THE LETTER OF THE CANADIAN - BOSNIAN COMMUNITY TO PRIME MINISTER

THE LETTER OF THE CANADIAN – BOSNIAN COMMUNITY TO PRIME MINISTER

 

March 11, 2010

 

Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada

 

Cc: Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada

      Michael Ignatieff, Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada,

      Jack Layton, Leader of New Democratic Party of Canada

        Gilles Duceppe, The leader Bloc Quebecois

 

Dear Honorable Prime Minister,

 

July 11, 2010, will be the fifteenth anniversary of the Srebrenica Genocide. As has been emphasized by the International Courts for War Crimes at the Hague, the Srebrenica genocide was the most heinous crime committed against humanity in Europe after World War II. More than eight thousand Bosniak men and boys were systematically murdered in one week, and twenty-five thousand other Bosniaks were forced out of Srebrenica and surrounding areas that suffered from Bosnian Serb aggression and occupation at that time.

 

The Srebrenica genocide was a repeat of the dehumanizing genocidal practices seen during World War II. At Srebrenica, Bosniak men (some as young as fifteen years old) were separated from women and the elderly, and were never to be seen again -- all under the eyes of the Western world. The images of the suffering were seen worldwide and somehow only managed to receive a juridical epilogue.

For the judges of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), there was no hesitation in the sentencing of Bosnian Serb General Radislav Krstić. He was sentenced to thirty-five years in jail for “aiding and abetting” the genocide at Srebrenica. [1] This was a crime that was all the more heinous because it was carried out in spite of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 819, which had demanded that Srebrenica be treated as “a safe area which should be free from any armed attacks,” and that the Republika Srpska Army should withdraw “from the areas surrounding Srebrenica.” [2]

In its Judgement in the Krstić case the Court stated that “The depravity, brutality and cruelty with which the Bosnian Serb Army … treated the innocent inhabitants of the safe area are now well known and documented. Bosnian women, children and elderly were removed from the enclave, and between 7,000 – 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men were systematically murdered.”[3] The Court clarified that, “that Bosnian Serb forces carried out genocide against the Bosnian Muslims… They targeted for extinction the forty thousand Bosnian Muslims living in Srebrenica,

 

a group which was emblematic of the Bosnian Muslims in general. They stripped all the male Muslim prisoners, military and civilian, elderly and young, of their personal belongings and identification, and deliberately and methodically killed them solely on the basis of their identity. The Bosnian Serb forces were aware, when they embarked on this genocidal venture, that the harm they caused would continue to plague the Bosnian Muslims.” [4] The Court concluded that we must call “the massacre at Srebrenica by its proper name: genocide.” [5]

Further, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) found that Serbia “violated the obligation to prevent genocide, under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, in respect of the genocide that occurred in Srebrenica in July 1995”. [6] Moreover, the ICJ found that Serbia “failed in its duty to co-operate fully with the ICTY,” to bring about, for example, the capture of the accused war criminal Ratko Mladić. [7] Serbia should be held responsible for failing to take all measures to prevent genocide in Srebrenica.

 

International Law emphasizes that genocide is a crime against humanity [8], and this convention applies to the brutalities perpetrated against the Bosniaks in Srebrenica in July 1995. The Parliament of the European Union and the Parliament of many European countries as well as the American Congress and the Senate have adopted resolutions on the Bosnian and Srebrenica Genocide. What happened in Srebrenica and in the rest of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1992 to 1995 is an example of crimes prohibited under International Humanitarian Law and for that reason it cannot be forgotten. As the Court stated in the Krstić Judgement: “This is a crime against all of humankind, its harm being felt not only by the group targeted for destruction, but by all of humanity.” [9] Therefore, in the name of all the genocide victims in Srebrenica and Bosnia and Herzegovina and in the name of many Canadians, we ask of you, the members of the Canadian Parliament, to support Motion M-416, which is sponsored by Mr. Brian Masse, MP, and seconded by Mr. Bill Siksay, MP, and Ms. Chris Charlton, MP. We are proud to say that we also have support from the Conservative Party of Canada, the Liberal Party of Canada, New Democratic Party of Canada, Blok Quebecois, Green Party of Canada, the Islamic and Jewish Congress of Canada, the Institute for Research of Genocide Canada, and many organizations for protection of human rights and freedom. 

 

Canadian Bosniaks, all Canadians, and all friends of truth and justice truly hope that the members of the Canadian Parliament will pass the resolution M-416 before the month of July since this year will be the fifteenth anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide and also marks five years of advocacy of the Canadian Bosniaks. By passing this resolution, Canada will become another strong voice in the genocide prevention movement. Indeed, a resolution from a country such as Canada is duly needed in a time where human rights and freedoms are still not observed globally. Even today the less fortunate around the world are deprived of basic human rights because these simple rights are being overshadowed by the progression of technology and globalization. As the world becomes more technologically advanced, only those in the developed nations will progress, while the poor continue to be victims of injustice and genocide. Canada is blessed to be a powerful nation that can make a difference on the world

 

stage. By accepting this resolution, Canada will send a clear message to the international community that it condemns genocide and that it holds justice dear.

 

In the name of all innocent victims of genocide and other crimes against humanity that occurred in Bosnia and Herzegovina, we humbly request that Canada accept Resolution M-416 through which July 11 would become Srebrenica Remembrance Day. We thank you for the support thus far and we hope that Canada will join the United States and the European Union in support of human rights.