From: Biniam Tekle (biniamt@dehai.org)
Date: Tue Aug 11 2009 - 08:05:11 EDT
Eritreas ambassador to Kenya Salih Omar Abdu, has refuted reports that a
diplomat from the embassy has been deported.
**************
http://gadaa.com/oduu/?p=742
Ethiopia’s Rogue Regime Forces Kenya’s NTV to Alter OLF Documentary
August 11, 2009 at 3:04 am
[image: Gadaa.com]
*Yassin Juma reports from the rebel territory (NTV)*
*- Shadowy Journalism Mandated by Rag-Tag Regime of Ethiopia*
*- Also, Amid Protests for Free Speech, NTV Reinstates YouTube Videos*
The much anticipated Part-3 of the “Inside rebel territory: Oromo Liberation
Front” documentary, produced by the Nairobi-based private television station
- NTV, surfaced online on NTV’s YouTube channel on Monday August 10, 2009.
However, the content of this “Part-3″ video of the 4-part documentary series
appears to have been altered by NTV due to pressure from the rogue regime of
Mr. Meles Zenawi, who leads a country known by the Reporters Without Borders
and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) as one of the most repressive
for press freedom in sub-Saharan Africa.
NTV started advertising the controversial “four”-part documentary series
about the Oromo Liberation Front rebels in southern Ethiopia on July 28,
2009 through its YouTube channel at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1pqpd1a27k. For all practical purposes, one
expects the documentary series has gone through its final cut and was
waiting for its “August” release as advertised by NTV. Part-3 of the series
is evident that NTV has been forced to alter its content amid the diplomatic
row that ensued between Ethiopia and Kenya after the broadcasting of the
first two parts of the documentary. It even appears now that Part-4 has been
deleted altogether from the series.
*Statement of the Ethiopian Embassy in Kenya*
The statement of the Ethiopian Embassy in Kenya came to light once NTV
started advertising the documentary <http:///>
http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/635812/-/ulla7y/-/index.html .
Therefore, it could not have been part of the “original” four-part series
that was final-cut by NTV crew. Due to the pressure from Ethiopian
authorities, it seems that NTV has been obliged to include the statement
from the Embassy in Part-3 of the OLF documentary.
NTV has put journalism at stake by allowing Ethiopian authorities to have
tremendous say on what should or should not be included in the documentary
series.
*Interview of the Eritrean Ambassador to Kenya*
*Eritrean Ambassador speaks to Daily Nation (an affiliate of NTV) on
Saturday August 8, 2009. Two days later, this interview becomes part of a
documentary that was advertised as ‘final-cut’ since July 28, 2009. NTV
seems to have altered the content of Part-3 under pressure from the rogue
regime of Ethiopia.*
Mr. Salif Omar Abdu’s (Eritrean Ambassador to Kenya) interview was just
conducted on Saturday August 8, 2009 following news that an Eritrean
diplomat was deported from Kenya (reported by NTV’s affiliate Daily Nation a
day before the interview). At the interview, Mr. Abdu was asked about OLF
and his response to that question has been included in Part-3 of the OLF
documentary at the last minute.
The Eritrean Ambassador’s interview was never part of the “original” OLF
documentary that was advertised by NTV since July 28, 2009. The Ethiopian
rogue regime, an arch foe of Eritrea, has forced NTV to alter the content of
the documentary from material gathered merely two days prior to the airing
of Part-3.
The interesting instance *(watch above his original interview that was later
edited to become part of the documentary)* is when the Eritrean Ambassador
talks about the documentary segments (parts I and II) that already aired a
couple of days prior to his interview, little did he know that he’d become
part of the documentary’s next segment.
The public may never know the “original” content of the documentary series
as intended to be presented by NTV crew. The ethics of journalism may
overwhelm those associated with this project to release the “original”
documentary series to the public for the public has the right to know.
*Amid Protests for Free Speech, NTV Reinstated Parts I and II on YouTube*
As reported previously, NTV took down Parts I and II of the OLF documentary
from its YouTube channel on Friday, 7 August 2009, after news broke that the
Ethiopian government objected against the airing of the series. NTV has
re-uploaded the first two parts (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj3_-e37ygMand
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3Td7fOoSkk) following criticism of “shadowy”
journalism by many Oromos, Ethiopians, Kenyans and others alike.
*Part 1*
*Part 2*
*Part 3*
CPJ (the Committee to Protect Journalists) had the following to say on this
subject in its news section on Monday August 10, 2009:
Local independent journalists who have reported on rebel groups have landed
in prison on various criminal charges, including publication or distribution
of “false news likely to incite violence” or “membership in a terrorist
organization.” In one case, three journalists, Garuma Bekele, Tesfaye
Deressa, and Solomon Nemera of the defunct Oromo-language weekly *Urji*,
spent four years in prison over an article challenging official claims about
the killing of three alleged OLF members by government forces. Numerous
state-employed journalists perceived to have sympathies for the OLF have
also been thrown into prison on spurious accusations, including former
Ethiopian Television News Director Dhabessa Wakjira.
One Kenyan observer questions:
How can a foreign state (Ethiopia) dictate what is to be aired on local
channels (in Kenya), surely?
Another Kenyan adds:
Why the heck then is a dictator from a neighbouring state determining what
the Kenyan press has to air?
One letter to NTV producers from an Oromo press freedom activist reads:
I would like to express my utmost gratitude for the great work that your
team have done in producing a rare video Documentary, “Inside the Rebel
Territory”, about the Oromo Liberation Army. The purpose of my letter is to
express my disappointment with the fact that NTV has removed the video clips
from its YouTube channel and to urge you to continue airing the rest of the
documentary.
I understand that the video has reportedly sparked a diplomatic row between
Kenya and Ethiopia. However, as independent media outlet, NTV should not
suddenly halt the airing of the program and pull the video clips off the
internet.
As far as we know, Ethiopia is the bully cop in the Horn of Africa. Not just
that, it also tops the list of nations hostile to free press. This is yet
another desperate move by Ethiopian authorities to control free media even
beyond its shores.
Buying into the disparity of a failed state like Ethiopia, NTV is lowering
the bar for the emergence and growth of independent news network in Africa.
This move also underscores the reputation of NTV and the favorable showing
that it has amassed over the last few days among Oromo people and other
freedom loving nations around the world. The world has the right to know the
truth in Ethiopia.
Therefore, I urge NTV producers and management to reconsider airing the
program as it has already planned. Furthermore, restore all the YouTube
videos that were suddenly pulled down within days.
This, I believe, will affirm the journalistic excellence of your
organization and also restore what would be a blow to your reputation, if
you indeed comply with the ludicrous request of the Ethiopian dictatorial
regime.
Meles has already silenced free press in Ethiopia. He should not be allowed
to intimidate NTV.
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