Denis Bećirović, member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, addressed the commemoration on the occasion of the 28th anniversary of the genocide against Bosniaks in the “UN Safe Area of Srebrenica” in Lancaster House in London, in his name and on behalf of the vast majority of citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina expressed his gratitude to the Government and Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland for the struggle to preserve the truth about the genocide against Bosniaks.
He thanked Waqar Azmi, chairman of the “Remembering Srebrenica” foundation, and friends from this foundation.
“I also want to pay respect to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Lord Paddy Ashdown, who are no longer with us, and who, during the aggression against the internationally recognized state of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, demanded the just action of the international community.
Lord Paddy Ashdown, as a high representative of the international community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, will forever remain inscribed in the history of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Europe as a man who persistently and strongly fought to overcome the consequences of aggression and genocide. This diplomat and humanist will remain inscribed in the history of our two countries,” said Bećirović.
He also expressed gratitude to the Government of the United Kingdom for its contribution to the implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement and its support for BiH’s Euro-Atlantic path.
He said that the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina highly value the engagement of the United Kingdom, which in 2015 proposed Resolution S/2015/508 on Srebrenica to the United Nations Security Council.
“Although the adoption of the text of the resolution was stopped by the use of the right of veto by the Russian Federation, we saw the resolution as an important civilizational step forward in the fight for truth and justice.
We are convinced that this resolution is equally important for the world as it is for BiH because it unequivocally expresses, on a global level, the condemnation of genocide and support for the victims,” said Bećirović.
He reminded that the highest courts of the UN proved what happened in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1992 to 1995.
BiH Presidency member Bećirović said that the judgments of the International Court of Justice and the Hague Tribunal do not exist to be archived. They must be thoroughly analyzed and implemented.
According to him, numerous final judgments of international and national courts have proven that the only genocide in Europe after the Second World War was committed by the army and police units of the so-called Republika Srpska.
“In July 1995, more than 8,000 Bosniaks were murdered in a ruthless killing operation, with a clear intention, organized and according to a precisely established plan and pattern, in a horrific manner. More than 800 children were among those killed. In and around Srebrenica, thousands of captured Bosniaks were brutally liquidated and buried in mass graves. Hundreds of them were buried alive. Children were separated from their mothers and killed in front of their eyes,” said Bećirović.
He stated that there is a lot of evidence about everything committed in and around Srebrenica in July 1995, including mass graves – primary, secondary, and tertiary.
The political and military authorities of the so-called Republika Srpska planned the crime of genocide, its execution, the provision of logistical support, and then the concealment of the crime by digging and concealing mass graves, which, I emphasize, was confirmed by the decisions of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.
He stated that the United Nations and the democratic countries of the world have recognized the mistakes committed towards Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The former secretary general of the United Nations Kofi Annan admitted the guilt of the international community, saying that “Srebrenica represents the greatest shame in the history of the United Nations”.
“Committed mistakes can no longer be corrected, but new ones can be stopped,” stressed Bećirović.
Therefore, the pro-Russian president of the Republika Srpska entity should be stopped urgently and decisively before he destabilizes Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Western Balkans.
It is time for the European Union to join the sanctions imposed by the United Kingdom and the United States of America against genocide deniers and destroyers of the Dayton Peace Agreement.
The world and Europe must learn from Srebrenica, said Bećirović.
He said that we must build a culture of remembrance of the genocide in Europe, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the world. The genocide against Bosniaks in the heart of Europe must not be forgotten, marginalized, and denied. We must not allow this for the sake of the future of humanity.
He pointed out that the culture of memory is not the culture of revenge. It is a culture of educating about policies and ideologies that bring evil and violence. The purpose of the culture of memory is not to create discord and hatred but to prevent evil and crime.
“Thank you United Kingdom for preserving the truth about Srebrenica and giving hope for a fairer future,” Bećirović said at the end of his address, his Office announced.
