Prime Minister of Republika Srpska Radovan Višković stated that the court verdicts handed down to Serbs and the attempts to portray the Serb people as inherently criminal are efforts to present a new, false version of history.
Višković noted that for 33 years the Serb people have been gathering in Bratunac to commemorate crimes for which no one has been held accountable.
“I just wonder how many more years we will have to keep coming here. No one has answered for these crimes, while Serbs have been sentenced to a total of 1,200 years in prison, mostly for crimes committed against the Bosniak population,” said Višković, adding that Bosniaks have received sentences totaling around 100 years, and Croats less than 40.
Višković emphasized that the greatest crime in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in proportion to population size, occurred in the Podrinje region.
He reminded that many of the worst crimes against Serbs were committed on major Serb religious holidays.
Višković announced that the Government of Republika Srpska has made a decision to build a memorial complex in honor of all the victims.
“The initiative for the memorial complex was launched by President Milorad Dodik and myself. It will be built at the entrance to Bratunac, near the main road, and will cover over 40,000 square meters. An amount of 600,000 KM has already been paid for land expropriation,” said Višković.
He added that the names and photographs of all killed and fallen individuals from the regions of Middle Podrinje and Birač will be engraved in the memorial complex.
Višković stressed that Republika Srpska respects all commemorations for the victims of other peoples, and he called on the Serb population of Podrinje to act with dignity on July 11, when Bosniaks commemorate the Srebrenica massacre, and to ensure that no incidents occur.
He also stated that the Government of Srpska has produced a report with some of the world’s leading experts, detailing the truth about the suffering of Serbs from Srebrenica and Birač.
“That report will be distributed to all schools and libraries. Take a look at it—as well as the report on the suffering of Serbs in Sarajevo. You’ll see that what we’ve been told, especially by foreign media, isn’t exactly how things really were,” said Višković during the commemoration in Bratunac, marking 33 years since the crimes against Serb civilians in Middle Podrinje and Birač.
Višković concluded by stating that the Serb people do not provoke, but have every right to honor their victims and protect Serb mothers.
“Today, only the ambassadors of Serbia and Russia came to Bratunac. Those who didn’t—well, that says more about them than it does about us,” Višković said.
Source: Glas Srpske
