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Neutrality needed when undertaking investigation Human Rights Council
(HRCO), a local NGO that operates within the field of human rights, has issued
its report on March 5, 2016 labeled as ‘140th special report’. The
report of the organization comprises of the human rights “violation” it claimed
to have taken place in relation to the unrest that occurred in various Oromia region beginning from November. This NGO was
established with the view to improve human right handing in the country, and to
investigate and report human right violations that might have occurred. Thus,
the initiative to investigate the human crisis caused by the unrest that
occurred in Oromia, be it in human life loses,
injuries and destruction of materials is appropriate. Human Rights Council
(HRCO) is an NGO that was established after the fall of Derg
regime in 1992. It is the first human rights advocacy nongovernmental
organization in the history of Ethiopia. Human Rights Council (HRCO) is a local
organization that works on human rights currently after registering under the
newly improved charities and societies proclamation and getting legal
recognition. It can be said that this comes as a result or manifestation of the
democratic system that was beginning to blossom after the fall of Derg. Out of the tasks the
organization carries out, it includes giving education and training on human
rights to government executives at every level. In addition to this, it follows
the human right handling and situation in Ethiopia, and investigates when it
assumes there have been human right violations and issues. And the Human Rights
Council (HRCO) performance in carrying out the objectives it set out to do for
the past twenty four and half years can be taken as a show that Ethiopians have
the right to organize in associations to improve human right handling and
strengthen democracy in the country, along with other similar political
objectives. It also shows the fact
that talks of ‘the charities and societies proclamation which was enacted in
2009 has hindered the creation of civic organization in the country’ talk that
was disseminated for the past eight years are baseless. It shows that
Ethiopians still can organize and move on any issues of their country. The only
limitation the charities and societies proclamation put is only forbidding
nongovernmental organization from meddling in the country’s political issues.
As Ethiopia’s politics is only for Ethiopians, saying that it is appropriate to
allow foreign citizens to interfere on the issues of citizens is naivety. Now let me return back
to the issue at hand – the “special report” of Human Rights Council (HRCO). The
organization told us that it carried out investigation work in 33 Oromia woredas in relation to the
unrest that was erupted recently in Oromia region. In
the report it claimed to issue after “investigating”, the organization stated
that many people and students in western Shoa, Finfine surrounding special zone, western and eastern Wollega, Horo Guduru,
western and eastern Harerghe, Bale, Arsi zone and in various Oromia
areas have staged mass demo opposing the Addis Ababa and its surrounding Oromia Special Zone integrated master-plan. The
organization stated in its report that it has confirmed the government has
taken excessive force, and the lives of many people were lost, many citizens
were injured after being hit by bullets, and many citizens were arrested. Of course it can't be
denied that lives were lost in relation to the unrest that were stirred in
various areas. However, the main reason for the loss of lives was not because
the people and students came out to oppose the master-plan. However, Human Rights Council (HRCO) in its report
wanted to paint that the situation unfolded just like that. Were the opposition
that were the cause of deaths including the lives of security officers
peaceful? And except for citing
article 30 (1) of the FDRE constitution which states that everyone shall have
the freedom, in association with others, to peaceably assemble without arms,
engage in public demonstration, Human Rights Council (HRCO) didn’t want to
mention or even touch upon on its report the fact that the appropriate procedure
may be enacted to ensure that public meetings and demonstrations do not disrupt
public activities, or that such meetings and demonstrations do not violate
public morals, peace and democratic rights - which is stipulated on this same
article. The organization has also ignored sub-article 2 of this same article
which stipulates 'this right shall not absolve anyone of liability arising from
the laws enacted to protect public morals, peace, human dignity and democratic
rights of citizens. . The fact that Human
Rights Council (HRCO) ignored this puts it into question. On the statement
given by the Oromia regional state, which is the main
owner of situation, and the federal government, they have stated that the
constitutional question the people raised out of the fear in relation to the
master-plan was legitimate. In addition to this, they have stated that the
people are frustrated with lack of good governance, and the fact that the
government didn't give swift answer to these issues is the reason for instigating
the opposition. As a result to this, they shelved the draft master-plan
proposal, and issued an apology for not giving swift answer for the legitimate
questions the people raised. This is an appropriate behavior expected of a
pro-people and responsible government. However, there were
entities that took forceful measure by hijacking the demands of the people and
students. It can’t be denied that these entities have turned the legitimate
opposition into unrest by using the genuine question the people and students
raised. Private investment projects that were built with millions of our
resources and have direct and indirect benefits to the local people have been
destroyed. The equipment and materials of service giving institutions like
education and health service delivery institutions were also destroyed.
Documents of government executive institutions were made to be demolished.
There have been efforts to take away arms from policemen. Although Human Rights
Council (HRCO) cited about accountability without detailing it, members of
other ethnicity that lived in Ameya woreda for many years were attacked. Farmer productions were
destroyed along with their homes. This situation goes out to show that the
opposition that erupted in various areas in Oromia
region cannot be simply taken as “peaceful opposition of the people and
students”. The fact is the forceful attack that was waged using the legitimate
opposition the people and student raised as their cover should have been
stopped. And the responsibility to do is the government's alone. And the
government had the duty to do this. In order to judge if
whether the measure taken on the people who died ‘excessive or not’, not only
the measure taken by the by the security forces, but also the one taken by the
unrest instigators should also be taken into account. However, Human Rights
Council (HRCO) didn’t do this on its report. Instead, the organization just
chose to state “the government has taken excessive force against the people
that took to the streets to oppose. And as a result to this, the lives of many
people have been lost, many people were shot and injured”. This makes the
report incomplete. It also calls the neutrality of the organization into
question. In its report, Human
Rights Council (HRCO) have said some truths. One is which says “out of those
who took to the streets to oppose the master-plan in Ameya
woreda on December2, 2015, some have burned down the
houses of Amhara people that live in the local area
starting from the night. The total destroyed houses may be more than 8%”. Note
here that Human Rights Council (HRCO) is telling us the demonstration to oppose
the master-plan took place at night. To assume that mass demo will take place
at night is highly unlikely. Human Rights Council (HRCO) cited that the
peaceful demonstrators were few. But the organization also told us that the
burned down houses are more than 8%. How can a few people
burn down 8% of houses in one night? in a 5 rural areas that live far from each
other? It is hugely surprising that Human Rights Council (HRCO) would boldly
tell us such an implausible story. There is no doubt that the late night
opposition is a crime that is orchestrated and carried out by a leader and an
executor. Why does Human Rights Council (HRCO) wanted to hide or dress up this
aspect? The other thing the organization
couldn’t deny is the one that says, “Religious institutions such as Orthodox,
Protestant and Catholic churches have been burned down in various woredas in western Arsi zone.
Unless the culprits of these acts aren't stopped, the situation will bring huge
threat on the country’s and peoples’ peace, stability and unity. And Human
Rights Council (HRCO) calls for such acts to stop. Human Rights Council (HRCO)
also calls upon the government to bring the culprits to justice.” The reason the
organization took up the position to call on the culprit on this specific act
to be brought justice, peculiar to the other situations, has to do with the
fact that European citizens were present on the Catholic churches and aid
organizations in this instance, and Human Rights Council (HRCO) wanted not to
disappoint the Europeans as the situation had irritated them. The
aforementioned instances mentioned by Human Rights Council (HRCO) clearly show
that the oppositions were not peaceful. Although the organization called on for
those who burned down churches in western Arsi to be
brought to justice, it didn’t say anything regarding bringing the criminals
that similarly took forceful action/attack in Ameya
and other areas to justice. Do these people who orchestrate, led and execute
these criminal acts deserve not be brought forward to justice? The organization
also called on the immediate release of many prisoners on the conclusion of its
report. Which culprits will the release-ment include? When the aforementioned
attacks were carried out by the culprits, what should have the security forces
done? Should have they sat idly when the churches and houses of the Amharas were burned; or when the churches were being burned
down in western Arsi? What should be the appropriate
measure by the security forces when armed assailants went out and carry out
these acts of crime? These are issues that not have been thoroughly seen in the
report. In its report, the
organization has stated that 103 people have died, and it listed the names of
the deceased. I don’t want to debate on whether “103 people have died”. Even if
the number of the deceased is not 103, it can’t be denied that huge numbers of
people have lost their lives in relation to the unrest. The context of the
people whose name and photos were listed on the organization's report under
“deceased” is not mentioned. There is nothing the
organization stated about the fact that unrest and street riot were instigated
during the time and place the people died; how the unrest or opposition was
taking place; the fact that those people claimed to have died were present on
areas where forceful measures like burning down churches were taking place or the
fact that they were involved and present in areas where the acts were
committed. It was just vaguely stated that they were killed by the shots fired
by government forces, security forces at such place and such hour. But, when it comes to
the deaths of Deputy Inspector Dibaba Meyesa, Sergeant Tadesse Jembere and Sergeant Wegene Debelo, the report just simply left it saying, “their lives
was lost during a mass demo that was taking place in Gendeberet
Woreda, Abuna city on
December 4, 2015.” The explanation that is given regarding the deaths of these
people shows the context in which they died - which is in peculiar manner to
the others. The people were not
killed by security and government forces like the other deceased. The Human
Rights Council (HRCO) report has hidden the identity of their killers in a
different manner to the other victims. It is obvious that they are killed by
those the organization say were “student and public oppositions”. And this
confirms that it was not a peaceful demonstration as the organization wanted to
paint, but rather a forceful unrest. The fact that only three members of the
security forces were listed on the deceased list out of the many others gives a
hint that there might be people that were killed by the unrest instigators that
are not police. But, Human Rights Council (HRCO) didn’t want to give any
statement on this. It is expected that
Ethiopia Human Right Commission or other NGO will carry out a deep and thorough
investigation regarding the effect and crisis the unrest that were instigated
in Oromia and other regions of the country brought,
and that they will made the results official. Thus, I don’t want to go over the
report of Human Rights Council (HRCO) more than this. Considering that it is an
institution that is established as a result of Ethiopians right to organize, it
can be said that the fact that it issued a report on the Oromia
unrest can be taken as a positive. In addition to this, I
will like to add that the motivation shown by the hierarchies of the organization
to organize and exercise their constitutional rights to work in their country
through domestic financial sources should be taken as example. However, considering
that when violation of human rights occur, entities other than government might
be involved, I found an organization lacking in investigating and issuing
report neutrally when cases of human rights violation comes to its desk. In
addition to this, it seems that the report totally forgot that the government
has the duty and responsibility to protect the human rights of citizens and
bringing peace by using appropriate force. Human Rights Council (HRCO) simply
took the force the government exerted to protect its citizen's human rights as
simply as human right violations. And these assessments call the neutrality of
the organization into suspicious. It made it seem that the organization is
after other ends using human right violation/protection as cover. |