Ethiopia delivers petition against VOA, Deutsche radios

Saturday 20 May 2006
May 19, 2006 (ADDIS ABABA) — In a bid to manifest disapprobation of the unfavourable press reports aired by the VOA and the Deutsche Welle, Ethiopian government will transmit protest petitions collected by the parliament to the US and German legislatures.
Documents of petition collected in opposition to “unbalanced and destructive” reports on Ethiopia by the Amharic services of the Deutsche Welle and Voice of America (VOA) services were handed over to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for delivery to the legislatures of the countries hosting the two media organizations, the Ethiopian radio reported.
Ethiopia had charged five VOA Ethiopian journalists of treason, genocide, conspiracy, causing armed uprising and trying to overthrow the constitution. But authorities under external pressures dropped these charges against VOA staff.
In a press release issued on 22 March, CPJ said US diplomatic pressure may have played a part. VOA, which is funded by the US government, broadcasts into Ethiopia in the local language, Amharic.
The foreign defence and security office, as well as the culture and information office standing committees of the House of People’s Representatives documented the petitions collected and appended their resolutions with the documents.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will ensure the delivery of the petition documents to the countries in question through their embassies here.
Chairman of the culture, information office standing committee, Dawit Tefera said at the handover of the documents that the Amharic service of Deutsche Welle and VOA have been disseminating reports aimed at smearing the image of Ethiopia and marring the ongoing democratization process.
Dawit said the petitions had been collected by various sections of the society across the nation and submitted to the House, which in turn assigned the task of formalizing the petitions to the two standing committees.
He said the petitions strongly oppose the propaganda being broadcast by the state media organizations. He also said the two committees investigated the issue and proved that the stated radio services have operated in violation of their own charters.
The government cracked down on the private press after opposition demonstrations in November 2005 against alleged poll rigging in May elections that returned Meles to power.
At least 46 people were killed in the November clashes with security forces, international news agencies reported. In similar protests in June, at least 42 people died.
Dawit said the documents urged the governments of the respective countries to inquire into the matter and keep the services from being vehicles to further individual and political party whims and to produce unbiased and balanced reports.
Adviser with the American and European affairs directorate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Kasa Gebreyohanes said, after receiving the documents, that the mentioned radio services have been engaging in activities aimed at pulling back the democratization process in Ethiopia.
Ethiopia expelled Anthony Mitchell, a British journalist working for the US news agency Associated Press, for allegedly "tarnishing the image of the nation" in his reports from the Horn of Africa nation.
The crackdown has sparked international concern about the state of democracy in Ethiopia and several leading donors have withheld millions of dollars in direct aid to the government, reprogramming it to humanitarian relief.
(ST)