Današnji dan, četvrtak 16. februar, ući će u historiju Australije, a posebno bh zajednice u Australiji. Danas je Parlament Australije usvojio Rezoluciju o Srebrenici.
Ovom rezolucijom se potvrđuje odluka Međunarodnog suda u Hagu da je u Srebrenici jula 1995. godine počinjen genocid nad bošnjačkim stanovništvom zaštićene enklave Srebrenica. koja je bila pod zaštitom UN vojnika. Ovom rezolucijom se potvrđuje da su ubistva nedužnih bošnjačkih civila počinili pripadnici Vojske RS na čelu sa generalom Ratkom Mladićem.
U Parlamentu Australije usvojena Rezolucija o Srebrenici
Današnji dan, četvrtak 16. februar, ući će u historiju Australije, a posebno bh zajednice u Australiji. Danas je Parlament Australije usvojio Rezoluciju o Srebrenici.
Ovom rezolucijom se potvrđuje odluka Međunarodnog suda u Hagu da je u Srebrenici jula 1995. godine počinjen genocid nad bošnjačkim stanovništvom zaštićene enklave Srebrenica. koja je bila pod zaštitom UN vojnika.
Ovom rezolucijom se potvrđuje da su ubistva nedužnih bošnjačkih civila počinili pripadnici Vojske RS na čelu sa generalom Ratkom Mladićem.
Usvajanjem ove rezolucije Australija se pridružila zemljama Evropske unije, Kanade i SAD-a koje su već ranije usvojile ovu rezoluciju i tim činom ne dozvoljavaju da se zaboravi ovaj najveći masakr u Evropi nakon Drugog svjetskog rata.
Usvajanjem ove rezolucije Australija je potvrdila svoj status jedne od najdemokratskijih i najslobodnijih država u svijetu, koja neće dozvoliti da se sjećanje na 11. juli 1995 godine izbriše iz naših sjećanja i ovom rezolucijom Australija želi da sačuva spomen na sve nedužno stradale osobe i da se nikad i nikome ovako nešto ne ponovi.
Današnji čin usvajanja rezolucije bio je samo posljednja karika u dvogodišnjim diplomatskim aktivnostima i lobiranjima koja je pokrenulo i vodilo Vijeće bh organizacija Australije.
Ovom prilikom Vijeće bh organizacija Australije se zahvaljuje svim osobama od Bosne i Hercegovine, Kanade, SAD-a do Australije koje su pomogle da se usvoji ova rezolucija.
Posebnu zahvalu i ogromno priznanje Vijeće bh organizacija Australije upućuje Ambasadoru BiH u Canberri dr Damiru Arnautu, koji je osim diplomatskog lobiranja i pomaganja da rezolucija uđe u raspravu u Parlament, učinio velike napore u vezi pripreme teksta rezolucije koju je upravo dr Arnaut kao ugledni i svjetski priznati pravnik finalizirao i dao joj završni pečat. Ovom prilikom Vijeće bh organizacija Australije čestita našem ambasadoru dr Arnautu na kompletnoj podršci u svezi sa svim aktivnostima oko pripreme i usvajanja Rezolucije i neka ovo bude primjer svim drugim bh diplomatama kako i na koji način treba da brane i zastupaju interese naše domovine Bosne i Hercegovine.
Također se želimo zahvaliti poslanicima Parlamenta Australije koji su učinili najveće napore da Rezolucija o Srebrenici uđe u raspravu u Parlament i da bude usvojena danas. Među njima posebno treba istači zastupnika Laburističke stranke za Port Melbourne (Victoria) Michaela Danbya, zatim zastupnika Laburističke stranke za Moreton (Queensland) Grahama Perreta, kao i zastupnika Laburističke stranke za Chifley (NSW) Eda Husica.
U ime bosanskohercegovačke dijaspore specijalno priznanje i zahvalnost idu na adresu Hon. Ed Husica, BiH građanina godine 2010. u Australiji, kojeg smatramo najznačajnijim ambasadorom za istinu o BiH u svijetu. Neka nam svima Hon. Ed Husic služi kao primjer pravog zastupnika naroda, istine i pravde, neka njegovo djelo bude primjer za političare u BH kako trebaju raditi za BiH i za svoj narod.
Senada Softić-Telalović
Predsjednica Vijeća bh organizacija Australije
E: senadasoftic@optusnet.com.au
M: +61 419 329 344
Members of Parliament
Canberra
24 August 2010
DRAFT – RECOMMENDED MOTION:
To move—That the House:
(1) notes that:
(a) on 11 July 1995 the Bosnian town of Srebrenica, which was at that time proclaimed a Protected Zone by a United Nations Security Council Resolution of 16 April 1993, fell into the hands of the Army of Republika Srpska led by General Ratko Mladić and under the direction of the then President of the Republika Srpska, Radovan Karadžić; [EU Parliament Resolution]
(b) the Army and the Police of Republika Srpska from 12 July separated men aged 16 to approximately 60 or 70 from their families [Judgment, Para. 288]
(c) Bosnian Serb forces killed over 7,000 Bosnian Muslim men following the takeover of Srebrenica in July 1995; [Judgment, Para. 290]
(d) all the executions systematically targeted Bosnian Muslim men of military age, regardless of whether they were civilians or soldiers [Judgment, Para. 292]
(e) the acts committed at Srebrenica were committed with the specific intent to destroy in part the group of the Muslims of Bosnia and Herzegovina as such; and accordingly that these were acts of genocide, committed by members of the Army of Republika Srpska in and around Srebrenica from about 13 July 1995; [Judgment, Para. 297]
(f) these findings have been confirmed by the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia through final and binding Judgments; and that
(g) in the opinion of the House, the day of 11 July should be recognized as Srebrenica Remembrance Day in memorial of the genocide at Srebrenica of July 1995.
Dear Members of Parliament
We are writing to thank you on behalf of Australians of Bosnian Herzegovina heritage, citizens of Bosnia Herzegovina and the countless victims of genocide throughout the world, for taking steps to recognize the genocide that occurred in Bosnia Herzegovina’s town of Srebrenica in the summer of 1995.
We seek your support in championing the Motion before the Federal Parliament of Australia as a parliamentary procedure which would endorse the motion to proclaim July 11th as a day of remembrance of the of the Srebrenica genocide of July 11, 1995.
The initiation of the parliamentary procedure to pass this Resolution has genuinely and profoundly touched our hearts and souls. To the survivors of grave atrocities, in particular the thousands of mothers, wives, daughters, and grandmothers who have lost their men and boys during those horrific evil days, this gesture of remembrance is a great honour and a reprieve from our collective sorrow. By passing this resolution the people of Australia will have joined us under the banner of humanity to speak on behalf of the innocent boys and men whose lives now stand as a testament to the injustices of our time. Let us stand firmly on the side of righteousness and pay homage to victims by fighting the dangers of oblivion!
Below is a list of some of the documented facts and findings regarding the evil tragedy that unfolded in Bosnia and Herzegovina at the end of the 20th century:
1. The Bosnian tragedy was an armed aggression against the civilians and sovereignty of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In other words, according to the basic understanding and definition, the international armed conflict that ensued was a crime against peace and security of humankind, marking a clear distinction between the aggressors and the victims.
2. Systematic and abhorrent crimes against humanity, including genocide, were committed on the territory of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina against the besieged Bosniak civilian population.
3. Serbian ultranationalist elites (political, intellectual, and clerical), in accordance with the Serbian nationalist project of “greater Serbia” – namely, “all Serbs in one state” – during the last decade of the 20th century, caused an internal crisis in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY) and destroyed the common state.
4. The Republic of Serbia, by the Amendments to the Constitution of September 28, 1990, seceded (from SFRY) and unlawfully assumed the functions of an independent and sovereign state. In so doing, it violated the constitutional law of SFRY and committed a grave criminal offense.
5. The aggression and genocide campaigns against Bosnia and Herzegovina were meticulously planned on an intellectual, ideological, political, military, and economic level, well in advance of actual events. The objectives and operations of these crimes against humanity received command from the highest echelons of political and military centers and were executed in a planned, organized, and systematic fashion. The responsible parties that consist of leaders, planners, commanders, executors, and associates are well-known. Their crimes and motives were investigated and proven in international courts of law.
6. The genocide against Bosniaks was envisaged and efficiently executed, with an unfortunate massive involvement of the Serbian people. Based on a study of the Government of Republika Srpska (an enforced new entity of Bosnia Herzegovina), more than 25,000 persons in various capacities participated in the genocide against Bosniaks in the UN safe area of Srebrenica, in July 1995.
7. The aggression against the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, along with the consequences of the weapons and humanitarian aid embargos, as insisted upon by the United Nations, Europe, and international community, were an integral part of Milosevic’s state policy.
8. Political, military, police, and the administrative-executive potential of Republika Srpska, that is, the official Republika Srpska authorities, under the direct management, organization, command, participation, and support of the states Serbia and Montenegro/Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, occupied more than 70% of the territory of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina and took part in genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes against Bosniaks.
9. The leadership of the collaborationist creation of Republika Srpska, with Radovan Karadzic, Momcilo Krajisnik, Biljana Plavsic, and others at its’ head, inaugurated a “Republic” whose foundations are built on a genocidal intention to exterminate Bosniaks and all traces of their existence in the region.
10. Despite an overwhelming amount of evidence, the genocide against Bosniaks is still concealed, minimized, and/or contested. Considering rulings by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, the International Court of Justice and the results of an investigation conducted by Republika Srpska, and prominent international investigations, ignoring one of the most blatant acts of violence against humanity in the 20th century is utterly unacceptable!
11. Tragically, we continually witness propaganda campaigns aimed at spreading disinformation about the genocide victims in Bosnian and Herzegovina. Particularly troubling are opinions of academics of ill-repute who manage to spread disinformation while completely ignoring the integrity and verifiability of the actual state of affairs.
12. The planners, commanders, participants, accessories, co-perpetrators, and perpetrators of genocide are present within the “greater” Serbia ideology, politics, and practices in which they are idealized, glorified, and hailed as honoured heroes of the nationalist people (in science, culture, art, education). They not only live unpunished, but worse yet profit from the loot obtained through genocide, all the while mocking the victims of their crimes.
13. No official apology to, or attempt toward seeking forgiveness from, the victims of the committed genocide has been displayed via the political and scientific elite of the Serbian people. Instead, fabrications and forged historical facts, continued genocide denial, and the transfer of responsibility to the victims of genocide, as if the aggressor and the victim are one and the same, continue to dominate discourse amongst these representatives of the Serbian people. Although these actions may not be a reflection of the Serbian population as a whole, such misrepresentations, fabrications, and denial can have a profound effect in manipulating population perspectives as already witnessed through the successful implementation of genocide campaigns against Bosniak civilians.
14. Currently, political leadership and other structures of Republika Srpska, in accordance with the “greater Serbia” ideology, policy, and practices are obstructing the strengthening of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a sovereign state. As long the leaders of this entity continue to pursue the policy of cessation, destruction, and annulment of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina, stability, and justice in the region will be nothing more than wishful thinking.
Along with other forms of crimes against humanity and international law, what we have listed above are only the basic facts that are deeply engraved in the minds of all the survivors of Bosnia’s genocide. These facts constitute an integral part of a social reality that continues to exist today. As long as those responsible for the bloodshed in Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to maintain and legalize the projects on which their entity was founded on; deny the political-legal and state continuity of Bosnia and Herzegovina; deny the possibility of common living; and affirm this position through raising doubts into universal human values, freedoms and rights, civilization, and cultural legacy, the permanent stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina will never come to fruition.
Indeed, it is time to align ourselves on the side of justice and fight for the sustainability of human dignity in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in Australia. When we succeed, the surviving genocide victims will have their place and role, and those whose lives have been taken will be commemorated in a testament to our united struggle against injustice! In this manner, not only do we cement the truth of atrocities committed in Srebrenica, but we take one fundamental step toward thwarting genocides committed in future conflicts.
Australia’s commitment to peacekeeping is well recognized worldwide, and appreciated. We hold Australian’s in high regard and this motion is yet further proof of your high moral standards and commitment to human rights, peace, and justice.
On behalf of all the innocent victims of genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina, we appeal to you to adopt the proposed Resolution (attached). We respectfully ask that the initiative be taken, to have the Resolution adopted in this calendar (2011) to pave the way for next year’s commemoration to be one of solidarity and expressed appreciation to the people of Australia.
With this hope, we extend our heartfelt gratitude and respect.
Sincerely,
Ms. Senada Softic-Telalovic,
President Australian Council of Bosnian Herzegovina Organizations
Signaturies
Dr. Smail Cekic,
Institute Director, Institute for Research of Crimes against Humanity and International Law, Sarajevo, Bosnia Herzegovina
Emir Ramic,
Director, Institute for the Research of Genocide Canada (IRGC),
Reference note:
Australian Council of Bosnian Herzegovina Organizations is the peak body representing the interests of Australians of Bosnian Herzegovina heritage, Australia-wide. Our Executive Committee is comprised by elected representatives from all States of Australia.