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Every non-ignorant person must have heard about Rwandan genocide. It is very recent, 1994, the Internet had already existed (albeit very much in its infancy). We knew around eight hundred thousand to a million people were butchered (most by machetes) in a span of a hundred days (a killing rate more efficient than the Jewish extermination by the Nazis). But how many of us understands what really happened? It happened at a 'distant' Africa, even more remote Rwanda (which most people – myself included – would not know where this tiny country is if not for this tragic history), and people often simplified matters in their head – it's just extreme racism where an ethnic majority killed the ethnic minority. And when it's finally over, everyone should just move on, bring the genocide participants to justice, and build back the nation.
What happened there was gruesome and unimaginable. One question I could not get out of my head: Which one is worse – to kill, or to be killed?
Strictly speaking, this dilemma is only for the ethnic majority Hutus, and I cannot even comprehend the psychological terror the Tutsis faced, let alone the pain and death. (Death by bullet was even a luxury and people paid good money for it.)
The heroism depicted in such trying times is truly awe-inspiring. From Paul Rusesabagina (potrayed in the movie Hotel Rwanda), who always laughed when he refused to cave in to the soldiers demands while offering them alcohol, down to the small heroes who risked their lives upholding their principles not to murder. Even smaller 'heroes' who killed some so that they'll not be suspicious when they're hiding some in their homes.
The first-half of this book describes the genocide, and the latter half on its aftermath, the 'refugee' camps, and how it precipitated the First Congo War. How the international communities were almost equally responsible for the genocide and the conflicts that pursued, not only for our refusal to prevent it, but also by feeding it. The humanitarian aids to the 'refugee' camps were actually empowering and arming the génocidaires, and the innocent refugees were not so much refugees, they were more of hostages, of human shield to the génocidaires. But the humanitarian aids are supposed not to be partisan, must not choose sides in this political conflict, they can only provide food and shelter. But as the book mentioned about humanitarian aid and relief,
A good, commanding book on this topic. If I had any recommendation to improve, first, to sound less partial or biased. The author speaks rather too favourably towards General Kagame, leader of Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), the rebel movement who tookover the capital Kigali and brought the end of the 100-day genocide. I myself seemed to agree a lot with Kagame's thinking, but the book sounds a little one-sided when he is overwhelmingly more quoted than the other side of the story. Second, the book is completed in 1998, and since then, the First Congo War had precipitated the Second Congo War. The book could update, even if only one chapter, how the genocide aftermath had fared beyond the first four years. The author also had considerable philosophical rants, but still bearable. But those are not the reason why it is not five stars – the reason it is only four stars is I find it rather tedious to finish this book. Don't get me wrong, the book is well-written, very chronological, easy to follow, easy to understand and comprehend, but because of that, the climax is somewhere in the middle (I myself am not very sure where is the climax, is it the genocide itself, or RPF capturing Kigali hence ending the genocide?), and the plot flattens out through the aftermath. It is not easy to write a non-fiction with an exciting climatic plot, but I've read a few before, but I'm not a writer, I don't know how to recommend this book to be.
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On 26 April 1993 the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum was opened to the public, dedicated to prevent genocide. In less than a year, the world witnessed a real genocide. The tagline "Never again" is merely a hope, it can very much happen again. But will we be strong enough to intervene, or will we just watch just like we did back then?
What happened there was gruesome and unimaginable. One question I could not get out of my head: Which one is worse – to kill, or to be killed?
"But let's say someone is reluctant. Say that guy comes with a stick. They tell him, 'No, get a masu (a club studded with nails).' So, OK, he does, and he runs along with the rest, but he doesn't kill. They say, 'Hey, he might denounce us later. He must kill. Everyone must help to kill at least one person.' So this person who is not a killer is made to do it. And the next day it's become a game for him. You don't need to keep pushing him."
Strictly speaking, this dilemma is only for the ethnic majority Hutus, and I cannot even comprehend the psychological terror the Tutsis faced, let alone the pain and death. (Death by bullet was even a luxury and people paid good money for it.)
The heroism depicted in such trying times is truly awe-inspiring. From Paul Rusesabagina (potrayed in the movie Hotel Rwanda), who always laughed when he refused to cave in to the soldiers demands while offering them alcohol, down to the small heroes who risked their lives upholding their principles not to murder. Even smaller 'heroes' who killed some so that they'll not be suspicious when they're hiding some in their homes.
The first-half of this book describes the genocide, and the latter half on its aftermath, the 'refugee' camps, and how it precipitated the First Congo War. How the international communities were almost equally responsible for the genocide and the conflicts that pursued, not only for our refusal to prevent it, but also by feeding it. The humanitarian aids to the 'refugee' camps were actually empowering and arming the génocidaires, and the innocent refugees were not so much refugees, they were more of hostages, of human shield to the génocidaires. But the humanitarian aids are supposed not to be partisan, must not choose sides in this political conflict, they can only provide food and shelter. But as the book mentioned about humanitarian aid and relief,
Even if not taking sides were a desirable position, it is impossible to act in or on a political situation without having a political effect.
A good, commanding book on this topic. If I had any recommendation to improve, first, to sound less partial or biased. The author speaks rather too favourably towards General Kagame, leader of Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), the rebel movement who tookover the capital Kigali and brought the end of the 100-day genocide. I myself seemed to agree a lot with Kagame's thinking, but the book sounds a little one-sided when he is overwhelmingly more quoted than the other side of the story. Second, the book is completed in 1998, and since then, the First Congo War had precipitated the Second Congo War. The book could update, even if only one chapter, how the genocide aftermath had fared beyond the first four years. The author also had considerable philosophical rants, but still bearable. But those are not the reason why it is not five stars – the reason it is only four stars is I find it rather tedious to finish this book. Don't get me wrong, the book is well-written, very chronological, easy to follow, easy to understand and comprehend, but because of that, the climax is somewhere in the middle (I myself am not very sure where is the climax, is it the genocide itself, or RPF capturing Kigali hence ending the genocide?), and the plot flattens out through the aftermath. It is not easy to write a non-fiction with an exciting climatic plot, but I've read a few before, but I'm not a writer, I don't know how to recommend this book to be.
---
On 26 April 1993 the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum was opened to the public, dedicated to prevent genocide. In less than a year, the world witnessed a real genocide. The tagline "Never again" is merely a hope, it can very much happen again. But will we be strong enough to intervene, or will we just watch just like we did back then?