'Genocidal child's play' Bereket says to the BBC. What a groundless and immoral allegation is this?
This is taken from BBC News:(June 23,2005)
....... The government's version of events was given by Minister of Information Bereket Simon, who said that Ethiopia had been driven to the edge of disaster by the behaviour of the opposition, following the election.
The government accuses the opposition of stoking the fires of ethnic differences, as a means of winning power. This - in the minister's view - explains why such tough measures were adopted.
"The alternative was strife between the different nationalities of Ethiopia which might have made the Rwandan genocide look like child's play," he said.
"If you allow people who defy law and order, [to] take matters into their own hands and government sits idly, not discharging its responsibility of maintaining law and order, anybody who feels they are capable of taking matters into their own hands will reign over society and that will definitely bring the whole Ethiopian society into turmoil."
Observers in Addis Ababa believe the government saw the student protests, followed by strikes by taxi drivers as the beginning of a concerted campaign to undermine its authority.
And Mr Bereket says the governemnt was determined to avoid potential ethnic strife.
"The alternative to this would have been much more disastrous where you might find millions or tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands perishing within the coming days and months."
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Look how the government tries to fool the international community as if the June 8 incident was a genocide act. What a groundless and immoral allegation is this?
