02-14-2018, 11:44 PM
*** 15-Feb-18 World View -- Netherlands expels Eritrean diplomat over coercive 'diaspora tax' collections
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
****
**** Netherlands expels Eritrean diplomat over coercive 'diaspora tax' collections
****
![[Image: g180214b.jpg]](http://Media.GenerationalDynamics.com/ww2010/g180214b.jpg)
Graphic artist depiction of torture in Eritrea, based on interviews with Eritrean torture survivors (UN-OHCHR)
The Netherlands has expelled Tekeste Ghebremedhin Zemuy, Eritrea's top
diplomat, and declared him persona non grata, because the
Eritrean embassy uses coercive methods to collect a "diaspora tax"
from Eritreans.
Eritrea is considered is one of the most repressive governments in the
world according to Freedom House. Thousands of people are jailed
without charge, where torture is common. People are required to work
for years in enforced government service, where the average monthly
salary is $12.
Even migrants who escape to Europe to earn money are not free of the
long reach of the Eritrean government, as they are subject to the
"diaspora tax" of 2% of everything they earn.
The diaspora tax has been the subject of controversy, because its
application is arbitrary, and is used as a means of control over the
diaspora. An Eritrean who goes to the embassy because he needs
something from the state will be told that even a simple service --
sending a parcel or money home -- requires a charge of 2% of his
entire income for all the years he's been in the country. In
addition, Eritreans are required to sign a so-called "regret form"
admitting to crimes that may or may not have been committed, and
according to reports is not given a copy of the form he signed.
Refusal to pay the tax or to sign the "regret form" has resulted in
refusal of all services. It has also resulted in refusing food
vouchers for family members back home, limiting them from accessing
remittances, besides social exclusion and vilification.
In December 2011, UN Security Council resolution 2023 called on
Eritrea to "cease using extortion, threats of violence, fraud and
other illicit means to collect taxes outside of Eritrea from its
nationals or other individuals of Eritrean descent."
The same resolution accused Eritrea of using the tax to destabilize
the Horn of Africa, saying some of the revenues were funding armed
opposition groups in the region, including the Somalia's terrorist
militant group al-Shabaab.
In June 2016, a UNHRC commission of inquiry report on human rights
conditions in Eritrea found that the government continued to enforce
indefinite military service and was responsible for arbitrary
detention, torture, rape, murder, persecution, imprisonment in
violation of international law, and enforced disappearances. The
report said the systematic nature of these actions suggested that
crimes against humanity had been committed.
A European Union organization, the Europe External Policy Advisors
(EEPA), did extensive research in Eritrea's diaspora tax in seven
European countries. The report, published in September of last year,
said:
<QUOTE>"The 2% Tax is collected as a critical part of a
system of surveillance, with specific references to coercion in
view of mental and social pressure, extortion, intimidation, fraud
and/or blackmail. The specific organization and modalities relate
specifically to the diaspora, but also involves family members by
association."<END QUOTE>
Although these investigations have been going on for years, there was
a precipitating event that finally caused the Netherlands to take some
explicit action, on behalf of the 20,000 Eritrean nationals living in
the Netherlands. A recording was made by Dutch radio program Argos,
an asylum seeker is being told by the head of the Eritrean embassy
that he has to sign a so-called ‘regret form’ in which he admits his
guilt and that he has to pay 2% tax – over the past 4/5 years – before
he can avail of consular service from the diplomatic mission.
This recording infuriated the Dutch parliament. Parliamentarian
Sjoerd Sjoerdsma said:
<QUOTE>"Eritreans flee Eritrea solely due to the repression
by the regime. Then they are being confronted with the fact that
the Eritrean embassy in the Netherlands makes them pay diaspora
tax, often under force and sometimes even through extortion. The
parliament has raised its voice on this issue multiple times, but
nothing changes about this situation, unfortunately."<END QUOTE>
Protesters in Amsterdam and Brussels were demanding that the Eritrean
embassy be closed. This was rejected, but Dutch Foreign Minister
Halbe Zijlstra expelled Eritrea's envoy, saying in a letter to
parliament, "In light of the continuous intimidation and force used in
the collection of diaspora tax and its resulting social and political
unrest, the cabinet is forced to give the Eritrean government a
powerful signal." Guardian (London, 9-Jun-2015) and Europe External Policy Advisors (EEPA)
and In Depth News and Freedom House and United Nations - OHCHR and Tesfa News (Eritrea)
****
**** Eritrea's Patriarch Abune Antonios has not been seen in months
****
An article that I wrote last year ( "19-Jul-17 World View -- Eritrean government laughably uses Christian Patriarch as show prop"
) described how Eritrean
Orthodox Patriarch Abune Antonios, who had not been seen for ten years
after being arrested in 2007 without charge and imprisoned in an
unknown location, was trotted out to participate in a mass on July 16.
Worshippers were thrilled to see him, because he hadn't been seen in
public for ten years, but the whole thing was a farce because the
government forbade him from saying a word at the mass, and after the
mass they bundled him back to prison at a new unknown location.
It had been hoped that after this appearance, Antonios would be
permitted to walk free, but he hasn't been seen in public since then.
On September 11, he should have delivered blessing on that day, which
is marked by the Eritrean Orthodox Church as the start of the year
according to the Julian calendar.
The patriarch is among over 10,000 prisoners of conscience in Eritrea,
several hundred of whom are Christians. A surge in repression since
May of last year, when Eritrean police were going from house to house,
demanding to know the occupants' religious beliefs, and arresting them
if they give the wrong answer. It's believed that hundreds of
Orthodox Christians were arrested. Independent Catholic News (16-Sep-2017)
Related Articles
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Eritrea, Netherlands, Tekeste Ghebremedhin Zemuy,
diaspora tax, regret form, Somalia, al-Shabaab, Ethiopia,
Sjoerd Sjoerdsma, Halbe Zijlstra,
Patriarch Abune Antonios, Eritrean Orthodox Church
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
- Netherlands expels Eritrean diplomat over coercive 'diaspora tax' collections
- Eritrea's Patriarch Abune Antonios has not been seen in months
****
**** Netherlands expels Eritrean diplomat over coercive 'diaspora tax' collections
****
Graphic artist depiction of torture in Eritrea, based on interviews with Eritrean torture survivors (UN-OHCHR)
The Netherlands has expelled Tekeste Ghebremedhin Zemuy, Eritrea's top
diplomat, and declared him persona non grata, because the
Eritrean embassy uses coercive methods to collect a "diaspora tax"
from Eritreans.
Eritrea is considered is one of the most repressive governments in the
world according to Freedom House. Thousands of people are jailed
without charge, where torture is common. People are required to work
for years in enforced government service, where the average monthly
salary is $12.
Even migrants who escape to Europe to earn money are not free of the
long reach of the Eritrean government, as they are subject to the
"diaspora tax" of 2% of everything they earn.
The diaspora tax has been the subject of controversy, because its
application is arbitrary, and is used as a means of control over the
diaspora. An Eritrean who goes to the embassy because he needs
something from the state will be told that even a simple service --
sending a parcel or money home -- requires a charge of 2% of his
entire income for all the years he's been in the country. In
addition, Eritreans are required to sign a so-called "regret form"
admitting to crimes that may or may not have been committed, and
according to reports is not given a copy of the form he signed.
Refusal to pay the tax or to sign the "regret form" has resulted in
refusal of all services. It has also resulted in refusing food
vouchers for family members back home, limiting them from accessing
remittances, besides social exclusion and vilification.
In December 2011, UN Security Council resolution 2023 called on
Eritrea to "cease using extortion, threats of violence, fraud and
other illicit means to collect taxes outside of Eritrea from its
nationals or other individuals of Eritrean descent."
The same resolution accused Eritrea of using the tax to destabilize
the Horn of Africa, saying some of the revenues were funding armed
opposition groups in the region, including the Somalia's terrorist
militant group al-Shabaab.
In June 2016, a UNHRC commission of inquiry report on human rights
conditions in Eritrea found that the government continued to enforce
indefinite military service and was responsible for arbitrary
detention, torture, rape, murder, persecution, imprisonment in
violation of international law, and enforced disappearances. The
report said the systematic nature of these actions suggested that
crimes against humanity had been committed.
A European Union organization, the Europe External Policy Advisors
(EEPA), did extensive research in Eritrea's diaspora tax in seven
European countries. The report, published in September of last year,
said:
<QUOTE>"The 2% Tax is collected as a critical part of a
system of surveillance, with specific references to coercion in
view of mental and social pressure, extortion, intimidation, fraud
and/or blackmail. The specific organization and modalities relate
specifically to the diaspora, but also involves family members by
association."<END QUOTE>
Although these investigations have been going on for years, there was
a precipitating event that finally caused the Netherlands to take some
explicit action, on behalf of the 20,000 Eritrean nationals living in
the Netherlands. A recording was made by Dutch radio program Argos,
an asylum seeker is being told by the head of the Eritrean embassy
that he has to sign a so-called ‘regret form’ in which he admits his
guilt and that he has to pay 2% tax – over the past 4/5 years – before
he can avail of consular service from the diplomatic mission.
This recording infuriated the Dutch parliament. Parliamentarian
Sjoerd Sjoerdsma said:
<QUOTE>"Eritreans flee Eritrea solely due to the repression
by the regime. Then they are being confronted with the fact that
the Eritrean embassy in the Netherlands makes them pay diaspora
tax, often under force and sometimes even through extortion. The
parliament has raised its voice on this issue multiple times, but
nothing changes about this situation, unfortunately."<END QUOTE>
Protesters in Amsterdam and Brussels were demanding that the Eritrean
embassy be closed. This was rejected, but Dutch Foreign Minister
Halbe Zijlstra expelled Eritrea's envoy, saying in a letter to
parliament, "In light of the continuous intimidation and force used in
the collection of diaspora tax and its resulting social and political
unrest, the cabinet is forced to give the Eritrean government a
powerful signal." Guardian (London, 9-Jun-2015) and Europe External Policy Advisors (EEPA)
and In Depth News and Freedom House and United Nations - OHCHR and Tesfa News (Eritrea)
****
**** Eritrea's Patriarch Abune Antonios has not been seen in months
****
An article that I wrote last year ( "19-Jul-17 World View -- Eritrean government laughably uses Christian Patriarch as show prop"
) described how Eritrean
Orthodox Patriarch Abune Antonios, who had not been seen for ten years
after being arrested in 2007 without charge and imprisoned in an
unknown location, was trotted out to participate in a mass on July 16.
Worshippers were thrilled to see him, because he hadn't been seen in
public for ten years, but the whole thing was a farce because the
government forbade him from saying a word at the mass, and after the
mass they bundled him back to prison at a new unknown location.
It had been hoped that after this appearance, Antonios would be
permitted to walk free, but he hasn't been seen in public since then.
On September 11, he should have delivered blessing on that day, which
is marked by the Eritrean Orthodox Church as the start of the year
according to the Julian calendar.
The patriarch is among over 10,000 prisoners of conscience in Eritrea,
several hundred of whom are Christians. A surge in repression since
May of last year, when Eritrean police were going from house to house,
demanding to know the occupants' religious beliefs, and arresting them
if they give the wrong answer. It's believed that hundreds of
Orthodox Christians were arrested. Independent Catholic News (16-Sep-2017)
Related Articles
- Eritrean government laughably uses Christian Patriarch as show prop (19-Jul-2017)
- Afghan and Eritrean migrants clash at site of 'Jungle' in Calais France (24-Aug-2017)
- Heavy fighting along Eritrea-Ethiopia border raises fears of war (14-Jun-2016)
- Ethiopia declares extraordinary six-month state of emergency (10-Oct-2016)
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Eritrea, Netherlands, Tekeste Ghebremedhin Zemuy,
diaspora tax, regret form, Somalia, al-Shabaab, Ethiopia,
Sjoerd Sjoerdsma, Halbe Zijlstra,
Patriarch Abune Antonios, Eritrean Orthodox Church
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
