STRATEGY OF COLONIZING PEOPLE

AIM, Zagreb, November 8, 1995 On the occasion of his recent meeting with the representatives of Croat banished persons and priests from the Banjaluka region, Vice Prime Minister and Minister of development and reconstruction, Dr Jure Radic mentioned, among other, that a law on strategy of colonizing people was in preparation. "After a thousand years of various forms of non-freedom in Croatia, we are given the opportunity to build the Croat state and develop its space in compliance with the interests of the Croat citizens", Minister Radic explained, stressing that this was a precise plan of distribution of the population, especially refugees from Bosnia, Vojvodina and Kosovo.

Preparations of the law on strategy of organization of the Croat space began in the Ministry of development and reconstruction more than six months ago. Numerous experts were engaged to do the job, and experiences of other countries which have applied planned colonization were used. Strategy of Croat space according to Dr Radic, will have its levels of priority depending on strategic and other interests of the state. For instance, most of the region liberated in action "Storm" will have priority in colonization, since it is a space which, according to his words, needs to be supplied with population, since an inhabitant, owner, will defend his home best. Since this is an underdeveloped, and therefore an unattractive part of Croatia, it is clear that it will not be possible to meet the interests of the state spontaneously, nor only by application of market mechanisms. Colonization of people will be organized and directed by the state, and since the Constitution enables each individual to choose his/her place of residence, the task of the future law on strategy of colonizing the Croat space will be to stimulate people to go to specific regions and stay there. Apart from determining which space this is, the law will also precisely define a series of delicate measures, from communication directions to involvement of economic factors. Depending on the assessments, in some regions, priority will be given to communications, while in others, the objective will be to move certain state agencies and even the army to them.

The state will also, where it is in its interest, stimulate construction of economic facilities by tax and duty exemptions. At the session of the Croat Government held in Knin, right after action "Storm", the Minister of reconstruction and development proposed that living in large cities should be discouraged in order to help as many people as possible make up their minds to live in the liberated regions. In this way, Radic believes, the main problem in revitalizing of these parts would be solved, which is - the people. There are, namely, too few of them, and they are wrongly distributed around Croatia. Although the law does not explicitly mention it, the colonization plan, being the matter of Croat national interest, refers solely to the Croats, about 120 thousand of them whom the authorities of the Krajina Serbs banished in the beginning of the war and who are expected to replace at least a part of the Serbs who lived there until just recently. That the Croat authorities do not count on the return of 150 thousand banished Serbs, at least not in any cosiderable number, is best illustrated by the hasty adoption of the Law on temporary taking possession of their property and controlling it. While on the one hand it calls the Serbs to return, the Croat authorities are doing all they can to deprive them of their property. Taking away private property from the Serbs considerably diminishes motivation for their possible return.

Although according to the most optimistic forecasts, this draft law could not be prepared for the Assembly procedure before the end of the year, its implementation is already well under way. According to a precisely elaborated plan of return of banished persons, about 40 thousand of them should have already returned in the course of September and October, those whose houses have remained undamaged, while at the same time, another 40 thousand of them should have temporarily been accomodated in the vicinity of their demolished homes in order to be able to take part in their reconstruction. Despite a powerful campaign in the media, so far there has been no question of a spectacular return of the refugees. For instance, to Benkovac which is one of the rare places which has remained almost completely undamaged after the military action, only about 600 people have returned. Almost all the flats have already been "reserved", and over 70 per cent of the property has been robbed. Loans for reconstruction of demolished houses have not been allocated yet, and promises of high-quality employment and accomodation are just an attempt of the authorities to attract young people to move to the liberated regions. In most of the places, even three months after the war operations, civilian government has not been established yet. District Prefect of Zadar-Knin district, Sime Prtenjaca demanded protection of the Government from the generals who obstructed normal operation of the civilian authorities. Stressing bad cooperation with the Croat Army and police, Prtenjaca listed a series of instances of violence and robbery committed by persons in uniforms.

Due to personnel problems, Minister of health, Andrija Hebrang sought support of the Government for forcible return of banished professionals, since a large number of health workers who have been paid during banishment, are refusing to return. A lack of personnel, he warned, made a lasting solution of health protection in liberated regions impossible. There was also a demand from the Ministry of the Administration for employment of young unemployed people in the administration in these regions, but elsewhere too. By refusing the offered jobs, they would automatically be deprived of the rights they can claim at employment agencies.

Apart from return of the banished Croats, the state leadership implements the strategy prescribed by the future law in the case of accomodating Croat refugees who are coming everyday from B&H, from the territory controlled by Bosnian Serbs. Supporters of the institution of working obligation warn that for colonizing and reconstructing the liberated regions, refugees and banished persons from B&H and Vojvodina will not be sufficient. Namely, according to the plan, a part of the banished Serbs should be replaced by about 70 thousand Croats who have fled from the part of B&H controlled by the Bosnian Serbs. "It is not by mere chance that people who are coming from Banjaluka are accomodated in the so-called soft belly of Croatia, in the space around Vrginmost, Vojnic and the southern part of Karlovac, where Croatia is the narrowest and where the Croats have been banished from", Minister Radic explains. In the region of Kordun and Lika, about six thousand Croat refugees and banished persons from B&H have already been accomodated in the deserted Serb homes. Most of the houses have "meticulously" been cleaned before their arrival, and many have been damaged. Apart from a lump sum financial assistance of one hundred kunas per family member, a small humanitarian aid is occasionally distributed to the refugees. The Red Cross helps with provision of hot meals and other necessities. Banished Croats from Vojvodina are planned to bring life back to deserted places in Western Slavonia. Most of them, about 200 of them, have colonized the village of Ladjevac near Okucani where all necessary conditions for a normal life are hastily being created.

Despite massive opposition, in compliance with the Croat state interests, a part of the refugees are moving to the until recently majority "Serb" municipalities on the territory of B&H which are now controlled by the Croat Army. At a meeting with representatives of the clergy fled from Banjaluka region, Minister Radic explained that their arrival to Croatia should be considered permanent, emphasizing that they would not be given much possibility to choose their place of residence. Remonstration of the priests and assurances that refugees from Banjaluka would on no account agree to enter deserted "Serb" houses, was interrupted by Radic in a single sentence: "Unfortunately, you are in no position to choose. You can go to Glamoc or Grahovo and you will have support of the Croat state. If you don't - you will get nothing".

Representatives of the Order of the Trapists were offered Donji Lapac as the ideal place for the beginning of their new life, and moving of the Banjaluka Bishopry to Grahovo was mentioned as a realistic possibility. In Davor, a small border Croat village on board of the river Sava, a specific transit centre was opened for Croat and Muslim refugees coming from Banja Luka. Transportation by buses was organized - of the Croats to Glamoc, and of the Muslims to Bihac. There is no choice. But, Croat refugees pay no heed to attractive offers of the Croat authorities and by all means strive to avoid the destiny of new "border guards". For instance, in the beginning of September, five buses with Croat refugees from the neighbouring state, interrupted their journey and stopped in Sibenik quite unexpectedly, and about a hundred refugees refused to proceed to Glamoc, despite recommendations of Government institutions. Nevertheless, after a few days spent outdoors, just a few of them managed to reach their relatives and friends who live all over Croatia, while the rest were taken to "free" Glamoc after all. A little over 500 people who were mostly forcibly brought to this town are not interested in "reconstruction and development" and wish to leave. Many of them have relatives in Croatia - but they cannot leave the town. Military and civilian police do not let them pass through the departure point without papers, and the authorities which issue the necessary documents, obviously are not interested in reducing the number of people brought to the town. On the contrary, they are doing everything they can to increase their number.

With hasty preparations of the law on strategy of organizing the space and measures after war operations, the space which Serb population has just recently fled from is quite openly colonized by the Croat population banished from Vojvodina and Bosnia. One group of wretched people is used to move into the space left by another group of just as wretched people - for the beginning of life in the "promised" land, they are offered someone else's home, property, school... Remains of other people's lives. And while peace negotiations still insist on the platitude of return of the refugees to their homes, forcible and inhumane displacement of hundreds thousand people is already being completed and legalized in the field.

BRANKA VUJNOVIC