The petition drive has ended. Full report will be published soon.

Report # 2 (1/27/06):  

FAQ On Our Petition

Question: I agree with the sentiments expressed on your petition and I would like to sign it.  But I am concerned that the PFDJ will retaliate against me or my family in Eritrea.   What assurances can you give me that you will safeguard my privacy and that the content of the petition signers will not be disclosed to the PFDJ?

Answer: Every time we think that the PFDJ cannot think of new ways to punish the people, it does.  Of all the appalling measures they have taken, the worst has to be the one that punishes parents for the �crimes� of their children. The PFDJ is jailing parents whose children left the country to avoid military-service-without-end. To get out of jail, parents have to pay up to 50,000 Nkfa per child. This is a �shakedown�, an extortion whereby the parents are charged the same amount of money that the smugglers ask to smuggle out the youth.  Morally, this is not different from the practice of Ethiopia�s military junta, the Derg, which used to charge parents bullet fees for their children who were killed by the Derg.  

While we firmly believe that the only way to bring an end to the PFDJ tyranny is for the Eritrean people to openly revolt, we also understand that the cost of rebellion will be borne out by the innocent. We also understand that some petitioners worry that the PFDJ might punish their relatives in Eritrea. Therefore, we will keep the information provided by the petitioners with confidentiality and it will be used with care.

Question: Who are the sponsors of the petition?  Can you tell us more about the organizations listed as sponsors of the petition?

Answer: All the sponsors are Eritrean civil society groups (human rights groups, foundations and websites) whose mission is devoted to promoting free speech, human rights, democracy and liberty in Eritrea.  They  are: 
   

Question: How long will the petition be running?  And then what?

Answer: The petition will run until February 15, 2006.  The petition will then be hand-delivered to representatives of the governments of the United States, Canada, member states of the European Union, Australia and Japan by volunteers of the sponsoring organizations.

Question: Why was the petition directed only at some nations and not others?

Answer: The addressed were chosen because they are in a position of influence and, to the extent anyone can impact the behavior of the PFDJ, they are well-positioned to do so.