Kukkissa,
Sidama reporter from Sidama capital, Hawassa, June 14, 2014
The Sidama Liberation Movement (SLM)
and Mederk (Coalition of Opposition Parties in which SLM is a part of) have successfully
conducted their anti-TPLF’s government demonstration in Sidama capital Hawassa amid
tremendous fear of civilians resulted from a systematic over weeks’ intimidations
and terror deliberately created by the regime’s army, Security forces and
police personnel of federal and regional as well as Sidama Zone’s TPLF’s messengers,
all of whom remained patrolling the entire Hawassa and its outskirt for the
past five days leading to the June 14, 2014 demonstration.
The ultimate aim of the regime’s agents who were busying themselves with missions of intimidation, harassment, repression and suppression- literally terrorising peoples individually and at family levels going from house by house- was hindering the participants from taking part in the said demonstration although they have only partially succeeded in doing so as the expected number of over 100,000 was cut by over 80%.
The ultimate aim of the regime’s agents who were busying themselves with missions of intimidation, harassment, repression and suppression- literally terrorising peoples individually and at family levels going from house by house- was hindering the participants from taking part in the said demonstration although they have only partially succeeded in doing so as the expected number of over 100,000 was cut by over 80%.
From another angle however, symbolically
the numbers of participants who have taken part in today’s Hawassa demonstration
exceeded the expectations of the organisers as it has happened against odds despite
the fact that TPLF’s authoritarian regime has left no stone unturned to
obstruct the participants from taking part deploying various means including sending
the entire Sidama civil servants (majority of whom could have added several thousand
if not tens of 1000s) out of Hawassa city under the pretexts of trainings to
various southern regional towns for 3-4 days since June 12, 2014.
Besides, the
leadership of both SLM/Medrek have expressed their fair satisfaction with the numbers
of participants, which has been estimated to be between 11, 000 and 12,500. Given
regime’s heinously planned hard work put into this involving deploying its army
to harass and terrorise the civilians for the last few days, the numbers were
significant victory to both SLM and Medrek.
Additionally, since the 13th of June 2014, the regime has also paid the owners of public transportation vehicles in the entire Sidama districts further ordering them to remain out of work until the demonstration is over to hinder the Sidama civilians from taking part. Regardless these all hurdles, the people of Sidama nation have defiantly travelled hundreds of miles on foot to take part on today’s demonstration.
The leadership of SLM and Mederk have expressed their gratitude to the people of gallant Sidama and Oromo nation and others who have taken part in today’s demonstration, inviting all to do similar in the future.
Additionally, since the 13th of June 2014, the regime has also paid the owners of public transportation vehicles in the entire Sidama districts further ordering them to remain out of work until the demonstration is over to hinder the Sidama civilians from taking part. Regardless these all hurdles, the people of Sidama nation have defiantly travelled hundreds of miles on foot to take part on today’s demonstration.
The leadership of SLM and Mederk have expressed their gratitude to the people of gallant Sidama and Oromo nation and others who have taken part in today’s demonstration, inviting all to do similar in the future.
ETV (the only and State owned Ethiopian
television) has fully satisfied the expectations of genuine minded peoples of
SLM/Medrek supporters by putting the numbers of today’s Hawassa demonstrators
at about 200!! No wonder if TPLF’s Media (ETV) has significantly cut the number
to under 2% as it always does when it comes to success of the opposition
parties such as SLM and Medrek. Thus, expecting the regime that deliberately
undermines its constitution to speak the truth will by itself be utter naivety.
The
slogans of the demonstrators involved:-
- Unconditionally Respect the Rights of Nations and Nationalities!!
- Unconditionally Release all political prisoners!!
- The rights of peoples individually and collectively must respected as they are constitutionally guaranteed!!
- Unconditionally Stop the uprooting of the Oromo peasants from the outskirts of Finfinnee and bring those who have massacred Oromo civilians to an independent justice!
- Stop Finfinneee Master Plan! Stop uprooting Sidama from the outskirt of Hawassa!
- Bring those security forces and authorities who’ve massacred Sidama civilians on May 24, 2002 in Looqqe village to justice and unconditionally respond to the Sidama national quest to regional self-administration for which the Sidama civilians have sacrificed their lives!
- Stop harassing, intimidating and terrorising civilians of the country who have demanded their constitutional rights to be respected!!
- Stop displacing peasants under false promises of fake Development!!
- Stop selling the lands of nations and nationalities to transnational companies!!
- We need Freedom!! We need justice not bullet!! Any numerous others.
The demonstration was peacefully
concluded despite the fact that the regime planned to slaughters Sidama
civilians soon after the 12th Anniversary of Looqqe massacre.
Kukkissa, Sidama Reporter from
Sidama Capital Hawassa, June 14, 2014
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