Meles Peace Prize A Hoax?

By Mesfin Taye

The Meles Peace Prize…. The Plot Thickens 

On July 17, 2002 The Xinhua (China) News Agency reported that President Meles of Ethiopia had received a Peace Award from the World Peace Council (WPC). See http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2002-07/16/content_483518.htm 

We contacted the WPC and they responded saying that they had granted NO Peace Award to Mr. Meles. 

Now, the pro-government Ethiopian website, www.waltainfo.com, is reporting that the awarding organization is an outfit called World Peace Prize Awarding Council (WPPAC). The same organization is also known as World Peace Corps Mission. So we did a little bit of research on this organization and discovered some very bizarre things. 

1. Last year, the World Peace Prize Awarding Council/World Peace Corps Mission awarded the “Peace Prize” to the Vice President of Taiwan, the honorable Annette Lu. According to the Taiwan-based National Policy Foundation, Ms. Lu allegedly paid $10 million (Taiwanese Dollars) to a Washington public relations firm to “earn” the prize.You can read the full story at the NPF website at http://www.npf.org.tw/English/Publication/NS/NS-C-091-006.htm I am also attaching a copy of the article from the website for you convenience. 

2. In 1997 His Majesty the King of Tonga was awarded the same “Peace Prize” in a bizarre ceremony that lasted a whole week. The whole story, including how Tonga planned to use a new technology to turn its abundant sea water into natural gas, was reported by an Australian newspaper. You can read the story at http://www.tabloid.net/97/11/20/B1.html I am also attaching a text of the article. 

Regards, 
Mesfin

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