During my trip to Melbourne in June this year,I met this lovely 52 year old Bosnian lady who has suffered so much at the hands of the Serbs.
During 1992 the Serb soldiers came to their home in Prijedor without warning and
took her husband as well as all the other men away. After some time they heard shots being fired.
Her son was then13 years old and at first he was also taken away. After a while he returned home as one of the soldiers released him.
The Prijedor massacre also known as Prijedor ethnic cleansing or the Prijedor genocide.Numerous war crimes were committed by the serb political and military leadership mostly on Bosnian civilians.
During 1992 the Serb soldiers came to their home in Prijedor without warning and
took her husband as well as all the other men away. After some time they heard shots being fired.
Her son was then13 years old and at first he was also taken away. After a while he returned home as one of the soldiers released him.
The Prijedor massacre also known as Prijedor ethnic cleansing or the Prijedor genocide.Numerous war crimes were committed by the serb political and military leadership mostly on Bosnian civilians.
He was very fortunate to be alive as even young boys as young as fifteen were shot. He was traumatized as he saw his grandfather and father shot before his very eyes.Her daughter was 9 years old.
As soon as the women heard the shots they took the children and ran to the bushes to hide.For many hours they hid there. When all was quiet and dark the women went to their homes to bake bread and went back to the bushes as they were terrified that the soldiers would come again.After some time they all went home with the children
After a few days the soldiers came back again and destroyed the house and took away whatever they could and burnt the curtains.
Then the women and children were sent to a refugee camp.
They were given plain rice to eat without a spoon. In the morning only bread was given to them to eat which was green from the outside so they ate only the middle.She said that she became very thin like a stick.Many weak children and women died due to disease and malnutrition.
She was very fortunate that her husbands sister, a doctor from Croatia managed to get them out and kept them at her home for many months. During that time they applied for entry to Germany and other countries in Europe and finally to Australia which was accepted.
Although they were not so keen on Australia as it was very far from Bosnia but they had no choice but to accept.When they landed at Melbourne airport they did not know what would happen to them or how they would be treated. They could not speak a word of english. She was very thankful that they were very well received in Melbourne and treated very well. They were given a little apartment with some food and a little money. They were also sent to learn english.
Both her children are now very well educated and have good jobs.
They are happily married to Bosnian spouses and live in Australia.
This lady works for a hotel as a cleaner but has managed to save money and buy a house.
Last year she went back to Bosnia to bury her husband as they found his remains.
VERY VERY SAD INDEED.
After a few days the soldiers came back again and destroyed the house and took away whatever they could and burnt the curtains.
Then the women and children were sent to a refugee camp.
They were given plain rice to eat without a spoon. In the morning only bread was given to them to eat which was green from the outside so they ate only the middle.She said that she became very thin like a stick.Many weak children and women died due to disease and malnutrition.
She was very fortunate that her husbands sister, a doctor from Croatia managed to get them out and kept them at her home for many months. During that time they applied for entry to Germany and other countries in Europe and finally to Australia which was accepted.
Although they were not so keen on Australia as it was very far from Bosnia but they had no choice but to accept.When they landed at Melbourne airport they did not know what would happen to them or how they would be treated. They could not speak a word of english. She was very thankful that they were very well received in Melbourne and treated very well. They were given a little apartment with some food and a little money. They were also sent to learn english.
Both her children are now very well educated and have good jobs.
They are happily married to Bosnian spouses and live in Australia.
This lady works for a hotel as a cleaner but has managed to save money and buy a house.
Last year she went back to Bosnia to bury her husband as they found his remains.
VERY VERY SAD INDEED.
