Ethiopia lessons in repression: violations of academic problems, HRW

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IX. CONCLUSION The Ethiopian government has dismissed criticism of the violations of academic freedom documented in this report—the use of lethal force to repress student demonstrations, widespread arbitrary arrests of students and educators, the banning of the country’s foremost academic association, and the cultivation of a climate of selfcensorship on campus—with the claim that academics are entitled to the same rights as all other Ethiopian citizens. Unfortunately, the claim is largely true: the government systematically violates basic rights of its citizens and its treatment of academics is just one manifestation of this broader problem. To the extent that the government’s claim is based on the premise that university life and continuing attacks on professors, educators, researchers, and students are of no particular significance in Ethiopian society, however, it is mistaken. The rights to education and to academic freedom are valuable not only in their own right but also because they facilitate the recognition and fulfillment of other rights, including civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights essential to Ethiopia’s future. Remedying the abuses detailed in this report should be an integral part of efforts to bring Ethiopian government practices into compliance with international standards. Human Rights Watch 51 January 2003, Vol. 15,No. 2 (A)
X. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This report was researched in Ethiopia and Kenya and written by a researcher with the Africa Division of Human Rights Watch on behalf of the organization’s Academic Freedom Program. The report was edited by Saman Zia-Zarifi, Academic Freedom Director; Peter Takirambudde, Executive Director of the Africa Division; Wilder Tayler, Legal and Policy Director; and Joe Saunders, Deputy Program Director. Jessica Pogson, an Everett Intern with the Academic Freedom Program, conducted some of the legal research. Production assistance was provided by Tommy Yeh, associate with the Academic Freedom Program, and Jennifer Bourguignon, intern with the Academic Freedom Program. Patrick Minges prepared the report for publication with the help of Fitzroy Hepkins and Jose Martinez. This report was made possible by a generous grant from the Ford Foundation for Human Rights Watch’s work on academic freedom. Human Rights Watch 52 January 2003, Vol. 15,No. 2 (A)
Page 1 and 2: ETHIOPIA 350 Fifth Ave 34 th Floor
Page 3 and 4: ETHIOPIA: TIMELINE OF KEY EVENTS AN
Page 5 and 6: Human Rights Watch I. SUMMARY Being
Page 7 and 8: II. RECOMMENDATIONS To Government o
Page 9 and 10: III. BACKGROUND Ethiopia is, by all
Page 11 and 12: police arrested an Addis Ababa busi
Page 13 and 14: ultimately waged a successful civil
Page 15 and 16: IV. SUPPRESSION OF STUDENT ACTIVISM
Page 17 and 18: The Oromia State Council also repor
Page 19 and 20: AAU Student Strike, April 2001 In t
Page 21 and 22: Amhara student, “Even some Tigrea
Page 23 and 24: Subsequent Arrests Police silenced
Page 25 and 26: Most of the hundreds of others deta
Page 27 and 28: The next major confrontation betwee
Page 29 and 30: the disputes. On the contrary, they
Page 31 and 32: Ethiopian security forces, as descr
Page 33 and 34: V. DENIAL OF TEACHERS’ FREEDOM OF
Page 35 and 36: Addis Ababa wrote letters to the ol
Page 37 and 38: The teachers in Sendafa were outrag
Page 39 and 40: When the university was first creat
Page 41 and 42: the faculty to teach a human rights
Page 43 and 44: The student union first published i
Page 45 and 46: VIII. ETHIOPIA: A CASE STUDY OF VIO
Page 47 and 48: In his “Thematic Report on Freedo
Page 49 and 50: academic freedom, and freedom of as
Page 51: intentional lethal use of firearms

Ethiopia lessons in repression: violations of academic problems, HRW

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