The government's Chief Spokesperson Heena Waleed has said that an official response will be given after further consideration over why the Maldives "abstained" by not voting in favour or against a resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly on May 23, 2024, to establish July 11 as an annual day of remembrance for the massacre of thousands of Muslims in Bosnia in 1995.
In response to a question from Adhadhu at a press briefing on Wednesday, Heena said the Maldives government believes a genocide took place in Bosnia and strongly condemns it.
However, when questioned about the vote, Heena said: "I will look further and give a response."
She added that the Maldives would continue to work for the defence of the Muslims in Bosnia and would always work to ensure a happy and safe life for the Muslims in Bosnia.
The government faced heavy criticism for abstaining from the vote.
The resolution was passed with the support of 84 countries. Only 19 countries voted against it but 68 countries did not vote either way. The Maldives also "abstained" by not voting in favour or against.
The International Court of Justice recognized the massacre of Bosnian Muslims as a genocide. On July 11, 1995, 8,372 Muslims were killed in Bosnia’s Srebrenica. The massacre was committed by a military group of Bosnian Serbs during the Bosnia war that started in 1992.
