19 years since massacre of Serbs in eastern Bosnia

Source: Tanjug

BRATUNAC -- Officials marked on Thursday the 19th anniversary of the massacre targeting Serbs in the village of Kravica, eastern Bosnia-Herzegovina.

49 people were murdered in 1993 when their village was raided by Bosnian Muslim forces on Christmas day.

The Muslims were commanded by Naser Orić.

688 Serb homes were burnt down, 80 villagers were wounded and survivors are still waiting for justice, the Serb Republic (RS) public broadcaster RTRS said. 200 facilities and 27 community venues were also destroyed in the attack.

Over 1,500 Serbs, mostly women, children and elderly, were killed in separate attacks that took place on most important Serbian Orthodox holidays: St. Peter's Day, St. Dimitry's Day, St. Nicholas' Day and Christmas, Chairman of the Committee for Nurturing the Traditions of Liberation Wars Velimir Dunjicćsaid and added that "some factors in the international community are trying to obstruct the commemoration of this and some other dates as well".

The service honoring fighters and civilians killed on Christmas day in 1993, and all 3,267 Serbs killed in the eastern Bosnia region, was served in the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul.

Representatives of the RS government, Bratunac municipality and veterans' associations laid wreaths at the central memorial stone.

Over 1,000 local citizens were expelled from Kravica during the 1992-95 war.

Families of the victims, survivors and friends said they were outraged by the actions of the Bosnian judicial bodies because, as they said, a large number of criminals are still walking around nearby Srebrenica as free people.