No matter how belligerent an opposition
political organization maybe in its activities in a civil dissent,
the types of violent steps taken by Meles Zenawi since November 1,
2005 must be seen as absolutely barbaric and indefensible. The
Opposition's call for boycotting facilities owned or run by EPRDF
affiliate members and their tentacles such as department stores,
transportation services corporations et cetera or the honking of car
drivers in support of CUD is no ground
for the type of violence unleashed by the military as well as
security forces under the command of Meles Zenawi. The death toll is
estimated by some to be between two hundred and a thousand. No
matter how inaccurate that number may be, even the death of a single
person is much too much for Ethiopia--a country that is suffering
under the brutal dictatorial rule of Meles Zenawi and his political
organization, the EPRDF.
For the last fourteen years the government of
Meles Zenawi has committed numerous treasonous acts, dehumanized and
disfranchised millions of Ethiopians because of its economic and
political policies and activities. Because of its incompetence, it
has alienated most of the people of Ethiopia. Year to year the EPRDF
has become more and more an alien occupation force. Because of its
narrow political base it has created a political situation that has
further cut it from the type of historical close relationship
enjoyed by generations of Ethiopians from different ethnic groups of
Ethiopia. Even more devastating damage is done to an already
precarious relationship between Tygreans and other ethnic groups
because of Meles Zenawi's polarizing violent steps taken now and
previously in May of 2005.
The Opposition leaders have every legal right
under the Ethiopian Constitution, the Charter of the United Nations,
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and under a score of other
Conventions, Conferences, Resolutions, and Declarations of the
United Nations to mount a protest boycott and other peaceful challenges
against the Government of Meles Zenawi and his political
organization. We must
not lose sight of the reason for all the political turmoil and death
and destruction unleashed by Meles Zenawi. It did not start two days
ago, but on May 15, 2005 when Meles Zenawi and his political
organization stole the election results and later declared himself
winner of the majority vote. That vote was a corrupted one and we
have repeatedly demanded that such vote be dumped and a new
political phase need be put in place. We advocated the establishment
for a transitional or caretaker government in order to conduct after
reorganization of the Board for elections a new vote.
In short, had there been no voting fraud and corruption there
would have been no protest call for boycott or honking of car horns.
It is beyond reason that so many Ethiopians
have to lose their lives in order to maintain in power a man who has
decimated Ethiopia's territorial integrity and sovereignty.
There is no justification for the military and security
forces to be used against their own people. They are to be held
accountable for every Ethiopian life they have extinguished, every
life they have wounded, and every life they have tortured and
detained.
We demand the following:
1. Meles Zenawi be deposed or resign
immediately.
2. All detained Opposition Leaders be freed
without delay.
3. The Ethiopian Government be fully
accountable to the people killed, wounded, and detained in the last
three days i.e., starting November 1, 2005.
4.
All Western Governments stop their diplomatic relationship and aid
programs with the Government of Meles Zenawi.
This is not the time for recrimination of
Opposition leaders on what they should have not done or should have
done. The fact is that innocent Ethiopians are being murdered,
butchered, detained, and tortured by a dictator who is out of
control. We hold Meles Zenawi and every senior member of his
government personally and equally responsible for the massacre of
Ethiopians and the detention of Opposition members since November 1,
2005. We also call upon all members of the Opposition to show
restraint and tact in dealing with such rabid brutal dictator and
his thugs.
Tecola Hagos, November 3, 2005
Washington DC
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