VUKOVAR INTERMEZZO

AIM Zagreb, October 18, 1996

Contact Group and the UN tend to say that mission of UNTAES, although it has not lasted long, has already achieved significant results. The program of buying off arms has, for example, started a couple of days ago. So far, about 200 rifles were bought off for about 15 thousand German marks. Croatian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP), they say in Klein's office, is collecting more money. Then UNTAES took over Arkan's gas station in Erdut and adapted it for civilian purposes. Quietly and without much pomp, as promised to mothers from Vukovar, corpses from Ovcara were exhumed. Mines are being removed from oil fields in Djeletovci by employees, mostly former soldiers, which was largely paid by INA. Joint police is operating very well. About two thousand men are clearing up the railway between Vinkovci and Sid. UNTAES Bulletin is distributed in seven thousand copies, in both scripts, aimed at rapprochement and joint information. To cut the long story short, there is a lot more.

Will in the foreseeable future there be real, joint peace in eastern Slavonia, Baranja and western Srem, depends, according to Klein, primarily on three things: on money, on Tudjman and on local leaders. On money: "If I had half of what is spent in Mostar, I would reconstruct the whole region. The isuue here is not how fast UNTAES can bring back former population, but how many houses can be constructed in order to have where to return". On Tudjman: "Unfortunately, UNTAES mission was used for purposes of Croatian internal policy and Tudjman has no intention to abide by the rules of the game, and wishes, but also unwillingly, just a part of the native Serbs. About a hundred thousand people who have come from former Krajina and cannot return to their homes, he considers to be redundant. And where should they go, when Tudjman does not want them anywhere? And there is another thing, the elections in December are more a political manipulation than there is actual need to elect representatives of the authorities". On local leaders: "Leaders of refugees on both sides are just criticizing each other, and they are all victims. The dangerous ones will leave, but only when they do everything to prevent any success and remain as it is, that is bad". In brief, they all have their small mean jokers. But, what do the people want. "Let them all return, but it would not be good if names of streets, schools and everything were changed immediately. What do I want? To celebrate our weddings freely, with our songs and our flag. And not to be disturbed by anyone for it. To have work, to live well, to have our children go to school peacefully, not to be afraid. Not to have rights to our culture, language and history limited in any way, and we promise that it will not in any of its parts be directed against Croatia. We do not want to be insulted, and as Serbs, just like anybody else, we wish to keep our integrity. And finally, we don't mind what authorities will be like as long as they don't beat us up", says Petar Mrdjenovic from Vukovar. This is the story which can frequently be heard. But, there are others, too. For example, Dean, the owner of a restaurant in Vukovar, says: "It is no secret, a lot of weapons were buried, and there are crazy avengers on all sides. It will be most difficult with them. That is why it is perhaps important that UNTAES should stay for a long time, although even they cannot help much. What if, for instance, I opened a coffee shop or a store, and the very next day a Croatian fool threw a bomb at it, and what if a Croat opened the same thing, and a Serb fool threw a bomb at it? What then? Who can prevent it? Klein? the Police? God? Who?"

But, Klein is convinced that the people will find their own road to peace, they just need to be left alone. "In the marketplace, on the separation line, every Saturday, about 11 thousand people gather. They trade, talk, get acquainted, and it will not be difficult, if only the authorities let them, to continue to live together".

The situation implies that Milosevic and Tudjman will resolve relations by beating up the minority, which has finally become aware of it. Since the agreement in Erdut, authorities of the Serb region of eastern Slavonia, Baranja and western Srijem are openly saying that Vukovar is in Croatia and that not much time will pass until it becomes official. It is just a matter of the manner and fair play. But, in politics, especially around here, this is something very scarce.

"It is an accomplished fact, everything is known. All we have to do is preserve biological survival, not to do any damage to ourselves, to be cautious and not to provoke any police action", says for AIM Vojislav Stanimirovic, president of the Executive Council of the Serb District of eastern Slavonia, Baranja and western Srijem. This stance is appropriate especially if one knows that there are numerous public opinion polls lately around Croatia asking the citizens to naswer whether they are in favour of military action or not. For the time being, the source states that more than a half of the nation does not wish an additional war. Such a secret plebiscite is expected to show to Tudjman the degree of vibrations of nerves of the Croat nation which is nervous enough even without Podunavlje.

Together with Assembly deputy Milorad Pupovac, Veljko Dzakula paid a visit to Klein and the Serb authorties in Vukovar a few days ago, and tried to retell his experience of the operation "Flash". He says for AIM: "The main issue is whether to leave or to stay. To take the papers or to refuse them. If people leave, let them at least take some papers with them, don't let them close the door behind them. The Radicals will always manage. In Pakrac, for instance, they work with members of the HDZ in joint firms. It is, therefore, necessary to preserve the people and fight for one's rights in peace. Chances are very small for you as an individual. The more of you remain, the easier things will be. And you are not alone, you have international organizations, and we don't even have that. In any case, those who wish to leave, should create a possibility for themselves which will enable them to return once". Ever since the Erdut agreement, there is a certain dose of real paranoia among the local Serb authorities, which is intimately connected with the awareness about the lost war. Regional secretary for administration and justice Vojin Susa says that they are only now facing the real truth that they have lost "the civil war, although it cannot be lost, but nevertheless, we have lost it, and finally, whether we want it or not, the return into the system will follow, which we have to face. People believe that if they accept to be registered as citizens that they have signed their individual capitulation. This is a dangerous condition, because they are desperate and easily manipulated. The time of sobering up is ahead of us. A lot of things resulted from our unreadiness to accept the reality. At first we cursed the Erdut agreement, and in the end found some joint parts. Then we made a fuss about UNTAES, and finally agreed to it again, because without them it is even harder. Then we did not want contacts with the Croatian authorities, and now we want them after all, because there is no other way. These people over here must be certain that there will be no revenge and terror when the population banished from here five years ago returns. If the international community wishes peace in this space, it must support us at least in creation of some elements of local self-administration, pursuant the charter of the European Council on local self-administration".

Most of the local authorities agree that there is no confusion about the fact that they are living in Croatia. Some of them believe that they will not remain in Croatia, but that they must act "politically seriously for the sake of the people who will remain". "We live by dictate of those who have brought us to this position", says Ranko Vujic, member of the committee for education and schooling. "Croatia is acting as a doubtless winner, but when you look deeply into the matter, we have all, except for the thieves, lost in one way or another. there is no equality except the one based on the interest of the Croatian authorities. We are people who have nothing. They have all deprived us of our rights, even Yugoslavia. Our rights are as of now regulated by Croatia. And if we do not adjust to it, we will not survive in this space. Our war criminals and profiteers wish the people to leave in order to conceal their crimes. Some people are leaving out of fear. They sell everything and start on their way somewhere on foot. Vukovar is part of the Croatian state, but without a single house which has remained intact".

In eastern Slavonia, Baranja and western Srijem, people do not wish capitulation, but an agreement. Croatia offers them either exile or loyalty. And this loyalty, judging by Tudjman's crooked smile, will not be just ordinary loyalty.

ALEN ANIC