Draft Bills Would Threaten No More Movement, Restrict Diaspora’s Freedom of Speech : Journalist

March 31/2022/ENA/ The draft HR 6600 and S3199 bills will threaten the #NoMore, a global peaceful movement as well as it restricts free speech and social media companies even in the US, Ethiopian-American journalist said.

In an exclusive interview with ENA, Hermela Aregawi who is also the leading coordinator of the #NoMore movement said the draft bills proposed against Ethiopia will undermine the popular No more movement.

The draft HR6600 and S3199 bills consist of extremely harsh sanctions that  have not been imposed in the past and would cut off Ethiopia from international financial grids, it was indicated.

She noted that it has also become very clear that those people particularly with the No more movements couldn’t entertain their narrative on the Horn Africa.

“You know, it is so scary that something like this is to pass. It becomes very clear that those of us particularly, with the no more movements but even more broadly whether people are part of the movement will affect our counter narrative about what's happening in the Horn of Africa particularly in Ethiopia.”

According to her, the bills would also restrict free speech and social media companies by the Diaspora communities from the Horn African countries about their region.

“It says that they can restrict the visas of those who will be taking part in this information and talks about some property and sanctions that they can levy on the people here in the United States,” she underscored.

In this regard, they are trying to muzzle the whole counter narrative, pushing back the main narrative that's been there  throughout the entire conflict, she said.

The draft HR 6600 and S3199 bills against Ethiopia are going to really compromise the peace process in the country, Hermela further stated.

She  underscored those are very broad neocolonial bills which don't take into consideration the current peace efforts by the Government in Ethiopia.

The journalist added that the two draft bills have been strictly pro-TPLF and serve not to actually create peace; rather it serves just to punish the people and the government.

 “What it’s going to do is hurt the people and really compromise the peace process. The government has declared a humanitarian truce as we saw a few days ago,” she underlined.

She finally urged diaspora from the Horn African countries particularly, Ethiopians and Eritreans in the United States to pressurize the congressional leadership in order to stop the resolutions.