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Straits Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Bosnia commemorates Srebrenica genocide 30 years on
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The remains of seven victims of the massacre will be laid to rest during July 11's commemorations. SREBRENICA - Thousands of people are expected to gather in Srebrenica on July 11 to commemorate the genocide committed 30 years ago by Bosnian Serb forces, one of Europe's worst atrocities since World War II. The remains of seven victims of the massacre will be laid to rest during July 11's commemorations, marking the bloodiest episode of Bosnia's inter-ethnic war in the 1990s. The war broke out after Bosnia declared independence, a move supported by the country's Muslims and Croats but rejected by Serbs. On July 11, 1995, after a siege of more than three months, Bosnian Serb forces captured the eastern town – a UN-protected enclave at the time. They killed 8,000 Muslim men and boys in the following days and buried them in mass graves. Around 100 women were killed in the massacre, 80 of whom remain missing. So far about 7,000 victims have been identified and buried while about 1,000 are still missing. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Business S'pore to launch new grant for companies, expand support for workers amid US tariff uncertainties World Trump to use presidential authority to send weapons to Ukraine, sources say World Trump nominates 'alpha male' influencer to be ambassador to Malaysia Opinion Whisper it softly, there's a new Japan rising Business Popiah king Sam Goi makes $123.5 million offer to buy rest of PSC Business Company in talks to buy Esso petrol stations in Singapore, said to be worth $1.28 billion: Sources World The $12.8m bag: Original Birkin smashes records at Paris auction Asia Tariffs overshadow diplomacy as Asean foreign ministers press on with meetings In a bid to cover up the crime, the Bosnian Serb authorities had the remains removed to secondary mass graves, causing many of the bodies to be shredded by heavy machinery, according to experts. Thirty years of pain 'For 30 years we have carried the pain in our souls,' said Ms Munira Subasic, president of the association Mothers of Srebrenica. Her husband Hilmo and 17-year-old son Nermin were killed in the massacre. 'Our children were killed, innocent, in the UN protected zone. Europe and the world watched in silence as our children were killed.' The seven victims to be buried on July 11 at the Srebrenica-Potocari Memorial Centre include a 19-year-old man and a 67-year-old woman. 'Unfortunately, the remains of most of these victims are incomplete. In some cases there are only one or two bones,' said Ms Emza Fazlic, spokeswoman for Bosnia's Institute for Missing People. The families waited for years to bury their loved ones, hoping that more remains would be found. But Ms Mevlida Omerovic decided not to wait any longer to bury her husband Hasib. He was killed at the age of 33, probably in Petkovci, around 60km north of Srebrenica. Around a thousand people were transported there and locked up in a school before being executed. It is one of five mass execution sites of the massacre, the only atrocity of Bosnia's 1992-1995 war that was qualified as genocide by international justice institutions. 'Thirty years have passed and I have nothing to wait for anymore,' said Ms Omerovic, 55. She wants to be able to visit the grave of her husband, even though only his jawbone will be in the coffin. Serb denial Bosnian Serb wartime political and military leaders Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic were sentenced to life imprisonment by an international tribunal, notably for the Srebrenica genocide. But Serbia and Bosnian Serb leaders continue to deny that the massacre was a genocide. 'The Serbs did not commit genocide in Srebrenica... it did not happen', Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik said in July. In 2024, an international day of remembrance was established by the United Nations to mark the Srebrenica genocide, despite protests from Belgrade and Bosnian Serbs. 'July 11 is a day of great sadness and pain,' Ms Ramiza Gurdic, whose husband Junuz and sons Mehrudin and Mustafa were killed in the massacre, told AFP. 'But for me, every day is July 11, every night, every morning, when I get up and realise that they are not here.' AFP
Straits Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Stargazing sparking interest across Malaysia
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Avid stargazers in Malaysia often take trips within the country to spots where stars are more visible. It is pitch dark at the Empangan Sungai Selangor lookout point in Kuala Kubu Baru, Hulu Selangor. While this might not appeal to everyone, it's perfect for stargazers. The darkness only makes every star in the galaxy stand out, revealing their full glory. To get started, you'll need a telescope, smartphone, tripod and red flashlight to minimise impact on your night vision. First-timer Tristan Giles Fernando, 17, can vouch for the experience. After downloading a stargazing app on his smartphone, he was completely engrossed, identifying and taking photos of the constellations – those recognisable patterns or shapes formed by groups of stars in the night sky. Tristan and his friends spent close to three hours at the spot, taking photos of the stars using nothing more than their smartphones mounted on tripods. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Business S'pore to launch new grant for companies, expand support for workers amid US tariff uncertainties World Trump to use presidential authority to send weapons to Ukraine, sources say World Trump nominates 'alpha male' influencer to be ambassador to Malaysia Opinion Whisper it softly, there's a new Japan rising Business Popiah king Sam Goi makes $123.5 million offer to buy rest of PSC Business Company in talks to buy Esso petrol stations in Singapore, said to be worth $1.28 billion: Sources World The $12.8m bag: Original Birkin smashes records at Paris auction Asia Tariffs overshadow diplomacy as Asean foreign ministers press on with meetings Young stargazer's dream What does one truly gain from looking at the night sky, staring into vast nothingness for long periods of time? Fourteen-year-old Che Ku Muhammad Umar Che Ku Ahmad Fuad from Kuching, Sarawak, said 'the answer lies in the stars and their ability to transform the dark sky into a canvas of shimmering light.' 'The first thing to know is how they are formed. All this is basic knowledge which can be found in our school Science textbooks. 'Then there is YouTube and the Internet,' he added. Having followed his parents for stargazing trips to Pantai Trombol in Petra Jaya, Sarawak, since he was 12, Muhammad Umar said Lundu and Tanjung Datu were ideal spots for stargazing. The planets are his current objects of fascination, he told StarMetro. 'I regard them as fossils as they have existed even before dinosaurs walked the earth.' Mu hammad Umar , who uses his mother's Celestron telescope to view the stars, said Jupiter, the largest and oldest planet in the solar system, was his current object of wonderment. 'The first time I went stargazing, it was an amazing experience. 'It made me ask questions about how they were formed. 'Eventually, this made me wonder how I came to be and what my mission is in the universe,' he added. An only child, Muhammad Umar wants to be an aerospace engineer when he grows up. He dreams of one day piloting his own inter galactic spacecraft to the Andromeda Galaxy – the closest galaxy to the Milky Way – a destination approximately 2.5 million light years from Earth. He hopes to come up with a technology to make such travel possible. It is no surprise to his mother, Ms Nurul Zaitul Syeema Baharuddin, that he took an interest in stargazing as his father, Mr Che Ku Ahmad Fuad Che Ku Abdullah, is a land survey teacher at Politeknik Kuching. Land surveying is a profession that requires knowledge in field astronomy to determine the true meridian. Ms Nurul Zaitul, a housewife, said they took Muhammad Umar to stargazing events where they bonded as a family. 'His curiosity was piqued when we brought him along to witness a meteor shower,' she said, adding that her son is also in the Scouts movement and some of the trips would include his Scouting buddies. 'In an age where the younger generation has become so preoccupied with computer games and smartphones, I feel that looking to the skies is a way of broadening their knowledge and sense of awareness so that they will not become too self- absorbed,' added Ms Nurul Zaitul. Novel way to recharge One avid stargazer, who has been making regular trips to unlit places for the clearest view of the night sky, is retired Physics lecturer Chong Hon Yew , president of the Astronomical Society of Penang (ASP). He was also president and later advisor of the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Astronomy Club from 1986 to 2015. 'I was doing astrotourism long before the word was invented,' said Dr Chong. One of his favourite destinations was Pulau Singa Besar, an uninhabited island off Pulau Langkawi, which he visited almost every month from 1989 to 2001. 'You can see the Milky Way with your naked eye there. 'We'd go there with our telescopes to take pictures of nebula, which are giant clouds of dust and gas in space,' said Dr Chong. One trip that remained vivid in his memory was to Pusat Falak Sheikh Tahir at Pantai Acheh in Balik Pulau, Penang, for the 2004 Geminid meteor shower. 'Within the span of eight hours we saw up to 1,103 showers in one night. 'Every time the lights streaked across the sky, there were shouts of jubilation. 'The next morning, when it was time for me to teach a class, I realised I had lost my voice from all that shouting,' he added. On a deeper level, Dr Chong said these trips had helped him rejuvenate and destress. 'When you are under the sky, it is as if the stars are talking to you. 'It is an unexplainable feeling, like an indirect communication with the universe.' Ultimately, these trips will certainly beckon the adventurous, said ASP committee member Kenny Loh, who was also a member of the USM Astronomy Club during his student days. In 2019, the father of two organised a trip for ASP members to watch the annular solar eclipse in Pulau Kukup, Johor. Two years ago, Mr Loh was in Australia to witness the total solar eclipse and this year he will be taking a trip to Iceland with his wife to witness the Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights. Mr Loh, an avid astro photographer, also has a four-wheel drive vehicle to carry all his gear when he goes stargazing. 'The trickiest part about stargazing is patience. You may have just finished setting up your telescope only to spend 10 seconds observing one part of a sky before it is covered in clouds. 'One also has to be hardy and have some knowledge of survival skills as there are locations that have minimal light pollution and are devoid of basic comforts like electricity, water supply or toilets. 'In some locations, safety also needs to be looked into especially when it comes to ensuring that one's vehicle does not obstruct traffic during such trips. 'Drivers should park in parking bays. Ideally, stargazers should go in a group as there is safety in numbers,' he said. To overcome these challenges, Mr Loh planned to set up remote telescopes to view the sky on a tablet from the comfort of his home in Penang. He has established a connection with his friend's observatory in Johor and plans to set up the next one in Perlis. Skywatching tour For Mr Muhammad Mustaqim Rosden, who is marketing and communication director of an adventure travel and tour company, rising interest in astronomical activities and celestial events has led to the inclusion of more dark places in their packages. This has resulted in stargazing being included in the itinerary to tours to Taman Negara and Pulau Tioman, both in Pahang. However, the market has progressed to a point where they are able to organise trips solely dedicated to stargazing to locations like the Gombak Selangor Quartz Ridge, Pulau Mawar in Mersing, Johor, and tea plantations in Cameron Highlands, Pahang. 'We have organised over 30 astro tours since 2023 with each trip seeing about 50 participants. 'The average age of participants is between 25 and 70 years. 'Children whose parents are interested in astronomy and nature also tag along.' Mr Muhammad Mustaqim said children made up 40 per cent of total participants while teenagers formed 30 per cent and adults 30 per cent. 'In private tours, children make up between 20 per cent and 30 per cent of the number of participants,' he added. He also touched on challenges in ensuring a successful trip, with weather being the main one as it was beyond the organiser's control. Mr Muhammad Jazlan Rozali, who runs a marketing consultancy business, said even if the weather was rainy or cloudy, the journey would ultimately be worth it. According to the social media ad campaigner, the best spots are the ones with very minimal light pollution, which means that most of these places are usually away from the city. 'People who like stargazing also love nature and activities like hiking and camping. 'During the night what can you do? Look at the sky, of course. 'To me, it is so beautiful; nothing compares to it,' he added. On how stargazing can be best promoted, Ms Nurul Fatini Jaafar, rector of Akademi Falak Malaysia, an institution under Persatuan Falak Syar'i Malaysia, said it all boiled down to hands-on experience. The founder of Sahabat Langit Utara, a community organisation, said the Orang Asli have their own names for constellations and star patterns that are woven into their local folklore and stories. 'During my fieldwork with the Semelai Orang Asli at Tasik Bera, Pahang, I was thrilled to discover they have their own interpretations of Orion, Taurus and the Pleiades. 'Examples are bintang peyh (meaning spring spear trap) which is part of Orion, bintang jekat (wild boar's jaw) which is part of Taurus and bintang kerancong (mousedeer's dung) which refers to the Pleiades cluster.' Ms Nurul Fatini suggested that parents and teachers take young ones to observatories and science centres to nurture their curiosity. She added that it was time for tourism players, such as tour guides and resort staff, to be trained in basic astronomy, so that they can offer enriching nighttime experiences alongside daytime tours. 'I also wish to see more film and animation studios producing impactful content that portrays stargazing and celebrates our local astronomy heritage. 'Just like Moana inspired young viewers to learn about ancient Polynesian way-finding and celestial navigation, we need a culturally rooted film or programme that will boost public interest in science and astronomy, just like how the Angkasawan programme once did. 'Local councils and faith-based centres should include stargazing into weekend or monthly community programmes,' she said. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
