Freedom of information in the cross hairs

By Ephrem Madebo

Information is knowledge gained through study, communication, research, instruction and observation. In a simple language, information is knowledge communicated or received concerning a particular fact or circumstance. In the information age there are two kinds of people, people who produce information, and people who use information. The third group of people, such as TPLF, who block information are intentionally omitted from the classification. Today, we live in a world where the level of standard of living of nations is directly related to the efficiency of sending, receiving, and using information. The constitution of many democratic nations entitles all member of the public the right to request and get information regardless of the reason for the request. Ethiopia is not an exception here, if the rulers of Ethiopia are looking for an excuse to create exceptions, then Ethiopia is not an element in the set of democratic countries, hence, it should not get the preferential treatment that democratic countries enjoy.

In the last fifty years, no technological advancement has exposed the immoral and malevolent acts of totalitarian regimes like the Internet. The email, the instant message, the web sites, and the ubiquitous web blogs have benefitted the oppressed people of Africa, Asia and Latin America by disseminating timely information instantly across nations and continents. Today, the news of a 10am street killing in any urban center of Ethiopia is instantly available for world wide Internet users; and it is a 10:15am breaking news in most Western countries. Colonel Mengistu who ruled Ethiopia before the era of the Internet, committed most of the atrocities behind a closed door. The current pig-headed dictator that succeeded Colonel Mengistu seems to be busy not administering the country, but closing every hole through which he thinks information is flowing in and out of Ethiopia. Prime Minister Meles is a man who always promises the in attainable and tries to avoid the inevitable. His recent diabolic move to shut informative web sites and web blogs is an explicit indication that his numbered days are dwindling fast.

Blocking access to undesirable Web sites through the use of IP filters has been a common government tactic in China and Saudi Arabia. Thanks to our "internet guru" prime minister, Ethiopia has joined the exclusive club of China and Saudi Arabia. Though Ethiopia's Information Minister [hail Bernie] vehemently denies his government's involvement in the recent massive web block, a number of reliable sources from Ethiopia have expressed their inability to access a handful of government critique web blocs and web sites including ethiomedia.com. Prime minister Meles thinks or assumes opposition parties are required only during election year; it is based on this false assumption that he unlawfully imprisoned opposition party leaders whom he feared will bring an end to his one man show government. After he imprisoned the advocates of democracy, the embattled PM banned private media outlets in Ethiopia . Finally, the Prime Minister turned his non-discriminatory fist on all internet media outlets that he thought are opposition supporters. As a result, today, Ethiopia is a country dictated by one man, and a one party nation dominated by a single ethnic group. All in all, Meles has condemned the Ethiopian people to a condition that resembles the cold war era Soviet system where there were no choices.

The recent AFD related comments and articles on aigaforum.com, the diaspora version of "Walta Information System", are clear indications of how the unity of the opposition shocked and despaired the TPLF gangs and their die-hard supporters. In fact, the recent media blockages are nothing, but yet another futile attempt to muffle the dissemination of the good news of unity to the Ethiopian people. There is one admissible, but incomprehensible fact that all dictators share, they never learn from the mistake of their predecessors. Colonel Mengistu tried to hide his inequities by expelling all Western media sources from the country, but the world knew his seventeen years killing rampage. I wonder how Meles can hide his evil acts in the age of cell phones, satellite phones, e-mails, and blackberries. Mr. Prime Minister, what ever you do, the Ethiopian people have known much and will continue to know; your irresponsible and unlawful moves will not keep Ethiopians in the dark side of information.

Throughout history dictators and totalitarian regimes have invented new tools and methods to prolong their life, but no dictator has survived the wrath of the people. So far the inability of the Ethiopian opposition to decisively demolish the TPLF regime was attributed to the lack of unity within and between the opposition parties. The opposition still lacks unity, however, the foundation for a much needed unity has been laid down; building a new democratic Ethiopia on this foundation is the greatest challenge that the Alliance for Freedom and Democracy faces. The will and the stamina of AFD to resist the hurdles of TPLF emanates from the material, moral, and organizational support of the Ethiopian people. If we all work hand-in-hand with agreement and understanding, TPLF is a pile of hay that loose its texture with a single drop of water. We should always bear in mind that TPLF does not have its own natural strength, its strength is borrowed from our weakness, while our strength comes from our unity.

In the last twelve months, we saw how co-ordinated and organized TPLF and its puppets are in promoting their unpleasant and malicious agenda. Today, the TPLF propaganda machine has transcended national and continental boundaries. For example, here in the Washington DC area there are three propaganda oriented radio stations financed by the Ethiopian tax payer (Selam and Hager Fiker). The TPLF regime reaches its world wide audience using public finance, at the mean time, it uses the same public finance to deny the Ethiopian people access to information. Imagine some one puts a tape on our mouth and screams louder, no matter how high or low his pitch is, he is the only one to be heard. To diffuse this dangerous and double edged move of the TPLF regime, the opposition should design a wining strategic plan. The radio stations, web sites, web blogs and all print media outlets that propagate the sound of freedom should coordinate their effort and fight the TPLF regime and its puppets as a single entity. This should not be a win-win game! We must [the people] win, they should loose!!!