BOSNIA MARKS 13TH ANNIVERSARY OF GENOCIDE IN SREBRENICA

SREBRENICA, Bosnia (July 11,2008) - Some 30,000 Bosnians gathered today to remember the genocide committed by the Serbian fascist aggressor in the eastern Bosnian town of Srebrenica in July 1995 and bury the remains of 307 newly identified genocide victims.

The somber funeral ceremony for the 307 genocide victims, who were among 10,000 mass murdered Bosnian civilians from Srebrenica in Europe's worst atrocity since World War II, was held at the Genocide Memorial Center in Potocari,near Srebrenica.

The remains of 307 genocide victims, aged between 15 and 84, were exhumed from mass graves after the end of the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia and identified by DNA analysis.

After leading mourners in prayer, Head of the Bosnian Islamic Community Reisu-l-ulema Mustafa Ef. Ceric called on the European Parliament to proclaim July 11 a day of mourning across the continent.

"On that day in all capitals, events should be organized at which nations of Europe would make a vow to each other that Genocide and the Holocaust will never happen again," Reisu-l-ulema Mustafa Ef. Ceric said in a speech.


A Bosnian woman and a child cry among coffins of the genocide victims from Srebrenica during funeral ceremony at the Genocide Memorial Center in Potocari,near Srebrenica, 120 kms northeast of Sarajevo on Friday, July 11, 2008. The 307 bodies of the genocide victims were excavated from mass-graves in Eastern Bosnia and were identified as Bosnian civilians mass murdered by the genocidal Serbian fascist aggressor in the Srebrenica area in july 1995. The genocidal Serbian fascist aggressor mass murdered some 10,000 Bosnian civilians from Srebrenica on July 11, 1995, during the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia. The 307 newly identified genocide victims were buried today in the Genocide Memorial Center, next to some 3,200 genocide victims from Srebrenica already buried there.

The genocide in this part of Bosnia happened near the end of the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia, after the genocidal Serbian fascist aggressor overran the then UN-protected eastern Bosnian town.

At today's ceremony, the genocide survivors and victims' relatives were joined by diplomats and local leaders led by the Bosnian President Haris Silajdzaic and a member of the Bosnian State Presidency Zeljko Komsic.

"We expect Serbia...to arrest as soon as possible and hand over all those who took part in the genocide project," the Bosnian President Haris Silajdzic said.

The masterminds of the genocide in Bosnia - Serbian war criminals Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic - are both hiding from justice somewhere in the genocidal Serbia.

"Today, when we remember with sadness this crime, I want to stress that we will never give up the search for justice and those who are responsible for genocide," said the International Community's High Representative/EU Special Representative in Bosnia Miroslav Lajčák.

The International Court of Justice and the UN war crimes tribunal, both based in The Hague, have ruled that the Srebrenica massacre was an act of genocide.


A Bosnian family cries together as they sit among the coffins of the genocide victims from Srebrenica during the funeral ceremony at the Genocide Memorial Center in Potocari near Srebrenica.The 307 bodies of the genocide victims were excavated from mass-graves in Eastern Bosnia and were identified as Bosnian civilians mass murdered by the genocidal Serbian fascist aggressor in the Srebrenica area in july 1995. The genocidal Serbian fascist aggressor mass murdered some 10,000 Bosnian civilians from Srebrenica on July 11, 1995, during the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia. The 307 newly identified genocide victims were buried today in the Genocide Memorial Center, next to some 3,200 genocide victims from Srebrenica already buried there.

"It's a shame that Serbian war criminals Karadzic and Mladic are not arrested," US war crimes ambassador John Williamson said in a newspaper interview published today, pledging to press for their capture.

His words were echoed by the genocide victims' relatives.

"We are still fighting to prove to the world what has happened here while those who are the most responsible for the crime are being rewarded with freedom," said Munira Subasic, head of the association of the genocide survivors "Mothers of Srebrenica".

Another mourner, Vanesa Mehmedovic watched on as remains of her father were simultaneously laid in graves along with the 307 other genocide victims.

"It was so hard when they informed me that my father has been identified," said Mehmedovic, who added however that she was "glad that his soul will finally find peace."

Almost 220 buses ferrying around 10,000 people had converged on Srebrenica for the ceremony, while many more arrived in other vehicles, said organizers.

Some 2,000 Bosnians had earlier taken part in a symbolic march.The 100-kilometre walk includes the hills and woods of eastern Bosnia, where thousands of Bosnian civilians were mass murdered by the genocidal Serbian fascist aggressor while trying to reach the free territories controlled by the Bosnian Army in the country's north.

The "March of Death - Path of Freedom" started from the village of Nezuk, near the eastern Bosnian town of Zvornik, and ended in the Genocide Memorial Centre in Potocari today.

"This is the third time that I am taking part in the march. The first time ... I was just walking ... haunted by thoughts," Refik Dervisevic,genocide survivor said.

"Last year I remembered the details from July 1995. I saw the place where I separated from my brother who was murdered," he said.

The mass burial of newly identified genocide victims, once a year on the anniversary the genocide in Srebrenica, has become a central part of Bosnian national identity, a chance for remembrance and family reunions.

The air is filled with sobs, greetings and the smell of thyme.

"This day is even more difficult for me because I have found the body of one of my children but I cannot bury him," said Hatidza Mehmedovic, 56, who lost her husband and two sons.

The body of one son was found in 1998 but partially identified only last year. DNA analysis however cannot show which one of the two it is. Only three bones have been found of her husband's body.

"This is taking too long, I don't want to die without finding the truth," she said.


Bosnian Muslims pray in the front of coffins containing the remains of their family members inside the Genocide Memorial Center in Potocari,near Srebrenica July 11, 2008, during a funeral ceremony to commemorate the 1995 Srebrenica genocide.The genocidal Serbian fascist aggressor mass murdered some 10,000 Bosnian civilians from Srebrenica on July 11, 1995, during the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia. The 307 newly identified genocide victims were buried today in the Genocide Memorial Center, next to some 3,200 genocide victims from Srebrenica already buried there.

The massacre started on July 11, 1995, when U.N. troops protecting Srebrenica during a 3-year siege stepped aside and allowed the genocidal Serbian fascist aggressor to take over and stage a week-long mass murder.

The bodies of genocide victims were first buried by the genocidal Serbian fascist aggressor in mass graves, then dug out with bulldozers and moved to smaller graves to hide the crime. A genocide victim's remains can be scattered in several locations, and are not released for burial until two-thirds of the body have been recovered.

"The bodies of these 307 people have been found in as many as 55 different locations," said Amor Masovic, the member of the Bosnian Commission for Missing Persons. "Some of them had been found in the ground nearly 13 years ago."

So far some 3,200 genocide victims from srebrenica have been buried at the Genocide Memorial Center built in 2003. Thousands more are yet to be exhumed and identified in the area, where some 70 mass graves have been uncovered.


Bosnians carry coffins containing the remains of their family members inside the Potocari memorial cemetery July 11, 2008, during a funeral ceremony to commemorate the 1995 Srebrenica genocide. The 307 bodies of the genocide victims were excavated from mass-graves in Eastern Bosnia and were identified as Bosnian civilians mass murdered by the genocidal Serbian fascist aggressor in the Srebrenica area in july 1995. The genocidal Serbian fascist aggressor mass murdered some 10,000 Bosnian civilians from Srebrenica on July 11, 1995, during the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia. The 307 newly identified genocide victims were buried today in the Genocide Memorial Center, next to some 3,200 genocide victims from Srebrenica already buried there.

"Genocide occurred here. This fact cannot be minimised, it cannot be evaded and cannot and must not be denied," said the U.S. Ambassador to Bosnia Charles English.

The relatives of the genocide victims feel the world has forgotten Srebrenica.

"The U.N. will never acknowledge their mistake, even though the genocide happened on their watch, before the eyes of the world," said 36-year old Hafiza Klepic, who came from Denmark to bury the remains of her husband.

She buried her brother last year, and is still waiting for her father to be found.

"But we will not give up, justice must be done, If it doesn't happen on this earth, then God will be the judge."
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BOSNIAN GOVERNMENT DECLARES JULY 11 A NATIONAL DAY OF MOURNING

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (July 11,2008) - The Bosnian government decided yesterday to make July 11, 2008 the Bosnian National Day of Mourning.

Furthermore, the Organizing Committee for marking the 13th anniversary of the genocide in Srebrenica received 150,000 Bosnian Marks from the Bosnian state budget.

On July 11,1995 the genocidal Serbian fascist aggressor overrun the Bosnian town of Srebrenica, which had been declared a safe haven by the United Nations two years earlier. The Dutch peacekeepers did not fire a single shot in defense, and the UN did not respond to the Dutch commander's calls for air support.

Dutch soldiers in U.N. blue helmets did absolutely nothing to protect Bosnian civilians.They just watched on as Bosnian women and young girls were taken away and raped by the genocidal Serbian fascist aggressor and some 10,000 Bosnian civilians being taken away for summary execution.

The massacre, Europe’s worst since World War II, has been classified as an act of genocide by the International Court of Justice and the UN war crimes tribunal, both based at The Hague,The Netherlands.
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A BOSNIAN-TURKISH BUSINESS CONFERENCE TO BE ORGANIZED SOON

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (July 11,2008) - A delegation of 15 Turkish entrepreneurs visited the Bosnian Chamber of Commerce in Sarajevo , where opportunities for expanding and diversifying economic relations were discussed.

It was agreed that the next Bosnian-Turkish business conference needs to be organized soon to analyze obstacles to cooperation, which currently consists mainly of trade exchange.

Statistics for the first five months show that Bosnia’s export to Turkey dropped considerably, while imports from Turkey increased by almost 50 per cent.
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APRIL UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IN BOSNIA WAS 39,3 PER CENT

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (July 11,2008) - The number of unemployed people in Bosnia was 493,765 as of May 31, which was by 6,073 or 1.21 per cent less compared to April.

According to the Bosnian Labour and Employment Agency,skilled workers accounted for the biggest share among the unemployed – 35.13 per cent. Unskilled workers followed closely behind with 34.57 per cent. The April unemployment rate in Bosnia was 39.3 per cent.
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CROATIAN OIL COMPANY "INA" ACCUSED OF STEALING 3 MILLION US DOLLARS A MONTH FROM BOSNIAN GOVERNMENT

PLOCE, Croatia (July 11,2008) - The Ploce Port employees claim that the Croatian oil company Ina has a fraudulent practice of falsely declaring its imported oil and oil derivatives from Mediterranean markets as Croatian-origin goods, and then sells it in the Bosnian market without paying the 11-per cent tariff to the Bosnian government.

The practice costs the Bosnian state budget USD 3 million a month, they claim, and further support their accusations in a letter.
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BOSNIA INTENSIFIES ECONOMIC RELATIONS WITH SLOVENIA

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (July 11,2008) - After intensification of economic relations between Bosnia and Slovenia and several investments by private investors from Slovenia, figures are starting to change and new trends starting to emerge in the trade exchange between the two countries.

In the first five months of 2008, Bosnia exported 283 million Bosnian Marks worth of goods to Slovenia, and the production of machinery, parts and equipment accounted for 130 million Bosnian Marks of that amount.

The same product range dominates Slovenian exports to Bosnia, worth 378 million Bosnian Marks. Export/import ratio has reached 70 per cent. More joint ventures are expected in the following period.
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BOSNIA TO BUILD A NEW STATE PRISON

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (July 11,2008) - The Bosnian Council of Ministers has supported an initiative by the Bosnian Finance Ministry, to sign a loan with the Council of Europe (CoE) Development Bank for building a new Bosnian state prison.

The six-million-euro loan will come with the following conditions: 15 – 20 year payment period, five-year grace period and a lower interest rate. The prison building is estimated to cost EUR 18,875,000.
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BRITISH ACTOR RALPH FIENNES VERBALLY ASSAULTED IN BOSNIA

MOSTAR, Bosnia (July 11,2008) - The well known British actor Ralph Fiennes was verbally assaulted in the southern Bosnian town of Mostar after mentioning a Croatian general on trial for war crimes.

The incident, reflects still lingering ethnic and political tensions in the region.Croatian fascist barbarians attacked Bosnia in the early 1990's committing numerous war crimes against Bosnian people and destroying numerous Bosnian cultural and religious monuments.

Fiennes, who is well known for his roles in movies such as the English Patient and Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List, has been touring Croatia and Bosnia for the past few days in search of a location for his new movie.

On Wednesday he visited Mostar where he dined at a local restaurant. In the discussion over the lunch, he asked his local counterparts about the Croatian general Ante Gotovina, whose pictures he saw in the Croatian town of Split. Gotovina is currently under trial for war crimes at the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia in the Hague.

Bosnian actor and producer Miro Barnjak, who was accompanying Fiennes, told Bosnian daily Dnevni Avaz that a Bosnian man sitting at the next table warned them that political topics were not allowed in the restaurant. As they disregarded the warning, the man stood up and verbally assaulted the group, telling them they are not allowed to talk about Croatian generals there.

Barnjak added that following the incident Fiennes and his entourage left the restaurant.
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BOSNIA APPOINTS MIROSLAV BLAZEVIC AS NEW NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM COACH

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (July 11,2008) - Miroslav Blazevic was appointed yesterday as the new coach of the Bosnian naational fotball team, the Bosnian Football Association executive board said.

Bosnia-born Blazevic, the former coach of Croatia and Iran, is a surprise replacement for Meho Kodro, who was sacked in May.

"I will do my best to justify the confidence I was trusted and I am aware that it will not be an easy task," Blazevic was quoted as saying to the Bosnian state television.

Blazevic beat three other candidates shortlisted by the board, having ended his latest coaching stint with NK Zagreb in May.

The 73-year-old Blazevic, who was born in the central Bosnian town of Travnik, achieved his greatest coaching success when he led Croatia to third place at the 1998 World Cup.

His first match in charge will be a friendly against Bulgaria in the central Bosnian city of Zenica on August 20.

"I do not have much time but I will use it rationally and I am sure that I will manage to call up the best players and satisify the Bosnian soccer fans," Blazevic added.

Meho Kodro, former national team captain, was sacked after only four months at the helm when he refused to lead the team in a friendly against Iran, saying he had not been notified about the fixture in time.

His dismissal had prompted protests by Bosnian media, fan groups and players who accused the Bosnian Football Association officials of corruption and demanded that they step down.
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TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL SUSPENDS OPERATIONS IN BOSNIA

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (July 11,2008) - In the face of what it calls “unwarranted and damaging” attacks, anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International announced on July 10 2008 that it was suspending operations in Bosnia and evacuating its staff.

The development follows allegations by the leader of the genocidal Serbian creature in Bosia "RS",Serbian fascist Milorad Dodik, that "Transparency International staff were involved in racketeering and organised crime".

Transparency International said that it was deeply concerned about the safety of its staff, and after consultations with the European Union Police Mission in Bosnia (EUPM), had decided to put operations on hold and withdraw its staff.

“It is one of the few times in Transparency International’s history that a national chapter has been intimidated to the point of having to suspend operations. We are deeply concerned and saddened, and stand in solidarity with our colleagues in Bosnia,” Transparency International managing director Cobus de Swardt said in a statement issued in Berlin,Germany.

Transparency International said that EUPM had pledged to monitor developments, “in the absence of any meaningful local police protection”.

“The ongoing public accusations against the only independent anti-corruption watchdog in the country and the leading NGO combating corruption provides an accurate landscape of Bosnia today: a very dangerous place for voices of criticism calling for accountability and transparency in the work of the ruling powers,” Transparency International said.

“Despite progress made, it is still practically impossible for anti-corruption watchdogs to operate in the country.”

At a meeting on July 9, the International Community's Principal Deputy High Representative in Bosnia Raffi Gregorian gave evidence to the Bosnian State Chief Prosecutor suggesting that the leaders of the genocidal Serbian fascist creature in Bosnia "RS had in late 2007 begun planning a campaign of allegations to attempt to discredit Transparency International.

“It took some months until the action was put in motion and today, the staff of Transparency International lives in an extremely uncertain environment,” Transparency International said.

Speaking after the July 9 meeting, Gregorian said: “It is high time to stop the propaganda campaign against Transparency International and allow independent judicial institutions to investigate any allegations in accordance with principles of due process and impartiality”.

A Transparency International statement on July 9 quoted the Bosnian State Chief Prosecutor as saying that the Bosnian State Prosecutor’s Office had not received any report of crimes or any witness statements alleging racketeering by representatives of Transparency International.

Meanwhile, on July 10, New York-based watchdog Human Rights Watch issued a report saying that Bosnia’s cantonal and district courts faced “serious challenges in their efforts to fairly and efficiently try cases of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide”.

“A sustained commitment by local authorities, as well as substantial international support, is needed to address the large backlog of cases,” Human Rights Watch said. “Local and national authorities in Bosnia should demonstrate the political will to ensure fair and effective trials can be held.”
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