[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 93 (Tuesday, July 12, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1471-E1472]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      COMMENDING SERBIAN PRESIDENT BORIS TADIC ON JOINING IN THE 
   COMMEMORATION OF THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SREBRENICA MASSACRE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. DAN BURTON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 12, 2005

  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend Serbian 
President Boris Tadic for the courage and humility he displayed by 
attending the commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the Srebrenica 
massacre.
  Although time has yet to fully heal the wounds of hatred borne in 
war, President Tadic's actions stand out as a crucial first step in the 
process of peace. His attendance at the Srebrenica commemoration was a 
strong show of statesmanship and a demonstration of his firm commitment 
to reconciliation in that still unsettled region.
  President Tadic's attendance marked the first time any Serbian 
representative attended the commemoration of the Srebrenica massacre. 
His visit to Srebrenica is an important outreach to the Bosnian people 
and an appropriate homage to the thousands of victims who were brutally 
murdered. President Tadic's presence also demonstrated Serbia's renewed 
commitment to cooperation and democracy and its rebuttal of nationalism 
and xenophobia. His attendance was also marked by his fellow democratic 
politicians in the Serbian Parliament in Belgrade who held a moment of 
silence for the victims of Srebrenica.
  The Srebrenica commemoration was not the first time President Tadic 
made a bold statement underscoring his desire to achieve 
reconciliation. Eight months ago, he personally apologized to the 
Bosnian people for any crimes committed in the name of Serbia or the 
Serbian people when he visited Bosnia.
  Tragically, despite President Tadic's firm leadership, dedication, 
and example, many Serbs still refuse to acknowledge the Srebrenica 
massacre; making his visit perhaps even more momentous. These actions, 
noble in their intent are not without dissent and protest back home in 
Serbia. Serbia's ultra-nationalist party, the Serbian Radical Party 
boycotted the Srebrenica commemoration, and even protested the moment 
of silence for the victims, as well as criticized President Tadic's 
attendance and actions.

  Such intense divisions within Serbia between nationalists and 
democratic reformers, unthinkable a few years ago, only serve to 
underscore that thanks to the leadership of President Tadic, and other 
like-minded Serbs, Serbia is ready to face the war crimes of the past 
and condemn the heinous and brutal extermination of Bosnian males in 
Srebrenica 10 years ago.
  Mr. Speaker, I believe President Tadic's actions should be a sign to 
the world and the Bosnians alike that there is a profound difference 
between Serbia's citizens and Serbian war criminals; and I know that 
President Tadic is firmly committed to bringing those responsible for 
war crimes, especially those responsible for the Srebrenica massacre, 
including General Ratko Mladic, to justice before the International 
Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) at The Hague where 
they will be tried for their crimes against humanity.

[[Page E1472]]

  I believe that President Tadic deserves the United States' respect 
and support as a democratic and reformist leader in a historically 
unstable region. He has fought for democracy and equality against the 
tide or nationalistic fervor unleashed by former Serbian President 
Slobodan Milosevic, and in many ways his actions speak loudly of his 
leadership and bravery. He is leading his country in a bold, new 
direction of cooperation with the West and is diligently working to 
ensure Serbia's integration into the European Union and NATO, as well 
as partner with the United States. President Tadic represents the 
future of Serbia and the Balkans and we should support him in his 
struggles and endeavors. I ask my colleagues to join with me to commend 
his leadership, applaud his courage, and renew our commitment to peace 
and stability in the Balkans.

                          ____________________