Statement from The Hon. Jean Augustine, MP

Institute for the Research of Genocide Canada
Published: May 26, 2005  

Enclosed is a statement I made in Parliament today to ensure that the Resolution of the Srebernica genocide is on the table in Parliament.

July 11 is a day that all Canadians will remember. Standing Order 31 in the House where The Hon. Jean Augustine have raised the issue of the Resolution of Srebrenica genocide on the floor of the House.

Mr. Speaker, this July 11 will mark the 10th anniversary of the massacre in Srebrenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina in which almost 8,000 men and boys were meticulously and methodically separated from their daughters, mothers, sisters and wives and then killed by Serb forces, buried in mass graves and then reinterred in secondary graves to cover up the crimes. Srebrenica fell to invading Serb forces on July 11, 1995, which at the time had been declared a UN ” safe area” under the protection of the international community. The Srebrenica massacre was the worst genocidal atrocity in Europe since World War II.

The Resolution of the Congress of North American Bosniaks commemorating the 10 year anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide states that the policies of aggression and genocide as implemented by Serb forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1992 and 1005 meet the terms defining the crime of genocide in Article 2 of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, created in Paris on December 9, 1948, and entered into force on January 12, 1951.

The memory of those atrocities are still very much alive in the minds and hearts of many of my constituents.

Srebrenica marked the climax of the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The Red Cross estimated that between 8,000 and 10,000 innocent people were either executed or listed as missing. Throughout the three year war, tens of thousands were deprived of the fundamental democratic principles of peace, stability and safety.

This July let us remember the individuals who suffered because of hatred and intolerance. Let us assure the Canadian-Bosniak community and all communities that aggression,  ethnic cleansing, genocide and all such evils be not repeated and that Canada and Canadians stand ready to uphold democratic principles and the rule of law.

I have written to the Honourable Pierre Pettigrew, Minister of Foreign Affairs, The Honourable William Graham, Minister of National Defence and Dr.Senad Patry, Chair of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade requesting their support for Resolution of the Congress of North American Bosniaks regarding the Srebrenica genocide.

Canadians are marking this anniversary year from January to December. July 11 is a day that all Canadians will remember.