KARAN: EXPULSION OF SERBS FROM WESTERN KRAJINA HAD A CLEAR GOAL – PERMANENT ETHNIC CLEANSING

BANJA LUKA, OCTOBER 10 /SRNA/ – Republika Srpska President Siniša Karan says that today tribute is being paid, with profound respect, to all innocent victims of western Krajina, one of the most tragic episodes of Serb people’s suffering during the Defensive-Patriotic War.

"This brutal offensive, during which 120,000 Serbs were expelled from 13 municipalities in western Krajina, had a clear objective - full extermination, expulsion, and permanent ethnic cleansing of the Serb people from these territories. Thousands of Serb families were left without their loved ones, homes, and property, while entire regions where Serbs had lived and built their lives for centuries were nearly completely devastated," Karan told SRNA on the occasion of the 31st anniversary of the aggression against 13 municipalities in western Krajina in September and October 1995 by the combined forces of the Croatian Army and the so-called Army of BiH, supported by NATO operations. He stressed that the convoys of the expelled, murdered civilians, destroyed villages, and abandoned family homes remain lasting evidence of the scale of the suffering, which must never be forgotten, but also a painful testament to the historical continuity of the persecution to which the Serb people has been subjected in these territories. "What makes this crime particularly grave is the fact that, even three decades later, the victims’ families have still not received justice, nor have those responsible been adequately prosecuted. Selective justice that remains silent about Serb victims and downplays their suffering constitutes a profound injustice, further insulting Serb victims and deepening the wounds of our people. It is our duty to persevere in establishing the full truth and accountability for the crimes committed, to preserve the memory of every Serb victim, and to leave future generations with an awareness of the price our people paid for their freedom and survival," the president of Republika Srpska emphasized. Karan says that the tragic experiences of the past obligate us never to allow the Serb people to be deprived of their rights, expelled, or denied the right to determine their own future again. "Republika Srpska is the strongest guarantor of the survival, freedom, and constitutionally guaranteed rights of the Serb people. Therefore, protecting its institutions and constitutional position is our lasting obligation and the foundation of peace, stability, and a secure future for generations to come," Karan declared.