Schmidt in Srebrenica: Bosnia and Herzegovina should be an example of reconciliation and cooperation

(Patria) - Dear survivors, dear mothers of victims' families, members of the BiH Presidency Messrs. Bećirović and Komšić, President of the Mechanism in The Hague Santana, ladies and gentlemen, today we are here on the occasion of the 29th commemoration of the genocide in Srebrenica committed in this area, said High Representative Christian Schmidt in his opening remarks at the commemoration of the 29th anniversary of the genocide in Srebrenica.

"It is an honor to be with you today. On May 23, the UN General Assembly declared July 11 as the International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica. The Srebrenica Resolution condemned all those who deny genocide. The international community is committed to preserving the memory. It is imperative for society to reject attempts to minimize the genocide in Srebrenica," Schmidt added.

He noted: "It is the task of all of us to do even more and in greater numbers, as is the case today. We need additional forces. As I announced last year at this place, other important steps have been taken to commemorate the genocide."

"Those convicted of genocide and war crimes will be registered. A Memorandum of Understanding has also been signed between the Ministry of Justice and the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals in The Hague. I have also amended the Election Law to prevent war criminals from participating in elections," said the High Representative.

He particularly emphasized that the Prosecutor's Office must prosecute those responsible for genocide and war crimes, but also those who deny genocide or glorify war criminals.

"Allow me to draw the attention of the international community and domestic actors to the issue of missing persons. Over seven thousand victims are still listed as missing. The problem is the lack of information about the locations of graves and other information. Finding the missing requires additional support and funding," said Schmidt, adding:

"Today, it is also our duty to give peace to the 14 victims killed in July 1995. Murals glorifying war criminals, especially in the entity of Rs, are absolutely unacceptable. It is an insult to the victims and a criminal offense. Those who do not use their authority to punish this should take responsibility. I emphasize that all these decisions are not directed against the people. The Resolution itself is not directed against the Rs or the Serb people; it should open dialogue and act as a catalyst for healing wounds."

He noted that in "Rs there is a symptom of the inability to face the future. We are witnessing that healing is not simple. It was impressive to see the participants of the Peace March; our political path cannot be compared to that. We reject the denial of the horrors of Srebrenica, Žepa, Prijedor. Every crime is a crime. The crimes of others do not justify the committed crimes."

"Bosnia and Herzegovina should be an example of reconciliation," Schmidt concluded.