For Immediate Release: Download in PDF
Chicago, IL – The so-called Republika Srpska (RS) entity has been built on the basis of aggression against the Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina and as a result of genocide against non-Serbs. As such, it has no legitimate historical, political or cultural basis for existence. On January 9th, 1992, the Bosnian Serbs led by indicted war criminal Radovan Karadzic forcibly self-proclaimed the so called “Serb Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina”. This event can be historically classified as the official beginning of the aggression against the Republic of Bosnia and genocide against non-Serbs. Since Republika Srpska was created on the basis of genocide, it should be linked with the judgments of international courts. Ignoring the participation of Republika Srpska in killing of innocent Bosniaks and Croats, these judgments do not hold RS responsible for the genocide. By marking this date, Republika Srpska and its inhabitants pride themselves on the fact that this entity is a product of genocide. Ratko Mladić said: “We need to commit genocide in order to create our own country.” Today, the leaders of the illegitimate RS establishment continue to work towards the destruction of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Similar to celebrating the myth of “the Battle of Kosovo” – as the greatest national tragedy, the Serb nationalists in modern times celebrate the success of Republika Srpska in the same manner. The truth, however, is completely different. Republika Srpska is based on a product of a greater memorandum “nationalist revolution” which is one of the largest Serb defeats. Serbs were given an entity, but they lost the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The glorification of Serb nationalism is used to cover the self-inflicted misery and misfortune of the Serb people. The RS threw the Serbs into misery ethnically, culturally, and religiously because they have managed to distance themselves from their neighbors as well as the idea of Bosnia and the Bosnian spirit, and therefore of man and civilization in general. The hatred towards Bosniaks is the worst consequence of Serb nationalism which the Serb leaders continue to propagate among their people. This hatred resulted in the slashing of the state and society in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the destruction of the Bosnian idea and Bosnian spirit among the Serb people in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Accepting January 9th as the anniversary of Republika Srpska, Serbs have accepted the legacy of war criminals Karadzic, Mladic and Krajisnik. The celebration of this date in RS allows politicians such as Milorad Dodik to carry on the genocidal legacy of Serb nationalism through political means. The truth of the matter is that the separate entity created for the Serb people is actually isolating the Serbs and leading to further stalemate since Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country for all ethnic groups – Bosniaks, Croats and Serbs.
Marking January 9th as a “day of Republika Srpska”, Serbs are subconsciously recognizing the aggression and genocide that has been committed on the non-Serbs to create this entity. It is a de facto recognition of aggression, genocide, culturocide , torture in concentration camps, mass rape and mass expulsions and violence, committed between 1992 to 1995. Insistence on marking this date directly supports the policies that led to the aggression and genocide.
The twenty year existence of a genocidal entity has caused injustice to victims and witnesses of aggression and genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The twenty year existence of a genocidal entity is also the fault of the Bosniak political and intellectual establishment who quietly observe the injustice and do little to nothing to challenge the status quo.
For the last twenty years the international community has stood by as “impartial” observers rather than standing for justice. Acting in the similar manner as during the war, the international community has forgotten the fact that impartiality in Bosnia and Herzegovina means support for the aggressors and criminals.
All those who celebrate January 9th are celebrating the aggression, genocide and murder, torture in the camps, rape, forced displacement and the burning of houses, religious and commercial buildings. RS has not been established through sound decisions or proper assemblies. What they are celebrating on this day is built on the sights of hundreds of thousands of victims, the bones of the murdered children, the rape of Bosniak women, and of all those tortured in concentration camps. RS may have been created on the basis of injustice but it will fade away as a result of justice, which will eventually come.
Keeping in mind the judgments of international tribunals, the aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina and genocide against Bosniaks has occurred. Denial of these facts actually means crimes of aggression and genocide is ongoing today. The Institute for Research of Genocide Canada calls on all Bosnian citizens in the world and all friends of justice for the victims of these crimes to mark 9th January as what it really represents, the day that the genocide against Bosniaks began.
Professor Emir Ramic
Director of the Institute for Research of Genocide, Canada
http://www.instituteforgenocide.ca
Haris Alibasic, MPA
President of the Congress of North American Bosniak
www.bosniak.org
Sanja Drnovsek, J.D, Med
Chair of the Bosnian American Institute for Genocide and Education (BAGI)
www.baginst.org
Esad R. Krcic
http://www.bosniaks.net/