ASSOCIATION OF REFUGEES FROM BOSNIAN KRAJINA

Return Home at All Costs

AIM Banjaluka, March 9, 1996

According to the words of Banjaluka Mayor, Predrag Radic, at the moment there are more than 100 thousand refugees and displaced ethnic Serbs in this city. Everyday encounters and talks with these people who mosty dwell in practically unendurable conditions, one cannot but get one and only impression: almost all of them wish to return to their homes, regardless of the fact whether they are demolished, whether others are living in them now, and whether their homeland is in Croatia or Bosnia. That is why recent foundation of an Association of the Serbs who had fled from Bosnian Krajina, about 200 thousand of them, whose primary goal is to return to their homes, is just a logical outcome of developments. The cry and hue raised because of this Association, accompanied by threats addressed at its President and members by passionate nationalists who wish to prevent all signs of abandoning the theory of "blood and soil" is also logical. Those who wish to go to "the other side", even if it is their homeland, are therefore qualified as - traitors.

No End to Suffering

"The only important thing for me is to return to my land. It is all the same to me who is in power. The agony members of my family and I are living in since we have fled from the vicinity of Glamoc has become unbearable. I don't know whether it is popular to speak about living with the Muslims and the Croats again, but I keep thinking that any such possibility is better than this", says Milka Kljakic who has been wandering for months from one collective reception centre to another in Banjaluka which, as she says, offer no conditions for living. "All of us who have fled benefitted nothing from the fact that we are living in a Serb state now. What we should live off, where we should stay, what jobs can we hope for, these are issues noone offers answers to. This war has brought nothing good to anyone, because we, the Serbs, just like the Muslims and the Croats, have just changed the place of residence, but under very ugly circumstances. We are all together very unhappy and long for the skies in our homeland. I expect this Association of Refugee and Banished Serbs to do something. As we all plan to try to return to our places of origin some day, I believe that the institutions which can assist in that sense will not be able to disregard us", Milka says in the end.

Mile Marceta, President of the Association, a refugee from Drvar, mentions that discontent of Serb refugees has reached its climax: "More than 200 thousand refugees died since August last year, and due to terrible living conditions, this number continues to increase. That is why our decision to return to our native villages and towns, wherever they might belong nowadays, should not surprise or make anyone angry. Apart from us who are in the Republic of Srpska (RS), a large number of our people who are temporarily stationed in Vojvodina, Serbia or other parts of Yugoslavia, also wish to return home. We receive messages from them eveyday that they are just waiting for spring to come to Banjaluka, and then go on with us to Drvar, Glamoc, Grahovo", Mr. Marceta says. He stresses that the authorities in the RS are doing nothing to retain and provide Serb refugees with conditions of life fit for living, and also that they do not wish to go to demolished towns of Teslic or Derventa as an alternative either. According to his words, the platform of the Association of Serb Refugees from Bosnian Krajina consists of two parts. The first is to try to regain the lost territories by exchange or in any other peaceful way, and the other refers to return of refugees to their homes regardless of the circumstances.

"In accordance with our objectives, we have contacted the Government of the RS, the republican Ministry for Displaced persons, the UNHCR, IFOR, and the international civilian police. Most of them answered that we must be patient and wait for some time. I told representatives of the High Commissioner for Refugees in Banjaluka that I would agree to go to Kljuc and that I am not afraid to do it. We asked to go to Drvar on February 17, the Orthodox Day of the Dead, and meet the new Mayor of the town, but they told us that this was the competence of the Federation of Bosnia & Herzegovina and that they could only help us to get in touch with them. We are waiting for an incentive to make the first step, because our aim is really serious. The issue at stake is the return of many people which implies that there can be no individual actions in this sense", Mr. Marceta believes. Reminding that the refugees have endured as much as they could, he gives the example of Modrica where some of the local inhabitants welcomed them with arms and the President of Prnjavor municipality threatened to banish them calling them "Drvar communists", and in Samac they were repeatedly thrown out of houses allocated to them for temporary use.

Joint Life - Under Pressure?

Mile Marceta says that he has given up on calling responsible persons to account for their deeds, because it is necessary to wait for things to settle down.

"I was reproached and threatened by some people for my engagement in the Association, especially concerning return of refugees. I do not wish to turn this into my personal promotion. Current developments are a fact, but I am inspired by belief that I am doing what is best for so many people. We are extremely interested in having the Dayton Agreement implemented, and since the war has stopped, it is quite logical to expect people to return to normal life and coexistence. This war has brought nothing but tragedy. It was obvious even here in Banjaluka, where people were celebrating and shooting the whole night on the eve of signing the Dayton Agreement. We feel sorry for the poor Serb population which is now leaving Sarajevo in such a haste. I and the people from the Association are also accused of 'turning left'". I just believe that we, the Serbs, are what we are, nothing either greater or lesser. We should, of course, have respect for ourselves, but we must also respect others", Marceta says. He stresses that there is no need to be afraid of return, and gives the example of Drvar, where almost entirely the Serbs lived, but, as he claims, they did no harm to their neighbours who were not.

"We had never jeopardized safety of the Muslims and the Croats who were passing through Drvar. We are not guilty of against each other. After Drvar fell, 34 persons of Muslim and Croat origin who lived in our municipality went along with us. They too wish to return with us now. We also had very good relations with the Muslims, our neighbours from Bosanski Petrovac. During the war we hosted the Croats from Travnik who were crossing our territory. We considered it only human to get close to them after the evil this war brought along to all of us", Mr. Mirceta tells us.

Embittered because of various filthy manipulations during the war in which mostly innocent people suffered, he states that after Drvar, municipalities "fell" one after the other overnight. The people were left with their backs to the wall, not knowing where to turn. After wandering about for a month and a half, people from Drvar, for instance, were scattered around 19 municipalities of the Republic of Srpska.

"Those who are unfortunate to be accomodated in reception centres live in unbearable conditions, they are hungry, on the verge of endurance. Only those who are members of the Serb Democratic Party (SDS) can expect to tbe employed and be given better accomodation; to be precise, those who have driven us to this situation. We do not even have refugee status here in Banjaluka, people are unemployed, demobilized combatants walk in uniforms because they have nothing else to wear, and certain individuals have claimed property of the lost municipalities. Some of the refugees are forced to sleep in the streets, and only those who had money and property could hope to get protection from the SDS. About 200 thousand people were raised from Bosnian Krajina. They deserve to have their problems stated in appropriate places at least once a month. Leaders of towns we have come from went across the Drina a long time ago and are now concernedabout some other problems over there. Contrary to them we have really left everything we had in the homeland and now we have nowhere to go except to go back. There is absolutely no reason for threats and denials of the attempt to return to our own land", concludes Mile Marceta, President of the Association of Serb Refugees and Banished Persons from Bosnian Krajina.

"People like Mile Marceta are our only hope", Luka Vesic from Bosanski Petrovac says and continues: "I myself was eagerly waiting for someone to say that we should go home. I hope that all progressive world organizations will help us to achieve this. It would be best if all the refugees returned to their homes, and I don't mean just the Serbs. Some people ask me how will I be able to live under the Muslim or the Croat flag. Of course I could if I had guarantees of minimum of rights for a decent living. I have spent my whole life together with other ethnic groups, why would I be unable to do it again. I have not participated in persecution of anyone, but there are a lot of those who have. It is high time that we who are not passionate nationalists have a say in deciding about our destiny. That would really be be a change for the better!"

RADMILA KARLAS (AIM)