Although the Hague Tribunal convicted two commanders, many crimes committed on the Dubrovnik battlefield remained unpunished, the Human Rights Action (HRA) announced today.
"On this day 34 years ago, the siege of Dubrovnik began, which lasted from October 1, 1991 to the end of May 1992. During the siege, 116 civilians, 194 Croatian defenders and 165 JNA soldiers from Montenegro were killed. The city was without electricity and water for 138 days, under a naval and air blockade. The attack on Dubrovnik in 1991 is one of the darkest episodes of the wars of the 1990s, and the international public described it as a clash of civilization and barbarity. The city, without military significance, but of invaluable cultural and symbolic value, became the target of the Yugoslav People's Army under the control of Serbia and Montenegro," the statement said.
The HRA added that on the occasion of the anniversary of the beginning of the siege, they are publishing a text by three historians - Tvrtko Jakovina from Zagreb, Dragan Popović from Belgrade and Miloš Vukanović from Podgorica - which analyzes the political background of the attack, the mechanisms of nationalism, media propaganda and political manipulations that led to the JNA aggression against Croatia.
"The text particularly highlights the anti-war protests in Serbia and Montenegro, which represented an important voice of minority resistance to mobilization and limited the abuses of the JNA. It also depicts life in the besieged city - destroyed homes, shelters and everyday life under shelling, while the old city center, part of the world's cultural heritage, suffered constant destruction. The consequences of the attack were severe: the death of civilians and soldiers, the destruction of cultural heritage, international isolation and sanctions against Serbia and Montenegro. Although the Hague Tribunal convicted the two commanders, many crimes committed on the Dubrovnik battlefield remained unpunished," the HRA statement reads.
The non-governmental organization (NGO) said that by publishing this text, they are reminding us of responsibility, confronting, and remembering.
"Only the truth and acceptance of the mistakes of the past can build lasting peace and cooperation in a common European future," HRA said.
Text is available here.
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