IBUKA Complaint to BBC Is Another Appalling Diversion From Its Genocide Survivors' Advocacy Role
The Global Campaign for Rwandans' Human Rights is appalled by the undated letter written by IBUKA (the umbrella association of Genocide Survivors Organisations in Rwanda) addressed to the Director General of the BBC, in relation to 'Rwanda's Untold Story', a BBC documentary that has been aired twice on BBC television.
In the letter, IBUKA accused the BBC of having given a platform to genocide denial narratives and claimed it had reopened the wounds of survivors.
Furthermore, IBUKA questioned the BBC's journalistic standards used in making the documentary and accused the programme of ignoring evidence.
We have watched the documentary with great interest and attention. There is not, at any part of the documentary, any mention or suggestion relating to denying the genocide.
Many opinions and views were expressed by various individuals from diverse backgrounds, expertise and knowledge. By doing that, the BBC expressed its highest journalistic standards by giving voice to opposing views.
As the title of the documentary suggested, it was about the 'untold story', the story that had never been heard before on mainstream media. In addition, at various moments in the film the BBC informs the viewers that the Rwandan government was given a chance to participate, but the government refused to take part.
They should have participated in order to challenge views they disagreed with instead of refusing to comment.
IBUKA, as the representative organisation of survivors of the Genocide, should encourage and support the sharing of views and experiences from anyone who has an opinion that can contribute to the debate about what happened. This would enable survivors and all Rwandans to gain the fullest picture about what happened before, during and after the Genocide. In the process, Rwandans will gain important learning that will enable them not to reopen their wounds, but to shape a future Rwanda that will be free from a cycle of violence and prevent another terrible genocide.
The promotion of a one-sided view that IBUKA proposes will not achieve that; on the contrary, it has a high risk of leading to the repeat of the terrible events that happened in the history of Rwanda, due to oppressing different views and silencing the sharing of all sorts of existing witness experiences.
The BBC documentary enabled the starting of a debate that will enrich Rwandan knowledge and learning that are needed to develop a peaceful and democratic environment.
The action of IBUKA protesting against the sharing of different views of Rwandan history is not an act of representing survivors; it is rather a political act of advocating the government policy of a one-sided story. IBUKA should represent the interests of Rwandan survivors, not the interests of the government.
The best way to protect the interests of survivors is to promote all sorts of open and frank debate, which can be achieved within a framework of reconciliation supported by free and fair justice and under the rule of law. Rwandans owe it to the victims of the genocide and to survivors to engage in open and free debate, which includes all opinions.
Rene C Mugenzi
Global Campaign for Rwandans' Human Rights