STATEMENT FOR PUBLIC
On the occasion of the most recent and not
permissible incidents
On the occasion of the most recent and not
permissible incidents in several places of Bosnia
and Herzegovina (Jajce, Vogosca, Doboj, Brcko),
the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in BH
strongly condemns such behaviors, and is of
opinion that it is high time that not only
perpetrators of such incidents but protagonists
of such policy be punished.
It is about the rudest forms of violations of
human right to life, freedom and dignity as well
as to human right to freely dispose with one's
property.
More than million people who were deprived of
right to live in their homeland and their own
homes paid the highest price in this cruel war in
addition to those who had been killed.
Preventing these homeless persons from realizing
their right and repeated expulsions from their
property acquired in hard work, which is
happening even two years after signing of the
Peace Accord being paid with loss of life and
beatings up, is one of the most picturesque
indicators of nationalistic policy in these
areas. There is still present a concept of ethnic
cleansing, because the ruling oligarchies are
aware that they have chances only in maintaining
the present three ethnically homogenized area by
force. It will be tragic for all the peoples of
BH if these policies succeed in this, because
they will lead us to permanent conflicts and
chaos, the notion of which simply terrifies.
The failure of the Peace Accord just in a part
which relates to the return of refugees clearly
unmask the policy of the centers of state
authorities and head-offices of the ruling
parties. Constant incidents and bullying can be
explained only by their approving, blessing and
stimulating such behaviors. Current simultaneous
incidents and the time at which they happen,
inevitably put a question: who is having a
function to further manipulate with already
excessively wrecked peoples, just now when a
pre-election campaign starts. We should add to
this a frequently expressed relationship of media
which is subjected to such behaviors of present
authorities, because those ones who principally
pointed at and condemn such behaviors are in
minority. Even when they do this, in many cases
there is a visible biased approach and they try
to find justification, that is, to reduce the
responsibility for the cases which happened in
the territory under the control of authorities
they support.
Indisputably, the International community is
exerting the great efforts to help us, however,
when the return of refugees is in question it
should be said that its decisiveness in that
direction is not adequate and particularly it is
not durable, but it appears as such only when
incident happens and when poor people are
attacked.
The Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in BH
appeals to all involved in the implementation of
the Peace Accord in BH to most energetically act
in favor of full, unconditional and immediate
realization of return of all our expelled
citizens and refugees, for it is their elementary
right and our elementary duty, for it is a
precondition for peace and life worthy of living
in these territories, this being a process the
realization of which affects the survival of the
state of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Those ones who
act contrary to that, burdened with their narrow
nationalistic and chauvinistic policies and aims
must be held responsible and faced with frontal
condemnation by any individual and collectives
who care of equality, democracy and protection of
human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Sarajevo, 6 August, 1997
Nedjo Milicevic
No. 03A-08/97
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