7 Remembering through art We interviewed Robert McNeil, MBE, who was part of a forensics team identifying bodies of victims killed in the Bosnian genocide in 1995. In July 1995, more than 8,000 Bosnians were slaughtered in a genocide
used to prosecute the per- time. After his retirepetrators and hold them ment, Robert suffered to account. from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and expeThe work was difficult for rienced horrifying nightmany reasons. Firstly, Robmares related to what he ert and his team were had witnessed. often violently targeted by groups of Serbs who tried On the advice of his wife, to prevent them carrying Robert started painting scenes from his nightmares, and found that this helped him cope with the trauma. His nightmares stopped, and today some of Robert’s depictions of the genocide can be seen in museŠejla’s ’Bosnian Girl’ artwork (our edit of text). ums. Since 2014, Robert has worked with Remembering Srebrenica, travelling to schools and prisons to teach people about his work, the conflict, and the use of art as a therapy. Robert’s final reflections on his experiences were particularly moving:
The words were graffiti by an unknown Dutch UN soldier in their Potocari base.
Artist Šejla Kamerić’s ‘Bosnian Girl’ artwork shone a light on an often unspoken and uncomfortable aspect of the genocide in Srebrenica. Šejla’s piece depicts a in the town of Srebrenica. out their task. Also, in black and white photograph of herself This was one part of a wid- some cases the perpetraoverlaid with the words ‘No teeth…? A er ethnic cleansing camtors had ripped bodies mustache…? Smel like sh*t…? Bosnian paign against the group. apart using diggers, and girl!’ What might shock even more is the scattered the remains in Robert McNeil, who had a fact that these words were written in many different graves. The “The lesson that I learned background in forensic their Potocari base by Dutch UN soldiers over many years is that Bosnian Serb army practice and pathology, whilst some humans are who were supposed to be protecting Bosthought that this would capable of committing first travelled to Bosnia in nian women. make identification impos- the worst of crimes 1996, volunteering for a sible, but they were against humanity, others When a reporter first showed the graffiti charity called Physicians are capable of practising to Šejla she knew that she had to make wrong. To date over six for Human Rights. His such incredible compas- the world aware of them. In creating the thousand victim’s bodies team of international volsion, understanding and piece of art Šejla was shining a light on have been identified and selflessness. In my life, I unteers from a variety of the role of the UN and how it sent young given dignified burials . have encountered both, fields worked to exhume and I would recommend men, with their own prejudices to do a bodies from mass graves The heartbreaking and to young people; choose job that they were hopelessly illleft behind by the Bosnian gruesome scenes Robert the latter.” equipped to do. Šejla comments “When I Serb perpetrators, identify witnessed in Bosnia saw the graffiti and it applied to me dithem, clean up the bodies, (especially in the Luka, rectly as a Bosnian girl who survived the and return them to griev- Omarksa and Trnopolje war I knew that I had to take it and carry ing families. They also col- concentration and internit as a message.’ That the Mothers of lected forensic evidence ment camps), as well as Srebrenica took the poster as they profor the International Crimi- during later deployments tested at The Hague says everything for nal Tribunal for the former in Croatia and Kosovo the power, meaning and impact of Šejla’s Yugoslavia, which was stayed with him for a long work and message. Robert McNeil MBE in his studio with some of his art behind him.