---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Belgian officials concluded that 'the…"
description: "\"“Belgian officials concluded that 'the Hutu-Tutsi question posed an undeniable problem' and proposed that official usage of the terms 'Hutu' and 'Tutsi..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcc/martin-meredith-186446_quote_belgian-officials-concluded-that-the-hut_896080.jpg"
---

#  Belgian officials concluded that 'the Hutu-Tutsi question…

![“Belgian officials concluded that 'the Hutu-Tutsi question posed an undeniable problem' and proposed that official usage of the terms 'Hutu' and 'Tutsi' - on identity cards, for example - should be abolished. The Hutu, however, rejected the proposal, wanting to retain their identifiable majority…” quote by Martin Meredith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcc/martin-meredith-186446_quote_belgian-officials-concluded-that-the-hut_896080.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcc/martin-meredith-186446_quote_belgian-officials-concluded-that-the-hut_896080.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcc/martin-meredith-186446_quote_belgian-officials-concluded-that-the-hut_896080.jpg)

> ““Belgian officials concluded that 'the Hutu-Tutsi question posed an undeniable problem' and proposed that official usage of the terms 'Hutu' and 'Tutsi' - on identity cards, for example - should be abolished. The Hutu, however, rejected the proposal, wanting to retain their identifiable majority; abolition of the identity cards would prevent 'the statistical law from establishing the reality of facts'. The idea gained ground that majority rule meant Hutu rule.””

Martin Meredith

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A proposal to remove ethnic identifiers from IDs was rejected, reflecting tension between identity and statistical governance.

**In simple terms:** Identity cards sparked debate over ethnic labeling.

Key Takeaway

Consider identity politics.

Themes

ethnicity identity governance

Mood

analytical concerned

Type

Terms Hutu:0 Abolished Hutu:0 Hutu Rejected:1 Tutsi Question:0 Meant Hutu:0

When to use this quote

- voting rights
- census design
- community relations

Key Concepts

Political science social policy

Questions to Reflect On

- Why preserve ethnic labels?
- How can governance balance identity and data?

A Different Perspective

Removing identifiers may obscure important demographic data.

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Browse all 2 Terms Hutu quotes

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