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“HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN ETHIOPIA” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H2251-H2252 on May 16, 2001.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN ETHIOPIA
(Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, just a few minutes ago on this floor I attempted to rise and speak out about the outrage of human rights violations in the country of Ethiopia. Unfortunately, it was objected to.
Mr. Speaker, what I cannot understand is how this House can ignore the fact that police forces use excessive force to prevent students from vocalizing their discontent in an academic setting. I understand that 41 brave individuals were killed on or near the campus in Addis Ababa. Two thousand students were detained.
It is imperative that as we talk about human rights around the world, that we are ultimately concerned that people who are our brothers and sisters are treated fairly. I am glad to know that the 2,000 students have been released, but this is not enough. There are dozens of persons arrested without warrant, and they remain detained.
It is extremely important that we say to Ethiopia that freedom cannot be denied, and it is extremely important that this floor and this House and Members of this House allow those of us who are concerned about human rights violations in Ethiopia to get on the floor of the House and debate it and ask that, in fact, we support human rights around this Nation. Mr. Speaker, I ask this Congress to act on the human rights violations in Ethiopia.
Mr. Speaker, as we consider the authorization bills for our foreign policy agenda, it is necessary to recognize the continuing human rights abuses practiced by governments in the Horn of Africa, particularly in Ethiopia. The United States Department of State must carefully investigate the continuing human rights abuses in Ethiopia.
Just recently, I am outraged by the recent violence in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, especially the loss of life in the face of peaceful demonstrations on the campus at Addis Ababa University on April 11th.
I am deeply disturbed that police forces used excessive force to prevent students from vocalizing their discontent in an academic setting. I understand that as many as 41 brave individuals were killed on or near the campus at Addis Ababa University, while another 250 persons were injured in an indiscriminate attack by the police forces. The recent action taken by police forces can never be justified.
Although I have strongly spoken out against human rights abuses in Ethiopia before, I wholeheartedly join the Ethiopian community in the United States in denouncing the indiscriminate killings that recently occurred in Ethiopia. Justice must be served swiftly and fairly even though the brutal attack has already exacted an unimaginable toll.
Further, I am somewhat relieved that approximately 2,000 students who were detained by police have now been released. That is not enough, however. As some of you may know, the U.S. Department of State is concerned that dozens of persons who were arrested without warrant remain detained. The United States Government must vigorously call upon the Government of Ethiopia to promptly and unconditionally release all the students that remain in detention. Their freedom cannot be denied.
In the past, I successfully fought for a legislative measure that would prohibit the Government of Ethiopia from receiving aid until human rights abuses are eliminated. We must do more. The people of Ethiopia deserve to be treated humanely by their government.
Mr. Speaker, in the words of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, ``We believe that the only whole man is a free man.'' I hope we can support efforts to bring human rights abuses by government actors in Ethiopia to a halt.
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