(OLF News, May 12, 2009) OLF News correspondent reported that the current TPLF regime is constantly engaged in violating the right of citizens’ privacy by illegally recording telephone calls. According to a former telecommunications corporation employee Ms. Haannaa Margaa, who worked at several capacities as operator and now escaped to a neighboring country, the regime is unlawfully recording the telephone conversations of citizens in an attempt to control the movement and to hunt political opponents of the country, contrary to the privacy right of the people in the country.

Mrs. Haannaa Margaa, who worked for the corporation at various places both as an operator and later as a leader of operators further explains that although the Ethiopian governments constitution states that “the private conversation of individuals can only be recorded if the court orders the recording believing that it is necessary for the security of the country”, the Woyane authorities give direct order to the telecommunications corporations employees to record the telephone conversation of anybody they want. She further added that for the employees asking why such order is unlawfully given to them amounts to a serious crime by the authorities. Mrs. Haannaa added that this recording of telephone conversation is mainly focused on Oromo nationals, particularly teachers, agricultural employees, court employees. On a secondary level, the phone conversation of people suspected of having relations with the CUD party are also recorded on a lower scale, she added.