KTU protests treatment of teachers in Ethiopia

The following was delivered to Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and to Ambassador Abdirashid Dulane:

Your Excellency, Meles Zenawi,
Prime Minister of Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

The Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (JeonGyoJo) is concerned by the governmental intimidation and harassment of trade union leaders and members of the Ethiopian Teachers Association (ETA) headed by Gemoraw Kassa.

My organisation has been alerted by Education International, the global federation of teachers, that three Ethiopian colleagues - Tilahun Ayalew, Meqcha Mengistu and Antenech Getnet - were arrested in December 2006 and detained without warrant. It is reported that Tilahun Ayalew and Antenech Getnet have been tortured while in detention. The three men are respected teachers and hold elected mandates within the Ethiopian Teachers' Association. Their membership to the ETA would seem to be their only offence. In the context of the continued interference by the authorities in its trade union activities, the ETA, supported by Education International, submitted a complaint to the International Labour Organisation on 11 September 2006. As the names of Tilahun Ayalew, Meqcha Mengistu and Antenech Getnet were mentioned in the complaint, Education International is concerned that the current situation may be a reaction, which would tend to show a pattern of systematic harassment of ETA elected officials.

Mr Prime Minister, JeonGyoJo urges your Government to honour and respect the ILO Convention 87 on the right to freedom of association, ratified by Ethiopia.

JeonGyoJo urges your Government to refrain from any act of interference in the activities of the ETA headed by Gemoraw Kassa, such as police intervention in rallies and meetings, intimidation and harassment of trade union leaders and members. JeonGyoJo urges your Government to release the three union activists from detention if it appears that legitimate union activity is their only offence. In any case, my organisation wishes you to recall that detainees cannot be subjected to torture and that all detainees should have access to a lawyer and to medical treatment.

JeonGyoJo, which represents 90,000 teachers and education employees in Korea, is confident that you will prompt the release of the three union activists, ensure their good health and that you will call for an immediate and independent investigation into the allegations of torture by the government security agents.

Yours sincerely,

Jung Jin-hwa
President of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union

2007.1.17

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