As it is recalled on August 18, 2011 PFDJ and YPFDJ members in the Bay Area met with the Honorable Assemblyman Michael Allen (D) Representative of the 7^th District in Northern California as Eritrean Community Cultural Center members (ECCC) of Oakland.  It is also recalled Meskerem.net publicized the sleazy act and misrepresentation of PFDJ on their website as heroism.

The opposition group in the Bay Area took this hideous act of PFDJ in heart and determined to unmask its true color.   On October 31, 2011 representatives of Eritrean People’s Democratic Party (EPDP), Eritrean Youth for Change (EYC), Eritrean National Commission for Democratic Change, and Independents flocked to Santa Rosa, California to meet with the Honorable Assemblyman Michael Allen.  The team selected Ms. Semret Tewelde Yohannes to read the document.  The content of the presentation was as follows:

• The group that met with him on August 18, 2011 under the name of a community were in fact members of PFDJ and YPFDJ
• The Eritrean government is directing their members in diaspora to operate under the pretext of a community chapter
• The PFDJ regime is the harshest dictatorship on earth
• PFDJ had jailed government ministers and journalists for over ten years without due process
• PFDJ has the worst human rights records in the world
• Eritrea is the only country that stands without constitution and law
• Reports from Amnesty International, US State Department, and United Nations
• Eritrea has turned to a jail cell of its citizens
• The youth are fleeing the country and Eritrea is producing the highest number of refugees in the world
• There is no freedom of expression and religion
• On August 13, 2011 PFDJ had disparaged and attached savagely four Eritrean youth for asking a question
• On July 19, 2011 two PFDJ members attached an Eritrean citizens named Beniam Teclezghi after arguments in Oakland, California

The meeting was convened in Assemblyman Michael Allen’s Office.  He and his staff welcomed the team with a warm spirit.  Assembly Michael listened to the presentation with great interest and open heart.  Listening to the horrific accounts was about to shed tears on their eyes.  They were shocked to learn about the true nature of PFDJ and YPFDJ.

The Assemblyman and his staff were very thankful for educating them about the facts in Eritrea and how the Eritrean government is trying to middle in the Diaspora’s life.  The Assemblyman told the team that he is a member of Amnesty International and Doctors without borders.  He stated that he strongly condemns human rights abuses and he welcomed the opposition’s fact based information. The Assemblyman stressed the people’s uprising of the Middle East and North Africa against the dictators and he said the Eritrean dictator should take a notice.  He assured the team his good office is always open for them and he will share the info with other legislators.  He said one of his duties is to safeguard and protect his constituents.

The opposition groups were very satisfied with Assemblyman Michael Allen’s response and are determined to unmask PFDJ’s true color and tactics everywhere. The opposition is not going to tolerate attacks and harassments to any innocent Eritrean by PFDJ thugs on a free country.

Opposition Groups in Bay Area, California