Meles supports China’s anti-secession law (Joke of the Decade!) By Aklilu Wondmagegne: March 16, 2005

Meles supports China’s anti-secession law (Joke of the Decade!)

By Aklilu Wondmagegne: March 16, 2005

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Meles Zenawi’s parliament has now endorsed the People’s Republic of China’s anti-secession law on Taiwan. How come? The foundation of the Ethiopian constitution, to be more exact, the Meles Zenawi constitution, is based on what the prime minister has been saying is the universal right of “nations and nationalities to self-determination up to secession.” Meles fought for Eritrean independence based on what is now Article 39 of the constitution, or it is said so. Those who opposed Meles were put to death. Period. (If there are lingering doubts, consult the History Book of TPLF authored by none other than Meles himself).

What does endorsing China’s anti-secession law mean vis-a-vis Meles Zenawi?

To answer this question, it would be helpful to know there are two types of Meles cadres: Level One and Level Two.

Level One are crude. The Ethiopia-Eritrea question is clear to them in terms of a troubled marriage. They would ask you what is the solution to a marriage wracked by violence? Divorce! That’s it. That is what happened to the violent marriage we had with Eritrea.

Given their lack of education, you wouldn’t blame the peasants who spent much of their life fighting against their own country. They have been victims of mind-deadening Meles/Shaebia propaganda. When they were fighting against their country, they thought they were helping the victimized wife from an abusive husband.

Level Two are urbane. Typical examples are Prof. Kinfe Abraham or Prof. Andreas Eshete. They don’t give you crude husband-wife type of analogies. When it comes to defending Meles on Eritrea, they feel defenseless though. They know their leader, Mr. Meles Zenawi, is the champion of Eritrean secessionism, incomparable even by the standards of Mr. Isaias Afwerki. The only excuse they find to defend Meles is by taking you to the era of the University Students Movement of the ’70s. Their typical answer is:

“It’s hard to say Meles is an Eritrean agent. He is simply the victim of the politics of the Students Movement of the ’70s, when calling for Eritrean freedom was in vogue. Not only Meles, but other student leaders were all convinced Eritrea was the colony of Ethiopia. It is this ideology that shaped Meles.”

You would ask more: “If you bring up the 70s, the Marxist ideology was the dominant one that had blanketed everything, including the Eritrea question, which they thought they had found an answer in Joseph Stalin’s book: ‘The right of Nations to Self-determination Up To Secession.’ Meles dumped the Marxist ideology overnight, but kept the Eritrean case closer to his soul. Why?”

No answer.

If we were to believe Meles, as one governed by strong principles contained in what is called the supreme law of the land – the constitution – at least Meles would have decided to remain neutral, even if opposing China would be an unwise measure for him, particularly at this time when he has lost the support of the U.S. If he were true to principles, as he claims to be, he would have gone to the extent of lecturing China that Beijing would be well off without Taiwan, as he bluntly told Ethiopians that we would be well off without a port.

Following is a news report from Xinhua, the state-owned Chinese News Agency whose Addis Ababa-based correspondent is sometimes difficult to know whether he is an EPRDF cadre, or he is a genuine Chinese from Beijing.

Ethiopia’s parliament on Tuesday expressed support for China’s anti-secession law to prevent Taiwan’s secession from China.

“It is not a war law, but a law aimed at curbing war and maintaining peace,” said Mulatu Teshome, speaker of the Ethiopian House of the Federation, when meeting with Chinese Ambassador to Ethiopia Lin Lin.

The law is not only conducive to peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits, but also conducive to peace and stability in the Asian-Pacific region and the world at large, he said.

China has the largest population in the world and its economy is growing rapidly, the whole world does not want to see a war in China, he added.

“On behalf of the Ethiopian parliament and the government, I would like to congratulate China’s National People’s Congress on the approval of the law,” said Mulatu.

He also said Ethiopia all along adheres to its one-China policy and regards Taiwan as part of China.

The National People’s Congress, China’s top legislature, on Monday passed the law which came into effect immediately after President Hu Jintao signed a presidential decree to promulgate it later in the day.

Source: Xinhua