Feature: Rwanda marks genocide victims commemoration day

With their heads bowed down during a moment of silence at Kigali genocide memorial site, Rwandans on Wednesday joined the world to mark the inaugural observance of the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime.

The day was established in September by the UN General Assembly following a recommendation by the UN Human Rights Council.

About one million people were killed in the genocide against Tutsi in Rwanda in 1994.

At the Kigali memorial site, where more than 25,000 victims of the genocide were buried, a ceremony was held, including remembrance events, wreaths laying and remarks by officials.

Since its establishment, the Kigali memorial has become a home to survivors as well as a place of learning for the next generation of Rwandans and visitors, according to a statement by the organizers of Wednesday's ceremony.

Each year, almost 80,000 people visit the memorial, it said.

In his remarks, Jean-Damascene Gasanabo, the director-general of research and documentation on genocide at Rwanda's Commission of the Fight against Genocide, said the inaugural ceremony served to reflect on the past genocides and devise ways to prevent the past mistakes which led to those atrocities in different parts of the world.

He said the day presented an opportunity for all countries to learn and understand the genocide process that escalated from classification of people based on ethnic, racial or religious differences, to people extermination, then to the genocide denial.

As part of these prevention efforts, a new education center has been built at the Kigali memorial. The center hosts tens of thousands of teachers and students every year to learn about the genocide and peace building.

The memorial has also expanded its historical exhibition, opened a new reception and constructed a 1,200-seat amphitheater, which is used for remembrance and community building events.

Gasanabo said the society should, especially on this day, learn to respect human rights because genocide is a violation of human rights and learn tolerance in order to prevent genocide in the world.

The day also marks the 67th anniversary of the adoption in 1948 of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, which was the first international human rights treaty.

In a statement, the UN said remembering the victims of genocide and the crimes committed in the past must contribute to understanding the present and guide people's actions in the future.

"Acknowledging past genocides, addressing the consequences and fulfilling the rights of the victims not only dignifies the victims, but also represents our willingness not to let these crimes be repeated," it said. Endi