Sir, - In 1992 sinister tales were seeping into the media about genocide and forced migration of whole communities of Muslims and some Croats from Eastern Bosnia. This forced migration was later to become known as "ethnic cleansing". This egregious euphemism was Bosnia's contribution to the language of war.
To a large extent the West averted its gaze. The reaction of the world powers was pathetic and shameful. Four years later, 2.5 million people had been displaced, 250,000 were dead, thousands upon thousands had been raped and tortured, untold numbers were missing.
Once again, a similar situation is being enacted in Kosovo. Many of the people who were responsible for atrocities in Bosnia are in positions of power in Kosovo. Best known among them is Slobodan Milosevic. His regime is systematically purging Kosovo of its non-Serb population, aiming to gain total control of the region.
Standing up to Milosevic entails risks for the EU but the risks of failing to act are far greater. Surely the least that can be done by those of us privileged to live in peace and security is to speak out against the murder and torture of innocent civilians and the violent destruction of people's dignity and integrity.
To quote from Calling the Ghosts, soon to be shown on RTE, which describes the experiences of victims of war: "There are some crimes so horrendous that they either hush us into silence or else hurl us into screams. I hope that we don't find ourselves pondering half a century from now how it came to pass that we allowed a handful of genocidal bullies to cow us into silence - and, make no mistake about it, they are counting on us to be silent." Our Government must make its voice heard in the Council of Europe. Milosevic must be given an ultimatum to halt the oppression and aggression against the 90 per cent Albanian population or face NATO air strikes against Serbian targets. This was what stopped him in Bosnia and it seems this is the only language he understands. Why does the international community procrastinate?
Failure to intervene now while the conflict is contained in Kosovo will inevitably lead to a broader Balkan war.
We heard today that the US has dropped its plan to arrest the two most wanted men from the Bosnian war, Karadzic and Mladic, indicted three years ago on charges of genocide, crimes against humanity and the taking of UN peacekeepers hostage and using them as human shields. Will the people of Bosnia ever see justice? - Yours, etc., Olive Braiden,
Director, Rape Crisis Centre, Lower Leeson Street, Dublin 2.