he Tyranny of the TPLF is sanctioned by the People itself – GK

“The Only real prison is fear, and the only real freedom is freedom from fear.” - Aung San Sun Kyi.

“Repression is not the way to virtue. When people restrain themselves out of fear, their lives are by necessity diminished.” - Mihaly Csiszentmihalyi

Though the regime released few Zone 9 bloggers, still many are unjustly languishing in various notorious prisons all over the country. Eskinder Nega, Temesgen Desalegn, Andwalem Arage, Habtamu Ayalew, Abraha Desta, Negist Wondafraw, Sintayehu Checkol, Olban lelessa , Zemene Mihret….the list goes on and on.

Why does the EPRDF continue incarcerating and denying justice to our fellow Ethiopians? The answer is simple; it is because the people allowed it.

Ethiopia is equal for all Ethiopians. There is no reason why one would pay more sacrifice than others. It is wrong to expect freedom by the efforts of the very few only. It is very crucial that the rest of us would come out from our closets and start to be counted on. It is time to speak out and assert our freedom in our country. We are all created in the image and likeness of God. God has given us a country called Ethiopia. He has given us the right to live in peace and dignity in it. The EPRDF must not be allowed to continue taking away from us, our rights and our dignities, that God gave us and are only ours.

Let our silence end. We may not have supported the EPRDF. We may not have directly contributed to the incarceration of prisoners of conscience However, our silence is the reason many peaceful political activists, journalists and human right activists are still in jail. Our silence is providing bullets to EPRDF forces.

In every struggle there are ups and downs. Some may say, "It is impossible to force change in the EPRDF". Our effort may be seen as meaningless. On the surface the peaceful struggle may seem to be "vanished". HOWEVER, WE SHOULD NEVER GIVE UP.

It is in this context that I call for a renewal of spirit. Instead of being filled with fear and despair we should learn to believe in ourselves. What is man without freedom? A life lived in fear and despair is no better than death. A life lived without a purpose is a tragedy. A man who only thinks of himself and forgets where he came from, is a man who is spiritually weak.

As is the case with Zone 9ers, It is my hope that all other prisoners of conscience would be unconditionally released soon. However, should the EPRDF refuses to listen to the people and says no to peace and reconciliation, Ethiopians must be ready to show what PEOPLE’S POWER is all about.

Tyrants are holding us by our neck by making us fear them. The day we break our fear , would be the day the regime would listen the will of the people. The Oppression of the regime is sanctioned by the People itself, for without the approval of the People , the regime would not have done what it has been doing; and the People has given sanctioned tyranny by its silence and fear.

A fellow Ethiopian so discouraged by events in Ethiopia recently said to me that Ethiopia is cursed. Yes on the surface it may look like we are cursed. However, Ethiopia is not cursed. Ethiopia has “US”. If we stop being selfish and prepare ourselves to pay a little sacrifice we can turn around the fate of our country. With the help of the Almighty God we shall overcome.

The following are few of prisoners of conscience languishing in jails. (W/r Emmawayesh, Ato Alene Matsentu, Ato Eyassu Hussen and Aster Seyoum)