April 1, 2004

Ten Ethiopian asylum seekers are staging a hunger strike in the Arctici town of Svolvaer, in Norway, to protest against the Norwegian government decision to take them out of the reception camp and deport them back to Ethiopia. It is to be noted that Norway has been financing the Meles Zenawi government and ignoring pleas by SOCEPP and other bodies to correct its mistaken assertion that dissent is not persecuted in Ethiopia by the ruling EPRDF.

The Norwegian government's inclination to consider the Meles Zenawi regime as democratic goes against the reality in Ethiopia, a reality highlighted by a systematic repression of political dissent, by a relentless attack against the civil society and its institutions, by ethnic discrimination that have led to massacres and gross violations of rights as has been recently seen in Gambella. Ethiopian asylum seekers who have legitimate political grievances and justified fears for their lives should not be mistreated and threatened by deportation but given due recognition as political refugees and accorded asylum rights. Norway's government stands indicted for its stand on the side of a repressive government. It contravenes Norway's claim that it supports the people's call for the respect of human rights.

SOCEPP calls on the government of Norway to stop the mistreatment of Ethiopian asylum seekers and to give recognition to Samson Asrade, Tewelde Hadgu, Almaz Kidane Tesfay (female), Meraw Lisanewerk,Habtamu Meles, Yonas Tamru, Dawit Wakjira,Izequiel Belew, Mulugeta Hailu and Yohannes Kidane who are staging a hunger strike in the Arctic Norwegian town. Ethiopian refugees who have made it to Norway should be treated as deserving political refugees. If Norway deports asylum seekers back into the hands of a repressive and vindictive regime it shall be held responsible by the Ethiopian people and history for this irresponsible and inhumane act.

SOCEPP calls on Ethiopians in the Diaspora to express their solidarity with the hunger strikers by staging protest demos in front of Norwegian embassies and consulates and by sending protest messages to the country's foreign minister Jan Petersen (post@mfa.no) and diplomatic representatives.

SOCEPP