገጾችና የሌሎች ሚዲያ አካላት ሚናም በእጅጉ ወሳኝ ነውና ለዚህ ፕሮግራም ሁሉም ተረባርቦ የበኩሉን እንዲያደርግ በድጋሚ እንማጸናለን፡፡ ለስኬቱ እኛ በሀገር ውስጥ ያለነው በእሥር ላይ እንዳለን ስለምንቆጠር በውጪ ያላችሁት ተነሳሽነቱን ወስዳችሁ ብታስተባብሩ የተሻለ ነው፡፡ ጊዜው ኩዳዴ ሳያልቅ ቢሆን ጥሩ ሳይሆን አይቀርም፡፡ እኛም በድረ ገፆች እንከታተላለን፡፡

እግዚአብሔር ኢትዮጵያን ይባርክ፡፡ መልካሙን ሁሉ ያሰማን፡፡

Rule of Law, Rule by Law, Rule by Unjust Law, Rule by Man

All of the weekly commentaries I have written over the years have been structured on a single fundamental principle: the rule of law. Was ist das? How does it configure in Ethiopia's transition from dictatorship to democracy?

The phrase “rule of law” is somewhat vague and much overused by scholars and advocates, and casually thrown around in general political conversation. The phrase is so popular that even dictators swear by it. In October 2011, Meles Zenawi told Aftenposten (Norway's largest paper): “We have reached a very advanced stage of rule of law and respect for human rights. Fundamentally, this is a country where democratic rights of people are respected.” (Ahem!!!)

For lawyers, “rule of law” is a term of art which generally signifies constitutional supremacy and adherence to principles of due process. Political scientists use the phrase to describe institutional mechanisms for policing the state and preventing abuse of power through established accountability procedures and guarantees of basic civil, human and substantive rights. The phrase is gaining popularity among economists who have come to realize that the rule of law is necessary to create a secure environment for business, investments, contracts and market transactions. Where there the rule of law prevails, good governance (accountability, transparency, free and fair elections, etc.) follows and economies grow. Since the 1990s, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, among others, have insisted on implementation of the “rule of law” as a condition of loans and assistance in Africa (largely without much success).

Dictators often jabber about the “rule of law” to shroud their “rule by law” of one man, one party. In a society under the “rule of men”, absolute power is exercised by the privileged few who are above the law. One man, one party, one select group decides for the whole society. That was what Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, and Mao Zedong and others did; and that is what Africa's dictators do today.

Rule of Law and Rule by Diktat

African dictators rule by diktat (arbitrary decrees issued by command of the dictator) which they try to palm off as “laws” (legislation enacted by a legitimately elected body engaged in deliberative process). They scribble down their diktats, have it approved by their rubberstamp parliaments and pronounce it “law” or “proclamation”. They use the diktat to play policeman, prosecutor, judge, jury and executioner. Under rule by diktat, dictators use the “law” as a bludgeon — a sledgehammer — to vanquish their opposition. On March 28, 2006, Congressman Christopher Smith, Chairman of House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations recounted a revealing conversation he had with Zenawi which demonstrates rule by diktat:

During my visit to Addis last August [2005], I met with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, and I asked him why he had not investigated the June shootings of demonstrators by agents of his government. His response was that the investigation might require the arrest of opposition leaders, and he didn't want to do that while by-elections were still scheduled. He went on to tell me that he had dossiers on all the opposition leaders and could arrest them for treason whenever he wanted. Thus, their arrests were all but certain even before the events that ostensibly led to their being incarcerated.

In a more recent example of rule by dictat, Zenawi visiting Norway in October 2011 proclaimed two freelance Swedish journalists Johan Persson and Martin Schibbye awaiting trial were guilty of terrorism. He said the two journalists “are, at the very least, messenger boys of a terrorist organization. They are not journalists. Why would a journalist be involved with a terrorist organization and enter a country with that terrorist organization, escorted by armed terrorists, and participate in a fighting in which this terrorist organization was involved? If that is journalism, I don't know what terrorism is.” Zenawi seemed to be unfamiliar with Art. 20 (3) of the Ethiopian Constitution which guarantees: “During proceedings accused persons have the right to be presumed innocent.” In late February 2012, Zenawi made the following incredibly mindboggling statement about the same Swedish journalists:

The government gave a small statement that such people have been put [in] prison… The next day the campaign was launched, 'Free press, innocent people with no issue at all!' They just give pronouncements before the case has gone to court, before evidence has been heard. The pronouncement was there; the government is the criminal and the people are innocent. (Well, if the shoe fits, wear it!)

After declaring the two journlaists “terrorists” in October 2011, in February 2012, Zenawi has the audacity to criticize others for commenting on the journalsits' innocence “before the case has gone to court, before evidence has been heard.” Incredible!

A Practical Understanding of the Rule of Law

As the scholars and lawyers debate the finer points of the rule of law, it is possible to fashion a practical understanding of the principle which could be useful in the dialogue and debate over Ethiopia's transition from dictatorship to democracy. A practical lesson in the application of the rule of law principle could be learned by examining “anti-terrorism” laws in the US and Ethiopia.

In 2001, President Bush signed an executive order authorizing the creation of military tribunals for the detention, treatment and trial of certain non-citizens (“enemy combatants”) in the war against terrorism. In 2006 the US Supreme Court struck down the executive order and commissions as unconstitutional (Hamdan v. Rumsfeld) holding that the President lacks constitutional or statutory authority. Much to the great disappointment of the Bush Administration, the Court held that these terror suspects were entitled to the protection of the ordinary laws of the United States and the laws of war including the Geneva Convention, and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. In language that pays homage to deep-rooted American civil liberties, the Court wrote: “Assuming that Hamdan [terror suspect] is a dangerous individual who would cause great harm or death to innocent civilians given the opportunity, the Executive nevertheless must comply with the prevailing rule of law in undertaking to try him and subject him to criminal punishment.”

In 2004, in a similar case of a terror suspect (Rasul v. Bush), the US Supreme Court upheld the rule of law by requiring the President to honor the writ of habeas corpus (one of the greatest rights Americans have to challenge the government in court unlawful restraint on their liberties). The Court held that a terror suspect detainee may not be denied access to lawyers and civilians courts in violation of the due process guarantees of the Fifth Amendment to the US Constitution. Simply stated, even wicked villains and evil-doers are shielded by the rule of law in the American Constitution.

In contrast, rule by law (rule by diktat) has made Zenawi's so-called anti-terrorism law (“Anti-Terrorism Proclamation No. 652/2009”) a sledgehammer to crush dissidents, journalists, opposition political leaders and anyone considered an enemy. In early February 2012, a group of independent United Nations human rights experts (UN Special Rapporteurs) made public statements condemning the ongoing use of anti-terrorism laws to curb a broad range of freedoms in Ethiopia. Ben Emmerson, the UN Special Rapporteur on counter-terrorism and human rights, said that “the anti-terrorism provisions should not be abused and need to be clearly defined in Ethiopian criminal law to ensure that they do not go counter to internationally guaranteed human rights.” Frank La Rue, the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression, said that “Journalists play a crucial role in promoting accountability of public officials by investigating and informing the public about human rights violations. They should not face criminal proceedings for carrying out their legitimate work, let alone be severely punished.” Margaret Sekaggya, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders, stated that “journalists, bloggers and others advocating for increased respect for human rights should not be subject to pressure for the mere fact that their views are not in alignment with those of the Government [of Ethiopia].” Maina Kiai, the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, said “The resort to anti-terrorism legislation is one of the many obstacles faced by associations today in Ethiopia. The Government must ensure protection across all areas involving the work of associations, especially in relation to human rights issues.” Gabriela Knaul, the UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, said: “Defendants in a criminal process should be considered as innocent until proven guilty as enshrined in the Constitution of Ethiopia… And it is crucial that defendants have access to a lawyer during the pre-trial stage to safeguard their right to prepare their legal defence.”

The Essence of the Rule of Law

The essence of the rule of law can be summarized in the following simple proposition: Because power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely, the rule of law is essential to prevent power from corrupting and absolute power from corrupting absolutely. The UN Secretary-General in a report to the Security Council in 2004 prescribed implementation of the rule of law as “a principle of governance in which all persons, institutions and entities, public and private, including the State itself, are accountable to laws that are publicly promulgated, equally enforced and independently adjudicated, and which are consistent with international human rights norms and standards.” In practice, it is necessary to have “measures to ensure adherence to the principles of supremacy of law, equality before the law, accountability to the law, fairness in the application of the law, separation of powers, participation in decision-making, legal certainty, avoidance of arbitrariness and procedural and legal transparency.” The World Bank says where the rule of law prevails government exercises self-restraint, treats its citizens justly and equally under the law and protects the dignity of each individual in society. Numerous other organizations and institutions involved in the rule of law movement have come to the same conclusion.

Rule of Law Cannot Be “Copycatted”

There are some who believe that blindly “copycatting” laws and regulations from other countries and incorporating them verbatim into their own laws somehow guarantees the existence and prevalence of the rule of law. In justifying his “anti-terrorism law” in February 2012, Zenawi offered the following mindboggling explanation to his rubberstamp parliament:

In drafting our anti-terrorism law, we copied word-for-word the very best anti-terrorism laws in the world. We took from America, England and the European model anti-terrorism laws. It is from these three sources that we have drafted our anti-terrorism law. From these, we have choses the better ones. For instance, in all of these laws, an organization is deemed to be terrorist by the executive branch. We improved it by saying it is not good for the executive to make that determination. We took the definition of terrorism word-by-word. Not one word was changed. Not even a comma. It is taken word-by-word. There is a reason why we took it word-by-word. First, these people have experience in democratic governance. Because they have experience, there is no shame if we learn or take from them. Learning from a good teacher is useful not harmful. Nothing embarrassing about it. The [antiterrorism] proclamation in every respect is flawless. It is better than the best anti-terrorism laws [in the world] but not less than any one of them in any way…

One cringes in total embarrassment at such a stunningly shallow understanding of jurisprudence, glib talk about the law and inattention to a glaring logical fallacy in one's argument. In seeking to establish that his anti-terrorism law is based on the rule of law, Zenawi commits a logical fallacy known as “argument from authority” (argumentum ad verecundiam). The logic of his argument is that America and Britain are democratic countries with a high degree of adherence to the rule of law principle; and they have anti-terrorism laws that are the “best” in the world. We have “copied word-for-word” the best elements of their anti-terrorism laws and put them to use. Therefore, our terrorism laws are “flawless” and singularly the very best in the world!

By invoking a fallacious authority and creating a manifestly false analogy, Zenawi aims to clothe his anti-terrorism diktat with moral legitimacy and legal respectability. One cannot create a lion by piecing together the sturdy long neck of the giraffe with the the strong jaws of a hyena, the fast limbs of the cheetah and the massive trunk of the elephant. The king of the jungle is an altogether different beast. In the same vein, one cannot clone pieces of anti-terrorism laws from everywhere onto a diktat and sanctify it as “flawless in every respect”.

Imitation may best the highest form of flattery, but to boldly claim that a mindlessly cloned diktat is “flawless” is just mindless. Beyond logical fallacy, Zenawi seems to be totally clueless about elementary principles of jurisprudence in the Anglo-American tradition. The American antiterrorism law (Zenawi does not specifically identify the American antiterrorism law he copied word-for-word, but one may reasonably assume he is referring to the “USA Patriot Act”), is not merely a collection of words, legal phrases, clauses, terms and paragraphs. The Patriot Act was drafted with intense debate and deliberation in the Congress (not scribbled down and sent for rubberstamping), contentious disputes in the media (in the US it not a crime to criticize a law in the media) and amidst outraged public dialogue and debate (not shoved down the public's throat). Above all, it was crafted within the known boundaries of the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Amendments and Article I, section 9 of the US Constitution. The legislative language in the Patriot Act derives its vitality not from glib semantic analysis of words and phrases, but from long and storied legal traditions that date back to the Magna Carta (Great Charter) in 1215, the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and the vast body of Anglo-American common law. Most importantly, the Patriot Act is subject to the supreme law of the land– the US Constitution. Thomas Paine, one of the revolutionary “Founding Fathers of the United States” and the “voice of the common man” explained it best in Common Sense: “In America, the law is king. For as in absolute governments the King is law, so in free countries the law ought to be king; and there ought to be no other.”

If Zenawi wants to copycat American and British anti-terrorism laws, he cannot cherry pick words, phrases, sentences and clauses. He has to take the whole package because those words, phrases and clauses he copied so proudly have complex histories, meanings, nuances and implications. Those blindly borrowed words and phrases have special meaning and application when they are considered, contextualized, synthesized and analyzed within the broader framework of Anglo-American common law, judicial precedents, legal principles and doctrines, rules of statutory construction, legal scholarship, legislative intent and numerous other factors. If Zenawi chooses to imitate and clone American law “word-for-word”, he is practically, logically and hermeneutically obliged to give meaning to those laws within the framework of the American Constitution and the body of constitutional law.

But Zenawi simply has no clue. The US “antiterrorism law” is not as perfect as he the thinks it is and may not be worthy of ultimate imitation. In fact, it is quite flawed. For instance, in 2004, a federal judge in New York ruled that a key component of the USA Patriot Act is unconstitutional because it allows the FBI to demand information from Internet service providers without judicial oversight or public review. Another federal judge in Oregon in 2007 ruled that crucial parts of the USA Patriot Act were unconstitutional because they allowed federal surveillance and searches of Americans without demonstrating probable cause required by the Fourth Amendment. The judge wrote, “For over 200 years, this Nation has adhered to the rule of law — with unparalleled success. A shift to a Nation based on extra-constitutional authority is prohibited, as well as ill-advised.”

Unlike Zenawi's “anti-terrorism” diktat, the Patriot Act had significant limitations in itself, including sunset provisions (expiration dates) of December 31, 2005 on a number of issues including wiretapping, sharing foreign intelligence information, seizure of voice-mail emergency disclosure of electronic surveillance. When it was reauthorized, a new sunset of December 31, 2009 was established and significant amendments added to provide for greater congressional and judicial oversight of orders for roving wiretaps and enhanced procedural protections for “sneak and peek” search warrants, among many others.

Zenawi also fails to understand the power of judicial review and the resolute ferocity of American lawyers dedicated to civil liberties in challenging the government and stopping it from encroaching on the civil liberties of the people. In other words, in America, there are lawyers and judges who are willing, able and ready to hold the Congress' or the President's feet to the fire of the supreme law of the land. In Ethiopia, there are only dictators who hold the peoples' feet, hands and bodies to the fire.

But Zenawi is absolutely right in saying that “there is no shame if we learn or take from them [America, Britain, European model]”. Learning from a good teacher is useful not harmful.” But it is not enough to have good teachers, one must also be a good student and learn all of the substantive lessons, not just a word here, a phrase there and a clause somewhere else.

Do Ethiopians Want a Government of Laws and Not of Men?

The rule of law operates differently in different societies and there is no single “flawless” conception of the principle. I do believe there are some commonalities and universal elements of the rule of law principle that are applicable in all societies. To extract the most universal elements, it is necessary to learn from alternative conceptions and experiences in the application of the rule of law. But the learning process should not be robotic or involve the mindless aggregation of bits and fragments of information and analysis. It should be syncretic, synthesizing divergent and conflicting ideas and practices in the practical application of the rule of law.

The rule of law in Ethiopia, I believe, is an ancient ideal. Ordinary Ethiopians used to invoke the “divine power of the law” (ye heg amlak) against wrong-doers and abusers of power. That was when they could see the faint and distant image of justice painted on a canvas of autocratic rule. But it must also be pointed out that the Ethiopian civic culture has tolerated an insidious exception to the rule of law which persists to the present day. An old Ethiopia adage says, “One cannot plough (farm) the sky nor hold a king to account in court” (semai aye-tares, negus aye-keses). “Negus” Zenawi is the personification of that adage today. In the transition from dictatorship to democracy, Ethiopians will have an opportunity to choose between alternative conceptions of the rule of law.

My view is that rule of law is a quintessential principle of good democratic governance. It is a vital part of statecraft (the art of leading a country). It is a fundamental element in nation-building, state-building, peace-building, democracy-building, justice-building and truth and reconciliation. I do not equate the rule of law with democracy, but I believe it makes genuine multiparty democracy possible through institutional arrangements for conducting clean, free and fair elections. I do not think the rule of law by itself guarantees justice, but it will serve to facilitate the delivery of justice to citizens through an independent and transparent judicial process. It will not guarantee equality, human rights and the rest of it, but without the rule of law there can be no equality or human dignity. I believe respect for human rights is the single important manifestation of the prevalence of the rule of law in any society and the most persuasive evidence of good governance.

Rule of Unjust Laws?

I am persuaded by the works of the great philosophers, thinkers, theologians, theorists, revolutionaries and human and civil rights rights advocates — Cicero, Augustine, Aquinas, Gandhi, King and even the framers of the US Constitution in their Declaration of Independence — who argued that an unjust law (diktat) is not really a law at all. Dr. Martin Luther King said, “Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust. One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws… for an unjust law is no law at all.” So Ethiopia's transition from dictatorship to democracy will be a transition from rule by unjust laws to the rule of just laws, and an uprising from degradation to collective elevation. I believe the rule of law will take deep root in Ethiopia when government learns always to fear its citizens and citizens acquire the courage never to fear their government!

Amharisch Übersetzungen der jüngsten Kommentaren des Autors können Sie unter:

http://www.ecadforum.com/Amharic/archives/category/al-mariam-amharic and

http://ethioforum.org/?cat=24

Vorherige Kommentaren des Autors finden Sie unter:

http://open.salon.com/blog/almariam/ und

www.huffingtonpost.com/alemayehu-g-mariam/

BEIRUT (Daily Star): A crowd of Ethiopians gathered outside the Ethiopian Consulate in Badaro Sunday afternoon toprotest its neglect of their community in Lebanon.

Following a Sunday church service nearby, a few dozen women and one man walked to the consulate and demonstrated outside.
The assembled expressed their frustration with consular officials' perceived callousness, saying that when Ethiopians contact their consulate in Lebanon via telephone they are often ignored or hung up on.

“We are living here,” said a woman named Berti, adding that “the [consulate] should help us, but they only want money.”
Another woman, named Sarah, told The Daily Star that many Ethiopians travel to Lebanon illegally through Sudan. She said that if such an Ethiopian encounters trouble in Lebanon, the consulate will absolve itself of responsibility and refuse assistance, but if the same person should want to renew her passport, the consulate would help in the interest of making a profit.
The Ethiopian Consulate was unavailable for comment.

Another driving point of the protest was the consulate's recent mishandling of the situation involving Alem Dechasa-Desisa, an Ethiopian domestic worker who was videotaped outside the building being physically abused by a man later identified as Ali Mahfouz. Dechasa-Desisa was later taken to Deir al-Salib where doctors said she hanged herself on March 14, using strips of her bed sheets.
“Nobody helped her,” said another woman named Sarah, who wore a blue keffiyeh: “How did she die? She didn't kill herself. She's not crazy.”

She added that the group was angry that officials at the consulate saw Dechasa-Desisa being beaten, thrown on the ground and forced into Mahfouz's care, but failed to take action, instead remaining inside the consulate walls and watching the abuse.
Several protesters told The Daily Star that their group would have been larger had it not been for the consulate trying to prevent the demonstration.

“At church, the [consulate's] workers told us not to come here and said they called the police,” said Sarah with the blue keffiyeh, “but the police are here and they are keeping the peace. They aren't harming us.”
“We have no problem with the Lebanese government,” added another protestor named Lina. “We like them, but we have a problem with the consulate.”

“We don't have an embassy here,” said Sarah in the blue keffiyeh, “we only have our community.”
The group chanted slogans expressing their disdain for the consulate and their suspicion that it wanted Ethiopians out of the country.
The chants were followed by a short prayer before the group dispersed. A few people from the group expressed dismay that even though Sunday is their day off, their employers only give them a few hours in the morning before they must return to work.
A woman named Makdees said, “I come [to protest], I pray, now back to work.”
Before leaving the scene she added, “Please, from every country to Lebanon, help us.”

Source:

I am sure we are all familiar with what is known as the 'melting pot' concept when it comes to describing how America functions. The term is a metaphor 'for a heterogeneous society becoming more homogeneous , the different elements “melting together” into a harmonious whole with one common culture.

The concept was popularized in the 1900 with the influx of immigrants from all over. It was challenged in 1970's with some questioning the idea of total meld and wanted to preserve cultural differences as valuable part of a civil society and proposed an alternative metaphor the 'mosaic or salad bowl' concept. This term has come to dominate the Canadian experience. It proposes the mix of ethnic groups, languages and cultures that can harmoniously co-exist. It advocates multiculturalism.

Both approaches have managed to build a robust and prosperous society. Over the weekend I had a medical issue and went to the hospital. I, the patient is an immigrant from Ethiopia. My admitting nurse was another Ethiopian. The nurse that took my vitals was from Nigeria. The person who took my x-ray was from Eritrea. My emergency room doctor was a white American. The individual who took me thru the discharge process was a female Hispanic immigrant. The hospital functioned like a well-oiled machine.

I was impressed. It made me see how the US has managed to become such a big powerhouse. There is plenty that needs to change but it is obvious the system is based on a solid ground of willingness to accommodate change while not losing a common vision of one country one people.

It did not take me long to come back to ground. My homeland came to jar me back to reality. The 'ethnic cleansing' in southern part of my country was a reminder that all is not well on the home front. The term 'ethnic cleansing' is a loaded term. I am not invoking it lightly. But it to so aptly describes the plight of our citizens that happen to be 'Amhara' and their current tribulations. The Benji Maji Zone Administration has seen it fit to expropriate their land and property and drive them out of their homes. Go back to your Kilil they said. Today they are refugees in their own country. The actual term is 'internally displaced.'

“Internally displaced” is a strange concept to grasp. How could you be a refugee in your own land? In an emerging Democracy like Ethiopia anything is possible. The government led by TPLF (Tigrai Peoples Liberation Movement) is the Party in charge. When they took power they were not into the concept a 'melting pot' nor did they appreciate the idea of a 'salad bowl.' Our ḥizbāwī weyānē ḥārinet tigrāy ሕዝባዊ ወያኔ ሓርነት ትግራይ leaders were enamored by the concept of 'Apartheid'. Building enclaves was their brilliant solution. The plight of the Amhara's is Apartheid in practice. That is what Meles Zenawi is constructing in Ethiopia. Separate disjointed entities at war with each other while his single ethnic based party fans the hate flame.

Do you think I am being an alarmist? Do you think I am falling into the trap of ethnic identification? I do not think so. If people are forced to flee due to their ethnicity be it in Benji Maji, Gambella, Sarajevo or Kigali you have to call it what it is 'ethnic cleansing.' The Serbian Military's attempt to drive Moslems out of Sarajevo was defined as practicing 'ethnic cleansing.' Hutus targeted Tutsis and the blood bath was judged as an ugly attempt at 'ethnic cleansing.' During the border war between Ethiopia and Eritrea both countries carried out limited form of 'ethnic cleansing'. May I remind you some of us showed total indifference while a few cheered. Ethnic cleansing is an International crime. It is crime against humanity. What has happened to the Amhara's of Benji Maji Zone is 'ethnic cleansing.' Their only crime is being an Amhara and finding them selves in the wrong Apartheid designated 'Home Land”.

This abhorrent crime is committed by the TPLF party, which is led by Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. They set such system in place. They designed it. Some are claiming the TPLF party has gone rouge and become the party of one family. I beg to differ. The TPLF was born a monster, grew up to be a monster and will die as a monster. It has never ever done anything that could be seen as a positive contribution to the people of Tigrai in particular and the people of Ethiopia in general.

Kilil is not a new idea. It was copied from the book of the Nationalist Party of South Africa. The White people's party. Their creation of the 'Apartheid' system set up ten Bantustans or homeland for Black people. It kept the Blacks apart. It made them strangers to each other. There was no Black South African but an ethnic based homeland citizen. Leaders like Chief Buthelezi of the great nation of Kwa Zulu were reduced to serving the White masters at the expense of their people. Exile some, corrupt a few and bully the rest was the hallmark of Apartheid. Kilil is the son of Apartheid. In today's Ethiopia Kilil defines who you are and that of being an Ethiopian is secondary. Benji Maji is the outcome of Kilil at work. You area a citizen of your Kilil not your Country.

TPLF's system is working like a charm. The folks displaced from Benji Maji are living proof. The cultivation of hate has made us mistrust each other. The insistence on separate Kilil's has caused us plenty of civil strife. No place is immune from this sickness. Even places of higher learning such as the University and Kilil based Colleges are the hot bed of 'ethnic' clashes. I am writing about it. It has become our everyday experience. We are in the process of becoming strangers to each other. The meaning of being an Ethiopian is being deflated, downsized, given negative connotations and made something to hide out of shame.

Why some people in leadership do that should be left to psychologists, social scientists and historians to explain. Our problem is here and now. We are all affected by this devaluation of a beautiful proud country. We are not the first to be under this type of calamity. Look Iraq was once a proud nation. Today Iraqis avoid Iraq. Syria is entering that zone of madness on a national scale. Ethnic strife is the common thread between the two. Kilil is the breeding ground for 'ethnic strife'. The TPLF party is the fertilizer.

Are you inoculated against this virus? What do you think when you hear of Benji Maji? Upset? Depressed? Verwirrt? Hope less? You see the current leaders of Ethiopia are free to do what they want. The only way to stop them is by showing them there are consequences to their action. There is a price to pay for bad deeds. The people organized around Timret are building an all-inclusive Front as a solid foundation for our future Ethiopia. ESAT has managed to be our voice. Andenet is still operating under dire circumstances. All these groups and organizations are helping the people of Benji Maji by doing their share so there will be no more Benji Maji's. Change will not happen with out involvement. We can work together as one to create a “melting Pot' or a 'Salad Bowl' or continue on building Apartheid. It is up to you. Show me rather than tell me.

Press Release Civilians Under Attack as Human Rights Violations Soar in Gambella.pdf

The NY tri State Ethiopians mostly of Christian Orthodox came out in huge number yesterday afternoon on what we call ” Lunch Rally ” and answered for a call of our monks to defend the Waldiba Monastery that includes 18 churches and sacred burial ground from the Sugar Lords destruction. Waldiba has been a place of education and worship since 1200s by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and many who were educated shared their personal experience at Waldiba on our rally in front of the “Ethiopian” Mission at Manhattan. Some called Waldiba the first University of Ethiopia. Many agree that there is hardly to find any of our religious holy fathers who has never been at Waldiba one time or the other.