BRAVE SERB, MLADEN KOJIC, PAYS RESPECT TO SREBRENICA GENOCIDE VICTIMS

On the occassion of the 15th anniversary of the Srebrenica Genocide, Radio Netherlands published a story entitled "The Ghosts of Srebrenica." They met a brave 25-year old Bosnian Serb guy attending the ceremony and paying his respect to 8,372 victims of the Srebrenica Genocide in the Potocari-based memorial. How touching.

The name of this brave young man is Mladen Kojic. According to Radio Netherlands:

"Mladen Kojic says he is one of the few Bosnian Serbs to have been to the Memorial in Potocari, where more than 4,000 victims are buried. The 25-year old admits his views aren’t shared by the majority of his Bosnian Serb friends.

His parents worked for the military – his father died in battle. He was 10 when the genocide took place and couldn’t even understand what was going on.

'The only thing I knew was what I heard from my parents, neighbours and family. At that time I understood there was a war, that Serbs and Bosniaks were fighting against each other.'

It was only when he was 18 that Mladen began to hear the other side of the story 'We were only seeing our own pain,' he confesses. He still remembers when ethnicity wasn’t an issue. It still isn’t for him, but again, he is a minority in Srebrenica.

'People here don’t like when you think differently from them,' he adds, and that’s why he believes many Bosnian Serbs don’t dare to consider the other side. And then there is the most popular culprit – politicians. According to Mladen they are the ones who make people 'think about these differences and cause all the trouble.'

Mladen invites anyone to go to the bar where he works and see Bosniaks drinking with Bosnian Serbs. And he is not alone. Shop owners in Srebrenica will say all customers are welcome regardless of their religion, and taxi drivers will take anyone to their destination."

Thank you Mladen Kojic. We're proud of you.