Dear Ethiopians brothers and sisters and friends of Ethiopia everywhere

Greetings from the White Hall, London

1. BBC World Service came to the spot and interviewed hunger strikers and vigil sittersÝ
2. BBC world service, focus on Africa, interviewed one of the hunger strikers, Ato Getachew Alemayehu, to be transmitted at 16:00 hrsÝ
3. Evening standard journalist interviewed practically every one and took pictures.Ý
4. The most important one is meeting the representative of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Frank Baker, Head of African Department, Mr. Phil Batson Head of Horn of Africa section Department.

They gave audience for 2 hours to:
Mr. Steve Sinnott of NUT, Deputy General Secretary,
Mr. Bandule Katalwala of TUC, Foreign Relation and
Ato Getachew Alemayehu, hunger sticker.

The UK Ministry of foreign affairs is fully aware of the situation in Ethiopia. They are very much concerned about the detention of Prof. Mesfin and Dr. Berhanu. They are very much concerned about the murder of students, detention of political leaders. The ministry has already raised its concern with the authorities of Ethiopian Embassy in London as well as through British Embassy in Addis Ababa and had already made a direct telephone conversation with Ato Tekeda Alemu, the Vice Minster of foreign affairs of Ethiopia.

Mr Frank Baker promised that he is going to do everything in his capacity to raise human rights violation issue in Ethiopia with particular emphasis on the current atrocities.

Mr. Steve Sinnott come out of the meeting straight to us, encouraged the hunger strikers and demonstrators.

We are very cheerful. We are strong. Nobody is hurt yet. We will continue our struggle!.
 

Keep up the pressure! Wondimu MekonnenÝ

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Press Release 

The Ethiopian- Scholars Network(Denmark-UK Section)

We could not start the hunger strike on Wednesday because one of our members has been caught up with university duties and was out of e-mail access for the last three days. Today a group of colleagues and compatriots residing in Denmark along with the co- co-cordinator of the Ethiopian-Scholars Network are on a hunger strike until tomorrow to support and reinforce the Hunger Strike by our compatriots in London. We are very  pleased the British  media and the British Government are beginning to open up to hear our voice( see Wondimu Mekonnen's brief report yesterday posted  in the AAU-Alumni list serve)

We are on a Hunger Strike to draw Attention to:

1. The growing demand for the immediate release of all students that have been arrested by EPDRF's security forces; 
2. The unconditional and immediate release without delay of Professor Mesfin  and Dr. Berhanou, for we see no crime, in their speaking on human rights and academic freedom; 
3. Our demand  to the authorities to refrain from taking any form of   violent action against unarmed citizens who choose to engage in civil    disobedience or no- violent form of resistances
4. Our demand,as a matter of norm, the application of due process of law and  strict application of fair judicial norm to all political prisoners in the  country against those who murdered students to  be brought to justice and the parents and families to be fully compensated!

ENS will invite all those engaged in knowledge production and teaching to join he mission of fostering Ethiopia's enduring renewal as a matter of top priority. The innocent blood of the students have ushered in the beginning of the end of the regime. It is time for all Ethiopians to manifest a
civic- minded behaving to assist a process in the country towards a path of national renewal.

Release Prof. Mesfin and Dr. Berhanu!
 Release all the students!
 Release all political prisoners!
Mammo Muchie, (on behalf of the hunger strike in Denmark
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Conclusion of Hunger Strike

Like the drowning Pharaoh of Egypt, The brutal Woyyane regime is resisting pleas of the international community to release Prof. Mesfin and Dr Berhanu Nega. We are saddened a bail was not granted today. But, its own distraction is nearer than ever.

This morning, a huge crowed of Ethiopians turned at White Hall, in front of Downing Street, the home of Prime Minister Tony Blair, where we camped and
starved for the last three solid days. The Trade Union journalist interviewed Ato Gemoraw Kassa and took pictures of the hunger strikers and the huge crowed of protestors for more than two hours. Steve Sinnott of NUT, who has been with us for the last three days was again among the crowed, giving us his unwavering solidarity and support and still worrying for the health of Ato Gemoraw Kassa, who didn't take food or water for the last three days with the rest of us. Every one was waiting for the news of Prof.
Mesfin's release on bail or some sort of conditions. Unfortunately, it didn't come through. Already some of our hunger strikers are a bit tired and their health was at risk, but when we pleaded with them to quit, they categorically refused to do so as long as all of us quit together. We were  very much concerned about them and wanted to call an ambulance to take them
to the hospital, to which we were met by a strong protest from them. Then from among the crowed, mothers and elders approached us and requested we
stop for an alternative action. Considering what we have achieved, considering the weeping mothers tears and elders requests, we have called off the hunger strike this afternoon.

What have we achieved?

Apart from getting the audience of Ministry of Foreign Affairs on our first day, which resulted in telephone exchanges between the Senior officer and
Tekeda Alemu of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Woyyane regime and strong message to the Woyyane regime through its Embassy in London, and again the British Embassy in Addis, yesterday we had a very important visitors all the Way from Belgium, Mrs Sheena Hanley, Deputy General Secretary of Education International.

Sheena admired what we have done for the unjustly detained professors and shared with us her experience with the brutal and shameless regime of
+ACI-Ethiopia+ACI-. Because of the negative report EI filed against Woyyane, the Woyyane Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tekeda Alemu (again) wrote her a letter protesting against the recent report made to ILO by EI regarding the mistreatment of teachers and their ETA in Ethiopia. She said, the individual reminded her how the four EI delegates were treated so well when they visited Ethiopia, how they were intertained first class and agreed to
develop a mutual working relationship thereafter, developing mutual respect.
He accused EI of betrayal of that first class treatment from the host country by filling such a negative report about the Ethiopian +ACI-government+ACI-.
Sheena, who was amazed by receiving such unprofessional and unethical letter, informed us that she responded to his cry by thanking him for the
first class treatment the government gave EI delegates when they visited Ethiopia, but she didn't think that was meant to shut them up from speaking the truth they observed. Sheena said, now they are going to face a hostile environment in June at ILO Conference. Woyyane is now pinned down. We shall
see how it dies.

We also had audience with Clare Short, UK Overseas Development Minister, who is very angry with Woyyane and promised to take the strongest action she could think of, to make sure this regime will start reconsidering its inhuman deeds. We are near to closing the tap of Fund Flow from the UK on
Woyyane. We will push that to the last until everything dries up. With NUT and TUC on our side, that will not be too difficult to acheive.

The whole afternoon, yesterday, we were accompanied by a Team of NUT members, who carried our slogans and protested with us. We have been touched by the unwavering support we had from NUT. Many passers hooted their car horn and solidarity with the protestors. One of the known environmental activist came to visit us last night and suggested alternative ways of making effectuve protests, which should we like to work with us in the
future. All these three days, Svetlana Mamedova, the Russian Ethiopian, whose property was confiscated and stripped off her Ethiopian nationality and deported to the UK was with us, equally protesting with and explaining to the English what a brutal regime ruled Ethiopia. She brought us Turkish
carpet from home and made life as comfortable as possible in the pouring rain for two days. We have made the British public aware of the atrocities
being committed on our compatriots, and partly satisfied with out acheivements.

Finally, I would like to thank all of you for the message of solidarity you sent us. Your support was source of comfort in the uncomfortable conditions
we decided to take upon ourselves. Thank you Zenebe, for the Gitim. 
Thank
you Dr Abebe Kebede, Abera Sisay, Bayush, Bereket Kebede, Dawit Berhanu, Elias Kifle, Dr Fekadu Fullas, Daniachew Hailu, Ingida Belete, Marilyn Boyd, Melaku (as usual), Mintesinot Mengesha, Meron Agonafir, Mesfin Genanaw, Ato
Mistre Haileselassie, Muluneh Petros (soon to be a doctor God willing),
Neamin Zeleke, Samuel Tiruneh of Sweden, Sara (the darling of EEDN), Dr Tolossa Kassane, my friend Yared Hailemeskel and those hundreds of you who
sent me off-line messages to cheer us up. I apologise for missing names but your messages have been printed out and passed to those selfless Ethiopians
who took part in this noble task.

What is next?

We will inform you, but let us regain energy first.
The struggle to get Prof. Mesfin continues.

Wondimu