We join in solemn reflection today to mark the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, an atrocity that shocked the world.
Over five days in July 1995, more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were murdered and buried in mass graves in and around the town of Srebrenica, and some 25,000 women, children and elderly people forcibly deported.
We can never let the passage of time erode the truth of what was perpetrated. We can never let fade into history the names and the faces of those whose lives and futures were torn from them. And we must never let the harsh lessons of Srebrenica go unheeded.
Last year, the United Nations designated 11 July as the International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica. Australia was proud to support this resolution to honour the memory of the victims, recognise the ongoing toll on their families and loved ones and establish a respectful commemoration as a meaningful step towards reconciliation.
Many who fled the Balkan wars in the 1990s, including survivors of Srebrenica, found a safe haven in Australia. We are grateful for their contribution to our nation and all they have added to the strength and breadth of our multicultural society.
I offer my heartfelt respects to the victims, the survivors, and the bereaved of Srebrenica – and I recognise the enduring pain and trauma so many still carry three decades on.
We cannot dismiss the horrors of Srebrenica as the work of monsters. It was planned and carried out by human beings. We share a responsibility to never take tolerance and respect for granted. As we mark this dark anniversary, let us uphold those values and stand firm against hatred, prejudice and violence. And may those who were lost rest in peace.