“Don’t deny, don’t blame others, but have a meaningful dialogue with the women of Srebrenica.” PAX is hopeful that a new beginning in the relationship Netherlands – Srebrenica is possible. The organization hopes the minster will come with a new political initiative.
Foreign minister Bert Koenders will represent the Dutch government at the commemoration on Saturday 11 July in Potocari of the 20th anniversary of the fall of Srebrenica. Tonight, 10th July, he will speak with several relatives of the victims of this tragic event. The minister will also give a speech at the remembrance ceremony.
PAX calls on the minister to try to stay away from judiciary procedures and come to an agreement outside the courtroom. The meeting of Mr. Koenders with the families should be the first in a series of meetings in which also Dutch where the parliament should participate. The relatives want after all, to be heard.
In the Netherlands the national Srebrenica commemoration will be held in front of the Dutch Parliament and the Ministry of Defence. That is on Saturday, July 11th at the Plein in The Hague, from 15:00 to 16:30 hours. There will be speeches and reading of the names of those victims who have been identified in the past year. At the end of the ceremony white balloons with the names of these 133 recently identified victims are let.