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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accused <strong>of</strong> hav<strong>in</strong>g encouraged the demonstration <strong>in</strong> opposition to federal government policy—not <strong>of</strong> hav<strong>in</strong>g killed<br />
unarmed protestors. Two months later, more <strong>of</strong>ficials were discipl<strong>in</strong>ed and some arrested, but diplomatic and<br />
NGO sources doubted the s<strong>in</strong>cerity <strong>of</strong> the government’s actions, cit<strong>in</strong>g that the <strong>in</strong>fraction <strong>of</strong> those be<strong>in</strong>g punished<br />
was actually hav<strong>in</strong>g encouraged civilians to demonstrate.<br />
The government has also been ruthless <strong>in</strong> repress<strong>in</strong>g labor organizations, especially <strong>of</strong> teachers and their<br />
union. Teachers, who represent one <strong>of</strong> the largest organized segments <strong>of</strong> <strong>Ethiopia</strong>n society, have been critical <strong>of</strong><br />
developments <strong>in</strong> education policy. To silence their criticism, the government has sought to destroy the<br />
<strong>in</strong>dependent <strong>Ethiopia</strong>n Teachers’ Association (ETA) for the past ten years by deny<strong>in</strong>g its members—the largest<br />
group <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>tellectuals <strong>in</strong> the country—the opportunity to meet to discuss anyth<strong>in</strong>g, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g education and<br />
politics. Tactics have <strong>in</strong>cluded arrest<strong>in</strong>g many leaders and members and confiscat<strong>in</strong>g the association’s property<br />
and bank accounts. An ETA leader was assass<strong>in</strong>ated <strong>in</strong> 1997. The government even created a new union with the<br />
same name, but teachers have ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong>ed that the “old” ETA is their pr<strong>of</strong>essional association. Dur<strong>in</strong>g mandatory<br />
meet<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>of</strong> all teachers this July (meet<strong>in</strong>gs the government used to <strong>in</strong>struct them on how to produce good cadres),<br />
government representatives threatened that there will be consequences for teachers who cont<strong>in</strong>ue to support the<br />
union.<br />
Hundreds <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>dividual teachers who have criticized government policy have also been victims <strong>of</strong> arrest,<br />
demotion, fir<strong>in</strong>g, and <strong>in</strong>timidation <strong>in</strong> recent years. Eight teachers were arrested arbitrarily <strong>in</strong> Sendafa <strong>in</strong> May<br />
2002 and deta<strong>in</strong>ed for nearly two months. Their students wanted to protest, but <strong>of</strong>ficials warned them and their<br />
parents that students would be shot if they demonstrated. They called <strong>of</strong>f the protest.<br />
At AAU, the country’s largest and most important university, pr<strong>of</strong>essors have likewise been forbidden to<br />
participate <strong>in</strong> ETA. This is part <strong>of</strong> a broader climate by the government-dom<strong>in</strong>ated university adm<strong>in</strong>istration to<br />
stifle <strong>academic</strong> freedom. Threats on campus are more subtle, though. One pr<strong>of</strong>essor said he decl<strong>in</strong>ed to speak out<br />
dur<strong>in</strong>g the student strike, although he was shocked that the government failed to resolve the situation before it led<br />
to so many deaths and arrests. He and other pr<strong>of</strong>essors told Human Rights Watch that they refra<strong>in</strong> from<br />
criticiz<strong>in</strong>g government policies because there is no tenure <strong>in</strong> <strong>Ethiopia</strong>, and because, as government employees, all<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essors can be fired for speak<strong>in</strong>g their m<strong>in</strong>ds even when they do so <strong>in</strong> their personal capacity. The government<br />
has made repeated promises to grant the university autonomy through a charter s<strong>in</strong>ce 1991 but has yet to do so.<br />
Educators and students are <strong>of</strong>ten among the first targets <strong>of</strong> governments that do not respect civil and<br />
political rights. In <strong>Ethiopia</strong>, as <strong>in</strong> many other countries, governmental power has been used to turn the<br />
educational <strong>in</strong>stitutions <strong>in</strong>to a system that largely serves the <strong>in</strong>terests <strong>of</strong> state power-holders. Academic freedom<br />
encompasses more than the freedom <strong>of</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>essors to speak and write freely <strong>in</strong> their fields <strong>of</strong> specialization. It also<br />
recognizes the crucial role <strong>of</strong> <strong>academic</strong>s as <strong>in</strong>tellectual leaders <strong>of</strong> society. In countries such as <strong>Ethiopia</strong> where<br />
only a small percentage <strong>of</strong> the population completes secondary school, schoolteachers, and even high school<br />
students, are among the most educated members <strong>of</strong> society. Silenc<strong>in</strong>g such voices is not the way for <strong>Ethiopia</strong>,<br />
plagued by fam<strong>in</strong>e and <strong>in</strong>security, to emerge from its position as one <strong>of</strong> the poorest countries <strong>in</strong> the world.<br />
This report is based primarily on research conducted <strong>in</strong> <strong>Ethiopia</strong> and Kenya <strong>in</strong> July 2002. Human Rights<br />
Watch researchers <strong>in</strong>terviewed students, teachers, pr<strong>of</strong>essors, members <strong>of</strong> civil society, and <strong>in</strong>ternational<br />
diplomats. Because government surveillance is perceived to be nearly omnipresent, many people expressed fear<br />
when speak<strong>in</strong>g about human rights <strong>violations</strong>. Human Rights Watch respects the confidentiality <strong>of</strong> these sources.<br />
Human Rights Watch wrote to the government <strong>of</strong> <strong>Ethiopia</strong> and the Addis Ababa University adm<strong>in</strong>istration to<br />
solicit its response to <strong>violations</strong> we had documented but received no response.<br />
Human Rights Watch<br />
5<br />
January 2003, Vol. 15,No. 2 (A)