Canada wants the truth about 'white armbands' known, as well as justice for the victims of these terrible humiliations

(Patria) - On the occasion of May 31st, World White Armband Day, Member of the Canadian Parliament Brian Masse, author of the resolution on World White Armband Day in the Parliament of Canada, wrote:

"On May 31, 1992, in Prijedor, a town in northwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina, after the violent takeover of power in the municipality, Bosnian Serb authorities issued a decree, read on local radio, ordering all non-Serb citizens to mark their homes with white flags or blankets and to wear white armbands on their sleeves when leaving their homes. Tens of thousands of family members forced to wear white armbands were imprisoned in camps established during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

During the war, 3,173 people were killed in Prijedor - among them 256 women and 102 children. Almost 31,000 people were imprisoned in concentration camps, and 53,000 were forcibly expelled. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague has convicted several individuals to prison sentences for war crimes committed in and around Prijedor. Surviving witnesses testified before the Hague Tribunal about horrific torture, rape, and murder in the camps.
In 2012, on the 20th anniversary of the white armband decree, Prijedor residents founded the Stop Genocide Denial group, with the aim of raising awareness about World White Armband Day. Since then, the remembrance of these crimes and crimes against humanity has grown worldwide.

World White Armband Day reminds us that we are all obliged to ensure that crimes of genocide and torture are permanently eradicated, that the victims of such crimes are remembered, and that perpetrators are brought to justice. Combating all genocide denial is an important part of the process. Today is a day for remembering and supporting the victims of crimes, along with the entire global community dedicated to truth, justice, and respect for the victims and their families.

World White Armband Day reminds us of the brutality of hatred and the human capacity for unspeakable cruelty. We are all obliged to ensure that crimes of genocide and torture are permanently eradicated, that the victims of such crimes are remembered, and that perpetrators are identified and brought to justice. The fight against genocide denial is an essential part of the process. As part of this effort, I will work with fellow Members of the Parliament of Canada to adopt a resolution recognizing World White Armband Day in Canada.".

This year, a history lesson was held on the occasion of May 31st, World White Armband Day, in Bosnian language schools in Canada. Children learned about this important date in Bosnian-Herzegovinian memory culture. Canada is the only country in the world whose government and parliament recognize this date. From the history lesson, the children sent a message:

"May May 31st, as World White Armband Day, serve as a reminder of the evil that happened in Prijedor and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and that we all act together to prevent the recurrence of crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide. Today, on the day of remembrance and support for the victims of crimes, we remain permanently committed to truth, justice, and respect for the victims and their families. From Canada, we send a message that we proudly wear white armbands, thus testifying that the surviving victims are not alone, that their voices are heard in Canada, in the Government and Parliament of Canada.

The commemoration of World White Armband Day was held in front of the Parliament of Canada in Ottawa, in front of the City Halls of Toronto and Hamilton, and in front of the memorial monument to the victims of genocide in Srebrenica in Windsor.

White armbands, a symbol of the crime committed in Prijedor and Bosnia and Herzegovina, have long been recognized in Canada. Today, you no longer have to explain in Canada what was committed in Prijedor on May 31, 1992. The political, academic, and wider public are increasingly familiar with it. Our children are now successfully doing this.

Whoever does not want to talk about the genocide in Prijedor should also remain silent about the White Armbands. The white armband completes the genocide in Prijedor, which science has proven. The white armband and genocide are part of a unique criminal enterprise of killing and expelling Prijedor Bosniaks and Croats, expressed in the genocidal intent to destroy their tradition. The white armband is therefore part of a more complete picture of the criminal persecution of the Bosniak and Croat population of the municipality of Prijedor and their criminal liquidation.

Draft resolution of the Parliament of Canada on White Armband Day in Canada:

"Whereas the horror of genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina must never be forgotten; and whereas May 31 is observed as the anniversary when authorities in Prijedor, a town in northwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina, ordered all non-Serbs to mark their homes with white flags or sheets and to wear a white armband if they left their homes; and whereas, as a direct consequence of the ethnic cleansing of the municipality of Prijedor in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the town of Kozarac, 53,000 of its Bosniaks and Croats were expelled from their homes, approximately 3,173 unarmed civilians were executed, and 31,000 civilians were interned in various Serb-run concentration camps; and
Whereas this anniversary raises awareness of the tragic suffering of the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina and pays tribute and remembrance to the over 100,000 civilians who were killed as a result of the policy of ethnic cleansing and aggression in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995; and
Whereas the tragic history of genocide offers an opportunity to reflect on the responsibilities of individuals, societies, and governments, and serves as an important reminder of what can happen to civilized people when intolerance, hatred, and indifference prevail; and
Whereas Canada recognizes the importance of this remembrance for the Bosnian people through justice and truth.

Therefore, the Parliament of Canada hereby declares May 31 as "International World White Armband Day" in Canada.".