UDJ and HRW Report:

 

“Ethiopian opposition says members beaten, illegally detained”

(Reuters) – An Ethiopian opposition group accused police and security officials of beating, illegally detaining and abducting more than 150 of its members between July and September this year. Earlier this month, Human Rights Watch said many former detainees – including politicians, journalists and alleged supporters of insurgencies – were slapped, kicked and beaten…

One wonders if UDJ’s latest complaint is in support of HRW Report! Did HRW have a private view of this report already or is UDJ wagging the tail so to speak coming to the rescue of HRW? HRW Report was dealt with deaf ear – no one seems interested  to listen to them anymore when it comes to Ethiopia.They are too biased!  Have Your Say!

30 thoughts on “UDJ and HRW Report:

  1. I don’t understand why HRW is making a biased report against ETHIOPIA. I am not an Ethiopian but I always follow up the progress that is made in Ethiopia. I wish the neighboring countries will follow the same suit. The ruling party in Ethiopia is doing a fantastic job, keep it up, What the UDJ says is just a fiction. I feel that UDJ is trying to hinder the fast growing development of Ethiopia. I pity them. Their dream is how to snatch power and don’t care about the fast growing economy of the country. I say to UDJ behave! Long live EPRDF

    • One wonders as to why they complain about being bitten etc if they are in struggle they have to shoulder it they have to stand thier ground if what they are complaining is true.I heard doctor Merrara talking quiet a lot of nonsense I advise him to whining like a wipped Dog

  2. Aigaforum, You may be right in the case of HRW and UDJ working hand and glove. Just a month after HRW report UDJ releasing this report is very fishy. UDJ has been holding demonstration around major cities with no significant result to change UDJ’s status. If you ask me the reason for this current report is either to cover their failure in garnering support for the demonstration to continue from the population or to simply wag the tail as you said it in support of HRW.

    Just to be the devils advocate the government should make sure the security apparatus should not use torture or brute force. Doing so is really undermining our martyrs! Invite international observers now and then to visit jailed and convicted folks.

  3. HRW,..ARE JUST A JOKE WHEN IT COMES TO AFRICA,.,THEY SHULD WORK HARD TO DO SOME THING ABOUT ABUSE OF HUMAN RIGHT IN THE WASTERN WORLD FIRST.START WITH GUANTAMO,ALL THE REFUGGEES IN THE WEST SUFFERING,.,.ETHIOPIA IS DOING GREAT TNX E P R D F

  4. Thank you aiga for this opportunity,

    I don’t really understand what HR is messing around when we Ethiopians opened our eyes to exercise democracy by managing our own domestic affairs.

    Ethiopia is a proud country for the peaceful accommodation of different nations and nationalities free from oppression or partiality whatsoever. As a result of this, natives of these diversities are enjoying lives to their most. What more can I say? In terms of policing, Ethiopia cannot be different from any peaceful country in the globe in maintaining its own law and order to keep the land safe. Here, I do not want to compare the ways how peoples in neighboring countries are managing their own democratic rights,because I do not have the right or mandate to have a say about.

    I wrote last year to the Human Rights Watch about the subject to make their involvement clear particularly about Ethiopia. Although, they promised to make communications about , we eventually fell apart as they failed to come out with meaningful reason.

    In terms of opposition groups complaints the notion ‘opposition’ cannot be far from what they are doing.However, the country (Ethiopia) should never allow them to use International organisations as a means or mechanism of safe route to power.

  5. Aigaforum !!! I would like to thank your tremendous effert for contributing to press freedom in Ethiopia .The cyber world in the Diaspora is dominated by the brutal totalitarian riff raffs of the Derg era.Their earth shaking lies &agitation and propoganda is a copy of the real textbook from the Mengistu era.It is a shame & , oxymoron that they are doing in the beacon of freedom in the world.
    Regarding HRW We need to engage it continuously & hold it to the fire as to its real commitment to Human rights. We have nothing to loose.Even in the DARK days of the armed struggle we were adhering to the standards Human rights & dignity .HRW knows that very well.
    We have a Democracy in process & in the early stage , How do expect us to be like the U.S.A & Europe instantly .HRW !!!! Please , Please , Understand that in our case Democracy is not Instant Coffee.

  6. Dear Editor,
    Thank you very for bringing up these important reports. Given the track records of UDJ and HRW biased and politically motivated reports, judging the credibility of the reports at face value can be hasty. Let us give time to see if the evidence remains intact or falls apart. As time goes by facts will emerge.

    Leaving HRW aside, my advice to UDJ is to take their case to the coart, show us on video the individuals beaten or harassed. The usual trick “we do not want to disclose the identity of the individuals in order to protect them” is not working any more.
    My advise to the givernment is Ethiopia or Police Commission is to immediately respond to the report and inform the piblic the actions the government will take. As the saying goes “silence is agreement” will hold true if the government fails to defend the allegation. Ignoring complaints, “which is often practiced by the government” is a very dangerous practice. If the allegations are proven wrong, the government ahould take UDJ to court for defamtion.

    Thank you

  7. HRW as usual is using its poor research methods, and relying on “witnesses whose stories cannot be verified and economic immigrants who must have to lie to qualify for protection or asylum in Europe and USA.”

  8. Dear Aiga,

    I have no clue about this thing. But I understand the oppositions are busy with petty stories than with their agenda. They did this and they did that. They insulted us. They beat us; they spit on us. Bla bla,…. I do not hear any fruit oppositions propaganda apart from baby crying to internet world. I do not know who is going to save them honestly . I think they are crying to UN? may be to Egypt like woyane tigrai which is busy selling our land and our water. I am dismayed by opposition immaturity and the regimes uselessness and betrayal. My worry is not about the kitchen story of the oppositon. My worrry is that I heard rumours that Woyane sold the GERD to Egypt for 3 billion dollars. Egypt will give 3 billion dollar to the wicked woyanes and then the woyane will finish the GERD and hand it to their master in Egypt. Woyane also changed the name of GERD to GRD which means the dam is not anymore Ethiopian? Oh my God, yewoyane neger aylm. I think woyanwoch beseytan telkfewal? I think the Waldeba Monastery has made crazy now? They just want to sell everything? Ethiopian oh oh oh, woe woe, woe, devils in humans filled you now. God please get rid of greedy people from Ethiopia who wanted to sell everything for money. Shame woyane Tigrai. I hope you vanish all of a sudden from the face of Ethiopia. you are a disgrace for Ethiopia. You sell port, land, now it is the water? I do not really know what the hell u wanted from the poor people of Ethiopia. Shame to you all. Shame on you Woyanes . you are disgraceful.

  9. It seems to me the opposition is throwing accusation after accusation and see which one will stick ,if they really have agenda which is different and better than
    EPRDF let’s see and hear it otherwise stay out of the way of great progress .
    After all if they really care they should criticize constructively if they have a good reason to do so .
    Is it just me or the world media is negative and bias towards ethiopian government because of the gornalists who are in prison that is abuse of the trust is that expected of them food for thought.you don’t report negative and just because your fellow gornalists are in prison and they are guilty they should accept gudgment according to the law of the land they are no better than anyone

  10. Aiga,
    Why are we spending our time and energy discussing about these two sides of the same coin?
    It has been long time since UDJ has lost its soul and started to live on life support by make believe contradicting and fallacy accusastions and stories against its own country. Whatever stone UDJ turns, it is becoming clear that they are losing credibility by the same people they claim support them.
    I’ve no problem with HRW as they have abandantly proved us their sinister objectives. HRW has nothing to do with Human Rights. HRW is a messenger that does a dirty work for the for the neo-liberals and survives on handouts from these groups.
    So, no wonder for UDJ to fiddle with HRW.

  11. Aiga
    I would like to thank you to open forum for people to post their views .
    I noticed the majority if not the whole comments is polarized to one side .
    Do you censure opinions or that is the way it is ?
    As you are living in a free country , I believe you appreciate the difference of opinions as a necessary ingredient for democratic development .Use your forum to teach /show compatriots including the’ politicians’ the value of critisizing and being critisized constructively and responsibly based on facts and figures not mere emotions. No one is perfect in this imperfect world .

    • Tazabi,,we do not censure views and opinions however we do remove now and then posting that are simply rubish not worthy to any of wider audience.

      Try to live by the side of fact. What is happening in Ethiopia is a miracle. Do not be surprised if you see one side postive comments more!

  12. Instead of blaming the so called HRW first it is better to ask this gidada guy to present his facts . He has to present the names and the places of the so called victims or else better to shut his shaggy mouth.

  13. Thanks Aiga forum for raising this issue.
    I think we can see four major things here.
    1. Despite the problems related to methodology of studying (like other countries and you put most probably last week), HRW is using the same methodology everywhere . Therefore, to me it seems we can comment on their methodology but we can not be out from the reports ones again. But still balanced reporting is required from HRW.
    2. The opposition: I can see the oppositions are very weak to bring remarkable policies and implementation mechanisms for the population to cast their votes to them. However, still as a government and leader party, EPDRF should support them to be organized and bring helpful ideas to support the country. Otherwise one day when the time frame for EPRDF is over, we will also kill each other because we will be saying once more it has been done with unilateral decisions. Therefore, it is not only sending them back to weak positions, but EPRDF should also give them the chance to develop themselves to bring alternative ideas! There should be millions of ides from millions of Educated population of Ethiopia!
    3. The human right situation in the country. We can discuss this further since as any other countries Ethiopia has problems not in terms of some polices but implementations. We should not deny these, as a matter of fact they will appear as the time goes on since everything is being done at the community level and by community members. Therefore, improvement is required but we can not deny it at all. I have seen one of the comments that showed, if (oppositions) they want to be in any position they have to be struggle- we should not promote this because ballot boxes should decide who can rule Ethiopia here after- we can see other countries going to hell.
    4. We can not denied developments seen in the country- although everybody agreed most of the developments are dependent on loan. Lets appreciate these, work towards them so that we can pay our loans but without loosing our Ethiopian proudness, which I am not in doubt now.

  14. HRW is a “Vuvuzela” of Ethiopian enemies and that is what it has proven in its reports on Ethiopia. Its African representatives and source of information are members of the opposition parties who lost election. HRW is an enemy for Ethiopia and Africa.

  15. This is the home of the dogs and the pigs in George Orwel’s language. What is expected of them so? After all it is a government of PIGS.

  16. These western so-called human rights organzations, international courts, protectors of journalists, etc are nothing but agencies of Western hegemony, using democracy and human rights as pre-texts to maintian neo-colonization and halt Africa down from developing and realising itself from the grip of neo-colonization. The westerners are decievers, scammers, they would use any ploy to steal the resources of Africa, have control of the continent and keep the people of africa in eternal poverty, ignorance and conflict.

  17. I do not remember a moment, when the opposition parties in Ethiopia have occured with their own alternative program to the ruling party, how to bring forward the country. This annual complaint operation is i think the only instrument left for these pseudo-politicians not to disappear from the public memory. It should not be taken seriously.

  18. What the HRW (The liberal democracy cadres) don’t know is, they took more than 200 years to reach where they are now , they try to force develop developing countries to just follow their liberal democracy instructions! Countries in our world are with their own different historical, traditional , cultural, polititical … Back grounds, & hence they can’t just swallow liberal democracy as it is , but accommodate it according to how it might benefit a respective countries! Taking the their instruction as is very destructive, therefore, Ethiopia is accommodating democracy to merge into the Ethiopian society without destroying the value of our culture! Neoliberalists are the extention of colonialists who devastated the African continent in particular! Their aim is to destroy our culture & replace it with market oriented cultures! My advice to Ethiopian politicians is, Ethiopia must democratize itself without destroying our valuable traditions & culture , on its own time!

    UDJ is simply there yawning for power, but nothing else! They are the remnants of the disgruntled Kinijit, therefore , We have watched them for the last eight years; all they had/have is power! They couldn’t understand that Addis isn’t a source of power! Addis is simply a sit of the government! Power comes from kilils (from the people)! They couldn’t even understand that Ethiopia is changed! Had they understood the political, economical , social ..,changes in Ethiopia , it could have helped them to change their attitude, so they could have a chance to be parts & parcels of Ethiopian society! They are just wasting their precious time aligning themselves with fanatic liberal democrats, with all kind of Ethiopia’s adversaries! My Advice to UDJ is, they need to get out of their zombiness & be real to help the transformation of Ethiopia! No power can be gained by sitting at Addis Ababa! The old days are gone never to come back again!

    God bless the motherland!

  19. One has to understand very well that these so called opposition parties in Ethiopia have gone politically bankrupt. That is to say, in other words, we Ethiopian people have realized adequately enough that these groups cannot, if measured by any standard, be alternative political parties as initially hoped by many of us, to lead the country. If one observes their movement since the beginning, people like Dr.Merara Gudina, Dr.Negasso,and could be said many member of the UDJ have simply chose to engaged themselves in fabricating and cooking nonsense stories to allege the current ruling party EPRDF. These so called political parties, since their creation, have never produced or raised a single genuine political issue that may worth very serious discussion among the Ethiopian people and perhaps people value it as concerning. No, never, so how can one value these groups as political parties when their agendas are something else rather than genuine political issue? Mind you, HRW or Amnesty International or rightist groups or USA or the EU do not obviously have the right to bring any political party to power in our country. It is we and only we Ethiopians who have the constitutional right to elect the party to political power through the box. On the other hand, repeated condemnation to the ruling party, of what it does, over the media etc.is not enough by itself.You have to come up with genuine solution to the problem so that the people wound understand. I think these so called opposition political parties have simply opted to rely on accusations to the ruling party and gain the support of HRW etc, rather than demonstrating genuinely their leadership capability, that is why I am saying that they are suffering political bankruptcy.

  20. Aiga and et al,

    I hope you will accommodate me to share my totally different view on this one.

    I agree with most of the comments above that blame HRW or Oppositions as always whiners and with bunch of here says. Oh Well that was before!!!

    ኹሉ ነገር ዝፍለጠካ ኣብ ባዐልካ ምስበጽሐካ አዩ

    Do you think this report of ” Ethiopian opposition group accused police …. beating, illegally detaining and abducting” is exaggerated or totally not true. Or are you telling me the Ethiopian Police and Security they don’t torture or beat any one in custody.

    ኣቱም አሕዋት በዛኻትኩም ናብ ዓዲ ደውልኩም ኣጻርእዩ ብናይ ሰብ ሂወት ኣይንቅልድ ቤተሰብና ኣብስቓይ አዮም ዘለዉ

    let me talk you up for a challenge for all of visitor of this blog to ask some one who has been behind bars in Maekelawi Prison, that has not been torture, or put in dark cell, or beaten …. is it me only have access to this kind of stories or people are ignoring it to blindly support the government.

    As a supporter of EPRDF I had good reason not to believe any of HRW report as it was bunch of lies, I used to avoid to read their report to this date. However I read all 70 page report of HRW, for the first time., . but now I find HRW right on point, too detail and all but nothing the truth. Even the stories were too detail and accurate, I was caught with surprise, by asking who told them all this stories… Glad that finally they get it right.

    I am not asking you to believe me, but just take few hours/days of your time call someone who has been to Maekelawi prison or at least do some effort before throwing the report as collection of lies.

    I bet you will find the following reports from HRW absolutely correct…
    • .. how officials had denied their basic needs, tortured, and otherwise mistreated them to extract information and confessions, and refused them access to legal counsel and their relatives.
    • ….investigators used coercive methods, including beatings and threats of violence, to compel detainees to sign statements and confessions. These statements have sometimes been used to exert pressure on people to work with the authorities after they are released, or used as evidence in court.
    • Courts that have received allegations of detainee torture and ill-treatment at Maekelawi have on occasion failed to take adequate steps to address the allegations. Several former detainees told Human Rights Watch they kept silent about their treatment in court, fearing reprisals from investigators. Others said they had never appeared before a court.
    • and many more….

    I just do not want to waste your time you can read the full report on HRW website..

    But if any of the readers think I am wrong or misunderstood the storeis, you can correct me, I am here to learn.

    Thanks!!

  21. You racist rats. You sure will pay for everything you are doing now. The shame your bosees did to quite dissent and to embarass UDJ leaders will come back at you and and will bite your stinky ass. You idiots how can one use sodomy as a political weapon? There are more than 50 countries in Africa, why will HRW fousus in Ethiopia unless your idiot, rasict and stupid leaders are kiling who ever is non tigre

  22. Dear AIGA,

    I am honestly sleepless of the Ethiopian leaderships gambling with future of Ethiopia. I am 100% opposition to the join Co-ownership of the Nile.

    Why are the Egytians saying the dam is for Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan? if the Dam is not anymore Ethiopians, then it must be a dam for all the Riparian countries like Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rawnda, South Sudan, Eritrea, and even Nigeria or all African countries. Not only Egypt and Sudan, this is a systematic renewal of the 1929 and 1959. Egypt has more right than any of the country that the Nile pass through because they have a right to claim the same claim Egypt claims. Your administration is going to be trapped in their own traps. Instead of using the other Riparian states as leverages to ensure equal access to the water for all those countries that the Nile passes, EPRDF is destined to do another Wuchale and EEBC. It would have made sense the Dam to belong to all the Riparians. What does Ethiopia share with Egypt more than Kenya? Uganda,…? is TPLF scared and kneeling to the Arabs? Shame on you. I hope this government disappear before it denies future Ethiopians from using the river. You are not only killing this generation, but you killing the generation to come. I thought TPLF thought to liberate people? it seems TPLF fought to landlock Ethiopia? then to sell Ethiopian land? then to sell the Nile? I see now TPLF never had agenda that is nationalistic. The main reasons TPLF reversed its programme of independent tigrai and let Eritrea is to facilitate to sell the rest of Ethiopia for cash sell. The people who are at the mouth of the Nile, the Amhara people has more right than TPLF, EPRDF, Egypt to use the water that is at their backyard. You go from Tigrai and you make decision for the people who live at the mouth of the water by making deal with enemies of the people. I swear again, this time it will be cut throat with EPRDF. They are saying Woyane Leba, truly if woyane do this, woyane is leba, ager shech. I hope and hope that this time Ethiopians will not be sold again. We have had enough our country landlocked by force, and our land sold out by force. If TPLF continues to make national blunder, alas, history will judge you and you will be recorded the worst traitors in our history. It is better to stop the dam than to make any deal that prevents future Ethiopians from using the water.

    • Gezae,
      Someone is trying to use your name to write nasty stuff. We will let you keep an eye on such posting and alert us if it is you using different pc.
      Thanks

  23. Thanks Aiga: if I talk it will be strong statements opposing policies plus some bitter words to reprimand TPLF leaders from making more national blunders again and sometimes to vent my bitter feelings; but no other Nasty things. When was that? I did not use another PC today and yesterday.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *