We the undersigned strongly denounce and protest against the politically partisan reporting and interviews made by some of the VOA Amharic service reporters/ presenters. Our denunciation is especially directed at the sympathetic and supportive interview of Dr. Hailu Araya who was a central committee member of Colonel Mengistu Haile Mariam's pro Soviet totalitarian party. The interviewer (Adissu) could ill conceal his support to the position of Dr. Hailu, who has yet to account for his role as a high official of the murderous regime. Dr. Hailu denied there ever was a Red Terror declared by the Mengistu regime in Ethiopia and in this way committed yet another crime against tens of thousands of Ethiopians who are still bleeding from the unclosed wound of the barbarous Red Terror. Denying the Holocaust is a punishable crime in many European countries as should be any denial of the Red Terror in Ethiopia that cost the lives of more than 200,000 people. That the VOA should be used for the denial of crimes against humanity is shameful. Actually, quite a few of the VOA correspondents have failed to rein in their partisan personal politics and their reporting and interviews have often exposed their political prejudices. This cannot be allowed to continue.
Director, you ought to look into the matter. We the undersigned call upon you to discipline the errant reporters and correspondents of the VOA Amharic service. Much as we detest ever supporting, however indirectly, the repressive regime in Addis Abeba we must lodge a protest and declare that the mentioned VOA correspondents are doing damage to the very basic notion of the non partisan and objective reporter.
CONCEREND ETHIOPIANS, VICTIMS OF THE RED TERROR
AND SOCEPP
