[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 102 (Monday, July 25, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1602]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     A TRIBUTE TO PAUL RUSESABAGINA

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 25, 2005

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, in light of President Bill Clinton's 
statement this weekend regarding responsibility for the 1994 slaughter 
of innocent civilians in Rwanda, I would like to recognize the 
extraordinary courage of Paul Rusesabagina, whom I had the distinct 
pleasure of meeting with just last month. Mr. Rusesabagina's story is 
one of true heroism and the triumph of the human spirit over evil, and 
I was humbled to be in the presence of such a courageous individual 
whose actions saved the lives of more than 1,000 people in yet another 
dark period in the world's history.
  The Rwandan genocide of 1994 is one of the greatest tragedies of our 
time, and a shameful chapter in human history. In the span of only 100 
days, more than 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were systematically 
murdered by the Rwandan military and the Interhamwe militia, with the 
intent to annihilate the entire Tutsi population. With the exception of 
a handful of peacekeepers, the international community, fully cognizant 
of what was happening, failed to come to a consensus to authorize a 
humanitarian intervention to stop the genocide. The survival of 
countless Rwandans was left to the conscience of courageous 
individuals, such as Paul Rusesabagina (who heroically took a stand in 
the name of humanity), and a Tutsi rebel army attacking from 
neighboring Uganda.
  While acting as manager of the Belgian owned Hotel Mille Collines 
during the April-July genocide, Paul Rusesabagina provided a safe-haven 
for over 1,200 Tutsis and Hutus who were defenseless and almost 
certainly marked for death, ensuring their safety through bribes, 
skillful negotiation, and diplomatic persuasion of Hutu military 
commanders. A Hutu himself, Mr. Rusesabagina, through his actions, put 
his own life in danger, as well as those of his Tutsi wife, Tatiana, 
and their young children. These selfless acts of heroism not only saved 
hundreds of innocent human beings, but also served as a beacon of light 
in a time of terrible darkness. Future generations of people around the 
world should find inspiration in his actions, and his story to be an 
affirmation of the resilience of human compassion.
  Mr. Rusesabagina has spent his years since the Rwandan tragedy as an 
ardent champion of human rights around the globe, continuing to 
struggle selflessly for those who are voiceless and in the most need. 
In fact, he recently spoke on Capitol Hill about the plight of the over 
17 million refugees worldwide, bringing needed attention to this much 
neglected issue. Mr. Rusesabagina was the recipient of Amnesty 
International's Enduring Spirit award and I would like to continue to 
honor him through this congressional recognition.
  When I met with Paul Rusesabagina, we were joined by Hassan Jallow, 
the chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunal for 
Rwanda. This was a truly historic meeting, bringing together a hero who 
struggled against tragic circumstances, with an advocate who is charged 
with seeking justice for victims of those same atrocities. Their 
interaction gave me hope in the triumph of peace and justice, and in 
the endurance of humanity.
  Mr. Speaker, my wife Annette and I have been tireless in our mission 
to promote international human rights, and it was this sense of duty 
that led us in 1983 to create the Congressional Human Rights Caucus. 
The Congressional Human Rights Caucus, CHRC, is a bipartisan working 
group on international human rights of over 218 Members of the House of 
Representatives which works to promote international human rights 
around the world. Actions such as those of Paul Rusesabagina give us 
hope.
  Mr. Speaker, I invite all my colleagues to join me in honoring Paul 
Rusesabagina, an extraordinary person who risked his life to save 
hundreds of others, and one who continues to devote his life to those 
in need.
    




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