- Special Envoy Rosenthal amidst 613 coffins to be interned at the 16th anniversary commemoration of the Screbrenica massacre.
On this 16th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre, as one who combats anti-Semitism and hatred of all kinds, I would like to add my voice to those who will assemble later this morning to remember and honor the memory of those who were killed and those who will be buried here today.
Never again. It is a phrase that emerged after the Holocaust, Europe’s darkest era. Never again. We repeat it after the genocide at Srebrenica and the terrible crimes that took place here, in the former Yugoslavia, when power-hungry leaders turned religious and ethnic groups against each other and brutally destroyed a society.
It is my duty to speak out against genocide, no matter who the victim. As the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, it is especially meaningful for me to speak out against genocide of Muslims. We should never forget the terrible crimes that took place here. We should do all in our power to prevent it around the world.
Let us take some comfort in the recent arrest of one of the most wanted war crimes fugitives, former Bosnian-Serb military commander Ratko Mladic, on charges of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes for his role in the Srebrenica massacre and the siege of Sarajevo during the Bosnian civil war in the early 1990s.
On this solemn day, I join with the government officials, diplomats, military, community and family members in mourning the death and destruction and pledging to honor the dead by never forgetting their sacrifice and working toward peaceful coexistence.
Over 40000 people gathered to commemorate the 16th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre.
