Organized by the Coordination of Bosniak Associations of Mostar, on the occasion of marking the 80th anniversary of the crimes against Bosniaks in eastern Herzegovina at the Cavkarica pit in August 1941, a public event entitled “Silent Crimes of the Insurgents: From Cavkarica to Koraj” was held last night at the Mostar Cultural Center.
Avdo Huseinovic was the guest lecturer. In August 1941, the so-called “insurgents” threw several hundred Bosniaks, women and children, into the Cavkarica pit which is several hundred meters deep and located in the Herzegovinian karst, close to Bileca.
The names of 468 killed and thrown into Cavkarica are known, but it is reasonably believed that the number is much higher. For many, no one could give information, because entire families were killed.
This event was also attended by the Vice President of entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Republika Srpska (RS), Ramiz Salkic, who stressed that Cavkarica was one of the many examples of mass and systematic killings of Bosniaks in BiHand the former Yugoslavia during World War II.
“If we had the freedom to speak, write, and document the genocide against our people after World War II, it would most likely not have happened again during the aggression on the Republic of BiH from 1992 to 1995. Cavkarica is one of many examples of mass and systematic murder of Bosniaks in BiHand the former Yugoslavia during World War II who were kept hidden,” Salkic told.
As he pointed out, the system at the time and the lack of readiness and freedom to talk about crimes prevented the fate of the Bosniaks of eastern Herzegovina who were thrown into the Cavkarica pit from being discovered.
“This is why we appreciate and use today’s freedom to speak, write, and document all crimes against Bosniaks committed in the past. This is one way to prevent future crimes against our people. We live in a time of organized and systematic denial of what has been committed, proven, and judged. At a time of glorifying convicted war criminals for genocide and joint criminal enterprise,” Salkic added.
According to him, we can freely talk about the implementation of the final phase of genocide, which includes glorifying war criminals, denying, minimizing crimes, insulting, humiliating,and discriminating against victims.
“Such behavior shows that criminal ideologies are not defeated but are around us and are just waiting for a new opportunity. We must never give them that opportunity again. This and future generations of Bosniaks have an obligation to break the spiral of crimes against our people that is repeated continuously through history, ” concluded the vice president of the BiH entity, RS, Klix.ba writes.
E.Dz.