FACTS AGAINST FALSIFICATIONS AND REVISION OF HISTORY

ISTOČNO SARAJEVO, APRIL 14 /SRNA/ – A public forum against the revision of historical facts about the WWII and the war events at the end of the 20th century in Sarajevo will present only historical truths and documents, not falsifications, nor political, ideological, or national platitudes, said Dušan Šehovac, the one of the organisers of today's gathering in Istočno Sarajevo.

Šehovac, who is the head of the civic association Truth and Justice, stated that there is an ongoing revision, distortion, or neglect of objective facts, resulting in very little being known about what happened in Sarajevo between 1992 and 1995. "All those who are supposed to deal with these topics share responsibility," Šehovac believes. As an example of the distorted presentation of historical facts from this region, Šehovac cited the so-called siege of Sarajevo, which is the biggest lie from this area. "Seven percent of Sarajevo's territory, from Nedžarići to Baščaršija, was presented to the world as the besieged city of Sarajevo. The Hague acted the same way, investigating only crimes between Nedžarići and Baščaršija, while completely ignoring crimes against Serbs in Srpsko Sarajevo, where they have lived for centuries," Šehovac emphasized. He added that 90 percent of those who were on the lines of Srpsko Sarajevo in 1991 had residence in Sarajevo and did not come from elsewhere to attack anyone. Šehovac expressed a desire that participants of today’s and future forums be joined in discussions by representatives of Bosniaks, Croats, and the international community, who could argue what is not correct in the historical truths that the Serb side will present. Neđo Vlaški from the Association of Republika Srpska Security Services Veterans says there are multiple truths in BiH about the events of the past war – the Bosniak side’s narrative about aggressors, siege, and crimes; the Croatian perspective; and the truth of the Serb people, which has had difficulty emerging due to demonization. According to him, Serbs were not randomly chosen as a target, as long-standing enemies in the last war sought revenge through media demonization, economic destruction, and ultimately bombing. "Given the times we live in, it seems that a warrant has been issued for the truth. It appears there will be no capable or wise individuals who will reach a truth we can all agree on," Vlaški said. Historian Aleksandar Kostović also believes that those who attempt to distort historical facts are primarily the losers of World War II, and that through revision they try to present certain things in a different light. "We felt this best during the last war, when a defensive-patriotic war into which our people were pushed was portrayed as aggression or labeled in various other ways," Kostović said, adding that it is never too late for people from science, media, and other authoritative fields to present facts as they truly are. The Istočno Sarajevo gathering brought together historians, scientists from other social sciences, representatives of victims' associations, as well as non-governmental organisations that emerged from the past war.