BOSNIAN ASSOCIATION OF CONCENTRATION CAMP SURVIVORS AND YOUTH MOVEMENT OF BOSNIA AGAINST BULIDING OF A MONUMENT TO SERBIAN FASCISTS NEAR SARAJEVO

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (March 13,2008) – Youth Movement of BiH severely condemns the announced erection of the monument to the genocidal Serbian aggressor's soldiers on Zlatiste near the Bosnian capital Sarajevo because is not a piety towards the dead but a clear provocation of Sarajevo citizens which has a purpose of destabilizing security situation in Bosnia.

The Bosnian Youth Movement explains that locality of Zlatiste for the citizens of Sarajevo is a symbol of death and war crimes, from which snipers and heavy and light artillery of the Serbian fascist aggressor bombed and killed Bosnian civilians during the siege of Sarajevo and under the command of convicted Serbian war criminals Dragomir Milosevic and Stanislav Galic.

The Bosnian Youth Movement called on the International Community's High Representative in Bosnia Miroslav Lajcak "to stop the building of this provocative object, in the same way as High Representative Paddy Ashdown forbid for the Sarajevo Airport to carry the name of Alija izetbegovic”.

The Bosnian Youth Movement also invited authorities in the East Sarajevo to reach reasonable decision and not to allow the building of such provocative object which could lead to escalation of new clashes and endanger painstakingly achieved peace in Bosnia, stated the press release of the movement.

The Bosnian Association of Concentration Camp Survivors has called on citizens of Sarajevo, the Bosnian state authorities, representatives of soldiers and especially genocide victims not to allow the building of memorial on Zlatiste near Sarajevo, which should be a memorial for the genocidal Serbian aggressor's soldiers.

"If it were a normal memorial, we would not have anything against it since every people has the right to commemorate its victims, but building a cross, 26 meters high and 18 meters wide on Trebevic which will be lighted and could be seen from all parts of Sarajevo is to put it mildly a provocation of citizens of Sarajevo." the Association said.

The Bosnian Association of Concentration Camp Survivors stated that this is illegal, immoral and shameful act.

It is especially painful since this monument is being built in the name of Serbian aggressor's formations which held the City of Sarajevo under long and terrifying siege for four long years, during which they committed serious war crimes for which their commanders were convicted in the Hague, the Bosnian Association of Concentration Camp Survivors stated in the press release.

The Bosnian Association of Concentration Camp Survivors stated that building of this shameful monument shall destabilize Bosnia and that is the reason they will send a request to the International Community's High Representative in Bosnia to use his powers to forbid the building of this shameful and provocative object.
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