Letter to the Canadian Prime Minister Regarding Massacres of Oromo Students

To: The Right Honourable Stephen Harper, The Prime Minister of Canada

Office of the Prime Minister
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A2

From: Oromo Community in British Columbia

Re: Killings of Oromo University Students in Ethiopia

Over the past few weeks, the entire world has witnessed one of the most heinous crimes perpetrated on innocent Oromo students by the Ethiopian government security forces for merely exercising their democratic rights of peaceful demonstration. Since April 28, 2014, Oromo students in universities, colleges and secondary schools, involving over 12 institutions across the Oromia region of Ethiopia, have been peacefully demonstrating against the regime’s recently unveiled “Addis Ababa City Integrated Master Plan.” Within one week, more than 50 University students have been confirmed to be murdered by government security forces in their campuses in Ambo, Haromaya, Madawalabu and Naqamte Universities. Recent estimate put the number of student massacred at 76, injured 300, and over 2000 rounded up and incarcerated in unknown locations. International media sources, such as the BBC, CNN, Fox News, Al-Jazeera and Human Rights Watch, have been reporting on these killings.

Under this new Addis Ababa City Master Plan, more than 15 farming Oromo communities will be engulfed under the city’s jurisdiction and their farmlands will be re-zoned as “urban” lands and will be expropriated for city expansion. Implementation of this land grab policy unfolded under total secrecy with no public consultations or transparency whatsoever. The lives of 76 innocent Oromo University students have been gunned down for peacefully protesting against such an unfair and criminal project.

The Oromo Community in British Columbia is deeply saddened by the massacre of our school children by the Ethiopian regime. It is unfortunate that the Canadian government continuously provides significant economic support to this murderous regime in Ethiopia.

In light of this fresh massacre and abysmal human rights track record of the regime, our community would like to appeal to your good office to:

- Condemn the mindless killings of innocent Oromo students and farmers;
- Exert pressure on the regime to immediately stop its murderous campaign against Oromo students and farmers;
- Demand an independent investigations into the killings to bring the culprits to justice;
- Review Canada’s economic support to the regime that is bent on massacring innocent kids in their schools and Universities.

We trust that you will consider our appeal and take appropriate actions to stop the killings of defenseless students and land expropriation from poor framers under the disguise of Addis Ababa City Integrated Master Plan.

Sincerely;

Oromo Community of British Columbia, Vancouver

CC: The Honourable John Baird

Minister of Foreign Affirs

The Honourable Thomas J. Mulcair
Official Opposition Leader

The Honourable Justin Trudeau
The Liberal Party Leader

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