A women's non-governmental organisation in Serbia, "Women in Black", on Sunday demanded that Serbia's president apologise to Croatians and that authorities in Belgrade determine the superior and criminal responsibility of the supreme command of the former Yugoslav People's Army (JNA ) for the crimes committed in Croatia, particularly the destruction of Vukovar.
This NGO also urged Croatian NGOs to enhance efforts so that crimes committed during the "Storm" military operation are investigated and the perpetrators identified and punished, the NGO said in a press release on the occasion of the 21st anniversary of the fall of Vukovar.
The NGO said that its delegation would participate in the commemoration of Vukovar remembrance day. The NGO believes that the process of facing the past must rest on clearly defined responsibilities and meeting the repercussions of such responsibilities.
"The first to do something in this direction should be Serbia's president (Tomislav Nikolic) and that way he would show that he is leading Serbia on the way to Europe," the statement said.
"We remain committed to the victims of war, regardless of their nationality, race, religion, political affiliation and we feel particular responsibility for the crimes committed in our name. We know that crimes were committed on the other side and all perpetrators deserve the same punishment according to the seriousness of their crimes and all victims deserve empathy and solidarity", the "Women in Black" said.
The organisation demands that authorities in Belgrade determine the full truth about those who went missing during the war by opening Serbian army archives and to bring to justice all those who set up war camps and tortured prisoners on Serbian territory.
