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የኢትዮጵያ ብሄራዊ የሽáŒáŒáˆ áˆáŠáˆ ቤት
Ethiopian National Transitional Council
UN-Letter (The Election of Ethiopia to the UN Human Rights Council )
20 November 2012
Mr. Ban Ki-moon
Secretary-General of the United Nations
United Nations Headquarters
New York, New York
Re: The Election of Ethiopia to the UN Human Rights Council
Your Excellency,
First and foremost the Ethiopian National Transitional Council expresses its
admiration for the work that the United Nations does to promote and protect
Human Rights throughout the world.
Ethiopian National Transitional Council (ENTC) is a grassroots advocacy
movement working to establish a democratic, free and just system in Ethiopia.
The Council is engaged in the struggle to reclaim the Rights and Dignity of all
Ethiopians ruled by a dictatorial regime tainted with consistent acts of human
rights violations.
ENTC is disappointed by the recent election of the Ethiopian State to the UN
Human Right’s Council (UN-HRC). For an institution that should stand for the
protection of human rights and dignity all over the world, the election of the
Ethiopian state to UN-HRC shows a stark contradiction. Ethiopia currently is
represented by a regime that has clamped down on any form of dissent;
imprisoned, tortured, killed political opponents; tightly controls the free press
and freedom of expression, and has rigged elections. The regime has also
instituted systemic repression of Universal Human Rights by drafting and
implementing draconian laws such as the Press Law, the Anti-terrorism and Nongovernmental Organization’s laws. These Laws are used as instruments of
oppression to falsely justify its repression. Hence, ENTC Strongly believes that
Ethiopia’s regime does not deserve to be a member of any Council on Human
Rights let alone at the United Nations Human Rights Council.
85 S. Bragg Street, Suite 504
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www.etntc.org
contact@etntc.org It is understandable if the UN is skeptical of complaints from opposition
movements about the Ethiopian dictatorial government. However, the UN-HRC
through its own Universal Periodic Review Working Group has released several
reports corroborating our claims. ENTC would like to highlight the report from
the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Human Rights Committee
dated 15 September 2010 that has enumerated several serious Human Rights
Violations. Among the violations listed, the egregious ones consist of Torture and
Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment; Lack of Liberty and Security of the
Person; Ill-treatment of Prisoners; Arbitrary use of the Anti-terrorism Law
(Counter-terrorism Measures); Lack of Right to a Fair Trial; Lack of Freedom of
Expression and Freedom of Association; Lack of Right to Take Part in the Conduct
of Public Affairs; and Lack of Rights of Persons Belonging to Minorities.
The above list is by no means exhaustive when compared to the gross atrocities
being committed by the government on the Ethiopian people. In fact, the overall
human rights conditions in Ethiopia have drastically deteriorated since the
publication of those reports. A senior Human Rights UN official Navi Pillay, was
“seriously alarmed†by the current climate of intimidation against journalists and
human rights defenders in Ethiopia. Those words are clear indication of the state
of human right situation in Ethiopia. Furthermore, reputable institutions such as
the Amnesty International, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the European
Union, the United States Department of State, United States Commission on
International Religious Freedom and scores more have consistently raised their
concerns over the gross human rights violation and atrocities being committed by
the Ethiopian Government.
Your Excellency,
As per the UN General Assembly’s resolution, the Human Rights Council should
be comprised of “elected Member States that are pledged to uphold the highest
standards in the promotion and protection of human rights.†By this UN
resolution and the several reports from the UN-HRC, the current Ethiopian
Government does not qualify to be elected in the Human Rights Council. In fact, it
is the presence of human rights violator states within the defunct UN
Commission on Human Rights that led to the commission’s dissolution and
replacement in 2006 by the UN-HRC.
ENTC understands the workings of the United Nations, and the requirement to
have member states adequately represented from different geographical regions
of the world. However, the inclusion of human rights violator States such as Ethiopia in the UN-HRC will seriously undermine the UN’s credibility, and weaken
the Council and ultimately lead it to follow the unfortunate but inevitable path of
its predecessor.
Your Excellency,
The UN Human Rights Council website has a quote from you that states “All
victims of human rights abuses should be able to look to the Human Rights
Council as a forum and a springboard for action.†Unfortunately, the Ethiopian
Government’s inclusion in the Council is a direct contradiction to your beliefs and
statements and it seriously undermines and directly contravenes the principles
that you stand for.
Therefore, ENTC requests your personal attention and urges the UN Assembly’s
institutional focus on Human Rights Violation in Ethiopia. It is by only bringing to
the forefront and demanding remedies to the violations enumerated in the
extensive list of the Ethiopian Government’s Periodic Review Report, that the UN
can address the grievances of the Ethiopian People and give voice to the millions
voiceless Ethiopians that are deprived of their God-given Human Rights and
Dignity.
Thank you for considering our request, and extending your help for our
organization’s and the UN’s cause.
Yours faithfully,
Ethiopian National Transitional Council (ENTC)
Leadership Council
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