President
Hotel Rwanda Rusesabagina Foundation
May 3, 2010
Dear Friends,
This past month has been an extremely difficult one for the people of Rwanda. With the August 2010 elections fast approaching, the Rwandan government has violated human rights by increasing its brutal crackdown on political opposition and the press.
This crackdown, which has included the jailing and beating of prominent political figures, has been widely condemned by human rights organizations worldwide.
Repression and violence threaten the future stability of the nation. As I noted in the New York Times, the current situation in Rwanda is frighteningly familiar to me. From my experience during the genocide, I know firsthand what happens when intolerance becomes government policy.
The Hotel Rwanda Rusesabagina Foundation is serving a critical role by shining a spotlight on human rights abuses and violence in Rwanda. This is particularly important because the government just kicked out a key human rights observer and has silenced nearly all independent media in Rwanda.
On April 14th, the Rwandan government banned the nation's two leading independent newspapers, Umuvugizi and Umuseso. Umuseso's editor has been interrogated and threatened with up to 25 years in prison. The Rwandan government ranks near the very bottom of the world in press freedom.
In spite of the great challenges involved, the Hotel Rwanda Rusesabagina Foundation has been communicating with international leaders and international media to raise awareness of the elections crackdown and human rights violations. Click here to read our election-related news summary, which includes new stories by TIME Magazine, the Washington Post and the New York Times. Listen to my Foundation Advisor Brian Endless discuss the crackdown in a recent NPR interview.
We are working to stop Rwanda from descending into deeper chaos and violence. The international community cannot stand silent once again as human rights are violated in my country. Please help our work. Please click here to donate and become a member of the Hotel Rwanda Rusesabagina Foundation.
Thank you again for your commitment to the cause of peace. I look forward to working with you and facing Rwanda's challenges together.
Sincerely,
Paul Rusesabagina
President
Hotel Rwanda Rusesabagina Foundation
PS - Please click here to support the ongoing work of the Hotel Rwanda Rusesabagina Foundation.
Phone: (312) 498-9279
Fax: (312) 464-0262
http://www.hrrfoundation.org/
Email us at: info@hrrfoundation.org
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