On Memory, Research, and Roma Remembrance.
In an interview for the ROMDIEM project, political scientist Ljuan Koko reflects on the decades of silence surrounding the Roma Holocaust and the urgency of restoring Roma historical memory. As one of the first to record testimonies of Roma survivors from Jasenovac, he documented stories long ignored or suppressed.
“Roma were killed just because they were Roma — meant to vanish without a trace,” he says, recalling how his documentary “And You, God, Survive” was banned and how the topic remained taboo under the banner of “brotherhood and unity.”
Koko calls for international research, education, and new memorial spaces, including a Tree of Remembrance at the former Staro Sajmište camp — “a living monument rooted in our people’s memory.”
“We have neither names nor numbers — only silence. And still, many do not hear us.”
Interview by Una Beriša, June 12, 2025, Belgrade
Learn more about the project here: romdiem.eu
