Opposition Demonstration in Washington DC

By now, most of our readers have read or heard about PFDJ’s cruel killing in Adi Abeito. The killing is senseless in every aspect of the world. It was not provoked. The youth were not in a position to cause any kind of violence. They were herded in a place where there was no water available to drink. The place was so packed that there was no fresh air to breathe. There was no bathroom where they can dispose their waste. It was totally inhumane. With no where to go, no fresh air to breathe, no room to stretch, no water to drink, and no rest room available; what would any one in their situation do? It is only natural that they would want to try and get out from the suffocation for fresh air. That is exactly what they did. Does their quest for breathing and attempt to stay alive warrant being shot indiscriminately with AK47? It does in the justice less and law less dictatorial regime of PFDJ. The number of wounded and killed youth varies from 18 to 56 killed and 205 to 450 wounded. Nharnet has not been able to confirm the number of killed and wounded as the killing took place in the dark and PFDJ military force cordoned off the area.

The opposition camp demonstrated this senseless and cruel killing in front of the Eritrean Embassy in Washington DC. It was a good show of solidarity and ability of working together where almost all opposition groups participated. We are not going to detail the demonstration as you can see the pictures posted separately. We will rather focus on the background and the historical pattern of the shameless PFDJ.

PFDJ is a system which banned many patriotic heroes from visiting their homeland just because they did not submit to the dictatorial system. It is a system that abandoned the women fighters without any training of job skills and any means of making a living.

It is a system that responds to peaceful request of some improvement in their living arrangements by war veteran heroes handicaps with automatic rifles. Some were pushed over hill sides while on their wheel chairs. Isayas’s justification was that they deserved it because they were “spoiled” as being spoiled when one lives extravagantly. What is even more astonishing is that his cronies even those who live abroad repeated the same phrase to make excuses for him.

He also sent innocent University of Asmara students to the heat of Wiaa for simply protesting peacefully against maltreatment during forced services. It caused death and many illnesses. Their mothers were beaten and dispersed when they attempted to demonstrate about not knowing the where about of their children.

In the biggest tragedy, PFDJ took the country to a senseless avoidable war which caused tens of thousands of youth to perish.

The killing of Adi Abeito is just a continuation of inhumane cruelty pattern by PFDJ rather than an isolated blunder. It is simply part of the daily kidnapping, jailing, and torture that has become daily routine of an Eritrean life.

We know PFDJ is what it is and it has closed the ray of hope of conforming to decency which has been missed long time ago. Our attention and address is to those who are watching from the sidelines out of fear. Yes, we are talking directly to those attached to the PFDJ dictatorship by one and only one cord of owning property in Asmara and the ability to visit back home. We are not going to lecture them on the moral obligation of standing up for the voiceless and powerless as it has not worked so far. We are not going to chastise them for not remaining true to the causes for which our heroes fell. We shall address the two issues which they think are special privileges afforded to them by PFDJ for their loyalty.

Property ownership back home: In many countries of the world, those who have money can buy property and start business without much hassle even if one is a foreigner. Many governments work hard to attract investors who would build homes and other business plants. They even offer incentives. Why do the Eritreans in the Diaspora believe that they have to give up their right to speak out and express their opinion in return of being able to buy a house in one of the cities of our country? It is the government that should feel privileged and should provide incentives for Eritreans to invest and spend money. It is money they earned by working all kinds of jobs at all kinds of hours. To the contrary, they are the ones who should demand that the government change its ways for them to invest, and /or pay taxes.

Being Able to visit back home: The right to visit back home was afforded to all Eritreans by the ultimate sacrifices of our martyrs. Being able to visit one’s loved ones is a right of an Eritrean that should be exercised without any fear or compromise of one’s integrity or the right to express an opinion. They need to understand that PFDJ is what they need to get rid off, not give up their right so that they can visit their families, which is their given right if not for PFDJ dictatorship.

Our independence was attained by the unparalleled sacrifice of our martyrs and the people. It is undeniable that Isayas and the rest of the junta had a role in attaining it. However, it is not their property to charge every one for its enjoyment. It is the right of the people to enjoy it to the fullest including visiting with out fear and investing without compromising their beliefs and rights as well as with out turning blind eye to the cruel crimes being committed on their people.

They can’t justify any more the prison like life of our people while they are enjoying full democratic right themselves in the perspective countries they live in. It has come to a point where any human being cannot justify the killing in Adi Abeito. There is no way they can justify to the history of tomorrow of advocating for thousands of youth to die in senseless wars while sending their own sons and daughters to colleges of their choices. “I can’t demonstrate because I want go back home to visit” and “I can’t go to the opposition meetings because they might take my house in Asmara away” are not excuses that hold any water given the cruelties being committed on our people. The situation of our country is becoming more desperate by the day and property ownership and petty privileges to be taken into consideration. It is either becoming collaborators of crime or standing for justice. Isayas and PFDJ will not be there for ever to protect their interest either. Their life span is getting shorter as they commit more and more desperate criminal actions.

Thanks for Reading,

The Nharnet Team

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