May 10, 2002


                       STATEMENT ON WORLD HUMAN RIGHTS DAY


                                ON May 10, the world- wide observation of human right day takes place. On this momentous day, SOCEPP joins international forces calling for the respect of human rights all over the world and once again highlights the continuous violation perpetrated by the EPRDF in Ethiopia.

                               Many Ethiopians are commemorating the brutal murder of teacher and human rights activist Assefa Maru by the security police in Addis Abeba a few years back on May 8. The EPRDF death squads also murdered lawyer and human rights activist Tesfaye Tadesse. Brutal murders and summary executions are in evidence. Detained dissidents have disappeared in their dozens. The attack against the free press continues relentlessly. Rule of law and habeas corpus have become illusory since th
ousands of prisoners languish in prisons and forced labor camps without ever being brought before a court of law. Numerous prisoners have made it known that the police and security forces torture routinely and prison conditions are abysmal in many areas. Underage children are jailed for alleged transgressions of their parents and students peacefully demanding their rights have been beaten up, jailed and even killed. Women are victims of all types of violations. With the ruling power controlling the judici
ary, fair and equal justice has remained verbal. The EPRDF holds some 15,000 political prisoners all over the country and continues to jail more and more people.

                                 Despite the claim by the EPRDF that it respects the rights of the people the reality shows the contrary and all categories of people are affected by the ongoing violations. The EPRDF officially practices a discriminatory ethnic politics that continues to fan civil strife and to disrupt normal and peaceful life in the whole country. An appraisal of the record of the EPRDF since 1991 clearly proves that the human rights violations in Ethiopia have worsened and not improved a
t all. This is why SOCEPP appeals to the countries who support the EPRDF and to all peace loving forces to demand that the EPRDF respects the human rights of the people.

SOCEPP