THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA WOULD SUPPORT A PARLIAMENTARY RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING AND COMMEMORATING THE SREBRENICA GENOCIDE

Institute for the Research of Genocide Canada
Published: September 23, 2010  

HON. BRIAN MASSE - QUESTION ON THE ORDER PAPER IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS OF THE CANADIAN PARLIAMENT

Mr. Brian Masse: Sponsor of the Motion, -416:

“With respect to Canada’s foreign policy: (a) what is the government’s explanation for its refusal to recognize as a genocide the murder of more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslim civilians by Serbian forces and the displacement of more than 25,000 other civilians in Srebrenica, Bosnia, in 1995; and (b) will the government revisit its decision with respect to recognizing the events in (a) as a genocide and, if so, has it put in place plans to meet with members of the Bosnian Muslim diaspora”?

THE GOVERNMENT’S RESPONSE

Hon. Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada:

“Mr. Speaker, it is inaccurate to say that Canada has refused to recognize the massacre at Srebrenica in 1995 as genocide. Canada has consistently supported the work and findings of international judicial institutions in relation to the crimes committed at Srebrenica. These include the decisions of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, ICTY, in Krstic (2001) and Popovic (2010) and the decision of the International Court of Justice in Bosnia and Herzegovina v. Serbia and Montenegro (2007), all of which held that the events that occurred in Srebrenica in 1995 constituted genocide.
The Government of Canada has referred to the Srebrenica massacre as genocide, specifically in a press release from the Minister of Foreign Affairs on July 10, 2021 commemorating the 15th anniversary of the massacre and explicitly referring to it as genocide (http://www.international.gc.ca/media/aff/news-communiques/2010/217.aspx?lang=eng).
The government would support a parliamentary resolution recognizing and commemorating the Srebrenica genocide”.

THE RESPONSE OF THE BOSNIAK - CANADIAN COMMUNITY

Srebrenica Genocide is not a matter of anybody’s opinion; it’s a judicial fact recognized first by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and subsequently by the International Court of Justice. Srebrenica is the most thoroughly documented case of genocide in history. Each victims has been identified through rigorous DNA analysis.

Even though the Foreign Minister of Canada Hon. Lawrence Cannon is quoted in a government statement acknowledging the Srebrenica genocide, passing Motion in the House of Commons is the only thing that has historic, moral, legislative, and legal meaning for Canadian Bosniaks.

Bosniak – Canadian Community look forward to that day when Canada will join her historic allies: the United States and the European Union by parliamentary marking July 11th as “SREBRENICA REMEMBRANCE DAY”.

On behalf of the 50,000 Canadian Bosniaks, The congress of North American Bosniaks, Canadian Branch and The Institute for Research of Genocide Canada kindly request that the members in the House of Commons vote yes on the original text of the Motion, M-416 as soon as possible. The Motion would recognize and help ease the physical and emotional scars that all Canadian Bosniaks carry with them and would re-establish Canada’s credibility in the international community.

Bosniak – Canadian Community thanks Hon. Brian Masse for everything he is doing that the truth about the genocide against Bosniaks be parliamentary recognized in Canada.

Professor Emir Ramic

The Congress of North American Bosniaks, Canadian Branch
The Institute for Research of Genocide Canada