NAIROBI -- The tiny East African nations of Rwanda and Burundi have, within weeks of each other, asked human rights researchers from a New York-based organization to leave their countries, an official said Thursday.

Reed Brody of Human Rights Watch said the organization had been critical of both governments.

"For the government to kick out a Human Rights Watch researcher suggests it is not comfortable being put under scrutiny," Brody said.

The Burundian government said in a statement Wednesday that it had given researcher Neela Ghoshal until June 5 to leave the country. Burundi is due to hold its first round of elections Friday after nearly 16 years of civil war. A presidential vote is scheduled for June 28.

Ghoshal had researched a report released by Human Rights Watch last week that documented police inaction over political violence committed by several parties in the run-up to the elections.

On March 10, neighboring Rwanda told Carina Tertsakian that her work permit had been revoked. On April 23, she was given 24 hours to leave the country.

Her expulsion is part of a "wider crackdown on opposition political parties, the independent press and independent civil society," Brody said. "The Kagame regime is not allowing democratic institutions to form."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/20/AR2010052005174_pf.html

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