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Serbia debates Srebrenica massacre apology

30 March 2010 22:14 (UTC +04:00)

The draft apologises that Serbia did not do more to prevent the tragedy.
The killing of nearly 8,000 Bosniaks (Bosnian Muslims) was carried out by Bosnian Serb forces - allies of then-Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic.
Meanwhile a Dutch court has rejected an attempt to hold the United Nations responsible for the massacre.
’Shameful’
The head of the pro-Western ruling coalition’s group of MPs said during the debate in parliament that the adoption of the resolution would help close a tragic chapter in recent Balkan history.
"Condemning the crime against the Bosniaks of Srebrenica, while paying respect to the innocent victims and offering condolences to their families, will lift the burden off future generations which certain individuals have placed on us," Nada Kolundzija was quoted as saying by Serbia’s B92 website.
"What we should do today is to say Serbia does not back those who have committed this crime," she added.
But opposition nationalist deputies criticised the draft, describing it as "shameful" for Serbia.
Velimir Ilic, an opposition MP, said: "Why do you want to put a mark on the future generations that they will never wash away?"
Serbian nationalists have argued that any resolution must also denounce crimes committed by Bosniaks and Croats during the 1992-95 war.
The vote on the document is expected later on Tuesday.
The parliamentary resolution comes after years of denial in Serbia that the Srebrenica massacre even took place, says the BBC’s Belgrade correspondent, Mark Lowen.
The government in Belgrade now believes this resolution would help paint the country in a new light, he says, showing that it is determined to face its past and aiming for regional reconciliation and EU membership.
The resolution has been criticised by Bosniaks and Muslims in Serbia because it does not describe the massacre as an act of genocide. It has been recognised as such by the courts of the International War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague.
It is thought the resolution has enough support to pass, despite nationalist opposition.
In an attempt to win over the nationalists, the government has promised another future resolution, condemning all crimes in the former Yugoslavia.
’Safe haven’
Several Bosnian Serbs have been convicted over their role in the Srebrenica massacre, when Bosniak men and boys were taken from their families and shot dead. The town had been designated a UN "safe haven" under the protection of Dutch UN troops.
The wartime leader of the Bosnian Serbs, Radovan Karadzic, is currently on trial in The Hague, while the general accused of masterminding Srebrenica, Ratko Mladic, is still on the run.
Lawyers for the victims’ relatives have tried to hold the Dutch government and the UN accountable for failing to stop the massacre.
But on Tuesday, The Hague Appeals Court upheld a 2008 lower court ruling affirming UN immunity from prosecution, which it said was essential for it to be able to carry out its duties around the world.