Supporters of Motion M-416 in the Parliament of Canada
Institute for the Research of Genocide Canada
Published: December 1, 2009
Brian Masse Motion M – 416
M-416 — September 10, 2021 — Mr. Masse (Windsor West) — That, in the opinion of the House, the government should declare the day of July 11 as Srebrenica Remembrance Day and the week of July 11 as Bosnia and Herzegovina Tribute Week in memorial of the Srebrenica Massacre of July 1995, in which more than 8,000 Bosniak civilians were executed under the policy of ethnic cleansing, the worst act of genocide in Europe since the Second World War, and 30,000 others were expelled from their homes by Serbian forces.
M – 416 Seconded
M 416 Mr. Masse (Windsor West) — Srebrenica massacre — Notice — September 10, 2021 Pursuant to Standing Order 86(3), jointly seconded by: Mr. Siksay (Burnaby—Douglas) and Ms. Charlton (Hamilton Mountain) Chris — October 6, 2021
(M–416 Supporters from Government of Canada {Ministry of Foreign Affairs}, Office of Prime minster, General Governor and Conservative party of Canada)
The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, P.C., M.P. Minister of Foreign Affairs
Thank you for your email of September 16, 2009, in which you inform me of the campaign for a Srebrenica Remembrance Day in Canada and request
support for the motion put forward by Mr. Brian Masse, Member of Parliament, declaring July 11 as Srebrenica Remembrance Day. The Government of Canada would support a motion designating a Srebrenica Remembrance Day. Any motion which the government would support should be based on a factual description of the events that is supported by reliable sources such as the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. As indicated in my letter of July 23, 2009, Canada mourns the terrible loss of life and condemns the atrocities committed at Srebrenica.
Thank you again for writing to me on this matter.
Sincerely,
The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Foreign Affairs
***
Thank you for your email of May 29, 2009, concerning the Srebrenica massacre in 1995. The Office of the Right Honourable Stephen Harper, Prime Minister, and the Office of the Honourable Beverley J. Oda, Minister of International Cooperation, as well as the Honourable Peter Milliken, Speaker of the House of Commons, have also forwarded to me your emails on this matter. I have taken note of your suggestion that Canada consider adopting a measure to recognize a Srebrenica Remembrance Day. The House of Commons has now adjourned for the summer recess. Please be assured, however, that when Parliament resumes in the fall there will be an opportunity to give consideration to this important issue. Canada mourns the terrible loss of life and condemns the atrocities committed at Srebrenica. I appreciate you bringing your views on this matter to my attention.
Sincerely,
The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Foreign Affairs
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Office of the Minister of Public Works and Government Services
On behalf of the Honorable Christian Paradis, Minister of Public Works and Government Services I would like to acknowledge receipt of your correspondence of October 28, 2009, regarding Srebrenica Remembrance Day Motin. Please be assured that your correspondence will be given every consideration.
Yours sincerely,
Marc Vallieres, Chief of Staff
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Office of the Prime Minister
On behalf of the Prime Minister, thank you for your e-mail of June 20. We have taken the liberty of forwarding your correspondence to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Honourable Lawrence Cannon. We would encourage you to dialogue with his office, as he is best equipped to address your concerns regarding a motion for a day of remembrance for Srebrenica. Once again, thank you for taking the time to write.
Sincerely,
Salpie Stepanian
Assistant to the Prime Minister
cc The Hon. Lawrence Cannon, P.C., M.P., Minister of Foreign Affairs
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On behalf of the Right Honourable Stephen Harper, I would like to acknowledge receipt of your e-mail, with which you attached a resolution of the Congress of North American Bosniaks Canadian Division. You may be assured that the views expressed in the resolution have been carefully considered. I have taken the liberty of forwarding your correspondence to the Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs, who, I am certain, will also appreciate receiving this information. Thank you for writing to the Prime Minister.
M. Bredeson
Executive Correspondence Office for the Prime Minister’s Office
Agent de correspondance de la haute direction pour le Cabinet du Premier ministre
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Terence Young, MP Oakville
Thank you for your e-mail. All correspondence directed to Terence Young is read and reviewed. I will bring your request to support the motion regarding Srebrenica Remebrance Day in Canada to Mr. Young’s attention for action, following which we will attempt to provide a more detailed response in the coming days.
Kim Blain
Constituency Assistant
Office of Terence Young, MP Oakville
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Bev Oda, M.P. Durham
This serves to acknowledge receipt of your correspondence of 30 May 2021 with regard to a request for recognition of Srebrenica Remembrance Day.
I am taking the liberty with this message of referring your request to the Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs. I am confident that your request will be considered and that you will be provided with a response.
Please accept my best wishes on behalf of the Honourable Bev Oda, P.C., M.P.
Sincerely,
Tara Nabi
Parliamentary Assistant for
Bev Oda, M.P. Durham
Minister of International Cooperation
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Wallace, Mike - M.P
Thank you for your email and I will pass this information on to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Mike Wallace, MP
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Sweet, David - M.P
Thank you for contacting us and bringing this to our attention. I will raise your request with Mr. Sweet and will be in touch shortly as per future action.
Kind Regards,
Alicia Wiersma
Executive Assistant to David Sweet, M.P.
Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale
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The Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean
On behalf of Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, I am responding to your e-mail below.
While the Governor General appreciates your request, she feels that this issue would be best addressed by members of Parliament. I understand from your letter that you have already contacted various government representatives, which was the appropriate step to take.
I wish you the very best. Thank you for writing.
Yours sincerely,
Yonatan Lew, INFO
Rideau Hall
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(M–416 Supporters from Liberal Party Canada)
Rae, Bob - M.P
Thank you very much for your email. As you may be aware, our office put forward a unanimous consent motion in the House of Commons last week to commemorate the events of Srebrenica, and honour July 11th as Srebrenica Remembrance Day. Unfortunately, not all other parties agreed to the statement and so blocked its passage in the House. The Liberal Party stands firmly with Canadian Bosniaks and others who were affected by the events and will continue to try and push this initiative forward when we return in the fall. Thank you once again and please do not hesitate to contact our office again in the future for any reason.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Ehrlich
Legislative Assistant
Office of the Hon. Bob Rae
***
I am writing in response to your recent correspondence to Mr. Rae, regarding the introduction of a Srebrenica Remembrance Day. As you point out, it is never too late to start officially remembering the awful atrocities that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. Understanding the importance of such a remembrance day to Canada, and especially its Bosniak community, Mr. Rae will be happy to support the motion in Parliament. I would like to thank you for bringing this to our attention, and hope you will not hesitate to contact us again on this, or any other issue.
Yours Sincerely
Christopher Leslie
Parliamentary Assistant
Office of the Hon. Bob Rae
***
Thank you very much for your email and request for a resolution commemorating the events of Srebrenica. We will take your request under consideration as we move forward and will keep you posted on any developments. We are hopeful that this imitative will be welcomed by our party and others. Please do not hesitate to contact our office again in the future for any reason.
All the best,
Jennifer Ehrlich
Legislative Assistant
Office of the Hon. Bob Rae
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Ken Dryden, MP
Thank you for your letter. The events that took place in Srebrenica, Bosnia during the summer of 1995 must never be forgotten. I will be supporting Mr. Masse’s motion to declare July 11 Srebrenica Remembrance Day and the week of July 11 Bosnia and Herzegovina Tribute Week.
Sincerely,
Ken Dryden
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Bernard Patry, M.P.
Thank you for your message. Be assured that I will take good note of your request when the time will come to discuss this important matter at the House of Commons.
Sincerely yours,
Bernard Patry, M.P.
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Hon. Marlene Jennings, P.C., M.P
I would like to inform you that Ms. Jennings would be in favour of this motion.
Sincerely,
Dominic M. DiFruscio
Adjoint législatif / Legislative Assistant
Bureau de l’hon. Marlene Jennings, C.P., députée /
Office of the Hon. Marlene Jennings, P.C., M.P.
***
On behalf of the Honourable Marlene Jennings, M.P. for Notre-Dame-de-Grâce - Lachine, I acknowledge receipt and thank you for your e-mail. As you know, Madame Jennings is in support of the motion below. I am also forwarding your e-mail to the Hon. Bob Rae, M.P., who is the Liberal Critic for Foreign Affairs, as well as to the Hon. Irwin Cotler, M.P., who is the Liberal Special Counsel on Human Rights and International Justice.
Thank you again for your correspondence.
Sincerely,
Dominic M. DiFruscio
Adjoint législatif / Legislative Assistant
Bureau de l’hon. Marlene Jennings, C.P., députée
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Robert Oliphant, M.P.
Thank you for your email regarding the introduction of a Srebrenica Remembrance Day. As you rightly point out, it is never too late to start officially remembering the horrendous atrocities that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. Following in the steps of the European Parliament and the U.S. Senate, I believe it is fitting to commemorate the lives of the thousands of men, women, and children who were killed in this terrible massacre. Understanding the importance of a Srebrenica Remembrance Day to Canada, and especially to its Bosniak community, I support this motion. I would like to thank you again for bringing this issue to my attention. If you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me again.
Sincerely,
Robert Oliphant, M.P.
Don Valley West
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Jim Karygiannins, MP
Thank you for your email and concerns raised. I am aware of the campaign which is been done in order to recognize SREBRENICA REMEMBRANCE DAY.
I wish to extend to you and the people working on this campaign the best of luck with this endeavour. I will be watching the Motion closely and when and if it makes its way to the house of commons for a vote I will give it full consideration.
Thank you again for bringing this issue to my attention.
Regards,
Hon. Jim Karygiannis M.
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Hon. Irwin Cotler, MP, P.C., O.C. / C.P., O.C.
Prof. Cotler acknowledges receipt of your email and pledges his support for this motion.
Best,
Timothy Wood
Parliamentary Assistant / Adjoint Parlementaire
Office of / Bureau de
Hon. Irwin Cotler, P.C., O.C. / C.P., O.C.
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Derek Lee, MP
Thank you for your September 14th letter promoting support for Srebrenica Remembrance Day as outlined in Bill C-416. The Bill also describes a Bosnia-Herzegovina Tribute Week. I support efforts to remember the Srebrenica massacre, whether that remembrance be in Europe, or multinationally and here in Canada. I am not certain that the Canadian Parliament is the right place to initiate a tribute week for another country but I would be open to consider this if this Bill successfully reaches the Order of Precedence. I commend you for engaging in this human rights initiative, in the memory of those who were killed in this horrible criminal act.
Yours truly,
Derek Lee, M.P.
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Marlene Jennings, MP
I acknowledge receipt and thank you for your recent correspondence in which you express your desire to have Canada declare July 11, “Srebrenica Remembrance Day”. I surely understand your views and concerns. Without hesitation, we Liberals have labelled these massacres as genocides because. For racial, ethnic, religious or political reasons, certain countries sought to annihilate these populations in violation of their right to live. Canadians lost family members in these genocides. It is our responsibility to recognize the memory of these victims as well reflects on the senselessness of these sadistic atrocities. Canada must serve as an example to the world that all peoples, regardless of their colour, ethnicity, or religion can live with dignity and respect. Under previous Liberal governments, Canada was able to establish itself as a respected leader in the protection of human rights internationally and let me reassure you that the Liberal Party of Canada stands committed to protecting humans rights worldwide.
In this spirit, let me reiterate you my support for this initiative to have Canada recognize and declare July 11th, Srebrenica Remembrance Day.
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Megan Leslie, MP
Thank you for taking the time to contact the office of Megan Leslie regarding the support for MP Brian Masse’s motion. Ms. Leslie has asked me to respond on her behalf and relay that she does intend to fully support Brian Masse’s motion Srebrenica Remembrance Day.
Thank you for your request on this most important issue.
Best regards,
Danielle
Danielle Derochie
Member’s Assistant to Megan Leslie, MP Halifax
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(M–416 Supporters from NDP)
Chris Charlton, MP
I just wanted to let you know that I have sent a letter to the Clerk of the House of Commons asking that my name be placed as a seconder of Mr. Masse’s motion.
All the best,
Chris
Chris Charlton, MP
Hamilton Mountain
Libby Davies, MP
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Paul Dewar, MP
Thank you for your letter regarding the motion for Srebrenica Remembrance Day, submitted by my colleague, Brian Masse, MP for Windsor West. I will be supporting the motion and hope we can get it passed.
Paul Dewar, MP is happy to support this.
Phyllis Larsen
Member’s Assistant
Assistant Du Député
Paul Dewar, MP | Député Ottawa Centre
NDP Foreign Affairs Critic
***
Thank you for writing me about this important issue. I want to let you know you have my full support for the declaration of July 11 as Srebrenica Remembrance Day and for the resolution as you have presented it. Please feel free to contact me if you any other questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Paul Dewar, MP | Député Ottawa Centre
NDP Foreign Affairs Critic
Porte-parole du NPD pour les affaires étrangères
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(M–416 Supporters from the Bloc Quebecois)
Gilles Duceppe, MP
Statement from Gilles Duceppe, Member of Parliament for Laurier—Sainte-Marie and Leader of the Bloc Quebecois, MP
Your comments have been conveyed to the appropriate members of our research service and to our party’s critic for Foreign Affairs, and the MP for La Pointe-de-I’lle, Mrs. Francine Lalonde, who will give them all the required attention. Please rest assured that the Bloc Quebecois will continue to take responsible approach and act at all times with the greatest respect for Canadian people as well as in the best interests of Quebec. Once again thank you for sharing your concern with us.
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Jean Dorion, MP
Monsieur Emir Ramic
Je vous remercie de votre correspondance portant sur la motion du député Brian Masse pour faire du 11 juillet la journée commémorative des événements tragiques qui se sont déroulés en juillet 1995 à Srebrenica.
Plusieurs tentatives ont été faites en ce sens à la Chambre des communes et le Bloc Québécois a toujours été favorable à cette demande. Par conséquent, nous appuierons toute initiative en ce sens.
Veuillez agréer, Monsieur, mes salutations distinguées.
Le député de Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher,
Jean Dorion
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Thierry St-Cyr, MP
Au nom du député de Jeanne-Le Ber et porte-parole en matière de Citoyenneté et d’Immigration, j’accuse réception de votre courriel.
Votre message sera soumis à l’attention de Monsieur Thierry St-Cyr, afin qu’il puisse en prendre connaissance.
Nous vous prions d’accepter nos salutations distinguées.
Elise Gingras
Adjointe parlementaire
Bureau de Thierry St-Cyr
Député de Jeanne-Le Ber
Bloc Québécois
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La Pointe-de-l’Île
The member for La Pointe-de-l’Île Spokesperson of the Bloc Québécois Foreign Affairs,
Like you, the Bloc Québécois recognizes the importance both for Quebec, Canada, for the international community to commemorate the horrific and tragic events in Srebrenica in July 1995. Nearly 8,000 Bosnian Muslims were killed there summarily executed by members of the Bosnian Serb militias and paramilitary units. Many violations of the Geneva Conventions were perpetrated there, particularly the deportation of thousands of women, children and elderly persons and the rape of many women. Any process of healing and reconciliation begins first and foremost duty of memory. The international community has a responsibility to learn from these events, described as “genocide” by the International Court of Justice in order to prevent their recurrence and to enable to realize the necessary national reconciliation Bosnia-Herzegovina. That is why the Bloc Québécois supports the establishment of a Day of Remembrance events in Srebrenica. More than 60 years after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, ratified by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 9 and December 10, 1948, the international community must continue to ensure that full light be shed on the events in Srebrenica. This review atrocities committed during the conflicts in former Yugoslavia is still not completed but it is essential to any lasting peace in the region and essential for the establishment of a genuine process of justice. Please be assured that the Bloc Québécois will continue to monitor this issue and seek to ensure that the Harper government contributes to ongoing efforts by the international community for stability, peace and lasting reconciliation in this region the heavy past.
Please accept, Excellency, our best regards
Yours sincerely
Francine Lalonde
Parliamentary Representative for La Pointe-de-l’Île
Foreign Affairs Spokesperson for Bloc Québécois
