CPCR – Collectif des parties civiles pour le Rwanda Pour que justice soit faite
SIRS,
On February 5, 2015, I sent you a letter, Mr ROYANT, to protest against the words you uttered, together with Damien THEVENOT, a journalist on France 2 , during the program “ Télé Matin” presented by William LEYMERGIE . It is unnecessary to quote these words again, they have been largely denounced. To sum up, you spoke of the 1994 Tutsi genocide, asserting that Hutu had been exterminated by Tutsi, thus, re writing History. Writing to you, as other people did, I was too naïve to think that you would apologize. You might have said that you made a huge mistake and felt deeply sorry about it. We would have believed you, even though such an error is beyond any understanding. As only excuse, on February 10 (Télé Matin), we heard Mr THEVENOT declaring at the end of his speech : “The genocide in Rwanda is the Tutsi genocide perpetrated by Hutu extremists. And that’s that “!
When I decided to send you a certified letter with return receipt,I wanted to make sure that you’d receive it. You received it but did you read it? Anyway, you didn’t deign to answer it and I consider it as an unbearable contempt for all the victims of the Tutsi genocide and their families. As I told you in my letter, if such remarks had been made about the “Shoah”, people ‘s reactions would have probably been at a higher level and you would have reacted. But Rwanda is a little African country, probably unknown of most of our fellow citizens and the1994Tutsi genocide took place amongst general indifference within the international community. At that time , the French president and his government were guilty of complicity , something that very few politicians want to admit .With such words, you and your journalists are responsible for the doubt you spread in our fellow citizens’ mind. And even worse, you have distorted History , taking part in the genocide denial , all too well spread in our country.
If you had had the decency to answer the protests sent to you, as I already told you, we would have accepted the apology and we might have thought, with much indulgence, that it was some sort of “verbal slip up” but your mighty silence let us consider that, this very day, you expressed your real feeling , even though , we must admit, we could consider it as a total lack of knowledge .
Mr THULLIER, I decided to write to you, thinking you would echo our indignation to the journalist working under your responsibility. I should have probably had written to Mr THEVENOT, himself. His “correction” on February10, shows the message went through. Mr ROYANT and Mr THULLIER, I wanted to tell you that we did not appreciate your silence, at all. The Tutsi genocide survivors and families would have like to hear you. You have chosen to remain silent. A genocide is not an ordinary mass murder. It is a life time print on the victims. It is a crime against humanity, and you are part of it , as a consequence, it is a crime against yourself. “ That’s that” at the end of Mr THEVENOT’s correction could be interpreted in different ways. To us, it was not the expression of true remorse.
SIRS, we will probably have to accept the silence,for , I can’t imagine an answer will come but you must know that we shall keep on protesting fiercely , whenever such “incidents” occurs. The CPCR, as well as other associations and world citizens, can’t bear seeing History distorted, being some more wounds upon victims and families. Whenever Truth will be disguised, we will be there, on your path, even though you don’t want to hear us. Our first aim is to fight against impunity, bring people suspected to take part in the Tutsi genocide, to justice , living in France with obligeance… We think. Furthermore, we also fight for the “Memory” and against genocide denial. A very hard struggle, far too hard for us, but that we keep on leading without “hatred nor vengence” but determination.
Mr THULLIER and Mr ROYANT, please believe in my deep indignation. Yours .
Alain GAUTHIER, president of the CPCR.
