The Dutch government will pay 1 million euros to the Srebrenica Memorial Centre at the proposal of the Srebrenica Compensation Commission, with the aim of supporting the centre’s continued work.
The Srebrenica-Potočari Memorial Centre, a memorial and cemetery for the victims of the 1995 genocide, will be paid 1 million euros by the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
These funds have been secured for the centre’s continued work on preserving memories and commemorating the genocide, and their finalisation is the result of the proposal of the Srebrenica Compensation Commission.
“Srebrenica will always remain a dark page in the history of the Netherlands,” wrote Minister of Defence Ruben Brekelmans and Minister of Foreign Affairs Caspar Veldkamp in a letter to the House of Commons of the Dutch Parliament.
The Srebrenica Compensation Commission, in cooperation with the Dutch government, has been appealing for a long time for the need to allocate additional funds to support the community of survivors.
This decision is the result of long-term preparations and discussions between the Dutch government and the families of the victims, explains the director of the Memorial Centre, Emir Suljagić.
“This decision is not only a sign of recognition of our mission, but also an obligation to work together with the international community to preserve the truth about the genocide in Srebrenica,” said Suljagić.
Since 2019, the families of the murdered Bosniaks have been able to file a claim for compensation through an independent commission. This program has now been completed. According to the two ministers, a total of 8,135 claims have been received, of which 2,374 have been approved. In total, over 25 million euros have been paid to the families of 612 victims.
This decision is the result of long-term preparations and discussions between the Dutch Government and the families of the victims, explains the director of the Memorial Center Emir Suljagić.
On the other hand, the Srebrenica Memorial Center carries out a whole series of international activities and programs based on cooperation with universities and numerous organizations in the Netherlands. And this project has additionally demonstrated the importance of internationalizing the work of the entire center.
“The lessons from Srebrenica are more important today than ever for the civilized world. The genocide against the Bosniaks of Srebrenica is part of the collective European memory and belongs to the dark chapters of European history. Future generations will learn about it, just as they will learn about our fight for freedom. We have retained our pride and dignity, and every cooperation we have achieved we have achieved on our terms. We are the owners of our story and our history, we have the right to fight to be the masters of our future,” Suljagić concluded, Klix.ba writes.
