KARAN: REPUBLIKA SRPSKA WILL NOT FORGET ITS VICTIMS, IT IS OUR RIGHT AND OBLIGATION

BANJA LUKA, SEPTEMBER 9 /SRNA/ - The Day of Remembrance for the Victims of NATO Aggression against Republika Srpska in 1994 and 1995 is a day on which we reaffirm our lasting obligation to those who lost their lives, to their families and to generations to come, President of Republika Srpska Siniša Karan said.

On the occasion of the Day of Remembrance for the Victims of NATO Aggression against Republika Srpska in 1994 and 1995, which is being marked today in Istočno Sarajevo, Karan stressed in a statement to SRNA that remembering the victims is a matter of historical responsibility and basic human dignity.

"NATO committed aggression against Republika Srpska, in attacks in which members of the Army of Republika Srpska and civilians lost their lives, while a large number of people were wounded. Behind the statistics, however, there are always people, families and individual destinies. The passage of time must not be a reason to remain silent about the suffering," the President of Republika Srpska said.

He pointed out that the use of depleted uranium ammunition during NATO’s bombing of Republika Srpska represents an inhumane act and an enduring crime against the Serb people, because the suffering did not end with the final air raid or the last explosion.

"The fact that we are still facing serious malignant diseases among the population obliges us never to stop seeking historical responsibility for this aggression that was committed. Rights and justice must apply equally to everyone, international law must not be the law of the stronger, nor can human rights be interpreted depending on which people the victim belongs to," Karan said.

He stressed that Republika Srpska has both the right and the obligation to nurture a culture of remembrance in order to preserve the dignity of the victims and their families, as well as the right of future generations to know what happened.

"Our message is clear - Republika Srpska will not forget its victims and will not accept their being silenced. We are basing our future on peace, freedom, constitutional order, respect for rights and the preservation of Republika Srpska in accordance with the Dayton Peace Agreement. We owe this to those who suffered, but even more so to those who are alive and to generations to come," President of Republika Srpska Siniša Karan said.