Ethiopia lessons in repression: violations of academic problems, HRW
Ethiopia lessons in repression: violations of academic problems, HRW
Ethiopia lessons in repression: violations of academic problems, HRW
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
<strong>Ethiopia</strong>n security forces, as described above, as a major obstacle to accountability for rights abuses. 153 Human<br />
Rights Watch asked the <strong>Ethiopia</strong>n ambassador to the U.S. if the government had taken any steps to hold those<br />
accused <strong>of</strong> kill<strong>in</strong>g civilians accountable, but received no reply.<br />
In the wake <strong>of</strong> an E.U. demand for an <strong>in</strong>quiry <strong>in</strong>to the events at Awassa and Tepi, the <strong>Ethiopia</strong>n<br />
government claimed it had arrested ten <strong>of</strong>ficials for <strong>in</strong>stigat<strong>in</strong>g violence <strong>in</strong> Tepi and five for <strong>in</strong>volvement <strong>in</strong> the<br />
riot <strong>in</strong> Awassa. 154 Human Rights Watch welcomes this development and strongly urges the government to<br />
prosecute these and any others found responsible to the full extent <strong>of</strong> the law. However, diplomatic and NGO<br />
sources have reported that those arrested might not have been the ones responsible for civilian deaths. 155 Two<br />
months earlier, before the E.U. demand for accountability, government sources had reported that discipl<strong>in</strong>ary<br />
action had been taken aga<strong>in</strong>st some municipal <strong>of</strong>ficials shortly after the Awassa riot. Dr. Beyene Petros, chair <strong>of</strong><br />
the southern region opposition party, SEDPC, warned that this was mislead<strong>in</strong>g. He said that those discipl<strong>in</strong>ed<br />
were actually accused <strong>of</strong> hav<strong>in</strong>g encouraged civilians to demonstrate—not <strong>of</strong> hav<strong>in</strong>g killed unarmed protestors. 156<br />
Similarly, a journalist told Human Rights Watch that government <strong>of</strong>ficials who had been dismissed after this<br />
year’s high school protests <strong>in</strong> Oromia were accused <strong>of</strong> encourag<strong>in</strong>g the demonstrations, not <strong>of</strong> us<strong>in</strong>g excessive<br />
force to quell them. 157<br />
Local <strong>of</strong>ficials claimed to have arrested a police <strong>of</strong>ficer immediately after he had shot a student to death <strong>in</strong><br />
Ambo <strong>in</strong> March 2002. Residents said they had not received any further <strong>in</strong>formation about the prosecution as <strong>of</strong><br />
July; the boy’s mother was still wait<strong>in</strong>g for promised compensation <strong>in</strong> July. 158 Local newspapers published the<br />
names <strong>of</strong> five security agents suspected <strong>of</strong> kill<strong>in</strong>g students <strong>in</strong> Shambu, but journalists say that, as far as they<br />
know, these <strong>in</strong>dividuals have not been discipl<strong>in</strong>ed or accused <strong>of</strong> any crime. Worse yet, Shambu residents reported<br />
that a militia member accused <strong>of</strong> hav<strong>in</strong>g shot a student was given a promotion; his alleged crime was not<br />
<strong>in</strong>vestigated. 159<br />
After the April 2001 AAU student strike, the Parliamentary Committee on Social and Legal Affairs held a<br />
widely publicized <strong>in</strong>quiry <strong>in</strong>to government excesses. Officials <strong>of</strong> the university, the m<strong>in</strong>istry <strong>of</strong> education, and the<br />
Federal Police Commission all denounced the police entry <strong>in</strong>to the campus and loss <strong>of</strong> life. Getachew Erena,<br />
representative <strong>of</strong> the Federal Police Commission, told the committee that, “mishaps had <strong>in</strong>deed occurred” and that<br />
the police lacked rules and regulations to govern police conduct dur<strong>in</strong>g civil disturbances. 160 But if the<br />
parliamentary committee’s <strong>in</strong>vestigation led to any discipl<strong>in</strong>ary action or crim<strong>in</strong>al prosecution, the government<br />
has not publicized the outcome. Accord<strong>in</strong>g to an AAU pr<strong>of</strong>essor:<br />
I don’t know if there was any discipl<strong>in</strong>e or corrective action for excesses <strong>in</strong> the strike. First the<br />
m<strong>in</strong>ister <strong>of</strong> education denounced the police, but they kept com<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to the campus. I don’t know<br />
who made the decision. The parliamentary committee discussed the matter and broadcast its<br />
hear<strong>in</strong>gs on television. The police chief said he didn’t order police to come <strong>in</strong>. Their report must<br />
be somewhere. 161<br />
Human Rights Watch researchers asked students (<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g one who had given testimony before the committee),<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essors, journalists, human rights activists, and a member <strong>of</strong> parliament what the results <strong>of</strong> the parliamentary<br />
<strong>in</strong>quiry had been. No one knew whether anyone had been prosecuted or discipl<strong>in</strong>ed, if a report had been<br />
produced, or if any reforms had been <strong>in</strong>stituted <strong>in</strong> response. A year later, a local newspaper accused the<br />
153 Human Rights Watch <strong>in</strong>terview, Wash<strong>in</strong>gton, D.C., September 20, 2002.<br />
154 Nita Bhalla, “<strong>Ethiopia</strong> <strong>of</strong>ficials held over violence,” BBC News, August 21, 2002.<br />
155 Human Rights Watch <strong>in</strong>terviews, Wash<strong>in</strong>gton, D.C., September 20 and 23, 2002.<br />
156 Human Rights Watch <strong>in</strong>terview, Addis Ababa, July 19, 2002.<br />
157 Human Rights Watch <strong>in</strong>terview, Addis Ababa, July 27, 2002.<br />
158 Human Rights Watch <strong>in</strong>terviews, Addis Ababa, July 27 and 31, 2002.<br />
159 Human Rights Watch <strong>in</strong>terviews, Addis Ababa, July 17 and 27, 2002.<br />
160 Nita Bhalla, “<strong>Ethiopia</strong> police admit excessive force,” BBC News, June 8, 2002.<br />
161 Human Rights Watch <strong>in</strong>terview, July 24, 2002.<br />
Human Rights Watch<br />
30<br />
January 2003, Vol. 15,No. 2 (A)