BOSNIA: NEGATING THE "DEFAMATION OF RELIGION"

UNCLAS SARAJEVO 001391 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SCE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KDEM KISL PGOV PHUM PREL BK SUBJECT: BOSNIA: NEGATING THE "DEFAMATION OF RELIGION" RESOLUTION IN THE UN REF: STATE 128320 ¶1. (SBU) We believe the best way to get Bosnian support for our position on &Defamation of Religion8 votes (reftel) is to stress that Bosnia should change its voting behavior because it aims to become an EU country, a tolerant multi-ethnic democracy and a fully functional state that can present itself well as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. Bosnia voted in favor of the resolution in the most recent November 12, 2009 vote in the Third Committee. However, we have been told that the Presidency, which has representatives from all three constituent peoples (Serb, Croat and Bosniak)Muslim),has made an official decision that Bosnia will &abstain8 when this issue comes up for a vote in the General Assembly. The vote by Bosnia in favor of this resolution in the Third Committee may reflect the fact that Bosnia currently has a Foreign Minister from one of the most nationalist Bosniak parties (Party for Bosnia and Herzegovina). ¶2. (SBU) We have raised this issue with our interlocutors, most recently by the DCM with Deputy Foreign Minister Ana Trisic-Babic. We suggest that American officials, both from the Embassy as well as visitors from the Department and Congress, remind interlocutors, and particularly Bosniak interlocutors, of the importance of maintaining EU standards on human rights by voting against this resolution, just as other EU members did. EU membership is one of the few things all three constituent peoples in Bosnia agree on. We should note that Bosnian UN votes have a higher profile as Bosnia approaches non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council in January, and we should remind Bosnian interlocutors that the U.S. supported their country,s candidacy for the UNSC because we expeted it to play a constructive role. We should aso stress that Bosniaks can reassure the other to constituent groups of their desire to strengthn religious tolerance by siding with the EU on thi issue rather than the OIC (both Serbia and Croata joined EU countries in voting against this resolution). ¶3. (SBU) We should point to the American-initiated &Draft Action Plan to Combat Racial and Religious Discrimination,8 and stress that this is the appropriate approach toward promoting religious tolerance, something that is especially critical in Bosnia in view of its history of religiously-based violence. We can note that the U.S. and the EU continue to fully support Bosnia,s Euro-Atlantic future, as shown most recently by EU and U.S. efforts to promote constitutional reform, but Bosnians from all groups must show that Bosnia behaves like a potential EU member. ENGLISH