Just Found a Home and...

Only a few days before the International Conference on Refugees was held in Banjaluka, a spontaneous revolt of the people occurred-- at first in Dereventa, then in Drvar and in Doboj. With it, the international community’s great project of bringing refugees back into their homes has been brought into question.

The majority is starting from the premise that the purpose of events which occurred in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the past week is to prove that this cannot be the year of return, because many war culprits in fact are not interested in peace.  The project broke down in the city for which the “refugees” showed the greatest desire to return to —Drvar.  In the past two months, around two thousand Serb refugees returned to Drvar.  At the same time 160 fires were set in buildings where they settled.  Even though they again resettled for God knows what time, about a month ago around 200 people started a new exodus after the revolt of the people which was “spontaneous, provoked, and staged.” Some of them stopped at Banjaluka, while others continued in the direction of Prnjavor, Mordica, and Derventa.

Even though international officials and representatives of the international organizations in B-H believe that what is at issue is a temporary leaving of Drvar, and that those who decided to leave it will return to it in some seven days, what residents of Drvar told upon returning to Banjaluka does not offer reason for hope.  One elderly resident of Drvar is tired of changing rooms: “This is the fifteenth time that I am moving.  Just as I find a home and...”

The international community is holding firmly to its position that the return of refugees will continue and that culprits will be punished.  The head of German diplomacy, Claus Kinkel, announced that punitive measures will be taken against those who, like the Bosnian Croats in Drvar, systematically destroy and burn houses to which Serbs should return.  Hans Shumacher, Deputy of the Head Representative for B-H, Carlos Vestendorp, announced that all details will be investigated concerning events in Drvar and Derventa, and that it will be determined whether behind them stand certain political parties, as is being claimed.  Namely, many recognized in what was happening on the territory of B-H in the past several day the work of some nationalist parties.  Even though no one pointed the finger at the Serbian Democratic Party (SDS) for events in Derventa, SDS leader Aleksa Buha felt the need to state that “SDS has nothing to do with these events.”  Momcilo Krajisnik, member of the Presidency of B-H, stated after talks with Shumacher that “even though reports about the involvement of the radicals in initiating events are correct, the entire party should not be held responsible, but only individuals.”

PROVOCATIONS: UNHCR Spokesman in Banjaluka, Wendy Rapaport is hoping that the departure of citizens of Serb nationality from Drvar is temporary, adding that “there are still Serbs remaining in this city who did not want to abandon their hearths.”

The Mayor of Drvar, Mile Marceta, one of those who faired the worst in the Croat version of the revolt of the people, thinks that what happened should not stop the further return of people.  Marceta accused three nationalist parties for everything that happened: SDS, HDZ, and SDA.

Momcilo Krajisnik recognized indirect culprits in these incidents in the persons of Biljana Plavsic and Milorad Dodik who “with their visit to Jasenovac gave inspiration to citizens of Croat nationality to hold this tragic mass.”  On the other hand, none of the Republika Srpska officials thought at first of looking for the culprits among the ranks of nationalist parties.  Only after several days did Dodik’s cabinet release a statement in which it pointed out that certain indications exist concerning the “orchestrated nature of the revolt of the people.”

MASS OF HIGH RISKS: The President of RS saw the chain reaction of Derventa, Drvar, Pleha, and to some degree also Doboj, in the recent murder of the Trninic conjugal couple who were refugees returning to Drvar.  Admittedly, she allows for this possibility, but in combination with the “provoked people”, along with promises that in the following two weeks a mosaic of everything that happened will be put together.  With regrets about the coincidence of this with the great Catholic holiday, Plavsic is hiding behind her own minister of domestic affairs, Milovan Stankovic,who,  according to the police of Republika Srpska, warned organizers that they are mounting a mass of high risks.  Socialist leader Zivko Radisic was worried by what happened in Derventa, especially because “it happened on a big Catholic holiday.”  And before a similar scenario occurred in Derventa, this time in the opposite direction, Radisic feared that “Derventa is part of the wider scheme of destabilization of relations between nationalities and political groups on these territories.”

In a spontaneous, polemical statement Stankovic agrees, or Plavsic is agreeing with Stankovic, that the events in Derventa are closely related with the murder of two members of the Trninic family in Drvar, especially because a great number of Drvar residents are residing in Derventa.  Only one day after, people close to the leadership of the Coalition for Return asked journalists in which way they can refute Milovan Stankovic.  “If two families could have done all that in Derventa, than the minister is correct.  There are no more Drvar residents in Derventa,” people from the Coalition say.