Canada marks White Ribbon Day: A day to remember and support victims of crimes

(Patria) - White Ribbon Day has been observed for years in Canada, especially in the city of Hamilton. 

In a statement by Canadian Member of Parliament Brian Masse on the occasion of May 31, the International Day of White Ribbons, it is said:

"On May 31, 1992, in Prijedor, a town in northwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina, after the violent takeover of power in the municipality, the Bosnian Serb authorities issued a decree, read on local radio, ordering all non-Serb citizens to mark their houses with white flags or sheets and to wear white ribbons on their sleeves when leaving their homes. Tens of thousands of family members forced to wear white ribbons were detained in camps established during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In Prijedor, during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 3,173 people were killed - among them 256 women and 102 children. Nearly 31,000 people were detained in concentration camps, and 53,000 were forcibly expelled. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague sentenced several individuals to prison terms for war crimes committed in and around Prijedor. Survivors testified before the Hague Tribunal about horrific acts of torture, rape, and murder committed in the camps. In 2012, on the 20th anniversary of the white ribbon decree, residents of Prijedor founded the group Stop Denying Genocide, with the aim of raising awareness about the World Day of White Ribbons. Since then, the memory of these crimes and crimes against humanity has grown worldwide. The World Day of White Ribbons reminds us that we all have a duty to ensure that the crimes of genocide and torture are permanently eradicated, that the victims of such crimes are remembered, and that perpetrators are exposed and brought to justice. Combating all forms of genocide denial is an important part of the process. Today is a day to remember and support the victims of crimes, together with the entire global community dedicated to truth, justice, and respect for victims and their families".

Mr. Brian Masse is the sponsor of the resolution on the International Day of White Ribbons, which will soon enter parliamentary procedure. Calling on the Canadian and world public to observe the International Day of White Ribbons, Brian Masse in his statement speaks about the genocide in Prijedor.

On the eve of May 31, Hamilton once again warns that the world has not learned the lesson from World War II. By decision of the members of the City Council, on the large electronic billboard in front of the Hamilton City Hall building, in memory of the victims of the Greater Serbian fascist method of marking Bosniaks and Croats, as a clear announcement of genocide, it is written: "Hamilton supports the International Day of White Ribbons". While the political establishment of Prijedor marks May 30 as the so-called Day of Defense of Prijedor, thereby in the best way legalizing the scientifically proven genocide in Prijedor, while murals in Prijedor continue the anti-civilizational dehumanization of genocide victims, the Canadian city of Hamilton stands in solidarity with the victims of genocide in Prijedor and joins the International Day of White Ribbons campaign. While darkness still rules Prijedor as a symbol of the continuous threat to the basic human rights and freedoms of Bosniaks and Croats, while victims are further humiliated, while there are still no concrete indications of building a monument for the killed children and genocide victims, while the light of seeking forgiveness is not visible from that darkness, Canada and the city of Hamilton, on the eve of May 31, once again warn that the world has not learned the lesson from World War II. 

The observance of such events, which are crucial for the history not only of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region but also of the entire world, is necessary to prevent the repetition of the same, anywhere, anytime. Through the continuous observance of May 31, the awareness of Canadians about the significance of the International Day of White Ribbons has been improved. These white ribbons may not be visible to the naked eye today, but Bosniaks and Croats in Prijedor are certainly marked through threats, blackmail, intimidation, and continuous threats to basic human rights and freedoms, including the right to build a memorial for the killed children and victims of genocide in Prijedor. Let May 31 serve as a reminder of the evil that happened in Prijedor and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and let us all act together to prevent the repetition of crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide. White Ribbon Day remains a permanent symbol of the struggle in Canada and the world against the continuous denial of the crimes of genocide in Prijedor, against police bans on commemorative gatherings of victims in Prijedor, against the continuous refusal of local authorities to allow the construction of a memorial for killed children and civilian victims. White Ribbon Day is also a symbol of the struggle for truth and justice, for human rights and freedoms, for respect for others and those who are different throughout the world. That is why we demand that May 31 become a permanent date marking the “white ribbons” of Prijedor, that it be institutionalized and become part of institutional memory. This is also an opportunity to declare May 31 as a day of struggle against the physical marking of people, the most morbid dehumanization, segregation and apartheid, and crimes against humanity and international law, which followed after the marking of the victim", states the Institute for Genocide Research Canada.