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By
Tedla Asfaw
Ethiopians protest at G20 gathering at Pittsburgh was live covered on
ECADF yesterday afternoon and as far as I remember it is the fist live
coverage on Internet of Ethiopians protest. The noisy crowd draw the
attentions of local and foreign medias and this morning one of the local
news papers reported about the protest. Major news media however
concentrated on the anarchist battle with the police. Today there will
be a big crowd of the Ethiopian North American Battalion who came to
Pittsburgh as far as the west of USA and Canada.
The well disciplined and attractive Ethiopian protesters carry a lot of
placards among many the most visible one was Meles and Beshir's photo
with their victims bone on the background. It was creative and put the
spotlight on Meles the darling of the west and Beshir the economic and
military ally of China.
The talk of China signing to build dams in Ethiopia or the USA official
found no ongoing genocide in Sudan is a known diversionary tactics not
to held accountable these two butchers in Africa. it is all about greed
and self interest which closed the eyes of most of the G20 members and
the masses have to come out and expose this double standard in all
avenues. Ethiopian protesters deserve Gold for exposing this crime and
capture the attention of wide media.
Similar to the April G20 London protest this year the Ethiopian protest
has reached to the ears of the rich and the powerful nations. The false
promise of free election and human right training as has been used in
the past is now recycled again to buy time and divide the momentum for
real change in our country.
Who will forget the mass upheaval following the stolen election of May
2005 and the role played by USA and UK officials in Addis Ababa to buy
time for Meles Zenawi and divide the opposition ? The upheaval in Addis
five years ago was much bigger than this year election protest by
Iranians. The only difference is that there were no USA and UK officials
in Tehran to sabotage the upheavals.
The USA and UK administrations have to know one thing. Ethiopians do not
need their help to change a government by their vote. A change we need
from them is not to help the unelected killers, financially and
militarily. Our people do not engage a war with both USA and UK and
there is no reason to wage war indirectly on our people.
That was the message in April in London and that was the message in
Pittsburgh yesterday and today. Obama has now replaced Bush so do Brown
replacing Blair. However, the policy of these administrations hardly
changes. The promising word of Obama on the Ghanaian Parliament last
summer has yet to be realized.
What we see in Ethiopia is the old way of staying in power until death
or driven from power by gun. If change of administration is good for USA
and UK I want to assure the allies of Meles that Ethiopians showed their
desire five years ago only to get an "F" thanks to the USA and UK
embassies in Addis Ababa to keep the man they chose for us.
Here is what happened last night on the G20 dinner in Pittsburgh. The
awkward greeting of Azeb the wife of Meles with the Obamas as reported
by blogger most probably is a good opportunity for Obama wisely to share
his wisdom. My brother and sister, twenty years in power is enough and
probably has stressed your family and it is time to quit. It is not late
to take such advice if there is anyone listening.
Tedla Asfaw (tedla.asfaw@gmail.com)
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