On 11 July 2024, I attended the commemoration for the victims of the genocide in Srebrenica. This year marks the first commemoration since the UN designated 11 July as the annual International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica earlier this year. In the moving event, the lives of those lost were remembered, with the vehement hope that such atrocities do not happen again. The event included speeches from Amir Sahinovic, the honorary consul of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sydney, survivors of the attacks and students from the Bosnian Ethnic School, as well as Imam Imran Bahtanovic. Unfortunately, as evidenced by conflicts since then and those that are happening all around the world today, peace still seems so far away.

Eight thousand three hundred and seventy-two were killed in one day. They were basically men aged 12 to 77. It's sobering to note that to list their names would take almost 12 hours. During the ceremony, we watched 29 years later as the burial of 14 more victims in Srebrenica was taking place. They'd been identified by family DNA evidence. This brings closure for their families and makes a place to grieve the loss.

I appreciate the opportunity to attend the commemoration and provide my condolences and support to all those who attended.

Link to Hansard: Full Speech