Worker tending to
Srebrenica memorial
graveyard
Photo: Dado Ruvic/Reuters
A United Nations Security Council vote on a resolution (drafted by Britain) to condemn the 1995 Srebrenica (Bosnia and Herzegovina) massacre as genocide, marking the 20th anniversary of the mass killing, has been delayed until today, Wednesday 8 July 2015, after Russia threatened to veto the measure.
Not without Serbia’s pressure, I dare say, Russia has deemed the resolution unbalanced and does not want the 1995 massacre of 8,000 Muslim men and boys described as genocide. Instead it proposed condemning “the most serious crimes of concern to the international community.”
Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic sent a letter (made public on Monday 6 July) to Queen Elizabeth II concerning London’s initiative for the UN SC to adopt a resolution on Srebrenica, the Belgrade-based Danas daily writes.
“The draft resolution submitted by Great Britain to the UN SC might jeopardize efforts invested in the stability of the region,” Nikolic said in his letter and one cannot but feel the threatening tone coming from this ultra-nationalist Greater Serbia thug who heads Serbia these days. His letter to the Queen goes on to say:
“I ask you most kindly to dedicate your attention to a serious question that could ruin the efforts made by Serbia over many years in giving our humble contribution to the overall stability of South-East Europe.
That is, I am referring to the Resolution on Srebrenica, filed by Your country in the UN Security Council.
We are a nation that is fairly different to other countries of similar size and power. Whenever we were attacked throughout the history, we chose resistance and fight for freedom. In a large number of circumstances our conduct coincided with the formed international position, battle and goals of Your nation. We never wanted to give up, to withdraw or for others to decide what we will choose for ourselves. Such an attitude was very demanding, often dangerous, but in the end it carried relief and was healthy for our spirit…I believe you are aware that Serbs fought against Turks, against Austro-Hungarian Empire, against Germans and then against the Third Reich. We opposed many others, even NATO in 1999, in the belief that we must defend Kosovo and Metohija territory, which historically belongs to us… We have done all this convinced that the freedom and dignity of man are the supreme values, and there has never been cold calculation behind our role and intentions, but rather our feelings.”
Serbia’s pro-Russian President Tomislav Nikolic had also sent a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday 4 July, “pleading” for a Russian “no” in the UN Security Council when the resolution is tabled.
Nikolic’s move with Russia clearly reflects political divisions in Serbia among those who seek closer ties with the European Union and his pro-Russian faction that wants Serbia in the Kremlin orbit.
Srebrenica
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Graveyard of victims of genocide
Serbia’s Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, a former extreme nationalist who now declares himself as pro-EU, has said he is ready to attend memorial ceremonies marking the Srebrenica anniversary in Srebrenica — but also has refused to call it genocide and is becoming increasingly hostile against anyone branding the crimes in Srebrenica and Croatia as genocide, even though those crimes were, in the face of irrefutable evidence, found as genocide by the International Criminal Tribunal in the Hague. According to Vucic, “lately, some have decided to use various resolutions to once again place the brand of those who should be ashamed of the past…We Serbs show our greatness also by being able to bow before the victims of others as we do before our own, before the hundreds of thousands of who died in all the fatherland wars. But don’t make us feel humiliated because we are Serbs and because we fought valiantly for our freedom,” Vucic told those gathered in Blaznava, central Serbia, on Tuesday 7 July, and added that Serbia will be defending itself “with knowledge and smarts, with diligence.”
“And those who think it’s enough to threaten us and say that we Serbs are, I guess, the only ones to blame for what was happening in the former Yugoslavia, and that we should forget Jasenovac, and Jadovno, and all other places of Serb suffering – essentially they are only saying and showing who caused many things (that happened) in that region,” Vucic said.
What utter sadness: the Serb leaders keep hiding and justifying their brutal and genocidal crimes of 1990’s behind those others committed in the 1940’s, of course completely omitting the fact that the Holocaust happened also in Serbia, with the help of Serb Nazi-collaborating government.
Well then – even at this approaching 20th anniversary of Serb-led genocide at Srebrenica, even at this approaching 20th anniversary of Croatia’s victory over Serb aggression and occupation, mass-murder, ethnic cleansing and destruction, Serbia does not want to own up to its heinous acts against other sovereign nations. It keeps painting history with lies and it keeps threatening – still.
To crown these pathetic attempts of covering up and minimising the severity of the brutality in crimes Serbs had committed during 1990’s in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia’s Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic has just released a statement that he “would be watching who will attend the Victory Parade in Zagreb, Croatia” – to be held on 5 August marking 20th anniversary of Operation Storm that liberated Croatia from Serb murderous occupation – because their attendance will signify their “anti-Serbia stand!”
Serbia will interpret the participation in the event that will mark the 20th anniversary of the operation Storm as an anti-Serb stand, Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said on Tuesday, 7 July.
He said that Serbia was criticized for sending soldiers to Moscow on May 9, when 70 years of the victory over fascism was celebrated – while Croatia is now organising a parade to mark the anniversary of Operation Storm that claimed the lives of several thousand Serbs, while several hundred thousand others were expelled. Oh dear, once again, another Serbia leader, refuses to accept decision from the International Criminal Tribunal in the Hague, which found that there was no forceful deportation of Serbs from Croatia – Serbs left of their own accord more likely than not, in fear of their own horrible deeds prior and with evil intent to keep saying that Croatia deported them forcefully!
Croatia has invited armed forces of other countries to take part in the parade of 5 August.
“The participation of their troops in the parade will sent a very negative message to Serbia. We will take that as an anti-Serb stand,” the Serbian foreign minister said.
So, according to Serbia: Serbia can attack, can occupy, can murder, can defend itself…and hold this as glorious for its nation, but no other country can! And to boot, the country that defended itself from Serbia’s brutal aggression (Croatia) is not supposed to celebrate its victory because there were casualties on the aggressor’s side! Serbia’s foreign minister and the Serbia that subscribes such a view need to crawl under a rock, where they belong, and stay there for at least a hundred years, until all who committed crimes own and bear responsibility for them.
Vukovar, Croatia
Cemetery for victims of Serb aggression and genocide
So, taking aim at what it terms genocide denial, the British draft UN resolution on Srebrenica genocide stresses that “acceptance of the tragic events at Srebrenica as genocide is a prerequisite for reconciliation.”
Hallelujah!
Many Croats have been saying that for decades! I have been saying that over and over again, in my articles responding to some unwise moves made by various Croatian politicians on the path to reconciliation with Serbia or Serb aggressor. I wish Croatia had more politicians of the calibre of those standing behind this draft of UN resolution on Srebrenica genocide and who defend the content of this resolution.
“Genocide is a crime and those who committed it are criminals who should be punished as such …To say so is not ‘anti-Serbian,’ as some have alleged,” British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft wrote in a letter to Mladen Ivanic, the Serb chairman of the Bosnia And Herzegovina presidency, after Milorad Dodik, president of Serbian Republic, called the Srebrenica genocide “a lie” and accused Britain of “trying to register at the UN, on the basis of false declarations and reports, that a genocide was committed against Muslims.”
Another showdown between Russia and Britain (between East and West as the new Cold War surrounds would have it) at the UN Security Council on the matter of calling Srebrenica genocide by its real name – genocide – will occur on Wednesday 8 May (today). Of course, most of us would agree: there should be no showdown because to call Srebrenica genocide a genocide would be the overdue justice the victims deserve, which should not be poisoned with the cold concept of ‘showdown’. Wouldn’t that be a most fitting gift the UN could bring to the Srebrenica 20th Anniversary commemoration on Saturday 11 July 2015 that will see dignitaries attend from all over the world. Ina Vukic, Prof. (Zgb); B.A., M.A.Ps. (Syd)
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Why am I not surprised? Of course the Serbs will look to Russia for ahem… protection. They have no one else to turn to. Or is it rather to improve their diplomatic leverage against, or should I even dare say revenge against Bosnia and Croatia in the event of another world war? Since the Serbs and Russians have much in common, as they say two birds of a feather flock together.
Yes Guy, Serbia might think that rubbing shoulders with Russia will intimidate the West into giving into their crazy psychotic version of bloody murderous events they caused and pursued in the 1990’s.
I hope the resolution passes in it’s current form and not the proposed watered down one. I see no reason why this should cause a face-off between the West and Russia again in a new cold war initiative.Russia could of course show unity and vote ‘Yes’ knowing it will be seen as more honourable rather than trying to score points.
If Serbia acknowledged the crimes then I’m sure the issue would be less trying in the future. It’s a sign of strength to be able to admit mistakes made in the past so that a new future of co-operation can be built. At this rate though the issue will never die while they try to call it something else and sweep it under the rug. The world already knows it happened.
xxx Massive Hugs Ina xxx
I so agree, David – I think the British draft of the resolution hits the nail on its head and would help with the painful process of acknowledging the ugly truth of the crimes and eventually reconciliation to the full or at least a peace easy to bear. I guess the same resolution and calling those horrific crimes a genocide for what they were would also serve as some kind of atonement for all the members of the UN peace-keeping forces who did nothing to try and prevent the genocide. Slowly, truth and justice will float freely around us, everywhere. Massive Hugs to you too David xx
Reblogged this on Eyes of the Mind.
Thank you for the reblog, Mishka
Serbia is nothing more than Russia but smaller. They bully their neighbors and act as if everything is theirs. Just like the old Soviet Union (an artificial country), the Serbs used Yugoslavia (another fake and artificial country) as nothing more than a way to expand its territory and get their dream of a “Greater Serbian State.” What people forget, and our people fail to ever mention, is that when the first Yugoslavia was formed in 1918, the Serbian king started planting seeds in Croatia. He drove Croatians off their lands in BiH and in what is today’s Croatia and put Serbian families into those lands. The Russians did similar in the Baltic States right after WWII. Many Croatians were forced to convert to the Orthodox faith and get “Serbianized.” Many Croatians were regularly rounded up and killed by the Serbian police and of course we all know what happened to Stjepan Radic and Professor Shufflay. It was so bad that even Albert Einstein made a plea through the NY Times to put an end to the barbarianism by the Serbs. Fast forward to now and the Serbs, much like the Russians once again have expansionist plans and they are looking to their Russian “brothers” and what they did in Ukraine as examples. You have to just look at who the people elect into office and understand who they are and what they think. Their President took part in mass killings in Croatia during the war, their Prime Minister is a Seselj disciple who in Glina called for the cleansing of all Croatians from Lika and “Serb Territory,” they are both radicals and Serbian expansionists. A few weeks back one of their ministers comes to Croatia and starts lecturing us on Stepinac and now one of their ministers is saying that he will keep tabs on the celebrations on the 20th Anniversary on the liberation of Knin and occupied parts of Croatia and declare any country that is there “enemies” of the State. Just like the Russians, they are bullying their neighbors and now they will try and get the Serbian occupied area of BiH to secede and join Serbia and then who knows what’s next. Meanwhile, our people remain quiet….
Id do trust that the 5th August parade will be full of heads held up high in Zagreb as Croatia celebrates victory over evil and must never forget that evil, must always be on guard to defend itself especially when dealing with such people who deny their blatant crimes, Stevie. I agree Croatia deserves loud politicians who will stand up better against the bullying from Serbia. That way peace would hae a better chance.
Our past will always exist, we can ignore it, or we can embrace it, and ask for forgiveness. Asking – means we own the wrong and take responsibility – but not taking responsibility shows that we can and will perpetrate the same transgression again – and that becomes quite scary!
Well put, Helena
Russia has vetoed the vote for the resolution to call Srebrenica 1995 genocide a genocide at UN SC so no-go for the resolution. The evil bastards will now think even more that the heinous crimes they committed in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia are not really that bad because UN did not call them genocide even if UN’s court at the Hague did! What sad days for humanity!
Croatia has nothing to say because we have a government in place that deliberately acts against the interests of the state. This has been happening since the “de-Tudjmanization” process was inflicted upon the state and people. Our so-called leaders hate the essence of Croatia and what it is. They see it as an inconvenient obstacle to be decimated of national feelings and symbols at all costs.
The self-proclaimed “premier” Milanovic recently has been caught on camera declaring with pride how he never fought for the independence of Croatia in any way, leaving that to “…the uneducated and poor”. The Racan, Sanader…Milanovic are shameful examples of the ilk of Croatia’s so-called intelligentsia.
I mention this because it just goes to the point of why Serbia and Serbians feel so unhampered to behave the way they do…with the tacit approval of our government. Until lustration commences with the upcoming electoral victory of the “Domoljub” coalition, Serbia will continue to have its way in Croatia, the region and the world…but their time is evaporating quickly. I am convinced that lustration will bring a reviatlized Croatia forward economically, socially, politically and spiritually.
Ina, truly love to read your work. I don’t always take the time to respond to your posts but know I read them religously. Thanks for doing what you do! Cheers! Zivila!
Cheers, Zoran and thank you on feedback. All energies now towards lustration and putting the current government into bad history
…we can all remember from our catechism school days, when the good sister religion teacher claimed that the Lady of Fatima would one day consecrate Russia to “my sacred heart”! Well, it’s been almost 100 since this apparition appeared in 1917, and WE are still waiting! And another thing, this Jesus should be showing some more initiative to save his fellow christians (most Roman Catholics) in Iraq, Syria, Croatia, Bosnia, Pakistan, Nigeria etc.! Do something constructive…JC!
If I say “one day”, Tempus Fugit, these events in the UN SC don’t give much hope but, hey, one never knows – days of “thunder” await in the new Cold War battlefield
In World War II in the largest genocide against Serbian civilians (1941-1945) …DELETED …
In good faith
There is no good faith in your comment, Jana, hence much of it deleted. WWII crimes do not justify 1995 crimes! Sorry, stay under that rock you’re under and read up on real, proven, figures from both not fiction
Before the vote, the Russian ambassador to the UN, Vitaly Churkin, has requested a minute of silence for the victims of crime.
He then said that the world has witnessed many crimes during the Bosnian war, as well as the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia.
“The draft that the United Kingdom has submitted a distortion of the truth which is the fault shifted to one side, which can result in further divisions in BiH. Therefore, we have proposed an alternative version, but it has not received support. All this can lead to interference in the internal issues of certain countries. The British draft, many responded that showed that this project will not help peace in the Balkans region back into a period of tension, “he said, among other things, the Russian ambassador and that should punish all criminals.
At the close, Churkin said that the authors of the draft calls “destructive document” that it is not put to the vote, otherwise Russia will vote against.
P.S. In his history of the Serbian people never committed genocide. For centuries lived with Muslims and other religious communities and developed the highest tolerance towards all peoples of the world.
The whole unfortunate event took place in the UN safe area, which included demilitarization. It is known that the entry of Serbian forces in Srebrenica evacuated women and children to Muslim territory. Absolutely not clear how in the “demilitarized zone” suddenly found themselves armed Muslim soldiers. Nobody mentions Serbian victims, around 3.500 during the ‘demilitarized zone’. Shame.
Mmme, I don’t need your answer since you deleted my last respond…Good for you to know for JASENOVAC..and there is no place like it.. you need to write about..sorry…truth is slow but finds its way..
In good faith,
Jana- you, Serbia and Russia do not recognise UN Security Councils’s own court in the Hague, which, did on evidence rule that Srebrenica 1995 was genocide. If Russia wants to veto the findinggs of its own judges that Security Council put on its the same as Stalin who sent his judges to Nuremberg to judge the Holocaust and yet he murdered 36 million and more of innocent people. I do write about Jasenovac because I believe that all victims deserve justice and there have been Croats in court for WWII crimes but Serbia still, 70 years on, blames Germany for its own Holocaust and Milan Nedic’s, WWII Prime Minister, complicity in those crimes. So, how about you write about that and start a blog on that rather than writing about the Holocaust in Croatia.
What is ironic is the Serbs not only refuse to admit what they did between 1991 and 1995, but they also refuse to admit that they are the bullies of the area and when the bully is slapped in the face they cry, complain, and then blame act the victim. What the Serbs are good at is making the victim into the criminal and the criminal into the victim. We’ve seen what their play has been since the late 1800’s when they wrote their “blueprint” on creating a Greater Serbian State and it involved Genocide. With the Muslims back then it was to force them to convert to the Orthodox faith and those that did not were to either be killed or sent back to Turkey. Let’s also not forget their role in the first Balkan Wars in 1914 and the murder sprees that the committed them. On top of that, they forget how many Croatians they killed between 1918 and 1995. We know what their King did to non-Serbs during the first Yugoslavia, how they beat, jailed, and killed Croatians at will from regular everyday people, to journalist, scientists, intellectuals and politicians. The also forget that even before WWII they had some of the worst anti-Jewish laws on the books and that continued well into WWII as Beograd was the only city in Europe to declare itself free of the Jews. Lets also not forget that even before an NDH was declared on April 10, 1941, Serbian cetniks were already in Croatian territory carrying out mass murders and ethnic cleansing (and I’m sure all this was blamed on the Croatians after the war to demonize us), let’s not forget how the Cetniks with Momcilo Pop Djuic in the Croatian region of Dalmatia sided with the Italians and went on a murder spree killing and butchering every Croatian in sight and we can go on and on. Let’s also not forget that the Croatian Army during WWII didn’t invade any country and were fighting a war not only against the Serbian Cetniks but also the Yugoslav Partizans and that Jasenovac was used as a death camp by the Partizans as well and of course that was blamed on the Croatians and studies are being down now to show that was the case. Remember what the Serbian Communist and Tito’s right hand man said, “In order for Yugoslavia to live, Croatia must die,” and they did their best to do just that. Look at Boka Kotorska as an example, in 1910 it was 90% Croatian in population and now its less than 10%, how did that happen? How about Vojvodina in 1961 it had 145,000 Croatians and now those numbers are 47,000 Croatians. How did that happen? So basically what I’m saying is they should clean out their own backyard first before telling someone to clean out theirs.
And indeed, let’s not forget, Stevie, that Croatia never crossed its borders to go killing the people across in order get their territory…very important point Serbia keeps forgetting when it should ask itself “Why did we attack Croatia in 1991?” Why did we want the Kingdom of Yugoslavia under our king? Once it answered these questions honestly it will acknowledge its wrongdoing…
I listened to this last night and it got me thinking about what I’ve mentioned several times on this weblog about my not knowing much about events in your region. It’s about not only who write history but who gets their “history” told. There are also references to Communist crimes that I didn’t know about.
Thanks Donald – will be sure to watch this one
Serbia reminds me of a certain country in the Middle East that thinks it has the right to do whatever it wants and will face few consequences for its wrong-doing. We can thank Serbian nationalism for WWI, and it seems little has changed. I don’t expect them to ever change their abhorrent attitude.
For whatever my opinion’s worth, I don’t think you should take Russia’s actions too personally. The US, IMO, has placed Putin in a position where he has to draw harsh lines and do whatever he can to show the US, EU and NATO that he will not tolerate the bullying of Russia, which is just what is happening with NATO’s encroachment into Russia’s territories.
It says a great deal about the extremely pathetic quality of “representatives” the US has that they are baffled by the idea of Putin doing what is in Russia’s best interest. If the US were a responsible and under-control-democracy, some of our “leaders” would be shot for treason. . . .But that’s a long sad story that I suppose I shouldn’t mention too much about.
I reckon bullying goes on from all sides, Donald, but when it comes to specific cases such as genocide at Srebrenica it’s a different matter as your words or between the lines seem to suggest 🙂
Hope I’m staying on topic. I couldn’t help but remember this. Pretty grim. Almost humorously so. Notice how President Obama thanked the Russian president for Russia specifically warning the United States about the brothers who went on to commit the Boston Marathon bombing — an example of how competent one side is compared to the other side. I also might add that one of these gentlemen is completely full of baloney. Many well-informed people in the US, like Noam Chomsky, are seriously concerned about US policy resulting in a nuclear war.
The topic is wide enough where it concerns Russia at this stage of history, Donald – things are becoming very serious as Chomsky suggests and stronger politicians are needed that’s for sure
I’ve been saying that it seems like the US is being run by a suicide cult (been saying it in jest). Then I find out that someone wrote a book on the subject. 🙁
If you look at my very brief post about the redistribution of wealth in the US — information that took a surprising amount of time to find — you’ll see that it has been redistributed from the poor and the middle class to the wealthy. George Bush’s brother, now running for president, complains about the laziness of the US worker — those who have jobs are only working 40 hours per week, instead of the 46 hour week he advocates (the extra six hours could then be worked for at standard pay instead of time and a half.) Yet he and his buddies have funds to start wars all across the globe. VERY frustrating.
Yes I read Jeb Bush’s mad ideas about working hours. As far as blanket policy being run across US it does seem suicidal: destruction of life as we know it, poverty, unemployment, unsustainable debts…no wonder unrest and violence crop up daily…
Dear Ina, There was a genocide at Srebrenica. It was covered by news agencies with pictures that do not lie. This latest outrage is an admission of their guilt. Take care my dear.
Thanks Micheline, I’m so glad to see much of the world isn’t blind after all, denials such as these I feel as pain for victims
No, the world isn’t blind. Moreover, this was provocation and therefore very wrong. My best, Micheline
Hugs and regards, Micheline
It makes one wonder what they really stand for. I think in cases like this, Veto’s should be overruled, because, of course they’re going to deny it… some of the people denying it (or relative/friends of them) would probably have to be prosecuted.
I agree, Kev – the powers of veto are obscene in such cases; 10 out of 15 voted yes, 4 abstained from voting and 1 put in their veto! There’s no rule of justice or democracy in that formula as far as I am concerned
Exactly.
Very nice Boka Cro Press, thank you 😀