Statement on the initiatives that July 11th should be proclaimed as a day of commemoration of the Srebrenica genocide
The highest representatives of the authorities in Serbia continue to deny genocide in Srebrenica. By completely ignoring the initiative to proclaim July 11th as a Day of Commemoration of the Srebrenica genocide shows that they don't have the capacity to build a lasting peace, good neighborly relations and confidence in the region.
Women in Black, Centre for Cultural Decontamination, Humanitarian Law Center, Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia, Youth Initiative for Human Rights, Lawyers Committee for Human Rights, Association of anti-fascists Serbia for six years are continuously requiring the competent institutions of the state of Serbia to declare 11th July - the Day of Commemoration of the Srebrenica genocide. As part of this campaign this year on June 11th it was requested again to the competent institutions in Serbia to: President of the Republic, the Prime Minister and Cabinet members, chairmen and epistles of National Assembly.
At our request only one parliamentary group of the League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina responded and informed us that on 29th June 2015 they sent the initiative to the Committee for Human and Minority Rights and Gender Equality to consider our initiative and that the Parliament of Serbia should begin "a process of negotiating one of the most painful topics in relations between Bosniak and Serbian people - the victims of Srebrenica."
The silence of all other political representatives of the Serbian state is confirming that the current authorities continue to relativize, and deny genocide in Srebrenica. Ignoring our demands demonstrates a lack of political will and moral capacities of the current authorities for a fundamental transformation of society.
Women in Black and other civil society organizations will continue to make requests to the competent state institutions in Serbia about genocide in Srebrenica.
Women in Black
In Belgrade, 9 July 2015.
