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OSCE issues statement on tenth anniversary of the fall of Vukovar
ZAGREB 16 November 2001
ZAGREB, 18 November 2001 (OSCE) - On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the fall of Vukovar, the OSCE Mission to Croatia issues the following statement:
"Today we reflect upon the tragedy of the events in Vukovar ten years ago and the sufferings of its people. This especially poignant tenth anniversary is an occasion for mourning and remembrance, but we hope that it also provides an occasion for looking ahead. The achievements that have already been made in rebuilding a shattered Vukovar, and in reintegrating the communities divided by the legacy of war, are a tribute to the resilience of its people. Much remains to be done if all of Vukovar's citizens are to be able to return and to live together in the hope of a positive future for themselves and for their families. The revival of the region's economic life is of key importance.
"Much has been achieved in the effort to re-establish the conditions for a common life among all of the people of the region, but further efforts are required if trust is to be rebuilt. The OSCE Mission strongly believes that those responsible for the crimes committed in Vukovar and elsewhere should be brought to justice. However, guilt for those crimes must always be seen as individual. Accusations of collective guilt against communities are unjust and harmful to efforts to establish trust.
"We hope that the dignity of this important commemoration will be respected, and that it will be an occasion for uniting the people of the region."
"Today we reflect upon the tragedy of the events in Vukovar ten years ago and the sufferings of its people. This especially poignant tenth anniversary is an occasion for mourning and remembrance, but we hope that it also provides an occasion for looking ahead. The achievements that have already been made in rebuilding a shattered Vukovar, and in reintegrating the communities divided by the legacy of war, are a tribute to the resilience of its people. Much remains to be done if all of Vukovar's citizens are to be able to return and to live together in the hope of a positive future for themselves and for their families. The revival of the region's economic life is of key importance.
"Much has been achieved in the effort to re-establish the conditions for a common life among all of the people of the region, but further efforts are required if trust is to be rebuilt. The OSCE Mission strongly believes that those responsible for the crimes committed in Vukovar and elsewhere should be brought to justice. However, guilt for those crimes must always be seen as individual. Accusations of collective guilt against communities are unjust and harmful to efforts to establish trust.
"We hope that the dignity of this important commemoration will be respected, and that it will be an occasion for uniting the people of the region."