TOSI: IDEA OF LEAVING SERBS OUT OF VICTIM STORY CANNOT HAVE EFFECT

NEW YORK, MAY 22 /SRNA/ - The idea that the Serbs are left out of the story of the victims and that no one deals with their history or stories cannot have an effect, said Gregory Tosi, an expert on international disputes from Washington.

Tosi, who worked as a consul general for US senators and members of the House of Representatives and as a litigator in international disputes, pointed out during a panel discussion at the UN HQ in New York that it is very difficult to follow such strong testimonies, especially "of those who are from European countries which have no Anglo-American tradition". "According to Anglo-Saxon law, the common phrase is that ‘nothing brings the truth to light like cross-examination’. I would not challenge any of you to cross-examine witnesses to test their testimony. Most of you are lawyers," Tosi stated at the beginning of his speech. Commenting on the statements of panel discussion participants who witnessed or themselves survived the torture that Bosniaks committed against Serbs during the war, as well as the proposed resolution on Srebrenica, Tosi emphasized that the victims are asking for nothing more than equal justice, not only for themselves but for all the victims - Serb, Croat, Bosniak’s. They demand equal justice to all the victims, but the new resolution does not lead to it. They are asking the UN to review equal justice for everyone which has been called "reconciliation". According to him, "it is wise to consider the stories of all sides", and equal justice goes hand in hand with respecting the stories of all victims, including those who did not survive and cannot now talk about it. "30,000 Serbs were killed during the war in BiH, about whom we did not hear much, we did not hear that they were part of that equation, and this resolution will not help them to be included in that equation. When thinking about the resolutions and how they are shaped, not only the regional governments should be taken into account, but also the participants, the main participants in BiH, which are the three constituent peoples, which make up the majority of the population - 98 percent," noted Tosi. He emphasized that there is nothing in the proposed resolution that shows respect for the Serbs as the majority participant in the discussion. Tosi assessed that the resolution will only bring back all the problems that existed before, even before the two great wars. The US expert emphasized that the process must be transparent and clear for everyone, including members of the UN and the EU, but that it being clear and transparent to those who live in BiH is most important. "How can you achieve success with a resolution which leaves out one of the biggest participants - the Serbs? Serbia wants a more inclusive approach, which will include all parties. People were willing to look forward, even face the worst crimes - to leave bitterness behind not thinking about revenge. This part of the world survived the cultural revenge, so taking into account all sides will have more effect in the region, including economic growth; it will lead to mutual understanding of countries and peoples. The idea of looking and moving forward and that it is cross-cultural exchange that could lead to a new point of view. But, the idea of leaving the Serbs out and the lack of dealing with their history and their stories - I don't see how that can have an effect," concluded Tosi.