“TPLF cadre’s disgraceful visit to Toronto”


Rumors were circulating in this big city of Toronto that a high level TPLF’S (Tigray People Libration Front) delegation is shortly paying a scandalous visit. Our city has in recent past seen woyane cadres secretly meeting one ethnic group and disregarding others as part of their sinister ethno centric policy of divide and rule. It was part of their North American mission to reach out their supporters and appeal to them to play the role of actively discrediting the Diasporas opposition. Patriotic Ethiopians spared no time to organize and expose those woyane agents. A protest rally was organized by the office of Unity for Human Rights and Democracy, Ginbot 7 movement for justice democracy and Unity, with cultural groups including Ethiopians of Oromo and Ogaden origins. As is always the case everywhere, those woyane agents have planned to meet selected few individuals who are considered loyal supporters. Official invitation cards were distributed to those individuals who are beneficiaries of the corrupt system through privileged investor status or promises for land grab.
After securing license to stage a protest rally from City police, patriotic Ethiopians converged at down town Marriott where meeting was scheduled to take place. Placards were displayed to the public exposing Meles Zenawi’s human rights record. Protestors continued to echo slogans denouncing Meles's dictatorial regime. Demonstrators wearing Birtukan's T shirts expressed their determination to carry over the struggle until Birtukan and all political prisoners are set free. The privileged few current and potential investors under their opportunistic stances started arriving at Marriott and they were greeted with applauses of shame. As common greed is what has affiliated them to the system, they didn’t have the slightest courage to face patriotic Ethiopians and had to cover their faces to hide their identity and run away.
It was past 3 pm that a limo just drove by the crowd of protesters and we knew that they were those woyane agents. The protesters greeted them with the Ethiopian flag, placards and slogans with loud and clear messages that they are not welcome here. As they clearly know how determined the protesters are to voice the plight of our people in Ethiopia, they didn’t even have the gut to raise their heads up and face us. With very limited attendance of opportunist individuals, the woyane cadres had to dwell much of their discussion on the “democratic process” of the forthcoming election. However, most of the invited people in attendance didn’t show any interest in the political process and instead they voiced their frustration about it. They said they were invited to discuss investment potentials and would rather prefer the discussion focuses on areas they would participate as investors. The whole sessions appeared coordinated enough those woyane cadres deliberately continued to preach more and more on achievements of the regime and left no time for participants pose questions Most participants have clearly expressed their anger that what they expected at the meeting was not those low level cadres. They wanted to meet the likes of Abay Tsehaye and Seyoum Mesfin whom they expected they will have the opportunity to wine and dine with.
The protest rally has brought together many human rights groups actively engaged in and around the great city of Toronto. Those Ethiopian groups including representatives of Unity for Human Rights and democracy, Ginbot 7, Oromo and Ogaden communities are determined to continue their struggle for the realization of our dreams of unity, equality and democracy. They take this opportunity to invite other organizations to join the group to collectively take charge of coordinating one big protest rally against Meles Zenawi’s attendance of the G-2O meeting this June in Toronto.
Toronto April 27, 2010

Birtukan Mideksa and a challenge to the Ethiopian Diaspora

I will commence a hunger strike in front of the White House to get President Obama or someone from his administration to acknowledge Birtukan Mideksa as a prisoner of conscious and to call for her immediate release from wrongful imprisonment. Fighting for democracy and freedom have always been traditional American values and I will fight for these values for my Ethiopian brothers and sisters. Please join me in the hunger strike which will commence on May 3rd 2010. We can't save the World but we can certainly do our part. – Chris Flaherty

Watch below the video of Chris Flaherty's speech at the Horn of Africa Conference in the Washington Metro Area on April 11, 2010:

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and conveniences, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

This is a quote from my biggest hero since childhood, Martin Luther King Jr. It was his movement that inspired me to make films documenting the pursuit of democracy and freedom on a World scale. My recent film, Migration of Beauty documents the historical events that led up to the tragic massacre of some 200 unarmed civilians during the 2005 Ethiopian elections. Out of this storm of tragedy rose one of the most promising leaders for Ethiopia's future, BIRTUKAN MIDEKSA. Shortly after announcing her bid to run against the ruling party in the 2010 elections she was arrested and imprisoned, effectively eliminating any possibility of the ruling party, the EPRDF to lose the election.

Birtukan Mideksa has been declared a "PRISONER OF CONSCIOUS" by Amnesty International and shares the same status as imprisoned Burmese dissident AUNG SAN SUU KYI. President Obama has made a public statement affirming Aung San Suu Kyi's status as a prisoner of conscious and called for her release. To date, President Obama or the U.S. State Department have not made any such statements concerning the plight of Birtukan Mideksa supposedly because of vested U.S. interest in the Horn of Africa. The Obama Administration is demonstrating their willingness to appease Meles Zenawi and his EPRDF ruling party for the sake fighting the war on terror, trading off the freedom of an entire nation of people.

Vanvouver advocacy for Birtukan and all political prisoners.

April 10. 2010 Vancouver Canada
Meeting with MP Peter Julian(NDP) and MLA Raj Chouhan (NDP)
to strength the campaign to Free Ms. Birtukan Mideksa and discuss current human right condition in Ethiopia
Here are two Videos of very inspiring speeches by Peter and Raj
MP Peter Julian(NDP)

MLA Raj Chouhan (NDP)

Joint statement form SOCEPP Canada and Unity for Human Rights and Democracy Toronto

An urgent appeal to the Government of Canada and all Parliamentarians

March 31, 2010

The Solidarity Committee for Ethiopian Political prisoners, (SOCEPP Canada) and Unity for Human Rights and Democracy are Toronto based Human rights groups striving for the respect of Human and Democratic rights in Ethiopia.

We are writing to request your immediate intervention to avert a serious human tragedy in Ethiopia.

The health of Birtukan Mideksa, the jailed leader of the opposition UDJ, the first and only female political party leader in the country’s history, is deteriorating fast. Reports indicate that both her physical as well as mental health is at an alarming point. Birtukan Mideksa who is clearly categorized as prisoner of conscious is jailed for speaking her mind and standing firm in her opposition to the ruling group that has been in power for the last 20 years. Birtukan Mideksa, needs to be provided with all the proper medical care that she needs.  Birtukan Mideksa is a political prisoner and she needs to be released without any precondition.

The repression against the free press has intensified. Ethiopians continue to be denied of their most basic rights. The Prime Minister, Meles Zenawi, in a recent interview with one of the local government media, has openly stated that his government was “testing its ability to jam” Voice of America’s Amharic service. There are fresh reports to indicate that, like many other radio transmissions and web sites before it, the VOA has now been blocked in Ethiopia. This blatant disregard of the free press and the plight of the international community is a continuation of the unabated affront against the international human rights standards.

In the run up to the May 2010 election, the government is increasing its attack on the opposition. There are numerous reports of continued attack on the members of the opposition all over the country. For example, in Jimma Zone, western Ethiopia, candidate of the opposition Medrek was attached by a knife wielding security agents and seriously injured. Another member of the opposition Medrek, Ato Aregawi Gebre Yohanes, was brutally murdered by six members of the same security forces in the northern province of Tigray. Another opposition party - AEUP has stated that a number of its members have been arrested and jailed without cause. In short, indications are that the governing TPLF/EPRDF is forcefully implementing all the means to frustrate the opposition and withdraw from the said election in May 2010.

Additionally, it has now been reported by the likes of the BBC and the party’s former functionaries that, the international humanitarian and relief aid sent from the western world during the great famine of 1984/85 was appropriated by the TPLF and used to buy arms and strengthen its fighting forces while millions of Ethiopians were flooding into the Sudan and tens of thousands were made to perish. There are similar reports to indicate that the TPLF/EPRDF has continued to misappropriate international aid even after it came to power to buy vote  while close to 13 million of our people are facing once again facing starvation. It is also reported that those who are suspected of supporting the opposition are denied humanitarian aid.

In view of these harrowing past and present events, then, it is imperative that the international community take these issues seriously, heed the calls of such human rights groups as: Genocide Watch, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International and stop enabling a government that has and continues to perpetrate possible crime against humanity and possible genocide.

We specifically urge the government of Canada and all parliamentarians to:

• Engage in a formal discussion regarding the situation in Ethiopia and provide a principled political leadership. A good place to start would be a hearing in the parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee on the situation in Ethiopia.
• Take immediate action for the respect of the basic rights of Birukan Mideksa including access to medical treatment, to visit by her family friends and international organizations such as the ICRC.
• Strive for the release of Birukan Mideksa and all political prisoners including Aberash Berta and many others.
• Investigate if Canadian aid was and continues to be used for political purposes by the ruling TPLF/EPRDF both in the mid 1980’s and at the present time.
• Demand that the ruling party in Ethiopia respect international conventions and treaties on Human and Democratic rights including freedom of the press and assembly.
• Monitor very closely the upcoming election in the country and demand that the ruling party refrain from harassment and suppression of the opposition.
• Suspend all direct budgetary aid until the ruling group show full compliance for the respect of Human and Democratic rights in Ethiopia.

SOCEPP- Canada                                   Unity for Human Rights and Democracy

socepp-can@humanrightsethiopia.com         7 Woodmount Ave. Toronto, Ontario

                                                      M4C 3X4

P. O. BOX 413, STATION E,                       www.andnettoronto.blogspot.com/ 
TORONTO, ONTARIO                                 www.freebirtukan.org           
M6H 4E3                                                       unityforhumanrights@gmail.com
CANADA

www.humanrightsethiopia.com