Date: Thu Nov 27 16:30:13 2014
<http://www.madote.com/2014/11/eritrea-is-victim-of-huge-propaganda.html>
'Eritrea is a Victim of a Huge Propaganda War' - Western Diplomat in Asmara
Nov 27, 2014 | 5:18 AM
<http://www.madote.com/2014/11/eritrea-is-victim-of-huge-propaganda.html>
9comments
During their three week fact finding investigation in Eritrea to gauge at
the real human rights situation in the country, the Danish Immigration
Service (DIS) interviewed NGOs, International organizations, UN agencies and
Western diplomats.
Based on their interviews with these aforementioned groups and individuals,
the Danish team discovered that what human rights organizations in the West
have been reporting about Eritrea are more often than not, an exaggeration
or were simply made up.
Emphasizing this point, a regional NGO based in Asmara informed the Danish
group that "the information in human rights reports about ill-treatment in
the National Service are more often than not exaggerated." The same source
stated that contrary to existing reports, "people in the National Service
are not overworked or working under slave like conditions, not beaten,
subjected to torture or suffering from malnutrition".
One candid Western diplomat, who was given the alias "embassy (b)" in the
report, said, "Eritrea has fallen victim to a massive propaganda campaign
from other countries, especially Ethiopia and its allies, as well as from
the Diaspora and Eritrean asylum seekers."
He added: "Human rights reports from international NGOs either lack
knowledge of Eritrea or they are part of the propaganda against the country.
The human rights situation in Eritrea is not as bad as it has been
described."
The diplomat said that "only very few Eritreans have genuine reasons for
claiming political asylum abroad." And warned that, "If the Western European
countries do not halt its policies of granting asylum automatically to more
or less all Eritrean asylum seekers they will see a steady increase in the
number of Eritreans coming to Europe."
Regarding reports that approximately 10,000 persons are imprisoned in
Eritrea for various reasons the diplomat stated that this figure is "grossly
exaggerated." He informed DIS that "all the international reports published
by various international NGOs quote or copy each other and they are mainly
based on statements from Eritrean refugees who are not the best sources of
reliable information."
"It is a fact that Eritrea has no capacity to take care of 10,000 prisoners
irrespective of whether they are imprisoned for political or criminal
reasons, not to mention draft evaders and deserters. Eritrea is victim of a
huge propaganda war." The diplomat reiterated.
Denmark launched its fact finding investigation in Eritrea after a
significant increase of Eritrean migrants claimed asylum in their country
this summer.
As a result of their investigation, the Justice Ministry released a press
release on Tuesday
<http://www.madote.com/2014/11/denmark-will-no-longer-give-blanket.html>
stating Eritreans will no longer be automatically granted asylum, a move
made after discovering the alarming human rights claims that are echoed by
Western human rights organizations and by the media, did not harmonize with
the facts on the ground in Eritrea.
The following excerpt was taking from
<http://www.nyidanmark.dk/NR/rdonlyres/B28905F5-5C3F-409B-8A22-0DF0DACBDAEF/
0/EritreareportEndeligversion.pdf> page 42 of their report:
Propaganda
The embassy (B) emphasized that Eritrea has fallen victim to a massive
propaganda campaign from other countries, especially Ethiopia and its
allies, as well as from the Diaspora and Eritrean asylum seekers. Human
rights reports from international NGOs either lack knowledge of Eritrea or
they are part of the propaganda against the country. The human rights
situation in Eritrea is not as bad as it has been described. It was added
that reports from Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International are mostly
based on sources outside of Eritrea, especially parts of the Diaspora
including asylum seekers and refugees. It was reiterated by the Western
embassy (B) that only very few Eritreans have genuine reasons for claiming
political asylum abroad. If the Western European countries do not halt its
policies of granting asylum automatically to more or less all Eritrean
asylum seekers they will see a steady increase in the number of Eritreans
coming to Europe. When Eritreans hear that their sisters and brothers are
being granted asylum in Europe they will soon decide to go as well, and
Europe will see a huge increase of Eritrean asylum seekers in the time to
come.
Political prisoners/evaders/deserters
Regarding reports that approximately 10,000 persons are imprisoned in
Eritrea for various reasons the Western embassy (B) stated that this figure
is grossly exaggerated. Eritrea is not worse than most other African
countries. It is the same story everywhere, and no-one can tell what happens
in any place and any country in Africa. Concerning the reports on the 10,000
prisoners in Eritrea, the Western embassy stated that all the international
reports published by various international NGOs quote or copy each other and
they are mainly based on statements from Eritrean refugees who are not the
best sources of reliable information.
It is a fact that Eritrea has no capacity to take care of 10,000 prisoners
irrespective of whether they are imprisoned for political or criminal
reasons, not to mention draft evaders and deserters. Eritrea is victim of a
huge propaganda war. The Western embassy (B) would not exclude that a
National Service evader or deserter would be detained, but this would be for
symbolic reasons rather than for legal reasons. The authorities would prefer
to state an example rather than detain evaders and deserters systematically.
It was added that the authorities are turning a blind eye to many of those
who for various reasons evade or desert National Service because they are
needed during harvest time or for other reasons. Detention of individual
National Service evaders and deserters is purely to show the people who is
in charge in Eritrea, i.e. the ruling party. Detained evaders and deserters
are normally released after a few days, and as an additional punishment they
are sent off to duties at military posts near the Ethiopian border. It was
added that many evaders and deserters would most likely have preferred to
stay in detention rather than be deployed to the border areas. It was added
that even if the government wanted to arrest and prosecute evaders and
deserter, it does not have the capacity to do so.
The authorities could apply some pressure on the family of a deserter in
order to persuade him or her to return to his work. This pressure applied
could be too close the family's shop or rejection of some license e.g. to
keep a shop. The government's interest is not to imprison evaders or
deserters but to have them work for the country.
Illegal exit/"Shoot to kill"
Regarding the 'shoot-and-kill' policy applied in the border regions to
Ethiopia a Western embassy (B) stated that there could be anecdotal reports
about someone having been shot near the border. However, such stories are
most likely not true as it is hard to believe that Eritrean soldiers would
shoot at a fellow citizen. The government wants to stop the exodus from
Eritrea, but not by shooting those attempting to leave via the border to
Ethiopia. Instead, it has begun to open up to the international society in
order to find a viable solution to the problem.
<http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WhFyyJeO_p0/VHcrULgQnOI/AAAAAAAAHj4/rmvN-V8qq7g/s
1600/Eritrean%2BFlags.jpg>
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WhFyyJeO_p0/VHcrULgQnOI/AAAAAAAAHj4/rmvN-V8qq7g/s1
600/Eritrean%2BFlags.jpg
Danish fact finding mission team uncovers the truth about the real human
rights situation in Eritrea -Photo: Eritrean demonstration against the
illegal and unjust sanctions against Eritrea and Ethiopia's occupation of
sovereign Eritrean territories.
(image/jpeg attachment: image001.jpg)