The "Tomo Buzov" award was presented today in Bijelo Polje to this year's winners, journalist and editor of RTCG Milo Vukčević and posthumously to Rifat Rastoder. As part of the award ceremony, an exhibition of articles from the newspaper "Borba" related to the kidnapping of passengers in Štrpci was opened in the gallery of the Cultural Center.
Explaining the jury's decision, Milan Radović reminded that this award was established by a decision of the Municipality of Bijelo Polje, and that it represents the highest municipal recognition awarded for a special contribution to the promotion and protection of human rights.
By establishing it, the Municipality of Bijelo Polje permanently preserves the memory of Toma Buzov as a symbol of personal courage, moral responsibility and unwavering commitment to the dignity of every human being, said Radović.
He emphasized that the jury's decision was unanimous.
"Tomo Buzov was an individual who stood up at a time when it meant risking his own life and showed personal resistance to injustice, while Rifat Rastoder and Mila Vukčević represent two different, but equally important dimensions of that same resistance: the political and social responsibility to name and condemn the crime, and the public, journalistic duty to preserve and convey the truth. Rastoder was a voice of reason at a time when reason was most needed. His public actions, political and social engagement, were guided by the belief that truth is above division, and human dignity above any ideology. From the day he learned about the kidnapping of passengers from a train in Štrpci, until his death on May 4, 2023, Rifat Rastoder was part of the fight of that good and honest Montenegro that stood for truth and justice for the victims of that crime. He worked through public reactions, newspaper articles, through political engagement, but also the books 'The Fate of a Name' and 'Chronicle of Crime', in which he thoroughly dealt with these, as well as other war crimes in Montenegro," he said.
Explaining the decision further, Radović said that Mila Vukčević shows how journalists can directly contribute to the preservation of culture and memory.
"Vukčević, especially through the film 'Life Pervaded by Štrpci', made a special contribution to ensuring that the truth about this crime reaches as many people as possible, emphasizing the fact that this is not the only film in this field that she has worked on. Of course, in addition to contributing to historical truth, there is also an important educational function of the film for generations to come," Radović pointed out.
The President of the Municipality, Petar Smolović, said that this award is imbued with deep silence and reflection that shows reverence and respect for the victims.
"And our silence today can sometimes be much louder than thunderous applause. On that day 33 years ago, 20 innocent people, mostly from Bijelo Polje, were killed without provocation and innocently in a horrific war crime that affected not only Bijelo Polje and Montenegro, but also the Balkans and Europe. There will be one sorrow and one wound as long as Bijelo Polje exists. Today's award is not an award. That man did not just give his life, he made and left a vow to future generations about what humanity and courage are," said Smolović.
On behalf of the Rastoder family, Melita Rastoder Ljaić emphasized that this award reminds us that we always have the choice to search for the truth, to not remain silent even when it is darkest, and to live our humanity.
"You surely know that it is difficult to speak today, on a day that silently pronounces the names of those who are not present here. On a day that calls for us to speak their names out loud and call for conscience. Yet in bad times and a silent conscience, my father chose to speak. He spoke on behalf of those who could no longer speak. He was convinced that society can only be just if it faces its past. And here we are, still facing it. We see this award as confirmation that the values he stood for, truth, justice, human dignity and the culture of remembrance, remain a permanent obligation for all of us. This is a reminder that we always have a choice, to search for the truth, not to be silent even when it is darkest and to live humanity," Rastoder Ljaić emphasized.
Journalist and editor of RTCG, Mila Vukčević, said that she proudly but also humbly stands by the name of Rifat Rastoder, as a posthumously awarded person, and that even today, 33 years after the crime, we are deciding whether to build our future on truth or on oblivion.
"This award, named after Tomo Buzov, will be our witness, a strong reminder and admonition to never forget the victims, but also those who helped them. I believe that this was our duty and obligation and that we should continue to follow the trail that Rifat Rastoder left us for years by researching and documenting testimonies of war crimes. I see this award as a kind of lifetime recognition and the crowning achievement of my work to date," said Vukčević.
Opening the exhibition of newspaper articles dedicated to the kidnapping in Štrpci, the director of the Bijelo Polje Cultural Center, Edin Smailović, explained that twenty newspaper articles from the newspaper "Borba", from the period from 1993 to 1996, were presented.
"They were selected and arranged chronologically because the newspaper Borba, until around December 1994, was an opponent of the current authorities in Belgrade and one of the rare newspapers that tried to provide information about this crime in an accurate and decent manner," said Smailović.
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