ACTION ALERT PRESS RELEASE - ETHIOPIA

Details: EFJA would continue its struggle by maintaining its organizational rights and Unity!!

Statement made by the Ethiopian Free Press Journalists' Association (EFJA)

The Ethiopian Free Press Journalists' Association (EFJA) was established as a free professional association on the bases of the wishes and aspirations of its members. Through the practical action it had taken in the course of the years of the bitter struggle waged in favour of the development of the free press in Ethiopia, EFJA had demonstrated that it strongly stands for the rights and interests of its members.

EFJA would, under no circumstances, refrain from performing its tasks in line with its public trust. EFJA would like to stress that it neither its objective nor its interest to renounce its freedom of association and merge with another association.

In accordance with the invitation that it received from "Ethiopian Journalists Association" (EJA –association for govt.cntroled media journalists) as a counterpart association, EFJA had sent its representatives who participated at a meeting that was held at the Ethiopian Television on February 22/2002. The meeting discussed issues that revolved around ways of re-organizing the Ethiopian Journalists’ Association (EJA). One of the issues that was raised in the course of the discussion was : "How is it possible to merge the two associations, namely, the Ethiopian Journalists Association (EJA), and the Ethiopian Free Press Journalists' Association. (EFJA)? EFJA has, through its representatives at the meeting, took the strong position to the effect that such a merger is simply unimaginable and that the advantages of such a merger would outweigh its the disadvantages. EFJA gave the following reasons for taking the position against proposed merger. EFJA said such a merger is impossible under objective conditions where:

• media services in this country are under the control of the ruling party and the government officials

• the rights of freedom of expression and the press are not fully ensured and exercised

• members of the free press are being thrown to prison under various charges and incriminations

• the ruling party has been periodically making exorbitant increases on the cost of printing in a bid to undermine and ultimately destroy the free press.

We would like to inform the Ethiopian People and our professional colleagues abroad that EFJA would never flinch from continuing to mount the struggle for press freedom by keeping its freedom of association intact. We would not relinquish our constitutionally guaranteed freedom of association through the pressure being exerted by certain parties who do not have a clear understanding of the objectives of our association.

EFJA Executive Committee

Kifle Mulat, President

January 25/2002 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Organization: EFJA (Ethiopian Free press Journalists' Association )

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