I will commence a hunger strike in front of the White House to get President Obama or someone from his administration to acknowledge Birtukan Mideksa as a prisoner of conscious and to call for her immediate release from wrongful imprisonment. Fighting for democracy and freedom have always been traditional American values and I will fight for these values for my Ethiopian brothers and sisters. Please join me in the hunger strike which will commence on May 3rd 2010. We can’t save the World but we can certainly do our part. – Chris Flaherty
Watch below the video of Chris Flaherty’s speech at the Horn of Africa Conference in the Washington Metro Area on April 11, 2010:
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and conveniences, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
This is a quote from my biggest hero since childhood, Martin Luther King Jr. It was his movement that inspired me to make films documenting the pursuit of democracy and freedom on a World scale. My recent film, Migration of Beauty documents the historical events that led up to the tragic massacre of some 200 unarmed civilians during the 2005 Ethiopian elections. Out of this storm of tragedy rose one of the most promising leaders for Ethiopia’s future, BIRTUKAN MIDEKSA. Shortly after announcing her bid to run against the ruling party in the 2010 elections she was arrested and imprisoned, effectively eliminating any possibility of the ruling party, the EPRDF to lose the election.
Birtukan Mideksa has been declared a “PRISONER OF CONSCIOUS” by Amnesty International and shares the same status as imprisoned Burmese dissident AUNG SAN SUU KYI. President Obama has made a public statement affirming Aung San Suu Kyi’s status as a prisoner of conscious and called for her release. To date, President Obama or the U.S. State Department have not made any such statements concerning the plight of Birtukan Mideksa supposedly because of vested U.S. interest in the Horn of Africa. The Obama Administration is demonstrating their willingness to appease Meles Zenawi and his EPRDF ruling party for the sake fighting the war on terror, trading off the freedom of an entire nation of people.
5 thoughts on “Birtukan Mideksa and a challenge to the Ethiopian Diaspora”
It is this double standard that causes anger and tragedy like 9/11 if it is caused by “terrorists” as is claimed by the USA. The Burmese dissedent is fighting a tyrant, but Birtukan Midekesa is fighting against what is called “friendly tyrant”.
Unless the USA and big powers use the same American or Oxford English dictionary and say no to all tyrants whether they are friendly or not, there will be no peace and stability in this world.
Unfortunately war and famine are also desired for there are some who profit from it like the regime in power in ETHIOPIA – TPLF rather Meles since Ethiopia is ruled by one man dictatorship.
What about the people in jail long before she was in jail. We can write list of names who were members of OLF,EPRP, etc who have been in jail for decades? I think they are also “PRISONER OF CONSCIOUS”. Why everybody talk about her only?
When the truth speaks are we ready to speak ? I love to be there on this hunger strike but I can’t be there because I’m living thousands miles away from white house. I hope many Ethiopians can participate on it.
I am proud of you,Mr. Chris Flaherty. I will stand by you. I will pray that people like me will be encourage by your humanity to stand up for our own freedom. you are going to stand up for us yet you have all you need around you. We Ethiopian who live abroad are still living in darkness. A darkness of our ignorance and fear of loosing what we have:our humiliation.
Eyasu,
Yes, that is what people are asking. Why so much fixation with just Birtukan? We need to watch out for the endless traps and bombs being laid out for us to easly fall upon. Why are the white people suddenly interested in Birtikan?
Ethiopia is not Birtukan and Birtukan is not Ethiopia. Don’t get me wrong, Birtukan needs to be freed, PERIOD.
What about Ethiopia and Ethiopians? Are we supposed to worry about that AFTER Birtukan gets freed? Because that is how some people are behaving. And this is exaclty what Woyane wants us to do. Woyane wants to be on the driver-seat, steering our emotions left and right at will.
So we have to stop focusing on the issue on the day, month or year and think beyond indivduals if we want to a chance in the fight against the Woyane.
selam l’ethiopia