In April 1992, a brutal act of ethnic cleansing took place in Bosnia-Herzegovina, a country located in southeastern Europe, between Italy and Rome ("Bosnian Genocide 1", 2015). Continuing on till 1995, this event was one of the worst in Europe, in which many human rights were tremendously violated ("Bosnian Genocide 1", 2015). Muslim women were raped by the military troops continuously, to a point until most were pregnant. An estimated of 20,000 rapes occurred between the year 1992 and 1995 ("Bosnian Genocide 2", 2012). In the incident known as the "Massacre of Srebrenica" in July 1995, about 10, 000 were killed, some murdered, others horrendously tortured. This was the largest massacre in Europe after World War II, taking the lives of over 140, 000 people ("Bosnian Genocide 2", 2012).
History
"The main purpose of the Serb's was to cleanse any Bosniak Muslim or Catholic Croat in the Serbian territory." ("Bosnian Genocide 2", 2012)
POPULATION OF BOSNIA
- Total Population: 3.8 Million People
- 48% Bosniaks (Muslims)
- 37% Serbs (Orthodox)
- 14% Croats (Catholic)
"the plan" created and implemented by the serbs ("Bosnian genocide 2", 2012)
1. CONCENTRATION: Urge the residents in Serb to leave the city, while surrounding the city and bombarding it with artillery fire
2. DECAPITATION: Execute leaders and intelligentsia
3. SEPARATION: Separate the women, children, and old men, from the men of fighting age
4. EVACUATION: Send women and children to concentration camps
5. LIQUIDATION: Execute the men of fighting age
2. DECAPITATION: Execute leaders and intelligentsia
3. SEPARATION: Separate the women, children, and old men, from the men of fighting age
4. EVACUATION: Send women and children to concentration camps
5. LIQUIDATION: Execute the men of fighting age
Treatment towards women
A news report from The Independent showed the brutality and inhumane actions shown towards women, during this war. Women survivors gave interviews giving the details on the filthy crimes the soldiers had committed. Over 100 young Muslim women were held in a school gymnasium, where the Serbian militiamen came, holding guns and grenades, screaming, "Look at how many children you have. Now you are going to have our children." This marked the beginning of their horrendous actions (Fisk, 1993).
story of ziba, muslim, age 26, mother of 2
"Driven to Kalinovik's only hotel, they made us clean the room in the hotel. It was all planned for us. After the food they told us to go with them to the rooms. Two Chetniks took me upstairs. They were both drunk, both dirty. They had huge beards, which were filthy. I was terrified they were going to kill my kids. Then one of the two Chetniks told me to undress. He said if I didn't do what they wanted, they would cut my throat. I believed him. So they both raped me, one after the other. From that day it never stopped. The rapes went on day and night for a month." (Fisk, 1993)
This genocide lasted 4 years, however the damage is still not repaired. This was an event that's purpose was ethnic cleansing, however, it broke numerous articles under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Article 3 states that "everyone has the right to life, liberty, and security of person." ("The Universal Declaration of Human Rights", 2015) Article 5 states that "no one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment." ("The Universal Declaration of Human Rights", 2015) Article 18 states that "everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion." ("The Universal Declaration of Human Rights", 2015) It is evident through the actions committed in this war, that all these articles were not fulfilled, and were heinously broken. Through ongoing law processes, the unjust are still being punished, but no punishment is good enough for the brutality and terrorism that scarred the survivors, and took the lives of thousands.
Timeline of important events ("Bosnia-Hercegovina Timeline”, 2012) (Lerman, 2015).
To view images of this genocide, click the following link. Caution: The content is very graphic.
http://serbiasos.blogspot.ca/2012/06/warning-very-graphic-content-real.html
http://serbiasos.blogspot.ca/2012/06/warning-very-graphic-content-real.html