The current repression unleashed against the Free Journalists Association, University Students in Bahar Dar, and the Ethiopian Teachers Association amply demonstrates that the EPRDF regime, while attempting to win the international community with its claim of establishing democratic norms in the country is essentially depriving constituent parts of basic human rights like organizing freely, academic freedom, free expression and the right to seek facts. It is becoming obvious that the regime is destroying the country before it disappears from the seen.

Despite a hostile environment and numerous obstacles, the Free Ethiopian Journalists Association has served as the eyes and ears of the Ethiopian people. Last wee, it operation was suspended, its office closed and its executive barred from carrying out their duties. The Bahar Dar University students have been asked to leave their campus. They were later beaten-up by government forces at the church sanctuary they have been taking shelter. Addis Ababa University students are under a third round police siege because they opposed fee payments for university education and for supporting the demands of the Bahar Dar University students. Similarly, despite the 12 years of unrelenting struggle of the Ethiopian Teachers Association on the closure of their office, the assassination of the Deputy General Secretary, the sacking of the Executive Committee from their jobs, the meeting they called on October 5 to celebrate World Teachers Day, was dispersed by armed government units.

Since the formation of the Support Committee for the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces in the United Kingdom, it has been working on disseminating the joint efforts of the opposition in exposing the corrupt operations of the EPRDF to Ethiopians in Britain, the British people at large, the British Government, and to Human and democratic rights campaign organizations.

The Support Committee to the United Opposition in the UK strongly opposes the repression of human and democratic rights by the EPRDF. It demands the immediate removal of the closure order of the Free Journalists Organization, the immediate reopening of the Bahar Dar University, the evacuation of armed government units from university campuses and the commencement of teaching in the universities. It also demands that all those that have used force and violence on students should be brought to justice and the suppression on the Ethiopian Teachers Association suspended. Finally it strongly demands that the TPLF/EPRDF regime should e answerable to the demands of the Ethiopian people. The Support Committee calls upon all Ethiopian nationals and Friends of Ethiopia to cooperate in the realization of these demands.

Unity is strength!
Victory to the people!

Support Committee of the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces in the United Kingdom.
London
December 2003