Ethiopia, suppressing dissent : human rights abuses and political repression in Ethiopia's Oromia region.

Recomendations. To the government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the regional government of Oromia State -- To international election observers -- To donor governments -- To the World Bank and United Nations agencies involved in development in Ethopia. -- Introduction -- Political competition in Oromia. Historical Background -- Ethiopia and Oromia under EPRDF rule: The Oromo Liberation Front -- The struggle for political control in Oromia during the transition -- The May 2005 elections. -- Government use of torture, arbitrary detention, surveillance and harassment to discourage and punish dissent. Arbitrary detention and torture: Arbitrary Detention, prolonged arbitrary detention of high-profile Oromo defendants, torture and other mistreatment. -- Continuing harassment of targeted individuals -- Targeting Oromo students for harassment and abuse -- Pressuring teachers to monitor students for subversive speech -- The chilling effect of government abuse on the freedom of expression. -- Mechanisms used by the Ethiopian government to control rural communities in Oromia. The Kebele system -- The Gott and Garee system: The imposition of Gott and Garee on rural communities, forced labor under the Garee, forced attendance at political meetings, using the Garee to monitor speech, the chilling effect of the Gott and Garee system on speech, restrictions on the freedom of movement. -- The international response and official reactions of the Ethopian government to criticism about its human rights record -- Acknowledgements. Cover title. 44 pages ; 28 cm.