Letter: Genocide: Rwanda and Cambodia

Sir: Richard Dowden says of the Tutsis and Hutus, 'The two groups had a symbiotic relationship' ('The graves of the Tutsi are only half full - we must complete the task', 24 May) In fact, for centuries, the two groups lived in a predatory relationship, with the majority Hutus enslaved, repressed and occasionally subjected to pogroms by the Tutsi elite.

'Symbiotic' is an entirely inappropriate term for the interaction of these peoples. Unless we tell the story as it is, there is no hope of understanding, let alone of helping the people of Rwanda to put their dreadful history behind them and find a framework for peace and mutual respect.

Yours etc,

ALISTAIR DAWSON

Wolverhampton