Mijacic: Relocating the memorial plaque is an anti-civilizational act; ambassadors should apologize and return it to its place

Dragisa Mijacic, the coordinator of the Working Group of the National Convention on the European Union for Chapter 35, stated in an interview with Kosovo Online that the French and German ambassadors, who had ordered the relocation of the monument to fallen Serbian soldiers in Pristina, must apologize and return the memorial plaque to its original location.

He emphasized that moving the monument to fallen Serbian soldiers from the wars of 1912-1918 was a reckless and scandalous act in every possible sense.

"This act is not in line with European values, the rule of law, or the culture of remembrance. It is not a humane and civilizational act. Additionally, the Serbian community in Kosovo is very sensitive to the destruction of its tombstones and monuments happening in all urban areas of Kosovo - everywhere where Albanians are the majority. After monuments and cemeteries have been ravaged, we now have a situation where two ambassadors, primarily the French ambassador, are relocating a tombstone because it appears in the frame during the commemoration they conduct at that place on November 11, Armistice Day. This is truly an unprecedented, thoughtless, and scandalous act that, I am pretty sure, has not happened in modern French history," Mijacic said.

He added that they had initiated a petition to unconditionally return the monument to its original location and that the two ambassadors should apologize for their actions, as they were uncivilized and not in line with European values.

"After that, they can organize a commemoration at some other alternative location or relocate the plaques they have placed elsewhere. This doesn't have much to do with the Serbian community, but concerning the tombstone they placed for soldiers who fell in the wars from 1912 to 1918, it must be returned to its place. This is the only right and sincere way to show that there should be no playing with monuments, no playing with the dead, and no playing with the culture of remembrance," Mijacic stated.

When asked how many people have signed the petition and whether anyone from the French embassy has contacted him so far, Mijacic said that over 3,000 people had signed the petition.

"I take this opportunity to call on everyone, especially people known to the public and ordinary citizens, all admirers of the culture of remembrance and European values, regardless of nationality, to sign the petition. We have military cemeteries all over the world, all over Serbia, all over Kosovo, which are sacred regardless of the soldiers they belong to; they are sacred. The act of moving that monument is truly absurd, and that's why the petition is the only way to keep this issue high on the agenda of the media and at different levels of conversation to exert additional pressure and bring the French ambassador to his senses to return the monument where he moved it. We have had no contact with the French embassy so far; we certainly haven't contacted them. We are waiting for the petition to finish, for as many people as possible to sign it. Then we will address the French embassy and other authorities in France and Germany to point out such a truly immoral act that is not in line with European values," Mijacic emphasized.