Perth Voice Interactive

A MEMORIAL to Rwandan genocide will be erected in Stirling Civic Gardens despite concerns it could lead to the council becoming a de facto arbiter of complex ethnic conflicts. 

Rwandan Community Abroad Perth asked Stirling for space to install a memorial for “remembrance, honour, and education” for victims of the 1994 genocide.

Many Rwandans and other Swahili-speakers from neighbouring African countries observe the annual ‘Kwibuka’ (‘to remember’) commemorations across 100 days in April and July, marking the dates when an estimated 600,000 to 1 million people were murdered.

Rwandan-born Rosemine Mutamaliza told the council in October: “Many of the survivors, include those living in Perth, continue to bear lifelong physical and emotional scars. 

“Many are not able to travel back home in April every year. This is why a remembrance and a memorial is a crucial part of our community and our healing process.”

The issue was deferred as too politically charged while the council was in caretaker mode in the lead-up to the October 21 elections.  

But at the November 21 meeting the memorial won support, with yes votes from councillors Andrea Creado, Joe Ferrante, Damien Giudici, Tony Krsticevic, Suzanne Migdale, Teresa Olow, Rob Paparde, Stephanie Proud, Lisa Thornton and mayor Mark Irwin.

Councillors Michael Dudek, Karlo Perkov and Chris Hatton voted against the motion, concerned about local governments being drawn into complex and contentious international events.

Complex

“We should endeavour to help the Rwandan community liaise with the federal government to find an appropriate place for this memorial,” Cr Dudek said.

Noting the passion of RCAP members in representing their community, and the genuine suffering during a conflict whose origins were “brewing before I was ever born”, Cr Dudek said it might open the floodgates for other similar requests.

“We’ve seen the troubles that councils over east have encountered in navigating the issues for the Israel-Palestine conflict and I think it’s something that federal government is better placed to deal with,” he said.

The historical study of the Rwandan genocide is similarly politically charged. 

In 2018 the United Nations officially renamed the killings “The 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda” in recognition of the systematic targeting of one minority ethnic group.

But thousands of moderate Hutus who opposed the killings and a third of the indigenous Twa people were also slaughtered, while the Tutsi Rwandan Patriotic Front of Paul Kagame was reportedly responsible for killing between 30,000 – 40,000 Hutus after it won back control of the country – scholars are still divided on whether this constituted an attempted genocide.

Cr Dude said the memorial was being proposed by just one of the ethnic groups involved in the conflict.

Troubled

“I’m troubled by this. I’m troubled that we’re going to potentially vote on something which is going to in fact highlight one ethnic group of one country over the other two ethnic groups that also exist in that country and the surrounding countries.

“I absolutely sympathise with anyone who’s had family and friends and so on in in wars… [but] this will create problems which we are not properly prepared to deal with.”

RCAP describes themselves as an “inclusive” group and their application does not mention ethnicities apart from using the UN-approved “Genocide against the Tutsis” title. 

Cr Krsticevic voted in favour of the monument, but also had reservations: “I don’t want to be the person judging who deserves a memorial and who doesn’t,” he said.

Mr Irwin, who with the RCAP and supported the memorial, said the decision was clear cut: “I don’t know any other ethnic group that in our modern history had a million people slaughtered in 100 days,” he said.

Other ethnic groups would also need to show that, like the RCAP, they had a significant population in Stirling and a significant reason for a memorial.

Previously Stirling sidestepped complex conflicts via a ban on monuments for events occurring outside its boundaries. 

Councillors changed that in August 2023 following the RCAP request.

After the half-hour debate on the monument, Mr Irwin apologised to the Rwandans in the public gallery, saying it would have been difficult to listen to.

“But I do also applaud council. It’s important that council are true to themselves and debate something in terms of their feelings and in that way it’s brave for them to be able to speak out as well so I ask for your understanding in… the discussion they had to have then.”

Council will spend about $2,000 to prepare the site, and RCAP will pay $30,000 for the production and installation of the memorial, and will be responsible for ongoing costs.

by DAVID BELL