§ 7. Mr. HainTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the situation in Bosnia. [22617]
§ Mr. RifkindCompliance with commitments made at Dayton is generally good, but the situation remains fragile. We urge all parties to throw their weight behind the process of reconciliation.
§ Mr. HainWill the Foreign Secretary condemn—as I am sure he would want to—the horrific tampering with graves at a number of sites in Bosnia, including most notably the Sahinici One site, apparently with the intention of hiding evidence to allow mass murderers to escape? Is it not wrong and totally unacceptable that the implementation force should be refusing to secure such suspected sites? Will he use his good offices to press IFOR, through the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, to ensure that the sites are guarded so that the international criminal tribunal can go there, collect the necessary evidence and bring brutal mass murderers to trial?
§ Mr. RifkindI agree with the hon. Gentleman that one condemns any interference with such sites. We are working closely with the tribunal on the sort of locations within Bosnia that might be of particular sensitivity and any request of the tribunal. I am sure that every effort will be made both by IFOR, and the police authorities within Bosnia-Herzegovina, to ensure that the sites are not tampered with in a way that damages evidence that would otherwise be available.