“Some will use SNC’s Bulletin as an opportunity for another attack on Serbs, even though it should be an opportunity to try to raise awareness to what is happening in our society. What is the situation in schools and in the media like if messages of hatred are possible near schools and playgrounds and are being understood as a form of patriotism,” said Milorad Pupovac.
BY: Tamara Opačić / Novosti
PHOTO: HINA / Zvonimir KUHTIĆ
With 214 cases of hatred, physical and verbal attacks, and other types of animosity towards Serbs that were registered in Croatia in 2020, the number has more than doubled in the past year – it has risen to 506, as is stated in the newest Bulletin composed by the Serbian National Council, which was presented today in Zagreb.
NIKOLA VUKOBRATOVIĆ, one of the authors of this annual publication and a researcher at the Serbian Archive in Croatia, explained that over the years the emphasis in the Bulletin, which is being published continuously since 2013, has changed. Unlike the earlier period, when the focus was on social networks and more marginal media, which de facto specialise in spreading hate speech, the focus nowadays is on the socio-political mainstream, where less explicit messages are predominating.
– We tried to register the general prevalence of speech which not only expresses open hatred towards Serbs, but also implies cultural, biological, and other kinds of inferiority of the Serbian minority or advocates certain types of collective punishment, primarily that of denying rights. There are almost no social processes, events, or phenomena that do not serve as an opportunity to spread hatred towards Serbs, whether it is earthquakes, local elections, or the national census – said Vukobratović and added that “there are a number of top officials, from the President of the Republic of Croatia to different representatives or mayors of various counties who refer to everything concerning Serbs in a pejorative sense.”
He also commented on the increase in the number of hate graffiti on the streets of Croatian cities and towns, which have become so common that most citizens have actually normalised seeing them around and have started taking them for granted.
TIHOMIR PONOŠ, also one of the authors of the Bulletin and a historian at the Serbian Archive, explained that it was no coincidence that the graffiti recorded on children’s playgrounds was put on the cover of this year’s edition.
– Messages like those, which imply open hate speech or revisionist phenomena directed against Serbs, can be found more and more often in such places. Almost all of the graffiti were recorded in Zagreb, which means that the children in the Croatian capital are getting used to such messages from a very young age. At the same time, the city authorities, and other officials in charge of playgrounds are not reacting to such occurrences – says Ponoš.
MILORAD PUPOVAC, the president of SNC and member of the Croatian Parliament from the Independent Democratic Serb Party (SDSS), particularly commented on the part of the Bulletin which focuses on instances of hate speech in the previous year present in key political institutions of the Republic Croatia.
– We have not had that for a while. From 2013, when Croatia joined the European Union, to 2018, there were intense forms of hate speech and violence, but such instances could not be heard from the parliamentary rostrum since the 1990s. There have been various experiences with Croatian presidents, but such intense messages, which we witnessed last year, have not been recorded for a long time, especially since the term of President Mesić. Part of the reason why this is happening lies in the fact that the political scene has shifted to the right, to a nationalist and extremely nationalist course of action. Another reason is the cooperation of the leading party, the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) with minority representatives, but above all with the SDSS, as well as the fact that certain associations and referendum initiatives, which built their campaigns on anti-Serbian rhetoric, have become part of the mainstream – said Pupovac, who also commented on the fact that a large number of examples of hate speech listed in the Bulletin refers to messages sent to him.
– I understand that this is part of my “business”, especially when it is marked as “etnobusiness”. Then that effort of swimming against the current actually turns into a kind of labelling – said the President of SNC, also adding that he felt defeated after reading this year’s Bulletin.
– This report will be used by some as an opportunity to attack SNC once again, but I think it should be an opportunity to try to raise awareness to what is happening in our society. What is the situation like in our schools and in the media if all these things are possible? Messages of hatred near schools and playgrounds are here understood as a form of patriotism, so I am wondering – how are we soon going to commemorate the Day of the Breakthrough from Jasenovac in such a strong presence of Ustasha or fascistic subculture – said Pupovac, while also touching upon the process of dealing with the past.
He reminded everyone of the reconciliation gestures made in 2020 when the Vice President of the Croatian Government, Boris Milošević went to Knin to commemorate the anniversary of Operation Storm, when the President of the Republic of Croatia, Zoran Milanović and Minister Tomo Medved came to Grubori and when Prime Minister Andrej Plenković came to Varivode.
– We do not need to make annual gestures at various places of suffering, but we need to be sending messages that will be in the spirit with those sent from Knin and Grubori the rest of the time. The President of Croatia went to Grubori, but shortly afterwards he commented on the commemoration of Aleksandra Zec saying that the Republic of Croatia compensated the Zec family for the murder and wondering “what else should be done”. If such a turn happened and if historical revisionism no longer applies only to the period of the Second World War, but also to our most recent past, this means that everything that was once done in the process of dealing with the past by joining the European Union has now been reversed. He can now decorate convicted war criminals, defend those who themselves pleaded guilty and say that they are in fact not war criminals. The testimony of a person who admitted their guilt and then repented is much more moral than that of one who after all this says: “No, to us he is not a criminal” – said Pupovac.
Furthermore, he pointed out that pinning medals to military units in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially to members of the Croatian Defence Council (HVO), also presents a form of historical revisionism with regards to international court rulings and the degree of dealing with the past.
– For that I find responsible the international mechanism of the former Hague Tribunal, the international community, which does not exist here, the EU, which does not respect its own values on the entirety of its territory, and especially here, where it is concerned about a possible war outbreak. They do not see who is contributing to this and how. It is a pity that the construction of the policy of reconciliation has not passed to the second stage – the reconciliation of Zagreb and Belgrade, the reconciliation within Bosnia and Herzegovina, and with Bosnia and Herzegovina. Until such a thing is done, every single effort will not be enough – concluded Pupovac.
Former Ombudswoman and the author of the foreword to SNC’s Bulletin, Lora Vidović, pointed out that this publication is important because it strongly depicts our society’s attitude towards the Serb minority.
– I do not see this Bulletin just as a list of incidents, but also as an opportunity for everyone who reads it to understand what those who these messages are directed towards feel and what they live like in Croatia in 2022. This report can certainly serve as a powerful tool for raising awareness of these problems – said Vidović, expressing hope that the data from the Bulletin will serve the authorities, the Ministry of the Interior (MUP), the Ministry of Justice, and the State Attorney’s Office (DORH) to develop better policies.
– Unfortunately, I am a bit pessimistic in that regard because policies in Croatia are usually not based on data, but on political priorities – said Vidović, who also touched upon the issue of the Ustasha greeting: “Za dom spremni” (“For homeland – ready!”).
– I am sorry to have to note that the current Government has in a way legalised this greeting. For example, by stating that this exception had entered the legal system, when in fact, it had not. Unfortunately, there is no information that would indicate that the Supreme Court could decide on that, and, therefore, the said greeting will remain in the sphere of what is acceptable – Vidović concluded.
Watch the VIDEO from the Bulletin presentation:
PHOTO GALLERY from the Bulletin presentation:
Download the PDF of SNC’s 2021 Bulletin HERE