A white flag was raised at Bosanska House in Birmingham this weekend in memory of the victims of Prijedor and the celebration of the Day of White Ribbons.
On May 31, 1992, the non-Serb population of Prijedor was forced to mark their houses with white flags or white sheets and to wear white armbands when leaving their homes. This act of discrimination and persecution remained one of the most striking symbols of the ethnic cleansing committed during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
We especially remember the 102 murdered children of Prijedor, as well as all the innocent civilians who died.
According to available data 3,176 civilians were killed or are still missing, there were 102 children among them. More than 30,000 Bosniaks and Croats were imprisoned in Omarska, Keraterm and Trnopolje camps. About 53,000 people were exposed to persecution, detention, deportation, torture and other forms of abuse.
More than 94% of the Bosniak and Croat population of Prijedor were forcibly expelled from their homes.
The Bosnian community in the UK will mark White Ribbon Day with commemorative events in Coventry and Birmingham, honoring the victims and reminding them of the importance of preserving truth, memory and human dignity.
Three decades later, the white ribbon remains a symbol of warning against hatred, discrimination and persecution, but also a symbol of our common promise that the victims will not be forgotten.
