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Bosnian Genocide
This article is about genocide that took place during the Bosnian War from 1992-1995. Other cases of genocide in the same region during World War II are covered in other articles.
The Bosnian Genocide or Bosnia Genocide was an organized killing of Bosnians, predominantly male Bosnian Muslims (Bosniaks) during the war between 1992 and 1995 by authorities of Republika Srpska and its Army.
The Bosnian Genocide is a term used by some academic and human rights institutions when referring to the case of genocide that took place in Srebrenica which has been proven at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) through the court case entitled Prosecutor vs Krstic (see Srebrenica Massacre). Thus far the Srebrenica massacre has been the only case which the UN Hague tribunal has officially defined as genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The presentation of evidence implicating the killing of at least 8,000 persons, predominantly Bosniaks has been made. Bosnian-Herzegovinian Commission for Missing Persons claims that the number of killings is much greater than has been currently represented at the tribunal.
Bosnian Genocide - Recent Developments
There are several genocide trials and indictments relating to the Bosnian War currently at the ICTY including Milosevic trial and Karadžić and Mladić indictments for genocide. Above genocide indictments also include incidents where a significant number of Bosnian Croats may had been also killed particularly in Bosanska Krajina territories which were under control of Army of Republika Srpska. Statistics may change as these and other cases (such as the Siege of Sarajevo) develop.
Genocide, Genocides in history
Bosnian Genocide - Background
(See Bosnian War)
On May 12, 1992, at a session of the Bosnian Serb Assembly, Radovan Karadžić announced the six "strategic objectives" of the Serbian people in Bosnia and Herzegovina:
- Establish state borders separating the Serbian people from the other two ethnic communities.
- Set up a corridor between Semberija and Krajina.
- Establish a corridor in the Drina river valley, that is, eliminate the Drina as a border separating Serbian states.
- Establish a border on the Una and Neretva rivers.
- Divide the city of Sarajevo into Serbian and Bosniak parts and establish effective state authorities in both parts.
- Ensure access to the sea for Republika Srpska.
In particular regard to the "strategic objective" #1, general Ratko Mladić (who was later indicted for genocide) told the Assembly that it would not be possible to separate Serbs from non-Serbs and have the non-Serbs simply leave the territory. He warned that attempting this process would amount to genocide. [1]. Karadžić was also quite explicit about this, saying that Serbs cannot live with other nations. They must have their own separate existence. To many this prior awareness of the consequences and the ultimate results of the objective make the crimes committed as premeditated genocide.
Bosnian Genocide - Statements
Statement by Radovan Karadžić, co-founder of Republika Srpska and its first president, alluded to the origins of this ideology on March 4, 1992 to the Bosnian Parliament:
..."the road to which you want to take Bosnia and Herzegovina is the same highway of hell which Slovenia and Croatia took. Don't think you won't take Bosnia and Herzegovina to hell and the Muslims into annihilation... Muslims can't defend themselves if there is war here"...
Statements by Jovan Rašković, founder of the Serbian Democratic Party of Croatia:
"I feel responsible because I made the preparations for this war, even if not the military preparations. If I hadn’t created this emotional strain in the Serbian people, nothing would have happened.
"My party and I lit the fuse of Serbian nationalism not only in Croatia but everywhere else in Bosnia-Herzegovina. It’s impossible to imagine an SDP (Serbian Democratic Party) in Bosnia-Herzegovina or a Mr. Karadzic in power without our influence.
"We have driven this people and we have given it an identity. I have repeated again and again to this people that it comes from heaven, not earth."
Statements by Biljana Plavšić. Biljana Plavšić, the highest-ranking Serbian politician from the former Yugoslavia who pleaded guilty to a single charge of crimes against humanity and expressed "full remorse" in exchange for prosecutors dropping seven other war crimes charges, including two counts of genocide.
Plavšić's statement, read in her native Serbian, repeated her admission of guilt. It said she had refused to believe stories of atrocities against Bosniaks and Croatians and accepted without question the claims that Serbs were fighting for survival.
"I have now ... accepted that many thousands of innocent people were the victims of organized, systematic efforts from the territory claimed by Serbs...The knowledge that I'm responsible for such human suffering and for soiling the character of my people will always be with me." she said.
In an interview she gave in March 2005 to the Banja Luka Alternative Television, however, she admitted to have lied because she couldn't prove her innocence, as she was unable to find witnesses who would testify on her behalf. [2]
See also
- Genocide
- Genocides in history
- Bosnian War
- Srebrenica Massacre
- Army of Republika Srpska
- Bosniaks
- Republika Srpska
- Serbian Democratic Party
- International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia
Other related archives1992, 2005, Army of Republika Srpska, Banja Luka, Biljana Plavšić, Bosanska Krajina, Bosniak, Bosniaks, Bosnian War, Bosnians, Croatia, Drina, Genocide, Genocides in history, International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, Jovan Rašković, Karadžić, Krajina, March 4, May 12, Milosevic trial, Mladić, Neretva, Radovan Karadžić, Ratko Mladić, Republika Srpska, Sarajevo, Semberija, Serbian Democratic Party, Siege of Sarajevo, Slovenia, Srebrenica Massacre, Una, Yugoslavia, interview, sea, tribunal
 Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Bosnian Genocide", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki |
