History International Presents a Special Presentation: RWANDA - DO SCARS EVER FADE

History International Presents a Special Presentation: RWANDA - DO SCARS EVER FADE

Named a Peabody Award Winner

To air on History International(R) on Friday, May 13 at 8pm ET / 9pm PT

NEW YORK, May 5 /PRNewswire/ -- In 1994, the small African nation of Rwanda was awash in blood. Extremists in the Hutu controlled government instituted a systematic plan for genocide that wiped out 75% of the minority Tutsi population. In 100 days, over 800,000 people were killed. Today, many of the killers live freely among those they terrorized. This special presentation, RWANDA - DO SCARS EVER FADE, which originally premiered on The History Channel in December 2004, explores the history leading up to the events of the 1994 genocide and grapples with the question: How does a country haunted by the scourge of its past recover? This program was named a winner of the 64th Annual Peabody Awards honoring the best in electronic media for 2004. It will air on History International on Friday, May 13 at 8:00pm ET/ 9:00pm PT.

Unlike many other programs on the genocide, RWANDA - DO SCARS EVER FADE lets much of the story unfold through the firsthand experiences of Rwandans who lived through the genocide. As the special presentation travels back to Rwanda, viewers will hear the personal stories of survivors, perpetrators, as well as government officials, which offer a microcosm of the genocide's horrors, and the difficulties of balancing justice with reconciliation.

Among those interviewed are confessed killer Ezekiel Ntampaka and survivor Pierre Turambe. The two men had grown up as friends, but during the genocide, Ntampaka participated in the murder of Turambe's brother. Now they are once again living as neighbors. Also chronicled is survivor Janet Uylsabye's journey to visit her father in prison. Uylsabye's mother, a Tutsi, was killed during the genocide, and her father, a Hutu, is currently facing charges for crimes of genocide.

This unique documentary, RWANDA - DO SCARS EVER FADE, takes an in-depth look at the history that led up to the genocide. In 1919, Rwanda became a protectorate of Belgium. The Belgian authorities institutionalized Catholicism, the French language, and exploited and expanded the idea of a superior Tutsi aristocracy. Using discredited racial science similar to that used by the Third Reich, an artificial divide between Rwandans was created. When Tutsis clamored for independence in the late 1950's, the Belgians did not want to give up control and switched allegiances. In elections organized by the Belgians, the majority Hutus won landslide victories. A violent backlash against Tutsis ensued. When Belgium finally granted Hutu controlled Rwanda independence in 1962, forty years of institutionalized racial hatred shaped the policies of the new government. By the early 1990's, anti-Tutsi hate sermons from political leaders became common.

Then, on the night of April 6, 1994, the plane carrying Rwandan President Habyarimana was shot down. This assassination of the leader of the Hutu- dominated government prompted immediate retaliation. The Hutu leadership exploited the assassination and used it as an opportunity to wipe out the Tutsis. A radio broadcast served as a violent call to action: "The cockroach's cruelty is irreversible. The only remedy is total extermination. Kill them all, totally wipe them out."

During the 100 days of violence, ordinary citizens were enlisted as executioners. An average of 333 people were murdered every hour -- 5 people every minute. In addition to the staggering number of Tutsis executed, at least 50,000 Hutus who opposed the extremist Hutu power structure were murdered as well. During this time, the United Nations and world governments, including the United States, did almost nothing to stop the violence. Legal wrangling and debates over the definition of the term "genocide" were taking place while the death toll mounted. When the organized Tutsi forces, the Rwandan Patriotic front, were finally able to stop the killing, the toll was overwhelming. Almost an entire generation of Tutsis had been wiped out. Thousands of Rwandans fled to neighboring countries and these refugees, including many orphans, were living in squalid conditions. Food and medicine were scarce and a cholera epidemic broke out. Over a period of weeks, almost 3,000 people died daily after the fighting had stopped. Eventually, a guilt- ridden international community rushed to Rwanda's aid.

RWANDA - DO SCARS EVER FADE also explores current conditions in Rwanda. In 2003, Paul Kagame became Rwanda's first democratically elected president. He currently seeks a path towards national redemption. With survivors and killers living side by side, it is a complex and difficult process.

Executive Producer for The History Channel is Margaret G. Kim. RWANDA - DO SCARS EVER FADE is produced for The History Channel by Bill Brummel Productions.

The view from across our borders can be very different from our own. History International(TM) takes viewers to countries around the globe to experience history and culture through their eyes, to find out more about the world, help make sense of current events, and understand how we got to where we are today. With original programming from around the world, History International(TM) provides viewers with an enriching mix of historical documentaries with a global focus, original short features, interviews with historians, and exclusive programs made or acquired in conjunction with our international partners.

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Source: History International

CONTACT: Kathie Gordon, +1-212-210-120, kathie.gordon@aetn.com, for History International

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