Sustained rally for free assembly an free press !!!

Tedla Asfaw

 

What happened to the struggle for freedom and democracy after the elected leaders of Kinijit were released six months ago? why is all the demonstrations and the lobbies through out the Diaspora ended after the release of the elected leaders. Is it because the struggle for freedom and democracy is completed after the release of the elected leaders?

 

These were the questions asked by journalist Eskinder who was released after two years in jail today on "Nestanet Le Ethiopia Radio" today (Feb. 17) and in fact he challenged all of us to rekindle the struggle for freedom and democracy irrespective of what happen to those who are sacrificing facing tyranny head on in Ethiopia.

 

The Diaspora Ethiopians have to organize ourselves and call for the right to print and assemble freely and denounce the make-believe election organized by TPLF/EPRDF this spring for the world community. We can not be quiet while our people are intimidated to vote for government paid candidates.

 

Can those who support different wings of Kinijit organize a sustained protest and be a voice of the millions of voiceless Ethiopians? All the oppositions, Oromo Liberation Movement(OLF), Ogaden National Liberation Front(ONLF) and other opposition supporters have to rally behind the right to assemble and organize  freely.

 

If opposition supporters do not agree to call for a sustained protest like they did for the release of the Kinijit leadership  and spend their times on  their own paltalk accusing each other it should be clear to all of us that such actions are not pushing our struggle one inch and TPLF/EPDRF will stay on power for a long time "winning" another victory for the coming "general election" of 2010.

 

Without sustained struggle for freedom, no tyrant will give power for its people and that struggle which was aborted six months ago here in the Diaspora should start immediately and be a catalyst for our people  back home.

Working with differences/Mechachal Yechalal

Tedla Asfaw

 

I watched Ato Tamagen Beyene two and half hours interview in Amharic, the producer of twenty four hours of Ethiopian Television(ETN), the first of its kind, on Abugida TV and was entertaining and informative to those of us who did not know him back home. He  is frustrated like many of us in the Diaspora by the old way of politics, "you  either follow me or you are  my enemy".

 

Ato Tamagen's call to work together for common cause narrowing our differences for the  good of our people and country has been advocated by  others in the last sixteen years without using the Amharic equivalent, "Mechachal Yechalal" with no success.

 

Moreover, "Yechalal" has also been a famous slogan of Athlete Haile Gebreselasse in the last ten years to challenge himself and motivate our athletes with tremendous success.  Ato Tamagen similar to Haile Gebreselasse tried to challenge our politicians using his TV power that the old way of politics has to change and  the younger generation has to learn from the failed "follow me or you are my enemy" way of politics that  has been proven wrong in our sixteen years of experience.

 

Ato Tamagen was deeply hurt  by the passing away of his father following the stolen election of May 2005 and I too cried with him like others who were there on that hall  because I have also a ninety three old father who is  hopping to see me one day and that day surely is getting  longer and longer and I know that time is not on my side too.

 

Tamagen was not only crying for his father but he was also weeping for mother Ethiopia who is now bleeding and surviving on borrowed time unless her children find cure by "Mechachal Yechalal" before TPLF/EPRDF time bomb take us all together.

 

I hope Ato Tamagen's message will reach to our politicians who are dispersed all over the continent and make "Mechachal Yechalal" a reality and save our people  and country. Ethiopians have shown  in their last  stolen election of 2005 that they are ready and the ball is now in the politicians court.

Save Ethiopian refugees!!!

Tedla Asfaw

 

I listened personal accounts of ten Ethiopian refugees in Libya who are currently abused in Libya's jail after running for their lives crossing Sudan and dangerous desert where some perished and women raped and while reaching in Libya did not get the same treatment Eritreans received on www.admits.com in Amharic last Sunday(Feb. 10).

 

How can this be allowed to happen in Libya who paid billions of dollars of compensations for the lives of Western bomb victims of Qaddafi sponsored terror?

 

Is it not the same Libya we heard last week calling for United Africa? what a shame !! If we assume the human right commission and other international organizations have not heard the plight of Ethiopians it is out there and they should contact the Libyan government to take immediate actions.

 

Ethiopians in the Diaspora should come out and save fellow Ethiopians by writing to all responsible organizations and the Libyan embassies to stop the abuse of our citizens who run for their lives after May 2005 election. Most of the interviewee were jailed following the election of 2005 being a supporter of opposition and they are political refugees.

 

We will also air the plight of these refugees in Libya's jails for foreign medias who are not aware of this despicable crime in a country who signed the international agreement for protection of refugees. 

 

For fellow Ethiopian refugees  in Libya we want you to know that we will not forget you and keep fight on your behalf.

Dotcom not Africom!!

Tedla Asfaw

 

United States  proposed African command(Africom) is ready to open offices in different parts of Africa according to VOA Amharic( Feb. 11).  Many Africans are suspicious of this "new interest" in Africa  whereas unelected leaders of the region who are now wrapping themselves as an ally on "war on terror" are welcoming such moves to continue their hold on power.

 

We have sixteen years of USA direct involvement in Ethiopia's internal affairs by its embassy in Addis   supporting  and promoting unelected TPLF/EPRDF disregarding the human right violations and extrajudicial killing and in fact the  relation after 9/11 went even further by arming the regime in the name of fighting terror and supporting the invasion of Somalia  a year ago.

 

What is Africom has to do now which USA embassies did not do before? Is it maybe to expand regimes like TPLF/EPRDF through out Africa by opening offices close by and working full time?

 

Rather Ethiopians and many other Africans need "dotcom" and expansion of information highway which the regime in Ethiopia and other dictators in Africa hate and block because information will challenge  their hold on power by educating the public. 

 

How can we believe the opening of new office by Africom will make difference while  program like VOA is jammed  not to reach  millions Ethiopians and USA officials never condemn such action. Can we believe such illegal actions will be controlled much closer maybe by Africom?

 

USA involvement deeper in to Africa is just not different than former colonialists rush to have foot hold on  Africa by sending their missionaries first and later the army. I do not believe Africom will promote democracy or alleviate our economic hardship as it claims.

 

USA should help promoting  free flow information by investing on Internet and broadcast its radio program free of jamming and not opening additional offices to work with the tyrants who care less for the well being of their citizens.

 

The least USA can do for Africa is not to finance unelected regimes in the name of "war on terror" and work on all the in formations available in public and make prudent decision which will benefit its interest in the long run, however, opening another office which will waste tax payers money is the worst choice.