UN Secretary-General António Guterres (centre) and other participants light candles at the UN General Assembly commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres today called on the international community to unite and condemn hate speech wherever it occurs, at the commemoration of the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, held by the General Assembly today.
A dark page in history
The genocide in Rwanda 30 years ago was the darkest scene in human history: in just 100 days, from 7 April to mid-July 1994, 1 million Tutsi children, women and men were killed by their fellow Rwandans. Families turn against each other, friends turn into enemies, and the dark forces of deliberate cruelty and violence sweep across the country. The massacre brought great disaster to Rwanda, leading to demographic changes in the country, the loss of a large number of laborers, and the brink of economic collapse.
In November of the same year, the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution establishing the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda to hold those responsible accountable. In 2003, the United Nations General Assembly designated 7 April as the International Day of Reflection on the Rwandan Genocide, which was later renamed the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda in 2018.
摒弃仇恨
Guterres said that the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda 30 years ago is a stain on our collective conscience, a brutal reminder of the legacy of colonialism and the consequences of hate speech.
He said the motive for the massacre was clear: to exterminate a group simply because of their ethnic identity. These 100 days reflect the worst of human nature. But the aftermath of this catastrophe also revealed the best side of the human spirit: resilience, reconciliation, courage and strength.
Guterres said genocide began with verbal weapons. The eventual outbreak of genocide in Rwanda stemmed from decades of hate speech against the Tutsis. Today, 30 years after the genocide in Rwanda, such hate speech is everywhere. Today, divisive and dangerous ideologies are being propagated through the megaphone of social media. Racism, misophobia, lies, anti-Semitism, anti-Muslim prejudice, stigmatization, discrimination, outright denial or even glorification of past genocides, including the Holocaust and genocide against Tutsis.
He stressed the need for the international community to unite and renew its global efforts to ratify and fully implement the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, while strengthening preventive mechanisms, educating younger generations about past genocides and combating misinformation that fuelled hate speech and genocidal intent and action.
联合国图片/Eskinder Debebe
Don't let history repeat itself
Speaking at the commemoration event, the President of the United Nations General Assembly, Francis, said that remembrance and reflection are key to our tireless efforts to ensure that such heinous tragedies do not happen again. But not forgetting history does not guarantee that such tragedies will not be repeated. Another important lesson that we should reflect on is the consequences of the inaction of the international community in the face of conflict.
He noted that there had been warning signs of the genocide against the Tutsis, but it had not received sufficient attention, leading to its eventual unfolding in full view of the international community. The international community has not only failed to act quickly to prevent it, but has also failed to take timely action to stop it.
Francis stressed that when we encounter violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, or witness trends of concern such as hate speech and genocide denial, or observe early warning signs of genocide, we have a collective responsibility to take pre-emptive action to avert such atrocities.