ESAT Europe Support Committee
Background information and Statement of
the problem
In spite of Ethiopia’s long history and the
fact that the nation is one of the ancient civilizations,
the country is being ruled by absolute dictatorship which evolved to
ethnic based totalitarianism under TPLF/EPRDF administration. Particularly in
the aftermaths of the 2005 Ethiopian national elections, the regime developed a
strategy of steadily shrinking press freedom and systematically eliminating
independent newspapers in an attempt to rule the people of Ethiopia in total
darkness. Among the enacted three deeply flawed laws by Zenawi’s regime
is the media law. The law contained numerous provisions that fundamentally violets
freedom and human rights guaranteed under Ethiopia’s constitution and
international laws – aimed at terrorizing journalists that report facts and
criticize the intolerable TPLF policies. Escalating its repression the regime’s
antiterrorism proclamation (ATP) of the 2009 has been widely used to
criminalize any critical comments and dissent opposition in an attempt for an
absolute grip over the media and to root out the seedlings of democracy.
Pro-opposition websites has been blocked and jamming of websites and Medias
including VOA and ESAT is frequent and is widely acknowledged by international
organizations as stated underneath.
Reporter without boarders stated that Ethiopia’s
press freedom is worsening; newspapers and journalists are under constant
trait. It also stated that Ethiopia has joined the list of sub-Saharan
countries that are keeping a close eye on the media and trying to control or
influence editorial policies. Due to the regime’s increasing intolerance, it
has been doing everything it can to stifle the critical impulses of journalists
and to make life difficult for the private media. “The government is trying to
suffocate the media”. In its statement the France-based international
non-governmental organization urged the Ethiopian government to stop creating
climate of fear against media professionals.
Freedom House (an independent watchdog
organization that supports democratic change, monitors the status of freedom
around the world, and advocates for democracy and human rights) stated in 2011
authoritarian regimes in various parts of the world censored news of the Arab
uprisings fearing domestic unrest. Governments of various countries in Africa
and the Middle East employed techniques ranging from information blackouts in
the state media to sophisticated internet and text-message filtering. Ethiopia
is among those nations which experienced substantial deterioration of press
freedom in 2011 and independent media’s continued to face challenges. In its
assessment Ethiopia score significant decline and is not free. Freedom on the
net status measures countries level of internet and digital media freedom with
numerical score from 0 the most free to 100 the least free.
In its 2012 report Freedom House stated Ethiopia
received a numerical value of 75 (freedom on the net total) and Ethiopia is in
category of not free (freedom on the net status). In its assessment it
indicated that Ethiopia is among those not free countries where the government
blocks large number of politically relevant websites and the state invested
significant resources in technical capacity and manpower to identify content
for blocking. It also indicated that such governments (not free countries)
employ a range of tactics to curb internet freedom – including imposing
pressure on bloggers, arresting users who post political comments that are
critical of the authorities and use blocking and filtering as key tool for
limiting free expression. Moreover concerned with the power of new technologies
to catalyze political change Ethiopia is among the authoritarian states that
have taken various measures to filter, monitor, or otherwise obstruct free
speech online (Freedom House 2012 report).
According to the African Federation of
Journalists, many African countries have accelerated their abuse and imprisonment
of journalists and Eastern Africa is the worst affected. In its assessment it
stated that Ethiopia is sliding in treatment of reporters and imprisoning
journalists on anti-terrorism charges. In its report African Federation of
Journalists highlighted the case of Eskinder Nega – renowned journalist who is
among Ethiopian journalists imprisoned on anti-terrorism charges for
criticizing of the EPRDF regime following Arab uprisings. Moreover an open
letter by international journalists to the TPLF/EPRDF foreign minister
highlights broader abuses: “Ethiopia’s history of harassing, exiling and
detaining both domestic and foreign reporters has been well-documented.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists Ethiopia is the
second-leading jailer of journalists in Africa. Over the past decade, 79
Ethiopian reporters have fled into exile, the most of any country in the world,
according to CPJ data. A number of these have worked as stringers for
international news agencies. Additionally, since 2006, the regime has detained
or expelled foreign correspondents from the Associated Press, the New York
Times, the Daily Telegraph, Bloomberg News, the Christian Science Monitor, the
Voice of America, and the Washington Post.
Justification on the exceptional role of ESAT and
the intended EU campaign
·
Role, guiding principle and objective of ESAT
In today’s Ethiopia there is one national TV, one
national radio, one national daily, one English daily, one internet service
provider and one telecom all under strict control of the dictatorial TPLF/EPRDF
regime. The state-run media is solely focused on crude propaganda and shuts out
critical views. As a result of this Ethiopians have been hungry of a media
outlet that report facts and provide accurate analysis established for and by
Ethiopians thus is accountable to the people. Realizing the complex challenge
free press experiencing in our country and the inexorable aspiration of
Ethiopian people for free media, Ethiopians founded the Ethiopian Satellite
Television (ESAT) in 2010; and also established international support chapters
all over the world. ESAT aspires to fill the gap so that the Ethiopian people
will have unrestricted access to information, diverse viewpoints and
perspectives.
The guiding principle in establishment and
broadcasting of ESAT, the first independent Ethiopian satellite service, fully
concur with Article 19 of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights that
“everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right
includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and
impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of
frontiers.” To this end since its establishment ESAT is tasked to produce
accurate and balanced news and information, as well as other entertainment,
created for and by Ethiopians. It is committed to the highest standards of
broadcast journalism and programming and will strive to provide an outlet of
expression to all segments of the diverse Ethiopian community worldwide.
Particularly it subscribes to the central principles of professional
journalists that “public enlightenment is the forerunner of justice and the
foundation of democracy.” (http://ethsat.com/editorial-policy/) ESAT believes that a
well-functioning independent press is an essential element of a democratic
system by exposing corruption, abuse of power, mismanagement and embezzlement
of public resources. ESAT also believes that without free access to information
and ideas, citizens are unable to participate meaningfully in the political
system by exercising their right to vote or by taking part in the efforts to
shape the process of public policy and decision making (http://ethsat.com/about-us/).
The primary objective of ESAT is therefore
to provide free access to information for the people of Ethiopia (http://ethsat.com/about-us/).
·
ESAT fund raising and the scheduled Europe
campaign tour
Currently, ESAT relies on the support it receives
from individual donors and contributions from the Ethiopian Diaspora. Hence
ESAT relies on the contribution of its supporters to stay on air. Given
the fact that successful task of public enlightenment is not usually cheap and
rarely works overnight; sustained fundraising campaign is vital. In any
society the journey for democracy requires various instruments of
democratization. The appeal of the media either as companion or alternative to
other instruments of democratization is obvious. It is cheaper and less
dangerous. It is also more effective than the acts of diplomacy in successfully
igniting the path for democratization. Moreover in Ethiopia’s oppressive
political system ESAT contributes in converting from opponent to democratic
point of view or at least encourage rationality- is a possibility – which must
appeal to all except the misanthropes. Countering the crude propaganda of the
regime’s run media with fact based reporting and analysis do provide the Ethiopian
public the data and thus confidence to demand genuine democracy. Free media
also helps in protecting the path for democracy, when successfully ignited.
Mr. Tamagne Beyene ESAT Europe tour
Since its establishment ESAT has been striving to
raise fund from Ethiopian diaspora all over the world. In this regard the
renowned activist and artist Tamagne Beyene has made many successful campaigns
all over the world. The scheduled Europe campaign tour by Mr. Tamagne is part
of his active and unwavering commitment to see democratic Ethiopia.
Particularly his role towards supporting and fund raising for ESAT is
remarkable. Subsequent to the 2005 Ethiopian national election the quest for
democracy by Ethiopian people, both at home and in the diaspora, has been
significantly weakened. To this end ESAT has played momentous role in uplifting
the spirit of Ethiopian people, the quest for democracy and unity – in which
the role of Mr. Tamagne is again very remarkable.
Expected output and beneficiaries
The planned campaign in seven cities across Europe
has several benefits for EAST and Ethiopians both at home and in the diaspora.
The tour will not only inspire people who are already ESAT supporters to keep
on contributing to this novel case; but also encourages those who felt hopeless
to take part towards the common objective for democratizing Ethiopia. In the
aftermath of the 2005 election one of the ingredients that significantly
depressed many Ethiopians, on the quest of democracy in our country, is lack of
strong credible independent Media of our own. The establishment of ESAT
successfully voids that gap. The tour by Mr. Tamagne thus promotes democratic
sentiment among Ethiopians at home and abroad particularly the diaspora
residing in Europe. It contributes towards encouraging Ethiopians to demand
human and democratic rights in our country. The planned tour also helps to
encourage pessimists of democracy and even fanatic supporters of the regime to
question their view and the danger that such exclusionist view has been pausing
on our country. In such circumstances countering the crude propaganda of the
TPLF regime, which attempts to manipulate and control public opinion, with
accurate and fact based reporting urges those fanatic individuals who stood
naked and unprotected to comprehend the true side of the story from the
independent media ESAT. In this regard the benefits of the tour range from
keeping motivated the already subscribed supporters of ESAT to convincing those
who have not yet took part in supporting ESAT. Public opinion is essential and
the core in the strive for democracy and thus the tour by Mr. Tamagne assists
to maintain and enhance the approval rate of ESAT whilst contributing to raise
the much needed funding to keep it on the air.
Support ESAT, the voice of the silenced people of
Ethiopia!!
