Remembering Srebrenica

South Tyneside paid tribute to the victims of the Srebrenica genocide this week with a special remembrance service to mark the UK National Memorial Day.

This year marks the 27th anniversary of the atrocities in Bosnia and Herzegovina when the Bosnian Serb Army marched into Srebrenica and killed more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys.

The Mayor of South Tyneside, Councillor Pat Hay was joined by community representatives for a commemoration service, led by Rev Lesley Jones, at South Shields Town Hall. Candles were also lit in remembrance of the lives lost.

The Mayor said: "Srebrenica Memorial Day is an opportunity to remind ourselves of how quickly hatred and division can take hold and that through our own behaviours and choices we all have the power to prevent the horrors of Srebrenica from being repeated.

"Unfortunately, all communities are at risk of prejudice and intolerance. This year is particularly poignant due to the current situation in Ukraine.

"It is incredibly important that we remember what happened in Srebrenica, unite and stay vigilant against such negative forces. By learning about these atrocities and remembering the victims, we can take positive action to build a safer, stronger and more cohesive society, free from hatred."

This year's theme, 'Combatting Denial: Challenging Hatred', highlighting the fact that denial of the Srebrenica genocide as well as the crimes against humanity committed across Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995 remains prevalent.

This is despite the killings at Srebrenica being classified as genocide by both the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Tribunal of the former Yugoslavia.

Further information about this year's Memorial Day, which took place on 11 July, is available at  www.srebrenica.org.uk