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Congressman Smith asks Meles to release political prisonersCongressman Smith is working very hard for passage of on H.R. 4423, The Ethiopia Consolidation Act of 2005. Representative Smith is confidence that he will get it done with help of his colleagues in Congress. He will likely have a hearing on this issues and Human Rights and democracy in Ethiopia sometime in February. All Ethiopians and people concerned about the fate of democracy and human rights in Ethiopia should contact their elected representatives in Washington by telephone and e-mail. Tell them this is a serious matter, that they must speak out against injustices, that they must demand the release of imprisoned political leaders and insist that the Meles regime honor human rights. Ask members of Congress to consider bringing pressure to bear on the Meles regime, just as the U.S. has joined the international community to bring down other dictators. To find the e-mail address and telephone number for your member of Congress (House and Senate), go to http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/. This week we had a discussion with Donald Yamamoto, Deputy Secretary of State for African Affairs. Mr. Yamamoto said that the U.S. has a serious concern about the present situation in Ethiopia will deliver its point of view through diplomatic channels. He went on to say that the United States would not like to see Ethiopia break up into three pieces. That is why the U.S. government is engaging in diplomatic activities behind the scene. It will discuss three important issues: (1) democracy, (2) political detainees, and (3) the border issue. He said will be talking to Meles about those important issues some time in the first week of January. We then asked him what he thought about the present state of affairs in Ethiopia from the point of view of the average Ethiopian. We asked: “The Ethiopian people have seen their economy shrivel and their government sink into despotism, are getting desperate and they need action now, something more concrete than diplomatic niceties. It isn’t enough to tell the opposition to sit in the parliament. Our opposition leaders who have been jailed. The regime now threatens to try them for treason because they have peacefully attempted to exercise what should be recognized as fundamental rights, namely campaigning in an election, expressing political views, and disseminating the news. We said that it isn’t also enough to tell the opposition to be quiet for years while Meles regime steals and starves the country. The situation calls for rapid and strong action. What is the State Department doing, and what is the Executive Branch contemplating, beyond issuing strong statements? We will wait for his response upon his return from Addis Ababa later in January. Ethiopia’s fate is, and will remain, in the hands of its people; but support from the United States is important to assist the Ethiopian people in creating a democratic, prosperous nation. Mr. Yamamoto will need to be contacted by all Ethiopians and others interested in improving the state of affairs in Ethiopia. He can be Emailed at: [email protected] We will also keep you updated regarding the schedule for the hearing in February H.R. 4423, The Ethiopia Consolidation Act of 2005. ETHIOMEDIA.COM – ETHIOPIA’S PREMIER NEWS AND VIEWS WEBSITE © COPYRIGHT 20001-2003 ETHIOMEDIA.COM. EMAIL: [email protected] |