Vijesti
The letter to the President of the Republic of Croatia
Dear President Josipovic,
We are reaching out to you on behalf of the surviving victims of genocide committed by Serbia’s aggression on Bosnia and Herzegovina, on behalf of the truth, and court proven facts about what happened to Bosniak population.
The chief analyst and special foreign counsel in your Office wrote a completely uncritical review of the book “First Do No Harm: Humanitarian Intervention and the Destruction of Yugoslavia,” authored by Dr. David Gibbs. That in itself would not be an issue if the author of the book, which was published in 2009, not only openly denies the genocide in Srebrenica but also justifies the genocide due to previously alleged crimes, and also alleges that the legally formed and internationally recognized Government of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina shelled its own citizen in the besieged Sarajevo. In short, the author is a neo-communist supporter of conspiracy theories who see Slobodan Milosevic as a fighter against the expansion of NATO, not the Balkan butcher, responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands and persecution of millions of people in the former Yugoslavia.
Jovic publicly supports and praises Dr. Gibbs’ thesis about sharing the blame for the war and claims that Gibbs’ book represents an excellent, original, and compelling argument that questions current interpretations and asks for alternatives.
We understand that the President of Croatia has the right to have an adviser as a genocide denier. It is also your full right to work with someone who is not quite clear about who was the defender and who was the aggressor in the war in Croatia, as seen in his book “Yugoslavia – the State that Withered Away.”
In this book, Dr. Jovic describes the Chetnik movement in World War II as a “pro-Yugoslav resistance movement.” He calls Milosevic a fighter against “state ideology and anarchy” and calls the aggression of the Yugoslav People's Army on the internationally recognized State of Croatia, as intervention “in good faith
to stop direct ethnic conflict in Croatia.”
This is a matter for Croatian citizens, but not only them, that their President has someone in his office who holds these views. At the same time, it also is not just our problem that you consult with a person who openly denies judicial findings about the crimes committed in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as it undoubtedly has direct implications for the reputation of Croatia internationally. Be assured that we will notify all of our friends in the world that the President of the Republic of Croatia provides shelter to a person who is hiding behind academic titles and status and implicitly denies the Serbian aggression and genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In conclusion, we ask you to publicly respond regarding Dr. Jovic’s views and accordingly take appropriate steps. The fact that the Croatian President has, as his foreign policy advisor, a man who deliberately reduces the responsibility of Serbia in the aggression against neighboring states, and who speaks well of authors who deny the genocide and the responsibility of Serbian nationalists is detrimental to the current and future relations in the Balkans, stability and peace.
Sincerely,
The signatories of the letter are from different parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the BiH diaspora:
The Congress of North American Bosniaks (CNAB)
The Institute for Research of Genocide, Canada (IGC)
The Civic Coalition "First March", BiH
The Bosniak Cultural Association "Preporod”, BiH
The Human Rights Committee, the rights of victims of war and genocide of the World Bosniak Congress
The Society for the Threatened Peoples of BiH
The Association of Camp Prisoners of BiH
The Association of victims and witnesses of genocide in BiH
The Association of Detainees "Prijedor92", BiH
The Movement of Justice for BiH, Canada
The Association "Woman - Victim of War" in BiH
The Council of Bosnian organizations Australia
The World Diaspora Association of BiH
The Bosnian American Institute for Research of Genocide and Education
Vijesti: