Numerous Actions Lead to the Reduction of Croatian Distinct Character

by Marko Herceg

Hrvatska Rijec, Sarajevo, Bosnia-Hercegovina, January 23 1999

The basic reason for the Croatian defensive reaction is the continuous and persistent questioning of the Croatian national identity, its reduction, and finally, the denial of the existence of the Croatian nation in Bosnia-Hercegovina.

No, there is no conspiracy of the International Community against Croats in Bosnia-Hercegovina; the International Community does not actively advocate emigration of Croats from Bosnia-Hercegovina; without Croats there is no Bosnia-Hercegovina; Croatian rights are in the very foundations of the Dayton Agreement etc. Recently, we could have heard such statements from the international factors. These are reactions to increasingly frequent assertions of Croat organizations and politicians that Croats are discriminated in Bosnia-Hercegovina, that they are forced to emigrate, that their ethnic rights have been denied. These accusations are also addressed to the representatives of the International Community. Similarly, it has been said that the relations with the International Community are currently worse than at any time during the last few years. The causes of the verbal war between Croat representatives and international factors are innumerable. They are well known and there is no need to list them here.

Obvious Consequences

However, we believe that the basic reason for the defensive Croat reaction is the continuous and persistent denial of the Croatian national identity, its reduction, and finally, the denial of the existence of the Croatian nation in Bosnia-Hercegovina. Of course, none of the gainsayers would state that in public and clearly. Such statements are simply too radical at this time and therefore politically counterproductive. However, there are numerous obvious actions that lead to the reduction of the distinct Croatian character, the abolishment of national attributes, symbols and even negation of our language and culture. However, much more dangerous than direct or indirect attacks on the national attributes are the actions which can have dire consequences in the future. If someone claims that Croats in Bosnia-Hercegovina speak Bosniak or Serbian language, such statements would immediately be rejected with indignation. But, if someone establishes an atmosphere in which Croats will with time be forced to less and less use Croatian and increasingly use some other language, that is a perfidious policy which can have catastrophic consequences.

"The establishment of the Federal television is not a linguistic nor ethnic question, nor the question of national survival, but simply the question of international law and the establishment of a legal basis for the re-broadcasting of Croatian TV in Bosnia-Hercegovina," says Aleksandra Stiglmayer. Certainly, for her and many others from the International Community, that is simply an application of norms of the international law and the Dayton Agreement. They stick to the letter of those norms but do not understand the essence of problems in Bosnia-Hercegovina. Although there is a need to regulate the re-broadcasting of the Croatian TV program in Bosnia-Hercegovina, for Croats the problem of Croatian TV and in general media from Croatia is the question of language and only to a much lesser extent of information.

Lacking Croatian language media in Bosnia-Hercegovina, especially a TV station that would cover most of Bosnia-Hercegovina with its signal, Croats would be forced, as they used to be during Communist darkness, to watch programs on somebody else's language. The consequences are already known: an unconscious acceptance of foreign dialect and mode of thinking that leads to linguistic and later to political unitarization.

Zepce Ribbons

The denial of ethnic symbols has been persistent. Who among us has forgotten the statements by Haris Silajdzic and his surprise that Croatian flags fly in Hercegovina and at border crossings? Recently, the paper which supports the aforementioned gentleman, expressed surprise that red, white and blue [colors of the Croatian flag] ribbons could be seen in Zepce [Croat majority town in central Bosnia]. The paper concludes that there is no difference between Zepce, Omis, Ilok or Cakovec [towns in Croatia]. Well, why should there be any difference? Croats also live in Zepce and hopefully have the right to display their national symbols, at least as ribbons. Perhaps, Croats in Zepce should not be allowed to display, nor posses their national symbols? The policy which led to the war in this area is based on such logic. Croats are there, but they must be exactly like us or they will be gone. Unfortunately, the advocates of such policy frequently find support in the statements and actions of the international factors who would for the sake of united and integral Bosnia-Hercegovina erase all differences and ignore non-democratic actions in order to achieve their goals. The international Community officials should not use methods used by Bosniak leaders. First of all, because such methods lead to destruction of ethnic identities of the other two nations, which will inevitably provoke reactions. Secondly, because of these reactions it will be impossible to rebuild mutual trust. Only the affirmation of national values in all areas can establish the atmosphere in which it will be possible to achieve democratically set goals.

Translated on 3/5/99