Bosnia, Jul 12: Bosnians commemorated on Saturday the massacre of about 8,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica, marking the 25th anniversary of killings that shocked the world and have stood out as Europe's only atrocity since World War Two constituting genocide.
Nine newly identified victims were buried at a flower-shaped cemetery near the town, where tall white tombstones mark the graves of 6,643 other victims.
"After 25 years we succeeded in finding his mortal remains, so they can be laid to their final rest," said Fikret Pezic, who buried his father Hasan.
The remains of some 1,000 victims of the massacre in the eastern town during Bosnia's 1992-1995 war are still missing.
Ifeta Hasanovic decided to bury incomplete remains of her husband, saying: "We were aware they cannot be complete after 25 years, at least there are some, I did not want to make any new delays."
World leaders addressed the ceremony by video link, unable to attend because of coronavirus epidemic. Instead of the tens of thousands visitors who typically attend the commemoration each year, only a few thousand came after organisers banned organised visits.
During the Bosnian war, Bosnian Serb forces pushed non-Serbs out of territories they sought for their Serb statelet. Fleeing Muslims took shelter in several eastern towns, including Srebrenica, that were designated as United Nations "safe zones".
On July 11, 1995, the Serb forces commanded by General Ratko Mladic overran Srebrenica, which was protected by lightly armed Dutch peacekeepers.
They sent women and children away and captured and executed the men and boys they found. The bodies were dumped into mass graves and later exhumed by U.N. investigators and used as evidence in war crimes trials of Bosnian Serb leaders.
"We grieve with the families that tirelessly seek justice for the 8,000 innocent lives lost, all these years later," said U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Washington brokered Bosnia's peace deal months after the massacre.
Most people at the commemoration were Muslim Bosniaks, reflecting conflicting narratives about the bloodshed - which hinders reconciliation nearly 25 years after the end of war in which about 100,000 people were killed.
The U.N. war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia convicted Mladic and his political chief Radovan Karadzic over Srebrenica genocide but they remained heroes for Serbs, many of whom deny that genocide happened.
On Saturday, the Serbs in the nearby town of Bratunac organised an event marking July 11 as the "Srebrenica Liberation Day".
Sefik Dzaferovic, the Bosniak chairman of Bosnia's tripartite presidency, called for legislation that would ban denial of genocide.
"There can be no trust as long as we witness attacks on the truth, denial of genocide and glorification and celebration of executors," Dzaferovic told the commemoration gathering.
Comments
this is really foolish to give this kind of advertisement. Kanhaiya is getting free marketing out of fools like this. Very soon he will be famous & become politician too. When Aamir khan PK was released, some fools in Gujrath did marketing for PK movie by putting ban on the movie. This is also gonna be same. Already Kanhaiya is famous but the person who announced this money has given positive review towards JNU President. Now People all over India will know JNU president is Clean without any black mark on his career
Dear Randeep, you should read the news everyday it is officially declared that 60% RSS Goons are there in our Police force what more you can expect from them, it is clear that RSS and even BJP should be banned and we need a good government to rule the country not this fake, uncivilized and lyre BJP Govt.
A speech by Comrade Kanayya is revolutionary and praise worthy. Every Indian citizen must watch his speech in JNU campus. And his chat with Barkha Dutt, NDTV, unbelievable. His thought are very high for his age and his heart for the downtrodden, dalits, ST/SC/and minorities is praise worthy.
By announcing the reward for his killing or cutting his tongue clearly indicates Sangh Parivar and BJP's real intentions and their role in his sedition case.
Long live Kanayya,
RSS cannot stop people from speaking from their heart...independent India gave all its citizens right to speak, nobody can curtail that right from anyone....if they kill one Kanhaiya, there will be more of him born in India....it will be multiplying...how many they will kill...forget about 13 lakhs...13000000 crores will not be enough for it....
WE WANT AZAADI FROM RSS
WE WANT AZAADI FROM VHP
WE WANT AZAADI FROM ABVP
Ban RSS
What else to be expected from the Terrorists ???
Killing, Bloodshed, Riots, Rape threats to women, Disturbing Peace, Attacking religious places, Attacking lonely and even Old Aged, Harassing Innocent People .......... What not ?.
They have forgot that Death will not come to them ?
A Cheddi deception to put u in trouble just like Godse..
No one will get this money... Black money still on que
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