Kinijit for Unity and Democracy

June 29, 2007

News Statement: Washington Update

We met this week with a U.S. State Department official to discuss Washington’s reaction to recent

developments in Ethiopia. The official acknowledged that Ethiopians worldwide are dismayed that

Congress, at the urging of the State Department, delayed action on a bill designed to restore

democracy and human rights in Ethiopia. Ethiopians are especially disappointed with Rep. Tom

Lantos, D-California, Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, because he agreed to

delay consideration of H.R. 2003, the Ethiopia Democracy and Accountability Act of 2007 for one

month. The State Department asked Lantos to delay action, arguing that negotiations were under way

with the government of Ethiopia on a deal to win the release of 38 political leaders, human rights

activists and journalists who have been convicted in a Kangaroo Court of trumped up charges that

could result in a death sentence for them when the court announces the sentences next month.

The State Department official acknowledged the frustration and anger of Ethiopians here in

Washington and worldwide over the lack of improvement in the conditions of the detainees’

confinement or the overall human rights situation in Ethiopia. That frustration and anger rose after the

Meles regime’s latest refusal to release the detainees, he conceded. But he insisted that political

pressure against the regime is building inside and outside Ethiopia. He predicted that some kind of

positive resolution would occur after the court meets next month.

We also discussed the importance of having non-governmental organizations rather than the

Ethiopian government delivers U.S. humanitarian aid to Ethiopia, explaining it was necessary to

ensure that the aid gets to the needy. The Kinijit International Council advised Ethiopians to focus on

the real issues in Ethiopian affairs, such as the release of Kinijit leaders, civic groups and journalists. It

is essential for all Ethiopians to contact members of Congress for the speedy enactment of the

Ethiopian democratic, human rights bill. It is especially important to contact members of Congress who

signed and co-sponsored Rep. Chris Smith’s bill and ask them to co-sponsor HR 2003 as soon as

possible.

Meanwhile, reports from Ethiopia say the detained leaders of the Kinijit/Coalition for Unity and

Democracy (CUD), the country's leading opposition party; have signed a document taking partial

responsibility for the turmoil that followed the May 2005 elections. The political prisoners have refused

to go along with such a process in the past because of Ethiopian law, anyone convicted of capital

crimes, even if pardoned, could no longer take part in politics. The deal devised has included a waiver

to all political prisoners.

Over the past 18 months, these Kinijit leaders, human rights activists and journalists have been held

and tried on a shifting set of charges. Initially, they were charged with genocide and high treason --

both capital offenses. But when the government found that no such charge of genocide existed, it was

changed to attempted genocide. Throughout the trial process, charges were adjusted to meet the

evidence the court found acceptable. Engineer Hailu Shawel and many of his colleagues refused to

defend themselves because they felt the trial was unfair.

The detainees all have complained of inadequate access to attorneys, and according to the Ethiopian

Human Rights Council, their request to view the video and audio evidence being used against them

was refused.

The court did not verify whether the accused were able to watch the video evidence in accordance

with its instruction. In fact, when the court session began on June 11, the accused were pleading with

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Kinijit International Council

www.KINIJIT.org

8605 Cameron Street, Suite M – 0, Silver Spring, MD. 20910

Tel. (202)541-9507, Fax: (202)541-1090

Email: KIC@kinijit.org

the court to uphold their right to be heard, stated a report this month by the commission. However,

without assuring the defendants that their right to be heard would be respected, the court took a

recess. The judges went to their office and stayed away from the courtroom for a long period. When

the court resumed its session, the judges stunned everyone by pronouncing a guilty verdict.

The shape of that deal will be viewed closely by Ethiopians at home and in America. The Ethiopian-

American community has long pressured members of Congress on this issue. Rep. Chris Smith

introduced legislation in 2005 following a visit to Ethiopia during which he spoke with Meles Zenawi,

other government officials and Ethiopian opposition leaders, human rights activists, journalists and

religious leaders. Ethiopians in this country lionized him for his efforts. Initial wrangling with the thenranking

member of the House Subcommittee on Africa and Global Human Rights, Rep. Donald Payne,

delayed consideration of the bill for months. Eventually, the two men agreed on a revised version that

was reintroduced last summer.

Earlier this year, Payne, now chairman of the reconstituted Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health,

offered Smith a chance to co-sponsor his updated version of the bill. However, interference by the

Republican leadership of the Committee on Foreign Affairs delayed an agreement. Frustrated, Payne

introduced his version of the bill. Further confusion among Republicans and a glitch in the availability

of Payne's bill online led Smith to introduce his own bill. The two members have since come to an

understanding in which Smith has agreed to support Payne's bill.

The committee was supposed to consider Payne’s bill this week. Payne was reluctant to accept a

delay in consideration of his bill despite State Department assurances that a major deal for the release

of the prisoners was in the offing. Such promises have been made to Congress for more than a year,

and supporters of the Ethiopia legislation believe the Bush administration would not be in favor of any

bill that criticizes the Ethiopian government for its human rights violations.

Meanwhile, many within the Ethiopian-American community concur with the assessment that the Bush

administration is more concerned with the war on terrorism than with the fate of Ethiopians being held

and tried under questionable circumstances. Even if a deal is made, they intend to press for the Payne

bill in order to force the government of Ethiopia to respect the rights of its citizens and correct what

they see as a seriously flawed electoral process in which the election commission is not independent.

Chairmen Lantos and Payne are expected to take up the bill again next month regardless of whether

or not there is a deal in Ethiopia. However, they are finding that the Ethiopian government's lobbying

machine has morphed to fit the new leadership in Congress. When Republicans ran the House, former

Majority Leader Dick Armey was called upon to stall the Ethiopia bill. Now that Democrats are in

control, former Minority Leader Dick Gephardt is contacting the leadership on Ethiopia legislation.

Gephardt’s influence, however, is not as great as Armey’s was. Payne in particular is resistant to such

entreaties.

We asked the State Department official why the administration opposes the bill. He said that the bill

would punish the Meles regime. We urged the official to take a closer look at the bill, arguing that it

provides the best chance to restore democracy in Ethiopia. We are hopeful that we convinced him of

our view. In the near future, this also could be helpful in providing more clean water for drinking and

agriculture, with the Blue Nile and Awash Rivers Project, and in enhancing farming and sharply

reducing famine in Ethiopia.

Kinijit International Council (Foreign Relations)