Belgrade Has Nothing to Say about the Incidents in Trebinje and Banja Luka:

To Say Nothing is to Approve

AIM Belgrade, May 9, 2001

While images many believed to be a thing of the past - those of the Serbs once more playing the role of the bad guys with relish, waving black banners, bearing cockades on their hats and singing "Arise ye Chetniks, arise" and "Kill, kill the Turk" set on fire flags belonging to others, burn buses, throw stones at believers of a persuasion different from their own and desecrate sites upon which the reconstruction of torn down mosques is to begin - Yugoslav and Serb authorities, political parties, the Serbian Orthodox church, even non-governmental organizations and, to a large extent, the media, remain silent concerning the shameful events in Banja Luka and Trebinje.

For now, the local media report on condemnations coming from statesmen and institutions from all over the world, particularly from Europe and the USA. While the Presidency of the EU is deeply troubled by the failure of the authorities in the Republika Srpska (RS) to ensure proper security measures for the ceremonious laying down of the corner stone of a religious building, Volfgang Petritsch described the eruption of violence in Trebinje and Banja Luka as "a manifestation of uncivilized behaviour and brutality disgraceful to the Republika Srpska". UN officials and European ambassadors to B&H issued stern warnings, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs a statement condemning the organizers of riots in Trebinje and Banja Luka. The USA did likewise. Apart from reporting on protests coming from abroad, media in Belgrade were not in the position to note a single condemnation uttered by anyone in Serbia. To be fair, speaking in Washington, Vojislav Kostunica, President of FR Yugoslavia and politician of the year according to the American East-West Institute, gave a statement to the foreign press, condemning the nationalistic outbursts but at the same time voicing his reserve that he "cannot see the point in organizing events of the kind when the possible outcome is known in advance."

And that was it. Up to now, at least.

When the condemnation of violence and nationalistic outbursts caused by the Serbs, where ever they might be living, fails to appear - in spite of the fact that, owing to TV, anyone willing to do so could easily see what had happened - the crucial question this poses is what caused these events in the first place, while the statement of the first and foremost political figure of FR Yugoslavia cannot be interpreted but as an attempt of finding an excuse. All of this is going on full five years after the signing of the Dayton Agreement and following so many declarations on the need for reconciliation among nations. In other words, it turns out that the "true culprits" for the events in Banja Luka and Trebinje are the representatives of the international community insisting that the demolished mosques in RS be rebuilt, Republika Srpska, according to what its officials profess, being firmly set on the course of "reestablishing religious tolerance and the right of each nationality to religious freedom and the reconstruction of proper religious buildings. "By remaining silent concerning events in Banja Luka and Trebinje, the advocates of racial, religious and all other forms of equality are, in fact, consenting to silence regarding the fact

that, only in Banja Luka and merely during the year of 1993, in mere five months, all of the sixteen existing mosques were torn down in spite of the fact that the town itself remained far outside the perimeter of the actual battle-field. Not that religious buildings in other parts of RS, also on the list of protected international cultural monuments like Ferhadija, had any more luck.

The failure to recall similar details of the recent past, divests all wishing to call attention to the demolition of Serb religious buildings in Croatia, B&H and in Kosovo of a right to do so. Just as keeping silent about the attacks on the Muslem faithful in RS, strips the Serbian Orthodox Church of the credibility to speak of "reconciliation" as the foundation of the Orthodox creed.

Some prominent political figures of the international political scene are prone to ascribe the lack of relevant Belgrade reactions to the shameful incidents in RS as a need to keep aloof from the internal affairs of a neighboring country, but this argument falls to pieces in view of the fact that the newly elected president of FRY, Vojislav Kostunica, chose Trebinje as his very first diplomatic destination upon being elected to the highest post, wholeheartedly participating in the transfer of the bodily remains of the Serb poet Jovan Ducic from the USA to his hometown of Trebinje and doing his best in supporting Ivanic and Sarovic, the two leading figures of RS authorities at present, receiving them in the capacity of the president shortly before the elections in RS, while one of his first diplomatic initiatives was the establishment of special relations between FRY and RS, made official by his visit to Banja Luka prior to the ratification in the federal assembly and accompanied by a handpicked group of politicians and businessmen. During both of these visits to RS - interestingly to the very towns of Trebinje and Banja Luka - the Yugoslav president was met with ovations and welcomed as the "leader of the entire Serb nation". True, at the time, there was no singing of songs heard during the recent incidents, but even then messages such as "This is Serbia!" could be heard, failing to bother anyone.

Precisely because of all this, the responsibility of all political, religious and other factors in Serbia concerning the distressing events relating to the reconstruction of demolished religious buildings in RS is exceptional,just as the absence of reaction bears serious implications, particularly now, at the moment Serbia is on the brink of coming face to face with itself through the so called "truth commission". If it is not ready to condemn incidents such as those in RS, unequivocally and indisputably and without any reservations and justifications, then there is room for fear that the "truth commission", like some have already suggested, will be reduced to finding the culpability of others and justifying the Serb nation, whatever its deeds. All those who trusted that on October 5 Serbia once and for all did away with a way of thinking and behavior that have put her at the top of all the black lists in the world, have obviously been wrong. The relics of old beliefs are still present in the minds of many in this country. The evils of nationalism, chauvinism and hate are deeply rooted in a portion of the nation while, openly or less openly, flirting with the nationalists and chauvinists goes on, accounted for by the need to protect Serbian national interests. The reconciliation of nations is not possible without the full freedom and respect of all individual, national and religious rights of all people and on the entire territory of B&H. Once Belgrade accepts that in earnest, it will be able to solve the unavoidable problems awaiting it at home.

TATJANA STANKOVIC

(AIM)