VIŠKOVIĆ: JASENOVAC - A VOW TO KEEP THE TRUTH ALIVE

BANJA LUKA, APRIL 27 /SRNA/ - The Prime Minister of Republika Srpska, Radovan Višković, said that Jasenovac is the deepest historical open wound and a vow to keep the truth alive, prevent memory from dying, and that it is a historical, moral, and human obligation to constantly speak about the scale of the genocide committed against Serbs, Jews, Roma, and others in the Independent State of Croatia /NDH/.

"Jasenovac is a symbol of genocide and systematic extermination, but also a warning to all of humanity. In this sacred place, where the land remembers the silence of the innocent, we do not speak out of hatred - we speak the truth. We do not seek revenge - we seek that no child, no nation, should ever face such darkness again," said Višković, who today attended the commemoration of the Remembrance Day for the Victims of Genocide against Serbs, Jews, and Roma in the Independent State of Croatia from 1941 to 1945, and 80 years since the breakout of the inmates from the Jasenovac concentration camp.

He emphasized that Jasenovac is a name that hurts, the name that "screams" the truth.

"It is the hardest word that can be spoken. A word full of pain, fear, and suffering. But precisely because of that, it must be spoken, it must be repeated, it must remain in the memory of our people and humanity. For forgetfulness is a danger, and silence is complicity," Višković pointed out.

He emphasized that the state administration of the NDH cynically referred to this death camp as the "concentration and labor camp Jasenovac," while in reality, it was one of the most brutal places of torture and mass executions in European history, primarily of Serbs, Jews, Roma, and political dissidents.

"In the process of 'cleansing the Croatian nation,' the Ustasha regime first targeted children. Serbian children. They killed them mercilessly, together with their mothers who were still breastfeeding. The youngest were still in their cradles, and the oldest were no older than 14. Croatia was the only country in occupied Europe that had specialized camps exclusively for children. This fact transcends the boundaries of all notions of humanity," Višković said.

He said that the children died in agony from hunger, thirst, disease, and freezing.

Thousands of them were separated from their mothers and left to die in the camp courtyards, in rooms without windows and without food, while they screamed, begging for a piece of bread and a sip of water.

"The crimes committed there exceed any measure of evil known to the human mind. The cruelty of Jasenovac was unprecedented - it was even greater than what the Nazis did. These are not words of pathos, but a historically documented fact.

That is why Jasenovac is not just a wound - it is our deepest historical open wound. The word Jasenovac must hurt us, but it must also awaken us, so that we never allow something like that to happen again," Višković emphasized.

He stressed that Jasenovac is not just a monument to the past — it is a wall of truth for the future.

"It is our vow to the murdered, and our duty to those yet unborn. To make them know. To teach them. To never let them forget. It is very important that in all elementary and secondary schools, we have a week of culture of remembrance dedicated to the victims of Ustasha crimes and the suffering of the Serbian people during World War II. The preservation of historical memory, the nurturing of a culture of remembrance, and the development of compassion in students is key," Višković said.