I want to express my deepest respect and appreciation to the 38 heroes who suffered untold misery and indignities at the hands of Zenawi so that Ethiopia can join the family of free nations of the world. I thank them for their sacrifices. I honor them for standing up for freedom, democracy and human rights. I admire them for not selling their souls to the Devil for 30 pieces of silver. I pay them my highest tribute for their faith in God. I appreciate them for being good shepards to our people.
I also express my deepst thanks to their families who suffered along with them. I honor them for the days they spent in Kangaroo Kourt watching injusctice being practiced against their loved ones. I admire their tenacity in supporting the prisoners in Kality prison. I have no doubut that it is their support and encouragement that sustained the prisoners of conscience through the countless months of imprisonment. Thank you families!!
I have two messages for the free prisoners of conscience. I ask them to pardon Zenawi for he knows not what he does. He is a man totally repudiated by his own people, and now he is a man condemned by the entire international community as a merciless tyrant. He can rescue himself from his evil ways only if the prisoners of consceince pardon and forgive him. It is in the tradition of all the great religions and philosophies that the innocent pardon and forgive the sinner and the doer of evil. I beg you to pardon Zenawi for all of the evil he has done to you because you are men and women of peace and good will.
I further ask you to join us in the Diaspora as we struggle to help bring freedom and accountability in Ethiopia. We have a bill in the U.S. Congress that will help prevent the injustice that happened to you from ever happening to any other Ethiopian. H.R. 2003, a bill authored by Ethiopia´s greatest friend in the U.S. Congress, Donald Payne, will deny nonessential aid to any Ethiopian government that violates the human rights of its citizens. American taxpayers will never allow their their tax dollars to be used by dictators and tyrants who will grossly abuse the human rights of Ethiopians. Join the thousands of us in the Diaspora and support our July 4th Declaration to Uphold Freedom, Democracy and Human Rights in Ethiopia.
Let us not rest until every political prisoner and prisoner of conscience in Ethiopia is rescued from Zenawi´s prisons and dungeons. Let´s grab our flashlights and kuraz, and search every hamlet and neighborhood, town and city throughout Ethiopia, for we are missing thousands of our brothers and sisters!
Congratulations, great patriots. We are all proud of you.
May God Bless You and Your Families. May God Bless Ethiopia.
Al Mariam
Guilt and Innocence
I concluded my latest book, Haile Selassie, Western Education and Political Revolution in Ethiopia, under the subtitle ‘TPLF Doublecross – Democracy Versus Dictatorship”, bitterly lamenting the jailing of Ethiopia’s best and brightest.
I knew they would soon be at large to steer Ethiopia through her glorious future though I could not figure out when. Surely, all those who love justice should rejoice that the Kinijit men and women, who were interned for exercising their democratic rights as the loyal citizens of Ethiopia have been released from the TPLF dungeon at Kaliti. But do not forget that justice prevails over transgression only when she comes to the end of the race.
Mark another cardinal point, lest you forget: when the political detainees signed a common letter that led to “the clemency” of the Meles regime, they were not pleading guilty to any infraction of the law as understood in a truly democratic and civic political environment. Guilt and innocence become irrelevant in accusations that flounder in a morass of tyranny. After all, an arbitration conducted while in captivity yields nothing but a negotiated settlement under duress.
Dr. Paulos Milkias, Author and Professor of Political Science [email protected]
Enduring Gift for the Millennium
Dear Editor,
The Historic Election of 15 May 2005 gave birth to a massively expressed verdict of the Ethiopian people for change through the ballot box. The Architects and Midwives of that victory for democracy are now free from the notorious Kaliti jail, having paid invaluable sacrifices for millions of us Ethiopians who truly cherish and value unity in diversity where, among others, freedom of the individual, justice, prosperity and mutual respect reign supreme in our Motherland, Ethiopia.
We are now fast approaching the eve to cross the bridge to the year 2000 A.D. to bask in the aura of celebration, brandishing our Gift for the New Millennium freely given to us by those Ethiopians who voted against many odds and the leaders of CUDP who made that happen and suffered injustice in the aftermath of that Historic Election..
There is a Herculean task ahead of us and we are now better prepared to face it because the release from jail of the illustrious leaders of CUDP will add significant momentum to our noble struggle to bring about genuine democracy and prosperity in a united and respected country. We cannot rest until the time comes when there will be no place for prisoners of conscience in jails in Ethiopia; denial of academic freedom is a thing of the past; freedom of the press is no more muzzled but consolidated.
Robele Ababya [email protected]
Ethiopian Common Forum in Norway
The Ethiopian Common Forum in Norway would like to congratulate the released
leaders of the Coalition For Unity and Democracy Party (CUDP), journalists, activists
of the civic societies, their families, all other Ethiopians and friends of Ethiopia
standing for democracy, freedom and justice.
Successive dictatorial regimes have
been repressing and preventing Ethiopians from exercising their basic democratic and
human rights. Like wise, the current regime in Ethiopia is dictatorial in nature and
violates the human rights of the citizens of the country. It has exacerbated the
situation, through committing widespread killings, mass arrests and gross human
rights violations following the disputed May, 2005 elections.
It has become more
intolerant and repressive towards the genuine oppositions, which are striving to play
constructive roles in the country. It is also worth pointing out that there are opposition
groups, which are officially banned by the regime and are prevented from operating in
the country. Therefore, the forum believes that the release of all political prisoners,
lifting the ban and allowing the unrestricted functioning of all opposition parties and
abiding by the rule of law, are the bases for building a democratic and free society in
Ethiopia. We also believe that these are the essential steps that lead the to achieving
lasting peace and stability in the country.
The Ethiopian Common Forum in Norway works with and supports all forces of
democracy and freedom in Ethiopia as part of its objective of promoting the cause of
democracy and human rights in Ethiopia. To this end, the Ethiopian Common Forum
in Norway has been pressing for the immediate and unconditional release of all
political prisoners in the country. Once again, the forum welcomes the release of the
elected leaders of the CUDP, civic societies and journalists and urges the regime of
Meles Zenawi to free all political prisoners it has been holding since it has taken
control of political power in Ethiopia. The forum also urges the regime to be part of
the initiative to launch an all-inclusive dialogue to seek a pertinent resolution to the
political crisis in the country. Besides, the forum calls on the international
community, specially the donors to prioritize the release of all prisoners of conscience
and an all-inclusive dialogue in their dealings with the regime or the ruling party in
Ethiopia.
