Statement on the occasion of 21 anniversary of genocide
Genocide in Srebrenica was the biggest war crime after World War II in Europe. Slobodan Milosevic regime is an accomplice of genocide by providing enormous political, military, logistical and financial assistance to the army of the Republic of Srpska. On this occasion, we want to remind that:
- Serbia is first and so far the only country in the world that is by the verdict of the International Court of Justice (2007) found responsible for violating the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
- The ICTY has proved beyond reasonable doubt the individual criminal responsibility of a large number of members of the Serbian armed forces and political institutions, who acted in the spirit of achieving territorial project of Greater Serbia and genocide in Srebrenica was part of that project.
- Serbian top officials, along with officials from the Republic of Srpska and with the help of Russia, prevented the adoption of the UN Resolution on Srebrenica in June 2015.
- Paranoid fear and frenzied reaction even from the mention of the word genocide are present in the Serbian public and it confirms that, unfortunately, ideology that allowed the genocide persists; justifying crimes and criminals celebration off war criminals as heroes leading this society in an even deeper moral collapse.
- Women in Black and similar organizations are requesting for more than a decade from State of Serbia to recognize the genocide, to proclaim July 11th as a day of commemoration of the Srebrenica genocide and that denial of genocide to be qualified as a criminal offense. Ignoring of our request confirms the lack of political will and moral capacities of the current government, but also the link between the crime and the ideology of the current Serbian government and the continuity of the moral and cultural patterns with the regime under which the genocide happened, as it was a state organized crime.
Regarding commemoration of 21st anniversary of the genocide in Srebrenica, Women in Black, supported by art collectives Multimedia Centre Led Art from Novi Sad, Dah Theatre from Belgrade and civil society activists, will organize:
July 10th from 7.30pm to 8.30pm at the Republic Square in Belgrade, stage action "Srebrenica 8372", which consists of:
- Installing a symbolic / living memorial - the continuation of construction of the monument to the victims of the Srebrenica genocide. It is an act of non-violent revolt against the denial of genocide in Srebrenica, both at the level of the state and society, since they rejected our persistent requests to approve the construction of a permanent monument to the victims of genocide in Srebrenica in Belgrade. With this act, we continue our commitment to make Srebrenica to become part of the collective memory, which would be significant step towards that Belgrade and Serbia gain status of post-genocide city and state.
- Presentation to the public scene figures of those killed - 8372 - shows the extent of the genocide and is determined by the court, this fact is persistently distort / falsified / reduced by the majority of the public in Serbia. It is also a call to finally accept the factual truth, and above all to respect the dignity of the victims of genocide.
July 11th - Solidarity and responsibility - going to the commemoration / funeral in Potocari / Srebrenica, where we, together with the families of victims of the Srebrenica genocide, will attend the burial of the remains of victims.
Belgrade, July 9th 2016
