June 6, 1996
Bosnian Serbs Are Threatened in Sarajevo's Suburbs
By MIKE O'CONNOR
LIDZA, Bosnia-Herzegovina -- Undermining the vision of a multi-ethnic Sarajevo espoused by the Bosnian government, some of the remaining Bosnian Serbs in Sarajevo's suburbs are being threatened, beaten or expelled from their homes by groups of Muslims the police say they cannot control.
Though diplomats and human rights workers are divided over whether the effort reflects official policy, there is unanimity on the effect: Moderate Bosnian Serbs hoping for reconciliation with Muslims are being intimidated and urged to leave.
The affected Serbs are from a small minority of Serbs, some 7,000, who remained in the suburbs of Sarajevo in March, when these areas were returned to the control of the Muslim-dominated Bosnian government. Most of the estimated 50,000 Serbs who had lived in these suburbs during the war fled.
U.N. police officers say they are investigating some 400 reports of harassment, beatings and evictions of Serbs at the hands of Muslims. It is not clear how many of the harrassed people have actually left for Serb-held territory. Many of those involved in harassing Serbs seem to be Muslims who were displaced by Serbs elsewhere, and are looking for a home.
Foreign monitors say most of the reports seem valid and there have been no arrests reported by Bosnian authorities. On the contrary, they say, police officers have been involved in some of the incidents.
As the incidents continue, they undermine support among Bosnian Serbs for the handful of their leaders who reject the extreme nationalism of politicians such as the Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic.
In doing so, the attacks have the effect of reinforcing the power of hard-liners in all ethnic camps who say hopes of unifying the country are futile, according to diplomats.
"It's always the hard-liners here who strengthen each other," said Michael Steiner, a German diplomat helping to oversee civilian aspects of the Dayton peace plan.
Driving up a road in Ilidza, Goran Kapor, one of the few moderate Serbian politicians in Bosnia, wondered Wednesday if he has betrayed other Serbs by telling them they should remain.
Most of those who stayed, he said, want to revive the ethnic tolerance that existed before the war.
"A lot of them stayed because I encouraged them to and because they saw that my wife and baby were staying," said Kapor. "Now I am afraid that something will happen to them and I'll be responsible."
Despite his hopes, and despite the promises made by NATO and the United Nations that Serbs who stayed would be protected from abuse, Kapor now spends his days interviewing Serbs who have been attacked or threatened.
Draganica Skrkar moved here 55 years ago. Now, she says, Muslim men are telling her they want to move into her home and she must go.
Mrs. Skrkar asked Kapor for protection, but he said all he could offer was that international organizations are pressing the Bosnian government to comply with its pledge that Serbs would be treated fairly.
Kapor, a leader of a small political party that includes Muslims, Croats and Serbs, said the intimidation of Bosnian Serbs convinces people here that they should flee to the part of Bosnia controlled by Serbian extremists.
Diplomats condemn what they call either the passivity or complicity of the Bosnian government in allowing the intimidation to continue. But, they say, the ruling party is divided between those who still want an ethnically diverse nation and others who see a Bosnia where only Muslims can be full citizens.
"The hard-liners are trying to create an ethnically pure state," said a European diplomat. "They are short-sighted, and in the end their bigotry will create new conflict, but after this terrible war they feel the only way Muslims can be safe is if they have complete control of Bosnia."
Apparently to that end, Muslims who have been expelled by Serbs from their homes are being bused to areas around Sarajevo where Serbs live, according to U.N. refugee officials. On arrival, they begin looking for homes occupied Serbs who they can force to leave.
Kapor also sees a political motive in all this. He, as well as many diplomats, said the Muslim ruling party wants to get rid of Serbs whose votes in the next elections are unreliable and bring in Muslims who will be grateful for a home.
