When VOA reporter caught with his hand in the cookie jar what would you do?

VOA reporter caught with his hand in the cookie jar

August 17, 2014

by Teshome Debalke

The latest evidence the Voice of America (VOA Amharic) program reporter Henok Simaegzer Fente being busted with his hand. in a cookie jar is not new in the highly compromised US Agency. He is one of the few TPLF recruits that push Woyane’s agenda in disguise.

Ever since Peter Heinlein started managing VOA Amharic program after the 2005 election’s crises the program had gotten much worst. It is obvious the relationship between Heinlein and the Former Government Communication Minster Berket Simon have something to do with.

Many Ethiopians complain the US government operated Agency sounds more and more like Ethiopian Radio or Radio Fana than a US government agency Radio. But, absence of investigation and follow up made the VOA get away with ‘murder’. The responsible Congressional Committee, the Budget office, the Attorney General Office and the State Department should have been notified early on to scrutinized the station for its irregularity.

But, VOA is not isolated incidence where TPLF agents infiltrate many US agencies and international organizations on behalf of regime– violating the Foreign Agency and Espionage Act. Henok Simaegzer and some of his colleagues are not the exceptions. Since Tigray People Liberation Front came to power in Ethiopia hundreds of TPLF agents in Diaspora carrying US citizenship have been working in US government, nongovernmental and private organization as agents of TPLF. Due to the absence of Media and institutions interested to investigate and follow up, the agents have been operating at relative ease and with impunity.

Voice of America (VOA) is a product of the Cold War and lost its mission since the Soviet Union collapsed. Ever since the Agency became a target of ruling regimes of the respective nations’ language the Agency broadcasts radio programs. The regime in Ethiopia is not the exception to infiltrate the only station that reached the entire populations it rules. Nor the regime infiltration of the Agency should surprise anyone for a regime that goes after young bloggers simply for expressing their opinions on the cyberspace.

Mimi Sebhatu was one of the loudest agent that later left VOA issued license to establish the only ‘privately’ owned Zami FM Radio station by the regime — violating the its own rule — Media license reserved only for Ethiopian national. It is not unusual foreign nationals in Media, trade, investment and civil society operating in the country violating the rule as long as they are TPLF members. In fact, it is how TPLF managed to flood every sector with its members in the name of Diaspora investment against everybody else.

Independent Media in general is a tough business in telling the bare truth and harsh realities of life confronting us. Likewise, it is a nightmare for illegitimate regime like Woyane and interest groups that live off on crime of corruption. Therefore, all Media operators have two choices; to tell the bare truth and harsh realities or skirt around the truth or push the ruling regime’s propaganda or interest groups. Voice of America is not an exception.

In authoritarian ruled states, independent Media is dangerous business as we witness in our own Ethiopia when journalist working for half a dozen print Medias go through by the regime. As far as illegitimate authoritarian regimes are concerned independent Mass Medias are a death wish to their rule.

Therefore, the biggest treat to authoritarian regime of Ethiopia is Mass-Medias outside its control. VOA then followed by Ethiopian Satellite Television-Radio (ESAT) now became the target of TPLF’s agents.

Thus, we shouldn’t be surprised if VOA is infiltrated by smalltime agents as Mimi Sebhatu before and Henok Simaegzer now and possibly many more. It is what authoritarian regimes do for a living until they are ousted. Likewise, we should expect them to rest until they destroy every Media that tells the bare truth and harsh realities of life under authoritarian rule.

Looking at the few Ethiopian online Medias that tell the bare truth and harsh reality verses the lookalike Medias that strive to legitimize the ruling regime & associates in many ways than one is what the agents of authoritarian regime are paid to do.

Thus, we shouldn’t be surprised if small time agents come up with bizarre story to sanitize TPLF led authoritarian regime either. It is what authoritarian regimes’ apologists’ media do for a living until the regime dies.

Therefore, independent Medias aren’t judged by how many stories they paste but how deep they dig to find out the bare truth and harsh realities of life under authoritarian rule. It is what they do for a living, nothing new to it.

But, agents of tyranny’s Media spent all of their time and resources to preserve authoritarian rule by all means necessary. At home they confuse, deceit, torment, and threatens those Medias that tell the bare truth and harsh realities of life under authoritarian rule. Abroad; where they have no power they use the only option at their disposal; confuse and decit to divert the bare truth and harsh realities of life and present authoritarian rule as the best thing or the only alternative.

When you read the online Medias you can’t help but feel sorry the agony the agent of Woyane go through to continue their lies. It reminded me what Abraham Lincoln once said “No man has a good enough memory to be a successful liar”. But, I am not sure if they know they are lying to convince themselves or the public. After all they keep forgetting their last lie contradicted their present. I guess they haven’t learned the rule of Mark Twain “If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.”.

Ethiopians are witnessing the most deceptive regime that managed to sustain its rule for 23 years purely by fabricated lies. Entangled in web of lies, it appear the regime can no longer to sustain its lies. As the America write and feminist icon Dorothy Allison put it; “Things come apart so easily when they have been held together with lies”

As we watch in the Media when TPLF’s agents agonize their way out of their predicament, I can’t help notice how weak and wicked humans can be to believe their own deceits can help them get away by repeating it over and over again.

Quite honestly, Henok Simaegzer is a victim of TPLF’s deceit against Ethiopians in general and TPLF members in particular. After all, the poor soul like Henock like his young compatriots has never been exposed to any truth in his entire life. He has no role models to speak of all his life except the dishonorable ‘leaders’ we see on the Media.

When ESAT was established and began broadcast the truth I remember warning people that live in the bubble of TPLF’s lies and deceits. I knew a sudden dosage of truth telling can be hazard for those that never been exposed to it. As I predicted, Woyane and its apologists have been frantically scrambling for a cover ever since. The barrage of arrest, assault and insult on Ethiopians on the ground and abroad on the Media is all because they can’t handle the truth.

What Henock did is a natural reaction of a person that was told all his life lies after lies of TPLF and then when a little truth was told he cannot handle it. In fact, if he was told the whole truth about Woyane we can imagine what his reaction would be. The fact he lied over the Azusa Pacific University cancelation of an event for Prime Minster Halimariam is nothing compared to many untold truth he would be facing in the coming days and years.

There is no question Woyane’s apologists are in crises of a life time. If they don’t come to terms with the truth sooner it will get worst. The ruling regime they have been babysitting for too long is not going to help them but put them in more and more crises after crises. I, once again recommend they should abandon Woyane and seek the truth for the remainder of their lives.

The so called Medias that dance around the truth knowing there is no way out of their predicament should embrace ESAT. Instead of wasting time searching for articles written and told by foreigners to skirt the truth they will do themselves favor to find the ‘injera be wot’ truth on ESAT.

As I said before “ESAT is not just a Media it is lifeline-A 911 and an intensive care to save us from tyranny syndrome
The stooges of Woyane should embrace ESAT to save their lives”

Isn’t that the truth?     sourse ecdef