An open invitation to mark January 9 as the Day of genocidal aggression in B&H
The commemoration and celebration of January 9th as the Entity Day of Republika Srpska is de facto the result of Slobodan Milosevic’s long-lasting and ever-living anti-state and illegal political rhetoric grounded in ultra-nationalist Serbian ideology that has led to the greatest crime on European soil since the Holocaust (i.e Srebrenica genocide). Milosevic’s ideals perpetrated by his regime that instigated the idea of Republika Srpska continue to find their home in Bosnia and Herzegovina among the modern genocide denialists, ultra-nationalist, and radical Serb politicians, academics, and public speakers.
On January 9, 1992, and contrary to the Constitution, a group of ultra-nationalist – the Serb MPs in the Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina – proclaimed the creation of illegal and unrecognized paraphernalia, (i.e Republika Srpska) which declared itself (contrary to the legality of the international law surrounding the matter) an integral part of Greater Serbia. Indeed, the verdicts of the world’s highest courts and numerous relevant scientific papers have proven and established that the commemoration of January 9 is akin to criminal activity because it was found on the aggression against the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina to recreate a Greater Serbia, whereby Serb politicians from Republika Srpska are responsible for the genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. The aforementioned date marks one of the darkest dates in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s and European history for the listed reasons.
We consider January 9, as the beginning of open non-recognition of the state authority of Bosnia and Herzegovina and a direct challenge to the sovereignty of the country. The Republika Srpska entity is not the result of a Serb desire for freedom but on the contrary, a large-scale Serb project led by accused war criminal Slobodan Milosevic. The Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina has issued a decision declaring the Law on Holidays of Republika Srpska unconstitutional. The violation of the ruling of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina is a direct attack on the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina and on the European Union, the United Nations, the international order, and the peace and security in the world.
Bearing in mind that the celebration of January 9th in the entity of Republika Srpska is continuing and thus continuously demolishing the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina, we call on all organizations and communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Diaspora to mark that date as the beginning of aggression and genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
By massively marking January 9 as the day of the onset of aggression and genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina, we send a clear message to the anti-Bosnian coalition that we know what the historical and legal facts about this shameful date are. We ask the Pro-Bosnian coalition, and especially the international community, for concrete action to punish all those who, by marking this date as the entity day of Republika Srpska, are directly working not only against the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina but also against peace and security in the world, against the European Union, NATO, and the United Nations.
Institute for Research of Genocide Canada {IGC}
