Treason: ultimate punishment set to penalise CUD, and the Ethiopian Voting Public.
By Tadesse Walle (PhD)

A wave of appalling human rights violation, intimidation, detention without due process of law, disappearance, extra judicial killing of the opposition, sympathisers, private press activists, innocent civilians including children and women has continued unabated. Court room drama, abuse of process - the favoured line of attack of the regime is underway, seeking to impose life imprisonment or death penalty: the ultimate punishment set to frustrate the drive for democracy, justice – the pathetic plot of the PM himself.

The European Union, US, Amnesty International, and other concerned human rights activists, academics, politicians have expressed their grave concern about the on going impasse but to no avail. Their cry for an immediate end to the use of lethal force, random search, indiscriminate assault and the urge to release all political prisoners has been dashed, dismissed by the ruling thug. No end is insight of such malicious and unlawful action against innocent citizens of Ethiopia, particularly of those impeccable defendants of democracy and human rights abuse. The nation is under siege, democracy is under trial, liberty is under trial, Ethiopian dignity is under trial, all voters are under trial, no one is free except those perpetuators of injustice, and state sponsored violence though “…those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves, and under the rule of a just God , cannot long retain it” (Abraham Linchon).

As the saga of repression, injustice continues, on the 1st of December 2005, the Court in Ethiopia ordered opposition politicians including elected Parliamentarians and journalist to be held for further fifteen days on “ suspicion of inciting post – election violence “ ( Reuters), a charge which Zenawi himself vowed to set early November 2005. Same Reuters had quoted the Chief Police Inspector in Court saying “the suspects are accused of attempting to overthrow the government by force. They are also responsible for lives lost and property damaged during the unrest instigated by them” a charge which the opposition fervently denied; a charge which any ordinary man wearing rags, walking on his bare foot in the streets of Ethiopia would comfortably explain the cause of charge and undoubtedly dismiss as concocted. I would be surprised if the Ethiopian judiciary would share the mind of the ordinary Ethiopian whose conscience and wisdom has no parallel.

Surely, in a country where there is no real separation of power, the executive, judiciary and the legislative, it would be naïve not to understand the intention of Zenawi and his cronies. The intended consequence of the court drama is to render legal cover to the already predetermined custodial sentence, forget death penalty. The Case of Professor Asrat Woldeyes is one of precedents, a victim of injustice, unfair trial of the existing regime. Like the current leaders of CUD, Professor Asrat was charged of “inciting violence”, a charge which was unfounded even by the standard of Amnesty International.

“ Jiraf rasu gerfo rasu yichohal” is typical to this scenario. The authorities rigged the polls of the Ethiopian people, dashed the hope of Ethiopians for genuine democracy, continued power with impunity; detained tens of thousands of street protestors, intimidated and assaulted in thousands, shot and killed in hundreds; and yet had to blame the opposition, in fact accuse the opposition of trumped –up charges. The court in showing its allegiance to the PM, had already made its true intentions clear by denying bail to the detainees on two occasions; the dearest sons and daughter of Ethiopia had to languish in detention facing harsh prison conditions and the challenges of ill treatment: the price they pay for their unwavering struggle for democracy and human rights respect.

The issue and question before our country and people is one: the challenge against tyranny. Tyranny in any form is blind, has no basic instincts to plights of citizens, democracy, fundamental rights, liberty, rule of law, pluralism. Tyrants may be good at presenting themselves and persuasive in their spin navigated speeches. That is not what matters, what matters is what they do, not what they preach. It is not their language but the content of their language and most importantly the sense of vision. The track record of of violence, ill treatment of citizens, and abuse of power for the last fourteen years is simply enough to justify tyranny and its momentous effect of recent blood bath in the city of Addis Ababa and else where. The atrocious, odd actions in our 21st century, the regime’s destructive mission have left the nation for unparalleled quandary, vulnerability: children, women and the elderly suffer most. Typical to tyranny compounded with minority complex, the regime had to resort to violence and intimidation when its power is threatened: tolerance and accommodation of differences have been unthinkable to its totalitarian thesis and greed to power: the action against CUD is a test case.

Here is the challenge, a typical diktat to Bismarck of Germany, who obliged the Germans to think with the power of their blood…a striking similarity of the Agaazi version of Zenawi . Here is a challenge to all Ethiopians to stand firm and in unity, struggle the real politics of Zenawi which is marred with repression, violence and murder. Can we afford to continue witnessing the killing of citizens; can we afford to see our colleagues, further colleagues to suffer in chains, humiliation and servitude? Should we live at the mercy of bullies? Or endeavour competently to reverse the course of history and dignified Ethiopia, however difficult it might be.

Are we not expecting much from the west, shouldn’t we blame ourselves for not doing enough? I blame myself and hold responsible for not doing enough; will you agree or disagree to hold yourself responsible? I hear and see many fingers pointing at Mr Bush or Blair, there may be room to criticise, and I do believe that they could have made a difference if they had done enough. However, we have to admit that they cannot do our job, they cannot substitute our actions … be rest assured, they will always be with us provided we do our job, but any noble goal cannot be achieved if we avoid to do the difficult task which our nation needs today. It is my contention that we may not live to see the release of our prisoners or free Ethiopia if we do not do our job competently and pursue a measured, reasoned approach to western rhetoric’s “…democratic reformers fearing repression , prison, or exile can now: America sees you for who you are , the future leaders of your free country”

CAN WE ALL PUT OUR RESOURCES AND MAN POWER TOGETER AND CHALLENGE TYRANY?
Ethiopia shall survive

email:tadessewalle@yahoo.co.uk

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