Netherlands makes taboo out of Srebrenica

Survivors of the Srebrenica massacre 15 years ago are suing three high-ranking Dutch blue helmet soldiers for war crimes. The Netherlands' policy regarding genocide is disgraceful, writes the daily NRC Handelsblad: "The Dutch government is doing everything to keep the guilty consciences and resentment about its role in these war crimes alive. Virtually nothing has been dealt with appropriately so far. ... The resignation of the government in 2002, a reaction to a balanced inquiry report, was a kind of recognition which found its continuation in special rules for Srebrenica. But an apology remains taboo for fear of the financial and legal repercussions. ... The foreign minister at the time Rita Verdonk was not the only one who suffered from this lack of diplomatic empathy and historical sensibility which plagues the Netherlands. ... In the legal sense, too, Srebrenica is not yet a closed chapter. ... To a large extent the Netherlands only has its own cowardliness to thank for this."

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