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We, the undersigned, petition you thereby to apply every effort to ensure the speedy passage into law of H.R. 4423, Ethiopia Consolidation Act of 2005 on which you will participate a markup on April 6, 2006. The importance of the bill for rescuing the innocent detainees in Ethiopian prisons cannot be emphasized enough, yet the bill was at one point withdrawn by Democratic Congressman Donald Payne for more discussion. We ask you therefore to allow no further delay in passing this vital document that can save lives and hope that in this country there are people who care for the Ethiopians, abused and neglected by their own government.
Abuse and atrocities have escalated in Ethiopia since May 2005 election when the government used bullets and prisons to suppress public protests against falsified results. This action represents a logical continuation of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s totalitarian policies that put his own ethnic group in a privileged position, securing funds and access to resources at the expense of all others. Unwilling to let go of his power enabling him to exploit Ethiopians economically, Zenawi uses force and lies to intimidate and violate the rights of the people, a fact well documented in a variety of sources. We ask you to make your own judgement, for example, reviewing the information about the killing of several adolescents by an Ethiopian policeman reported by Human Rights Watch at
http://hrw.org/english/docs/20...
Amnesty International http://web.amnesty.org/library...
Ms. Lynn Fredricksson, Advocacy Director for Africa at Amnesty International) at the Congressional hearing on March 28th, 2006, declared that “organizing and inciting armed rebellion” and “acts of genocide”1 levied against some 131 CUD leaders, human rights defenders and journalists (most of whom are in physical custody) have no merit.” We ask you to imagine the sufferings of such a great number of people, staying in prison on false claims and in terrible conditions, starving and risking AIDS infection on a daily basis. The abuses in the period following the elections when the government used force to shoot down its opponents and throw them in jails have also been documented in the EU-EOM 2005 report on elections in Ethiopia as well as Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2005 issued by the US Department of State.
This evidence is extensive, credible and overwhelming; yet Ethiopian officials scornfully reject the accusations. Ambassador Fesseha Tessema who looked extraordinarily clumsy and weak in the March 28th hearing had the temerity to write a letter later on to Congressman Christopher Smith, insisting that Ethiopia will “democratize at its own pace, in its own fashion”. We want you to know that this fashion means power of the little group, exploitation for the rest and death to those who dare to challenge the situation. Accusing Ms. Ana Gomez, head of the EU-EOM in Ethiopia, of taking a bribe from the opposition, the Ethiopian government continued with its tradition of throwing dirty lies at its opponents. Discarding the EU-EOM’s findings as garbage, Zenawi has once again crossed the threshold of human dignity, libelling the voice that was telling the truth.
The day of April 6, 2006, will be a day of hope for all Ethiopians longing for peace and democracy in their homeland. We ask each member of the Committee going to this meeting to look into their hearts and for one brief moment place themselves in the position of the political detainees in Ethiopia who have no one else they could beg for protection. We urge you to imagine the horror of being in terrifying conditions, lacking food, water and basic necessities, and wondering each moment whether one can leave this prison alive. The lives of thousands of people depend on the bill you are about to discuss, and we hope that this day can mark a decisive victory in the struggle for democracy and freedom in Ethiopia. We strongly believe that our nation can be free and prosperous, just like any other nation on earth, and we hope you can do the right thing, using your powers to help the powerless people of Ethiopia. The only destabilizing force in Ethiopia is the dictatorial regime, not the powerless and peace-loving people of Ethiopia!!
May God give us all the wisdom not to condone and support brutal dictatorship anywhere!! May God give us all the wisdom not to support dictators anywhere, in the name of ending global terrorism!! May God give us all the wisdom not to support dictators anywhere, in the name of defending national security interests!!!! Dear Congress members, above all may God help you to pass this bill right away and avoid confrontation by another helpless family who has to go through the regime’s heartless murder and crime and have them say “Why didn’t you do anything?”
MAY GOD BLESS ALL MANKIND!!!
DON’T LET THIS MOMENT PASS!!!
Respectfully & truly,
Deeply concerned Ethiopians and friends of Ethiopians around the world!! |
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