To: House of Commons, Canadian Parliament - Members

Requesting House of Commons, Canadian Parliament - Members recognition of 11 July as the day of commemoration of the Srebrenica genocide in Canada.

having regard to U.S. H. Res. 199 on Genocide in Bosnia-Herzegovina6/22/2005, and U.S.S. Res. 134 on Genocide in Bosnia-Herzegovina2/11/2005;

having regard to European Parliament resolution of 15 January 2009 on Srebrenica;

having regard that the State of Canada is a member of the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council;

having regard that Canadian Bosniaks would like to see Canadian Parliament working together toward recognition of 11 July as the day of commemoration of the Srebrenica genocide in Canada

Whereas in July 1995 the Bosnian town of Srebrenica, which was at that time an isolated enclave proclaimed a Protected Zone by a
United Nations Security Council Resolution of 16 April 1993, fell into the hands of the Serbian militias led by General Ratko Mladic and under
the direction of the then President of the Republika Srpska, Radovan Karadic;

Whereas, during the several days of carnage after the fall of Srebrenica, more than 8 000 Bosniak men and boys, who had sought safety in
this area under the protection of the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR), were summarily executed by Bosnian Serb forces
commanded by General Mladic and by paramilitary units, including Serbian irregular police units which had entered Bosnian territory from
Serbia;

Whereas nearly 25 000 women, children and elderly people were forcibly deported, making this event the biggest war crime to take
place in Europe since the end of the Second World War;

Whereas this tragedy, declared an act of genocide by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), took place in a
UN-proclaimed safe haven, and therefore stands as a symbol of the impotence of the international community to intervene in the conflict and
protect the civilian population;

Whereas multiple violations of the Geneva Conventions were perpetrated by Bosnian Serb troops against Srebrenica's civilian population,
including deportations of thousands of women, children and elderly people and the rape of a large number of women;

Whereas there cannot be real peace without justice and whereas full and unrestricted cooperation with the ICTY remains a basic
requirement for further continuation of the process of integration into the EU for the countries of the western Balkans;

Whereas the institutionalisation of a day of remembrance is the best means of paying tribute to the victims of the massacres and sending
a clear message to future generations;

1. Entirely Canadian Bosniak Community and non-Bosniak supporters of this resolution call on the Canadian Parliament for recognition of 11 July as the day of commemoration of the Srebrenica genocide in Canada.

2. Entire Canadian Bosniak Community and non-Bosniak supporters of this resolution call for further Canadian efforts to bring the remaining fugitives to justice, expresses Canadian full support for the valuable and difficult work of the ICTY and stresses that bringing to justice those responsible for the massacres in and around Srebrenica is an important step towards peace and stability in the region; reiterates in that regard that increased attention needs to be paid to war crimes trials at domestic level.