Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines: Difference between revisions
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{{Quote|You find they look hidious with their bushy hair and beards infested with fleas. They look like animals. Actually they are animals.|An RTLM broadcast}} | {{Quote|You find they look hidious with their bushy hair and beards infested with fleas. They look like animals. Actually they are animals.|An RTLM broadcast}} | ||
{{Quote|The voice of the radio station was almost like the voice of God because that was the only type of communication.|Romeo Dollare on a documentary about the [[Rwandan Genocide]]}} | {{Quote|The voice of the radio station was almost like the voice of God because that was the only type of communication.|Romeo Dollare on a documentary about the [[Rwandan Genocide]]}} [[File:RMC_Quad.jpg|thumb|308px]] | ||
'''Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines''' was a Rwandan radio station during the [[Rwandan Genocide]]. It was a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwanda Rwandan] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_station radio station] which broadcast from July 8, 1993 to July 31, 1994. It played a significant role during the April–July 1994 [[Rwandan Genocide]]. | '''Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines''' was a Rwandan radio station during the [[Rwandan Genocide]]. It was a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwanda Rwandan] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_station radio station] which broadcast from July 8, 1993, to July 31, 1994. It played a significant role during the April–July 1994 [[Rwandan Genocide]]. | ||
The station's name is [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_language French] for "One Thousand Hills Free Radio and Television", deriving from the description of Rwanda as ''"Land of a Thousand Hills"''. It received support from the government-controlled Radio Rwanda, which initially allowed it to transmit using their equipment. | The station's name is [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_language French] for "One Thousand Hills Free Radio and Television", deriving from the description of Rwanda as ''"Land of a Thousand Hills"''. It received support from the government-controlled Radio Rwanda, which initially allowed it to transmit using their equipment. | ||
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==Prior to the Genocide== | ==Prior to the Genocide== | ||
RTLM was established in 1993, primarily railing against on-going peace talks between President [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juvenal_Habyarimana Juvenal Habyarimana], whose family supported the radio station, and the Tutsi [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwandan_Patriotic_Front Rwandan Patriotic Front].<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-news.bbc.co.uk_4-0">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_T%C3%A9l%C3%A9vision_Libre_des_Mille_Collines#cite_note-news.bbc.co.uk-4 [4]]</sup> It became a popular station since it offered frequent contemporary musical selections, unlike state radio, and quickly developed a faithful audience among youth | RTLM was established in 1993, primarily railing against on-going peace talks between President [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juvenal_Habyarimana Juvenal Habyarimana], whose family supported the radio station, and the Tutsi [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwandan_Patriotic_Front Rwandan Patriotic Front].<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-news.bbc.co.uk_4-0">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_T%C3%A9l%C3%A9vision_Libre_des_Mille_Collines#cite_note-news.bbc.co.uk-4 [4]]</sup> It became a popular station since it offered frequent contemporary musical selections, unlike state radio, and quickly developed a faithful audience among youth aged Rwandans, who later made up the bulk of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interahamwe Interahamwe] militia. | ||
Felicien Kabuga was allegedly heavily involved in the founding and bankrolling of RTLM, as well as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangura Kangura] magazine.In 1993, at an RTLM fundraising meeting organized by the MRND, Felicien Kabuga allegedly publicly defined the purpose of RTLM as the | Felicien Kabuga was allegedly heavily involved in the founding and bankrolling of RTLM, as well as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangura Kangura] magazine.In 1993, at an RTLM fundraising meeting organized by the MRND, Felicien Kabuga allegedly publicly defined the purpose of RTLM as the defense of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hutu_Power Hutu Power]. | ||
The station is considered to have preyed upon deep animosities and prejudices between the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hutu Hutu] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tutsi Tutsi] populations. The hateful rhetoric was placed alongside the sophisticated use of humor and popular [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zairean_music Zairean music]. It frequently referred to Tutsis as "cockroaches" (example: "You [Tutsis] are cockroaches! We will kill you!" though it wouldn't have really done this). | The station is considered to have preyed upon deep animosities and prejudices between the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hutu Hutu] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tutsi Tutsi] populations. The hateful rhetoric was placed alongside the sophisticated use of humor and popular [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zairean_music Zairean music]. It frequently referred to Tutsis as "cockroaches" (example: "You [Tutsis] are cockroaches! We will kill you!" though it wouldn't have really done this). | ||
Critics claim that the Rwandan government fostered the creation of RTLM as "hate radio", to circumvent the fact they had committed themselves to a ban against "harmful radio propaganda" in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations UN]'s March 1993 joint communiqué in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dar_es_Salaam Dar es Salaam].However RTLM director Ferdinand Nahimana claimed that the station was founded primarily to counter the propaganda by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwandan_Patriotic_Front RPF]'s [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_Muhabura Radio Muhabura]. | Critics claim that the Rwandan government fostered the creation of RTLM as "hate radio", to circumvent the fact they had committed themselves to a ban against "harmful radio propaganda" in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations UN]'s March 1993 joint communiqué in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dar_es_Salaam Dar es Salaam].However, RTLM director Ferdinand Nahimana claimed that the station was founded primarily to counter the propaganda by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwandan_Patriotic_Front RPF]'s [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_Muhabura Radio Muhabura]. | ||
In January 1994, the station broadcast messages berating [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UNAMIR UNAMIR] commander [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rom%C3%A9o_Dallaire Roméo Dallaire] for failing to prevent the killing of approximately 50 people in a UN-[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demilitarized_zone demilitarized zone]. | In January 1994, the station broadcast messages berating [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UNAMIR UNAMIR] commander [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rom%C3%A9o_Dallaire Roméo Dallaire] for failing to prevent the killing of approximately 50 people in a UN-[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demilitarized_zone demilitarized zone]. | ||
After Habyarimana's private plane was shot down on April 6, 1994, RTLM joined the chorus of voices blaming Tutsi | After Habyarimana's private plane was shot down on April 6, 1994, RTLM joined the chorus of voices blaming Tutsi rebels and began calling for a "final war" to "exterminate" the Tutsi. The code word was 'cut down the tall trees'.RTLM played classical music in the time immediately after the crash. | ||
==During the Genocide== | ==During the Genocide== | ||
During the Genocide, the RTLM incited hatred and violence against Tutsis, against Hutus who were for the peace accord, against Hutus who married | During the Genocide, the RTLM incited hatred and violence against Tutsis, against Hutus who were for the peace accord, against Hutus who married Tutsis and advocated the annihilation of all Tutsis in Rwanda. The music of Hutu Simon Bikindi was played frequently, he had two songs ''Bene Sebahinzi'' (''Sons of the Father of the Farmers'') and ''Nanga Abahutu'' (''I Hate Hutus'') later were interpreted as inciting hatred and genocide. | ||
Following the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwandan_Genocide Rwandan Genocide] in 1994, the first relief workers on the scene reported seeing hundreds of Tutsi fleeing their villages with little more than the clothes on their backs and transistor radios pressed to their ears. | Following the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwandan_Genocide Rwandan Genocide] in 1994, the first relief workers on the scene reported seeing hundreds of Tutsi fleeing their villages with little more than the clothes on their backs and transistor radios pressed to their ears. | ||
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==After-effects== | ==After-effects== | ||
The [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Criminal_Tribunal_for_Rwanda International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda]'s action against RTLM began on 23 October 2000 - along with the trial against Hassan Ngeze, director and editor of the ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangura Kangura]'' magazine. | The [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Criminal_Tribunal_for_Rwanda International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda]'s action against RTLM began on 23 October 2000 - along with the trial against Hassan Ngeze, director, and editor of the ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangura Kangura]'' magazine. | ||
On 19 August 2003, at the tribunal in Arusha, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_sentence life sentences] were requested for RTLM leaders Ferdinand Nahimana | On 19 August 2003, at the tribunal in Arusha, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_sentence life sentences] were requested for RTLM leaders Ferdinand Nahimana and Jean Bosco Barayagwiza. They were charged with genocide, incitement to genocide, and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crimes_against_humanity crimes against humanity], before and during the period of the genocides of 1994. | ||
On 3 December 2003, the court found all three defendants guilty and sentenced Nahimana and Ngeze to life imprisonment and Barayagwiza to imprisonment for 35 years - this was appealed. The Appeal judgment, issued on 27 November 2007 reduced the sentences of all three - Nahimana getting 30 years, Barayagwiza getting 32 and Ngeze getting 35, with the court overturning convictions on certain counts. | On 3 December 2003, the court found all three defendants guilty and sentenced Nahimana and Ngeze to life imprisonment and Barayagwiza to imprisonment for 35 years - this was appealed. The Appeal judgment, issued on 27 November 2007 reduced the sentences of all three - Nahimana getting 30 years, Barayagwiza getting 32 and Ngeze getting 35, with the court overturning convictions on certain counts. | ||
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==In popular culture== | ==In popular culture== | ||
{{Quote|Listen to me good Hutus. Terrible news. Horrible news. Our great president has been murdered by the Tutsi cockroaches. They tricked him to sign their phony piss agreement then they shot his plane from the sky. It is time good Hutus of Rwanda. We must cut the tall trees. Cut the tall trees now!|A broadcast in Hotel Rwanda}} | {{Quote|Listen to me good Hutus. Terrible news. Horrible news. Our great president has been murdered by the Tutsi cockroaches. They tricked him to sign their phony piss agreement then they shot his plane from the sky. It is time good Hutus of Rwanda. We must cut the tall trees. Cut the tall trees now!|A broadcast in Hotel Rwanda}} Dramatized RTLM broadcasts are heard in ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotel_Rwanda Hotel Rwanda]''. | ||
In the film ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sometimes_in_April Sometimes in April]'' the main character's brother is an employee of RTLM. Controversy develops when attempting to prosecute radio broadcasters because of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_speech free speech] issues. | In the film ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sometimes_in_April Sometimes in April]'', the main character's brother is an employee of RTLM. Controversy develops when attempting to prosecute radio broadcasters because of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_speech free speech] issues. | ||
The film ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_Dogs Shooting Dogs]'' makes use of recordings from RTLM. | The film ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_Dogs Shooting Dogs]'' makes use of recordings from RTLM. | ||