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Letter from Oromo Community of Minnesota to Harvard University Protesting Meles Zenawi's Visit to the University August 31, 2000 Jeffrey
Sachs Dear Mr. Sachs: I am writing you on behalf of the Oromo Community of Minnesota. My organization, representing ten thousand Oromo-Americans in the Twin Cities, is alarmed by the news that Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia is to speak at your school on September 5th. Even though the Oromo, who accounts for over half of the population of the Ethiopian empire, has been the object of subjugation by successive minority-dominated governments of Ethiopia for over a century, the oppression has worsened and taken a totally new and ugly face under the reign of EPRDF, the ruling party Mr. Zenawi heads. OSG alone, the UK-based human rights group, has documented over 2585 extra-judicial killings and 865 disappearances since 1991, a disturbing development corroborated by Amnesty International, Africa Watch, Freedom House and the International Committee of Jurists. Mr. Zenawi has been named the top enemy of the press for four out of the last five years by the New York based Committee to Protect Journalists. While publicly professing its commitment to democracy, EPRDF has systematically excluded all the major civic and political forces in the empire from the political process. The elections in 1992 and 1995 were both a sham, as reported by non-partisan international observers. The few smaller parties that took part in the May 2000 national elections complained of intimidation, harassment and assassination of their campaign workers and supporters by security forces loyal to the ruling party. A leader who presides over a corrupt regime with a dismal human rights record, one who spends billions on modern weapons to wage war over a barren piece of real estate when over eight million people faced starvation, has no right to speak at the Kennedy School, an institution committed to promoting the ideals of good governance. It is a great disservice to the prestige of this premier institution named after President John F. Kennedy, to honor and receive a despot who displayed utmost disregard for human life by sending over 100,000 young conscripts to their death as cannon fodder. What message is Harvard sending by this action? That respect for human rights is unimportant? That it is OK for a minority to dictate its wishes over the majority against their will? Hundreds of Oromo fathers and mothers, who fled their beloved homeland because of atrocities committed by Mr. Zenawi’s government, were dreaming that their sons and daughters would one day join this great university and gain the wisdom with which to transform not only our community but also America. That hope is now dashed. A person who caused so much harm, grief to millions of families in Ethiopia has no place at Harvard. Thus I respectfully ask you to withdraw your invitation to Mr. Zenawi. The Melosovichs, Saddam Husseins and Meles Zenawis of the world should not be welcome to this key symbol of civilization and human dignity. Sincerely, Nuro
B. Dedefo, J.D. |
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