Rwanda deserves fair treatment from HRW

Editor,THE FAILURE to see Human Rights Watch (HRW)’s flagrant bias is willful, not accidental (to paraphrase that centuries-old wise observation, there are none so blind as those who choose to ignore what they already know). They act as if they believe what even the least knowledgeable observer of this subregion knows to be junk because it serves their interests to seem to believe them, not because they think the allegations are true.

Sunday, July 28, 2013
HRWu2019s Kenneth Roth is considered Rwandau2019s staunchest ennemy. Some say heu2019s in bed with genocidaires. Net photo.

Editor,THE FAILURE to see Human Rights Watch (HRW)’s flagrant bias is willful, not accidental (to paraphrase that centuries-old wise observation, there are none so blind as those who choose to ignore what they already know). They act as if they believe what even the least knowledgeable observer of this subregion knows to be junk because it serves their interests to seem to believe them, not because they think the allegations are true.Would it serve their interests tomorrow, they would proclaim to believe the very opposite without blinking an eye. Read James Peck’s Ideal Illusions about the role of the likes of HRW and Amnesty International in western geopolitical strategies – the scales will certainly be lifted from your eyes.Mwene Kalinda, Kigali, Rwanda***********************WHAT HRW is saying about Rwanda is totally unacceptable, and even haunting them. Why haven’t they at any single moment commented on:a) The presence of genocidaires who have lived in DRC for over 16 years, planning to come invade Rwanda and then finish up the genocide they had started?b) The thousands of multi-national UN peace-keepers who up to now have done nothing, apart from basking in Goma?An analysis of this so called HRW, origin of its staff, motive against the Government of Rwanda, and their financiers should immediately be carried out. More especially, the role of the financing agents of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.Joseph Mulindwa, Kigali, Rwanda***********************AFTER READING this article and several similar others, it is obvious this has nothing to do with human rights advocacy. It is about a war against human rights, in my opinion, because Rwanda deserves a better treatment given its proven track record in different spheres of influence.It is not the HRW that is wrong, their sponsors (both USA administration and UN) are the greatest danger. Otherwise, following all the peacekeeping endeavours that Rwanda got involved in under the auspices of the UN, one would expect they would have been the first ones to rubbish all these baseless allegations.I have no doubt that if Rwanda had been assigned the mandate to restore peace in DRC, DRC would have been a peaceful country by now. This is a political aggression, so we need to change our attitude; it is a waste of time to beg for mercy from opponents in war – just stay focused, doing the right thing.Rwandans should stay on course with poverty eradication programmes and not go after the "good reputations” and time will tell whether it was a malice against Rwanda or not. Wars waste resources unnecessarily, there is going to be a lot of unnecessary efforts spent into this obviously, but no war lasts a life time, and a lie or evil never wins in the long run.Donart, Kigali, RwandaReactions to Emmanuel Mugisha’s commentary, "HRW: A political weapon against Rwanda?”, (The New Times, July 25)