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
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VI. CHILLING FREE EXPRESSION AND FREE OPINION IN UNIVERSITIES<br />
Some <strong>of</strong> us have been made heroes by the government, not that we <strong>in</strong>tended to be heroes. And we<br />
have paid for it. Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Asrat died; Dr. Taye was <strong>in</strong> prison for more than six years. See<strong>in</strong>g<br />
this, the public is scared. Even our friends are scared to talk to us. You can see how this affects<br />
freedom <strong>of</strong> speech! Of course, they haven’t completely muzzled speech. [The government] should<br />
know better, hav<strong>in</strong>g gone through the same th<strong>in</strong>g before themselves [when the TPLF started as a<br />
university movement]. I th<strong>in</strong>k it will explode aga<strong>in</strong>.<br />
—Pr<strong>of</strong>essor who was summarily fired <strong>in</strong> 1993, July 15, 2002.<br />
The <strong>Ethiopia</strong>n government’s heavy-handed tactics have stifled free op<strong>in</strong>ion and expression <strong>in</strong> <strong>Ethiopia</strong>.<br />
While the immediate effect <strong>of</strong> government surveillance and control has been to curb political dissent, such<br />
measures also have cast a pall over <strong>academic</strong> <strong>in</strong>quiry and stifled <strong>in</strong>dependent research. The chill<strong>in</strong>g effect <strong>of</strong> the<br />
government’s tactics is keenly felt on <strong>Ethiopia</strong>’s university campuses, where <strong>academic</strong>s and students are afraid to<br />
carry out what is ostensibly their ma<strong>in</strong> objective: exam<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g and question<strong>in</strong>g their social and material<br />
surround<strong>in</strong>gs. Nevertheless, political turmoil <strong>in</strong>evitably has found an important outlet on <strong>Ethiopia</strong>’s campuses,<br />
particularly because other channels <strong>of</strong> expression have been limited or closed.<br />
University Pr<strong>of</strong>essors<br />
Just beyond the entry to Addis Ababa University’s ma<strong>in</strong> campus, there is a sign po<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g to the <strong>of</strong>fice <strong>of</strong><br />
the teachers’ association. But the association has not existed for years. While university pr<strong>of</strong>essors used to<br />
participate actively <strong>in</strong> ETA, <strong>in</strong> the words <strong>of</strong> one pr<strong>of</strong>essor, “no one picked up the pieces” on the campus after the<br />
ETA came under attack by the government. 191 Another expla<strong>in</strong>ed:<br />
There used to be a teachers association at the university with the status <strong>of</strong> a prov<strong>in</strong>ce-level<br />
association because there were so many teachers. It was disbanded when we took sides with Dr.<br />
Taye when he was arrested. So it stopped exist<strong>in</strong>g, we have no association now. There is no way<br />
to respond as a group to <strong>problems</strong> like the student riots, three weeks <strong>of</strong> mandatory <strong>in</strong>doctr<strong>in</strong>ation,<br />
forced resignations for travel<strong>in</strong>g abroad! Not even <strong>in</strong>formally. There is no advocate for our<br />
<strong>in</strong>terests. All we have is a credit and sav<strong>in</strong>g association. No one even mentions it s<strong>in</strong>ce the arrest<br />
<strong>of</strong> Taye. We have to pay dues to the new ETA, but we have no chapter, no ID card, and haven’t<br />
gotten any benefit from it at all. 192<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essors <strong>in</strong>terviewed for this report all said they felt no l<strong>in</strong>k to the new ETA, and have not used it as a forum to<br />
organize. In fact, they said they have grown accustomed to the absence <strong>of</strong> a pr<strong>of</strong>essional association. When<br />
asked what steps pr<strong>of</strong>essors take to discuss issues <strong>of</strong> common concern, he replied, “Pr<strong>of</strong>essors at AAU have<br />
different views. I don’t see that k<strong>in</strong>d <strong>of</strong> spirit, to organize.” 193<br />
Those <strong>in</strong>terviewed for this report cited a whole host <strong>of</strong> <strong>problems</strong> l<strong>in</strong>ked to government <strong>in</strong>terference with<br />
the university adm<strong>in</strong>istration. First and foremost, they compla<strong>in</strong> that, despite repeated promises, the government<br />
has failed to grant the university autonomy through a charter. One former pr<strong>of</strong>essor who left academia <strong>in</strong> 1999<br />
due to frustrations with the AAU adm<strong>in</strong>istration expla<strong>in</strong>ed:<br />
The problem is that the government controls the university. I have heard the prime m<strong>in</strong>ister tell a<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essor that he is their employer so they better do what he wants. It would be better if the<br />
university had its own charter. They say this is <strong>in</strong> the works, that it will happen by September<br />
[2002], but it has been <strong>in</strong> the works s<strong>in</strong>ce at least 1992. 194<br />
191 Human Rights Watch <strong>in</strong>terview with a pr<strong>of</strong>essor, July 24, 2002.<br />
192 Human Rights Watch <strong>in</strong>terview, July 23, 2002.<br />
193 Human Rights Watch <strong>in</strong>terview, July 24, 2002.<br />
194 Human Rights Watch <strong>in</strong>terview, Addis Ababa, July 20, 2002.<br />
Human Rights Watch<br />
37<br />
January 2003, Vol. 15,No. 2 (A)