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