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Press Release
An Open Letter to Mr Negassi Sengal, Office of
the Embassy of Eritrea
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London
Festival –
Jun
30, 2003, 1:46pm
A week ago, Eritrean
families were notified of fatalities that ensued the unnecessary and
draining Eritrean/Ethiopian war that took place 1998-2000. The nation was thrown into an
unparalleled state of shock after learning the deaths of its young
citizens on whose hands the future of the country was placed. Considering the cultural
and moral significance of bereavement, EHDR-UK, and other pro-human
rights and pro-democracy groups, campaigned hard to pressure the
government into releasing the names of the war-dead. The campaign finally paid off and
we acknowledge that the announcement, although painful, will spawn a
breathing space to those who were under immense stress and were painfully
anticipating the return of their children for over two years.
EHDR-UK takes this
opportunity to register its concerns and complaints to the Eritrean
Ambassador in UK, Mr Negassi Sengal.
Mr Negassi Sengal, EHDR-UK
would like to remind you of the fact that:
·
The unceremonious way the announcements were
conducted were frosty and insensitive, to say the least. Families of our
war-dead should have been notified of their losses privately,
respectfully and with full military honours, rather than resorting to
reading lists of names in gathering halls.
·
The grief-stricken did not have the opportunity
to respond and ask questions pertinent to deaths of their family members.
·
The actual number of Eritrean casualty, which
is believed to be higher than the 19,000, is not fully disclosed.
·
The account of the war-injured, absentees, conscientious
objectors, jailed and persecuted has not been given yet.
·
The government’s gesture to provide assistance
to the grieving at this point in time lacks sincerity. Why didn’t they qualify for
assistance then, two years ago, instead of now?
·
The government did not apologise to the
citizens for its failures that led to the outcome of this futile
exercise.
Mr Negassi Sengal, as
Eritrea mourns, waves of government–sponsored and disingenuous festivals
– to allegedly aid the families of those who lost their loved ones - are
being planned to take place all over the world where PFDJ communities
exist. Your office, the Eritrean Embassy in London, in spite of the state
of minds of majority of Eritreans, by manipulating those under the
control of the Eritrean government, in collaboration with your agents, is
making preparations to host a festival during the first weekend of
July.
It is no secret that in the
past PFDJ resorted to festivals, dances and celebrations in order to numb
the pain of Eritrean nationals and divert issues of real concern to the
nation. This scheduled PFDJ
festival falls under the same category and more: it is designed to
camouflage the government’s predicaments.
Mr Ambassador, considering
the ill-natured scheme mentioned above, EHDR-UK would like to relay the
following message to your office and those who plan to participate in the
PFDJ festival. Eritreans in
the UK need:
·
To reflect on the current state of affairs,
which are marred with raging human rights abuses.
·
To remain vigilant of the political trickeries
that lay waiting behind the festivity.
·
To think over the promises which were never
kept under various pretexts and concocted exigencies.
·
To rationalise on the divisions that PFDJ has
instigated in our communities along the lines of ethnicity, region and
religion.
·
To make sure the money which is being generated
through contributions are not diverted to self-serving and politically
motivated causes.
·
To be left alone to organise their own cultural
activities the way they see fit.
On this occasion EHDR-UK
calls on all Eritrea communities in diaspora to engage in a dialogue with
those who are insensitive to the abuses of human and democratic rights of
Eritreans, and register their displeasure with the Eritrean Embassy and
denounce its manipulative tactics.
EHDR-UK condemns the human rights abuses that are taking place in
Eritrea, and strongly expresses its disapproval of the government ploys
that are deliberately designed to tiptoe around he real issues of people’s
concerns.
The Board of Directors
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