In 2008, the late Dr Alison DesForges was denied entry at Kigali International Airport and was informed she was personne non grata – meaning she was not allowed on Rwandan territory. The decision came after critical reports were published preceding her visit.
Last year, another Human Rights Watch employee Carina Tertsakian was thrown out of the country on alleged irregularities with her work permit – accusations the group denies.
Over the past months when the group had no representatives here, it and others have been releasing very critical reports. Government for its part says the criticism is based on hearsay.
Now Human Right Watch has told President Kagame directly that they would like to come and cover Rwanda. The message was delivered to President Kagame in New York at the Council on Foreign Relations, a prominent US-based think tank.
The President is in the US on a North American tour where he is scheduled to address the “Rwanda Day 2011” – an event bringing together members of Rwanda’s Diaspora.
At the think-tank on Tuesday, President Kagame spoke to a gathering of US policymakers and academics, and also answered questions. Responding to a comment from Peggy Hicks, the global advocacy director for Human Rights Watch, the President said Rwanda was not ready to be lectured.
Hicks had said that government was increasingly locking out critical voices. The August 2010 presidential elections were not credible because the opposition candidates were barred from running and newspapers closed, said Hicks.
Human Rights Watch says that instead of the government being hostile to the group’s work, it should take a second look at the policies being criticized.
“If [President Kagame] really wants Rwandan people’s voices to be heard he should allow them to vote for all the candidates,” Hicks told AFP news agency after the talk was over. “And if he wants Human Rights Watch to listen to the voices, then it would be nice to have visas (issued) like we used to have.”
President Kagame dismissed suggestions that democracy is not flourishing in Rwanda, adding that the 93 percent of the vote he won last year was actually not enough.
Rwanda enjoys a multi-party political system, said Kagame, and that he supports “a right that allows anybody, everybody to express themselves.”
He said the will of the people was expressed during last year’s presidential election. “So, 93 percent — I wonder why it wasn’t higher than that,” Kagame told his audience.
Meanwhile, some 3000 Rwandans are expected to grace the diaspora convention in Chicago over the weekend. Reports from there say preparations are in high gear. (End)