10,000 Automated “RoboCall” Messages of Protest for Freedom Sent to Telephone Users Inside Eritrea

April, 4, 2012 - Coordinators of the Arbi Harnet (Freedom Friday) Campaign, which calls upon the people inside Eritrea to protest dictatorship, have today announced the successful completion of 10,000 automated RoboCall messages that were sent today to mobile and land-line telephone users inside Eritrea.

The messages, which call for peaceful and united protest against the PFDJ regime, were one of several communication tools used by the campaigners to reach households inside Eritrea calling for visible unity by emptying the streets of Eritrea’s cities every Friday after 6 PM.

Calling upon all Eritreans to actively support the campaign, a statement of the Eritrean Youth Solidarity for Change said: “This was made possible via a globally coordinated effort by Eritreans in the Diaspora who are struggling to bring freedom and justice in Eritrea, through active, direct, and regular engagement with our people back home. We like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of the volunteers around the world who made over 2000 personal phone calls thus far and who raised the necessary funds to make this additional 10,000 automated calls. We have now successfully concluded our initial goal of reaching 12,000 telephone lines. ”

In addition to relying on phone lines to convey anti-dictatorship messages, the coordinators of this creative campaign continue to use satellite radio, instant messaging, and email.

The feedback so far has exceeded expectations, and have shuttered the myth that people who live inside the country would be too scared to listen to the personal or automated messages calling them to take action for change. To the contrary, the calls made thus far are a testament to the readiness of the Eritrean public for immediate change. That is why the Arbi Harnet campaign will continue relentlessly until dictatorship is eradicated from Eritrea.

Background

Eritreans inside the country live under one of the most brutal regimes in the world today. The regime prohibits its nationals from exercising their basic human and democratic rights, and is intolerant to any form of freedom of expression.

• PFDJ is Eritrea’s ruling party and the only legal party in the country
• The regime in Eritrea has been criticized by numerous human rights organizations owing to its appalling records of human rights abuse. Eritrea is one of the worst abusers of freedom of press in the world today and the religious freedom violations in the country have also been a cause for grave concern to the international community
• Eritrea’s indefinite National Service has been highlighted as illegal and unjust
• Many Eritrean young people flee the country to escape the National service and all the other human rights abuses. Eritrea is one of the top refugee producing nations in the world today.
• Eritrea youth fleeing the country are faced by numerous obstacles including the government’s ‘shoot to kill‘ policy for those caught. They also fall pray of unscrupulous people smugglers and traffickers, including those who are involved in illegal organ harvesting
• Eritrea youth fleeing the country are faced by numerous obstacles including the government’s ‘shoot to kill‘ policy for those caught. They also fall pray of unscrupulous people smugglers and traffickers, including those who are involved in illegal organ harvesting
• Eritrean Youth Solidarity for Change (EYSC) is a Diaspora based global youth movement, fighting for democracy and justice in the country.

CONTACT:

Eritrean Youth Solidarity for Change (EYSC)

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