In announcing the invitation to Ethiopia’s brutal tyrant, Columbia University had posted the following appalling statement on its web site:
Under the seasoned governmental leadership of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, now in his fourth term, and vision of the Tigrai Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) and Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), Ethiopia has made and continues to make progresses in many areas including in education, transportation, health and energy.
After being bombarded by angry Ethiopians yesterday, the university removed the statement and left only the following:
An address by Prime Minister Meles Zenawi followed by a question and answer session with the audience. (read here)
Ethiopian Review has saved a screenshot of the University’s outrageous statement. See the screenshot here. Compare it with what is posted now.
Removing the statement is not enough. The University needs to investigate how such a blatantly false statement that is offensive to 80 million Ethiopians was posted on its web site to begin with.
Columbia University needs to also rescind its invitation to the tyrant.
Make your voice heard. Write or call:
Lee C. Bollinger, President, Columbia University
Phone: (212) 854-9970; Fax: (212) 854-9973
Email: [email protected]
University Programs and Events
Office of the President
Columbia University in the City of New York
202 Low Library, 535 West 116th Street, New York, NY 10027
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear President Bollinger:
We are astounded to learn Columbia University has invited Meles Zenawi, a cruel dictator whose legacy is the repression of his own people to the World Leaders Forum as a keynote speaker on the topic of Ethiopia and African Leadership.
The Ethiopian-American Community and other advocates of human rights are outraged that Columbia University is willing to give a forum to the head of a repressive regime that has maladministered Ethiopia for the past 20years.
In the May 23, 2010 election, Meles Zenawi stifled all voices of freedom and declared a sham 99.6% victory that further de legitimized his brutal regime. In a May 25, 2010 statement, http://www.america.gov/st/democracyhrnglish/2010/May/20100526144415esnamfuak0.5419123.html , National Security Council spokesman Mike Hammer said, “An environment conducive to free and fair elections was not in place even before election day.”
Five years earlier, he had thwarted the democratic aspirations of the people of Ethiopia and ordered the brutal massacre of over 193 unarmed peaceful protesters and jailed the entire opposition leadership and many of their supporters.
As the President of Columbia University and as a distinguished advocate of academic freedom, we acknowledge your right to invite speakers whom you believe will add to the academic experience of Columbia students. It is the essential element of American democracy and value system. We appreciate it and believe it is what makes America great.
But, neither freedom of speech nor academic freedom requires Columbia University to give its podium to a dictator who has actively and brutally suppressed academic freedom. On April 9, 1993, the Meles regime fired 42, some internationally acclaimed, professors from Addis Ababa University with negative implications for the university as well as the nation.
Using famine, illiteracy, and ethnic division as potent weapons, he has condemned a whole generation of Ethiopians to perpetual poverty and suffering. He has criminalized dissent and violently suppressed any threats to his despotic rule. He has sent to prison opposition party leaders, including the courageous political leader Judge Birtukan Mideksa, (the only woman political leader in Ethiopia). Journalists, and human rights activists are routinely jailed on trumped-up charges. In the name of bogus development, Meles Zenaw has embezzled international aid money and the country’s meager resources; and used land, jobs, and educational opportunities as tools of subjugation.
Does you University seriously believe that hearing the views of a brutal dictator sitting at the helm of a failed state would add to the “academic experience of your students”?
We respectfully request Columbia University to rescind the invitation to Meles Zenawi.
We also ask that you make a strong public statement against giving a podium to dictators like Meles Zenawi who are known for egregious human rights abuses and send a strong message to Ethiopians and all people suffering under the yoke of dictatorship .
A committee of Ethiopian in the Tri-State Area (New York, New Jersey and Connecticut) has issued a press release today calling for a “Grand Public Demonstration Against Dictator Meles Zenawi at Columbia University.”
Date/Time: Sep. 22, 2010, 3:00 PM
Place: Columbia University, Broadway and 116th Street, New York City
In the May 2010 election, Meles Zenawi stifled all voices of freedom and declared a sham 99.6% victory that further delegitimized his brutal regime.
Five years earlier, he had thwarted the democratic aspirations of the people of Ethiopia and ordered the brutal massacre of over 192 unarmed peaceful protesters.
Using famine, illiteracy, and ethnic division as potent weapons, he has condemned a whole generation of Ethiopians to perpetual poverty and suffering.
He has violently suppressed any threats to his despotic rule, and sent to prison opposition party leaders, including the courageous Birtukan Mideksa, journalists, and human rights activists on trumped-up charges.
In the name of bogus development, he has embezzled international aid money and the country’s meager resources; and used land, jobs, and educational opportunities as tools of subjugation.
Now, certain Columbia University professors, in blatant disregard of Zenawi’s crimes against humanity, have chosen to give the dictator a platform that he does not deserve. [read]
So, Ethiopians and friends of Ethiopia everywhere are urged to come and show their solidarity with the people of Ethiopia.
Sponsored By: Ethiopians in the NY/NJ/CT Tri-State Area
Contact: Tel 917-670-0248; E-mail [email protected]
Under the seasoned governmental leadership of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, now in his fourth term, and vision of the Tigrai Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) and Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), Ethiopia has made and continues to make progresses in many areas including in education, transportation, health and energy. – Source
It’s unbelievable that such a description about one of the world’s most vicious, corrupt, incompetent tyrants is posted on a prestigious American university’s web site. Only a hired lobby firm such as DLP Piper can come up with such a lie. The truth is that under Meles Zenawi and his tribal TPLF junta, most Ethiopians not only live in abject poverty, they are also being brutalized and systematically starved.
This invitation is a cruel insult against Ethiopians who are being brutalized by the fascist dictator.
Columbia University may not know who Meles Zenawi really is, so this is a good opportunity for Ethiopians around the world to educate them.
Lee C. Bollinger, President, Columbia University
Phone: (212) 854-9970; Fax: (212) 854-9973
Email: [email protected]
University Programs and Events
Office of the President
Columbia University in the City of New York
202 Low Library, 535 West 116th Street, New York, NY 10027
The Los Angeles Little Ethiopia neighborhood hosted its 9th annual street festival on Sunday, September 12. Over 20 Ethiopian businesses in Los Angeles took part in the festival. Shockingly, the Woyanne cadres in Los Angeles were also given a table to promote their ruling junta through the Woyanne occupied Consulate General.
While the organizer of this event, Little Ethiopia Business Association, deserves credit for hosting a great festival, they should not have allowed representatives of the fascist tribal regime in Ethiopia to be part of the event.
Ironically, a few feet away from the Woyanne Consulate General’s table there was a booth by FreeBirtukan.org that works to free Birtukan Mideksa and other prisoners of conscience in Ethiopia.
Hopefully in the future the organizers will correct such a major blunder that is offensive to most Ethiopians in Los Angeles who have suffered under the Woyanne junta.
In the afternoon, Ethiopians started to confront the Woyanne cadres and forced them to pack up and leave. But they remain disappointed at the organizers who allowed them to step up their table at the event in the first place.
Below, Woyanne cadres laugh at Birtukan Mideksa supporters who have confronted them.
Ethiopians every where need to challenge and confront the Woyanne junta. They must not be allowed to move freely among us while they are brutalizing our people at home.
Encouraged by the worldwide attention it has drawn, organizers of Facebook’s Free Birtukan Week have extended the campaign until the end of September.
The organizers also want to involve other social networks and IMs, including Myspace, Linkedin, Digg, Yahoo Buzz, Yahoo IM, and Google Talk.
The objective is to draw an international attention to the plight of Birtukan Mideksa and all the political prisoners in Ethiopia.
The organizers call on every one who wants Birtukan to be released from jail to change his/her profile photo to that of Birtukan’s, despite differences in political stands.
The biggest loser in this week’s reshuffle inside the TPLF top leadership is the 72-year-old Sibhat Nega, who was a one-time chairman and most powerful person inside the tribal organization that is currently ruling Ethiopia.
The media that is under the control of Meles reported that Sibhat was not re-elected due to his age, which is far from the truth.
The reshuffle took place at Tigray People Liberation Front’s (TPLF) 10th conference in Mekele this week.
The feud between Sibhat Nega and Azeb Mesfin, the wife of Meles Zenawi, came out in the open about a year ago when she managed to force him out of EFFORT, a conglomerate of 60 corporations, to make a space for herself. That was followed by his ouster from the TPLF politburo. He expressed his displeasure publicly about his forced resignation when he was interviewed by VOA in June 2009 (listen here).
According to sources close to TPLF (Woyanne), Sebhat Nega is bitter about the way he was sent off from the organization by Meles and Azeb. After all, it was Sibhat who groomed Meles for leadership and brought him to power. He was a father figure and mentor to Meles. When Siye Abraha, Gebru Asrat and others were about to remove Meles from power in 2002, it was Sibhat who protected him and helped him remain in power. Now that Meles has secured his position, he returns the favor by throwing out Sibhat like an old rug. When a founding member and long time leader of an organization retires, one would expect at least some fanfare as a show of appreciation.
TPLF rank-and-file members are also unhappy about the promotion of Azeb Mesfin to the TPLF executive committee, which is the de facto supreme governing body of Ethiopia. They had hoped that new faces would come to the top leadership. Instead, the change was simply a consolidation of power by Meles and Azeb, who have now an unchecked power by surrounding themselves with loyalists and yes-men. Some are wondering if the next person to come to the executive committee is Semahal Meles.
The biggest loser in this week’s reshuffle inside the TPLF top leadership is the 72-year-old Sibhat Nega, who was a one-time chairman and most powerful person inside the tribal organization that is currently ruling Ethiopia.