mojoyeah

it is mandatory yes and it's worse than those examples.

I object to joining National Service for several reasons:

• I am against the war with Ethiopia.
• I am against taking part in killing of innocent people whether Eritrean or Ethiopian.
• I am against rape. Generals have been reported to force sex on female soldiers.
• I am against forced slave labor for the personal interest of high ranked generals.

Voicing my opinion on any of the above, while in the military, would send me to military prison. I would be considered an enemy of state.

I have good reason to believe that if I went to Eritrea, especially if deported there, I would be suspected of evading military service. I would be charged with treason and I would spend the rest of my life being tortured in military prison.

Thank you for the offer. A lesbian friend of mine from Texas has offered to marry me. She's from an African family so she said it would please her parents too, to see their daughter with a man. My parents would be heartbroken if I took up either offer though. I can't do it but thank you.

My family supports me at the moment while extensively seeking solutions. They are sacrificing their resources to save me from the ill fate of many Eritreans. They find it better to willingly spend money on plane tickets than to be forced to give money to cruel human traffickers to rescue me.

It's complicated. I have done thorough research on seeking asylum in the US, Canada and Australia for the longest time. I cannot find presedences or similar cases to mine. I am avoiding a country that I've never been to. I spoke with an immigration lawyer in Texas who didn't charge me. She adviced against seeking asylum though and recommended I get married to get a green card. I have not had access to enough resources to contact the big lawyers who might be able to "pull off" an asylum case.

Meanwhile, my father has exhuasted all efforts for two years trying to re-instate my Saudi permit, with no use. And still, my parents both continue to dream about me getting that Saudi permit. It's a sensitive situation between us. Eventhough they take care of me financially, I'm under a lot of pressure and restriction. They don't want me to go back to the US and they can't agree on Canada or Australia. Some of my father's family are Canadian and Mom hates them. Some of my mother's family are Australian and Dad hates them. I'm lost in the middle. Financial dependency is a bitch.