HUNGER STRIKE ENDS AND STUDENT UNION IS FORCED TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L TUNIS 000236 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR DRL/ILCSR (MMITTELHAUSER); NEA/MAG (MHAYES, JPATTERSON) E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/15/2019 TAGS: PHUM ELAB PGOV TS SUBJECT: HUNGER STRIKE ENDS AND STUDENT UNION IS FORCED TO CANCLE ITS NATIONAL CONGRESS AGAIN REF: A. TUNIS 214 ¶B. 08 TUNIS 1153 Classified By: Ambassador Robert F. Godec for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (SBU) Doctors convinced the five university students on a hunger strike in front of the national student union (UGET) headquarters since February 11 to end their strike April 9. The press reported the students' health had deteriorated to the point that they could no longer stand or see. In the end, the strike was not successful in moving the Ministry of Higher Education to reconsider the students' expulsion from their campuses. It is doubtful that the Ministry will change its mind now that the strike has ended. ¶2. (SBU) Early last week the Ministry also rescinded the permission it gave to the UGET in late February to hold its long blocked 25th National Congress in Bizerte April 11-12. The Ministry did not give any reason. UGET Secretary General Ezzeddine Zaatour declared the union would hold the congress anyway over the weekend at its Tunis headquarters. However police blocked participation, physically harassed several of the union leaders and prevented the union from holding the congress. ¶3. (C) Zaatour told PolOff that the UGET headquarters has been shut down. He has been followed by police for the last week and police have been stationed outside his house. He has been prevented by police from going into cafes or the UGET headquarters. He also said that he had received notice his sentence in abstentia to seven months in prison had been upheld by the court in a March 25 hearing but that he would be able to appeal the sentence. ¶4. (C) Comment: We have heard people describe the student union as an empty shell that is not relevant to the typical Tunisian student. The union leaders are criticized for being manipulated by the political parties, and for being over-the-hill students who are avoiding completing their studies or trouble makers who are not serious about their studies. Student membership in the UGET is very low. The only other option however, is the ruling party Democratic Constitutional Rally (RCD)-controlled union. The lack of student participation could also be indicative of student apathy or realization that political activity comes at too great a cost. ¶5. (C) Comment, continued: The commitment of the hunger strikers to persevere for over 50 plus days and likewise the persistence of the union leaders in trying to organize a national congress in the face of blatant government opposition and harassment speaks to their crediblity. Although the strike was not successful in forcing the Ministry of Higher Education to reconsider the students' expulsions, coming at the same time as the publicity over the UGET national congress the two combined did succeed in raising public awareness of government interference in student life. With unemployment among university graduates estimated over 20 percent, an observable increase in the number of young Tunisians men and women choosing to leave the country, and frustration over the quality of university education it is clear that there are political tensions in the youth population. End Comment. Godec