2nd
February, 2005
The
Honorable Hilary Benn MP
Secretary
of State,
Department for International Development,
London
Your Excellency,
I
am a British Citizen of Ethiopian origin. I am extremely disturbed
and deeply saddened by the human tragedy that has been unfolding
in Ethiopia since the May 2005 elections caused wholly by the
Ethiopian government.
The
extent of and motivation behind the atrocities that are happening
in broad daylight, in this day and age, are beyond all imagination
and comprehension
It
seems that Ethiopia and its citizen’s last experience
of such massacres were during the Second World War by the fascist
Mussolini. Until very recently the international community appeared
content to just observe events whilst history was evidently
repeating itself.
We
have been led to believe that mankind has moved forward towards
‘civilisation’ and common humanity through the adoption
of international orders and interventions via UN and diplomatic
structures. Unfortunately, these structures do not appear to
function promptly, let alone effectively for poor nations such
as Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Congo.
Regretfully,
the BBC has probably not been in a strong position to expose
the magnitude of the tragedy since it started. However, a few
British newspapers and other medias including Channel 4 have
witnessed these atrocities committed by the current brutal government
and has exposed supported by chilling evidences. Ethiopia's
agony (Channel 4) (Dec 4, 2005)
In
the meantime, various websites have been documenting the extremely
disturbing facts about what has been unfolding in Ethiopia ,
for example, peaceful protesters being slaughtered by heavy
machine guns and brutally beaten to death and mothers and children
being shot dead in their very own homes.
I
have attached just only four Major News Papers and website Articles
and evidences for your references:
Ethiopia’s
unfolding genocide and Western hypocrisy.doc (attached)
Photo of
evidence of massacre.doc (attached)
www.timesonline.co.uk/world
- ‘time is running out for African rulers’ (attached)
What went
wrong for Ethiopia? (attached)
The
main opposition CUD leaders, many whom are prominent intellectuals,
professionals, independent journalists or human rights activists
have been violently imprisoned and thousands of civilians near
100,000 have been rounded up and extricated to concentration
camps in various hostile corners of the country.
Although
this was the first time not only in Ethiopian history perhaps
in African political history that intellectuals from all and
wider range of the community in the country have come together
with a credible and popular manifesto which has gained the nations
trust and massive support .This has given them an unprecedented
mandatory to win the election and serve their county, nation,
but most party members have ended up in prison due to the ruling
party which is regretfully backed by the west.
Some of the prisoners’ health is deteriorating; as they
have been denied access to medication and treatment, their human
rights are violated including accesses to the International
Red Cross. We have already lost world class professors and leading
intellectuals through them being tormented inhumanely in the
same prison cell. The country cannot afford to lose such kind
of precious citizens again.
May I kindly beg you to take time and listen to one of the well
documented and comprehensive evidences which give the flavor
of the governments handling the run up to election and post
election events unfolding?
This documentation is carried out by an independent and professional
Australian journalist
Ethiopian
Hope Shattered (Olivia Roussett, Australian SBS)
Currently the government killing squads are fully engaged both
day and night through out the country committing a massacre
at a massive scale in the rural areas as it is well documented
in the following article
http://www.ethiomedia.com/courier/hidden_crackdown.html
Many
innocent unarmed civilians been massacred as recent as last
week during the holiest ceremony Ethiopian epiphany.
In
many towns including the capital Addis Ababa thousands of young
people, students have been beaten to death, injured, rounded
up and sent to unknown destinations. Ethiopia is under siege
it is a concentration camp.
http://www.ethioforum.org/News/article/sid=627.html
All
independent journalists along side peace activist and NGO workers
including Action aid director are imprisoned being accused of
genocide and treason including the VOA Amharic program. The
latest victim of this cross border harassment and intimidation
being the deportation of the British journalist Associated press.
http://www.cpj.org/news/2006/africa/ethiopia23jan06na.html
http://nazret.com/blog/index.php?title=ethiopia_orders_ap_reporter_to_leave_cou&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1
Most of the Ethiopian community throughout the world, some individuals
with Ethiopian concern, human right groups, have gathered even
more disturbing facts, including ‘genocide’ by the
current brutal government. Subsequently, desperate efforts have
been carried out to awaken and request the international community
to intervene by all means and stop these atrocities urgently.
I
have seen several letters and articles about this including
direct appeals to world leaders such as Prime Minister Tony
Blair, President Bush and the European Union. I have attached
only two for your reference.
Open
letter to PM Tony Blair (attached)
Three Open letters (USA
President, European Parliament) (attached)
Your
excellence, I know you are well aware about the situation in
Ethiopia during your visit, through diplomatic channel and various
security meanness but it is extremely puzzling and worrying
to why actions and measures are taken to prevent these are slow
and not effective.
Ethiopians
in Diasporas throughout the world have been coming out in huge
numbers through countless demonstrations, hunger strikes, candle
vigils, various open letters. These actions to date have not
been matched by convincing, meaningful and efficient actions.
I don’t know what it takes to for WESTERNERS to respond
for this human tragedy. I for one don’t believe that some
one has to blow a bomb to get attention.
I,
as many Ethiopians, are more than convinced that the British
government is more than aware about the atrocities, genocide
and for that matter ‘State sponsored Terrorism against
the people of Ethiopia’. But it has been excruciatingly
slow taking any action, even compared to the European parliament.
This has enabled the brutal government of Ethiopia to extend
the sufferings, killings and robbing the nation’s wealth.
There are lots of rumours at this stage but no doubt that it
is true that the government special killing squad ‘Agazie’
has robbed bank and even assassinated the President of the commercial
bank of Ethiopia.
We
appreciate that the British government upon your recent visit
to Ethiopia has confirmed its decisions of a direct budge funding
to the Ethiopian government. We also understand that the aid
has to be directed to ‘Woredas’ - district level
administration.
Needless
to say the authorities at all levels of the country including
‘Woredas’ are government cadres and government has
absolutely no problem in taking that money away
The
latest development is that the government has already established
nation wide ‘NGOs’ led by the closest friends, allies
and in some cases families of the high ranking government officials
to conveniently take the aid money. The government is like an
‘Aids various which mutates’ endlessly to destroy
our nation.
Please refer to the following development in this regard
http://www.debteraw.com/Donot_be_Taken_for_a_ride.htm
I
as many British citizens of Ethiopian origin and Ethiopian community
in diasporas are convinced that there are ‘tones and tones
of clear evidences’ about the atrocities and genocide
committing by the brutal Ethiopian government against the poor
Ethiopian people. The whole world, including our British government
is clearly aware of this fact.
But
the actions taken so far are too little and too late and in
some cases double standard, this has created a huge anger, disappointment,
frustration and dismay.
If
the British government and USA are committed and prepare to
scarify the lives of hundreds of its citizens, and Billions
of pounds in Afghanistan, Iraqi and else where in the world
in the name ‘Democracy’, and ‘Human Rights’,
then both have failed to do this in Ethiopia.
We
are not asking to mobilize soldiers and weapons to Ethiopia,
but there has not been at least an official condemnation by
Prime Minister Tony Blair and President Gorge Bush against their
‘much flattered friend PM Melese Zenawi’ while he
took control of every force in the county and ordered them to
commit genocide of huge scale in a broad day light.
Instead
what is clear so far in the eyes of Ethiopians and many others
that rather when the pressure is mounting both in Ethiopia or
abroad against the Meles’s regime the British government
and Americans seems to come to rescue Meles’ as they have
been backing him for the last fourteen years, in the name of
‘their best ally in the war against Terrorism’.
Paradoxically, this very ‘double standard foreign policy’
seemingly will create more disillusioned and anarchic situation
in the region and in the long run this doesn’t encourage
and promote the west to have friends and allies in the region.
Even
the latest actions taken in regard the redirection of the budget
funding does look like a deal through the back door. There are
lots of NGOs from both countries already established in Ethiopia
with a wealth of experts and knowledge who are better placed
to advise and implement this in a much better way.
Ultimately,
Ethiopia is the ‘country of memory’; its nation-
Ethiopians know and always remember who was/is their true friend
during their hardest time. They have been ‘here’
many times before and they will go through it and shall prevail.
If
there is any true intention in helping the people of Ethiopia
in their determined struggle to free themselves, it can still
be done with hundreds of options on the table. Millions of us
are all a part of this struggle.
This is an honor to call your attention and an appeal to your
excellence to do your best.
Yours Sincerely,
Yogonchaw Trit
