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TO PEOPLE AND INSTITUTIONS IN THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
Bishop's petition to international mediators, Messrs C. Vance &
D. Owen
(Prot. no: 822/92 dated 25 September 1992)
"DESPITE OUR PEACEFULNESS, WE HAVE BEEN DENIED OUR BASIC
HUMAN RIGHTS"
Your
Excellencies!
Messrs C. Vance and Lord David Owen!
As the religious leader of virtually 130,000 Catholics in the Banja
Luka Diocese which expands throughout the northwest of Bosnia, I
sincerely thank you for your humane mission to try and establish
a just peace amongst the nations of this region and your special
visit to see us in Banja Luka.
Catholics have inhabited the region of my diocese since the fifth
century. Apart from the Croats, who make up the larger part of my
Catholic population, I have in my care a smaller group of Italian,
Polish, Czech and Slovene Catholics, as well as Ukrainian Catholics.
The number of Catholics in my diocese during World War II was diminished
by several tens of thousands, more precisely, one-third of the diocese
was completely destroyed.
The politics of force and lawlessness which has brought us to this
fratricidal war in the entire region of Bosnia-Herzegovina including
the Banja Luka Diocese is leaving horrific repercussions.
The extreme peacefulness of the majority of the faithful in my diocese
as well as their readiness for a humane coexistence with members
of other religions and peoples in these regions was emphasised
by many leading civil and military officials during their discussions
with me throughout the past three months. They even praised the
very constructive contribution of the Catholic Church toward preventing
war conflicts in this region.
Despite this peaceful behaviour, it must be ascertained that based
on my own impressions and verified details from a large section
of my diocese located in the Bosanska Krajina, the Catholic, mostly
Croatian, population here has lost virtually all its human rights
and liberties.
It is
necessary to stress the following rights which have been denied:
1. the right to equality regardless of national belonging or religious
confession
2. the right to the goods necessary for life and sustenance
3. the right to work and a fair share of the fruits of labour
4. violations to the freedom of conscience
5. the right to free thought and expression
6. the right to the inviolability of one's person
7. the right to freely choose a vocation
8. the right to educate and bring up one's own children
9. the right to freely associate and decide in public life and order
10. the right to a good reputation
Not being
able to demand their legitimate lights to be protected through their
legally elected political representatives, who have even been prevented
from freely being active in their duties - they have been detained
and some have actually been killed (Kotor Varoš, Prijedor, Ljubija,
Sanski Most, Mrkonjić Grad, Bosanska Gradiška) - these rightless
people are asking me, as their Bishop, i.e. their religious leader,
to protect them from the lawlessness (in the entire region of the
Bosanska Krajina), not to mention the unbearable torture, oppression,
forced detention in prison camps, looting especially in Prijedor,
Ljubija, Bosanska Gradiška, Laktaši, Ključ, Kotor Varoš, Sanski
Most and Mrkonjić Grad.
In some areas of my diocese, especially in Bosanska Gradiška, Prijedor,
Sanski Most, Ključ, Kotor Varoš, Laktaši, Mrkonjić Grad and Banja
Luka itself, thousands of my people can no longer tolerate the long
psychological and not infrequent physical pressure. They come to
me and ask me to enable them leave this hell, either through the
diocesan Caritas or some other institution, most often completely
empty handed (Bosanska Gradiška, Prijedor, Sanski Most, Kotor Varoš)
in an effort to save their bare lives.
Their number is increasing every day for these reasons and also
the fact that they are socially being oppressed and their health
insurance has been brought to an uncertain status which has created
doubt that they will be able to survive at all on their ancient
hearths.
Without any reason at all, many civilians have been killed (the
number I myself know of is 150 and increasing). Amongst them, unfortunately,
is the parish priest from Nova Topola, Father Ratko Grgić who was
taken from his home on 16 June 1992, as well as a member of the
Diocesan Council and a member of the Bosnia-Herzegovinian Parliament,
Mr Marijan Vištica from Bosanska Gradiška who was abducted on 3
August 1992.
In the past three months, some 40 per cent of the churches in my
diocese have been destroyed and a further 50 per cent have been
damaged to varying degrees even though there have been no battles
waged anywhere near them! Five of my parish priests, without any
evidence of guilt, were detained in detention camps for periods
ranging from 12 to 80 days where they were horribly abused and are
now more or less invalids. Many of my priests are openly receiving
death threats and that their churches will soon be destroyed.
The months-long armed attacks at the convents in Bosanski Aleksandrovac
and Nova Topola, as well as the direct danger to the lives of the
sisters within them are all aimed at finally moving the sisters
out of their home. Their order has existed there for over one hundred
years.
Even though the local authorities, both civil and military, have
officially slated that they do not support the idea of ethnic cleansing,
nor the oppression of lives and property of the non-Serbian population,
in practise they are not taking any steps to actually prevent the
lawlessness and violence being inflicted by armed gangs. More precisely
this is being tolerated (and supported as is the case in Prijedor!)
In the same way, nothing is being done to reinstate the rights of
our people which is causing them to be brought to the edge of their
physical and psychological tolerance (I am talking on behalf of
several tens of thousands of my Catholic faithful).
The dramatic circumstances surrounding these people is increasing
and it is a fact that they cannot enter any country where they possibly
may want to go such as Croatia, Slovenia, and Austria, Germany or
Switzerland because of the complete blockade to entries into the
Republic of Croatia.
I take the liberty to speak on behalf of all my oppressed Catholic
faithful to suggest the following to your excellencies:
1. That an ultimatum be set immediately for all battle operations
to cease!
2. That all those who have been illegally detained be released immediately
from all detention camps throughout B-H.
3. That all those armed persons who are not under the control of
legal institutions be disarmed immediately.
4. That all those local authorities which are not in a state to
protect their people be immediately replaced.
5. That actual measures be undertaken to reinstate human rights
to all those who have been stripped of these rights and that all
ethnic cleansing be slopped immediately,
6. That this entire region be issued with normal supplies of electricity;
that all traffic routes be opened and secured including railway
and postal routes.
7. That world humanitarian organisations be engaged to a greater
degree in delivering the more than necessary humanitarian aid for
all those socially oppressed in the territory of the Bosanska Krajina.
8. That the leading Croatian politicians in Sarajevo and Zagreb
have more concern for the dramatic circumstances and the complete
uncertainty of their Croatian people in this section of Bosnia-Herzegovina.
9. That an international commission (institution) be established
which will control the implementation of agreements for constructive
actions with regard to calming the dramatic situation faced by the
non-Serbian population in the Bosanska Krajina.
I have tried to do what I could to intervene with the leaders of
the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Islamic Community in this region,
so that the evil of this imposed war, which my people have avoided
from being involved in, be diminished.
I am prepared to support every constructive action towards the good
for all the residents of this region and Bosnia-Herzegovina as a
whole.
I thank you and all those people who are trying to help us!
Dr FRANJO
KOMARICA, Bishop of Banja Luka
Dramatic
appeal by the Bishop and priests of the Banja Luka Diocese to all
relevant people
in church and political circles in the country and abroad (Banja
Luka, 17 February 1993)
"DO NOT BURDEN YOUR CONSCIENCES BY BEING INDIFFERENT TO
OUR MISFORTUNE"
The Bishop
and priests, gathered at a prayer group and pastoral meeting in
the Bishop's Ordinary this day on 17 February 1993, jointly considered
the current situation faced by our diocese. Based on actual reports
on the dramatic circumstances which have affected the greater part
of our diocese and which are in fact worsening everyday, we are
conscious of our responsibility towards the faithful entrusted to
our care, before God, the Church and before the history of our people
and all peoples in this region. Filled with faith, hope and love
we turn not only to God with our prayers, but to all those relevant
people in church and political circles in this country and the world
with a joint appeal by which we fervently ask for help and protection.
1. Knowing
full well that as Christ's disciples we must nurture respect and
harmony, dialogue and peace with other peoples around us, we have
tirelessly and consistently searched for and still are seeking a
peaceful way to ensure some form of recognition and respect of our
dignity for each and every individual religious community and every
human being, so that, in these regions where various peoples, religions,
cultures and customs encounter each other, a harmonious coexistence
be preserved for the future and the calamities of war, the merciless
expulsion of people from their hearths and the vandalistic destruction
of all that is valuable in the eyes of mankind be avoided.
2. It
is a well-known fact that since the beginning of these war conflicts
in Bosnia-Herzegovina we have all tried, within our power, to prevent
the faithful entrusted to our care from falling under the burden
of temptation and taking up arms against their neighbours or endangering
anyone's life and property. With God's help we have virtually succeeded
in this effort in almost all our parishes.
3. Nevertheless,
despite the explicit peaceful behaviour of the majority of our faithful
in this diocese and their sincere readiness for a joint life with
other people in harmony, peace and mutual respect, we feel that
we priests, nuns and virtually all our faithful were the victims
of many violations and in fact had our human rights taken away from
us.
The following are some of the more painful cases:
- The killing and mutilation of innocent civilians: elderly folk,
women, children and men; illegal arrests and detention in concentration
camps of several hundred civilians including five priests, of whom
one died as a result of the wounds he received while being tortured.
Two others were killed after being tortured;
- serious physical and psychological abuse of nuns and the forceful
eviction from their convents; rape of women and girls;
- unreasonable desecration, destruction, damages of various degrees
to more than 93 per cent of all our churches and 33 per cent of
other sacral buildings;
- constant cases of arson and destruction of many homes and businesses
belonging to our faithful, dramatic expulsion of several tens of
thousands of our faithful from many of our parishes (some parishes
have virtually been completely emptied), continual practise of ethnic
cleansing of our people from their ancient hearths;
- massive dismissal from workplaces rendering these families welfare
cases especially in urban areas; frequent mobilisation of men to
fight against their own people, exclusion from public life and decision
making processes regarding their own fate, inability of free movement
for the majority of our grown men;
- lack of medical care because they do not have the funds to pay
for services (operations, hospitalisation, medicine...) and since
they are no longer employed they do not have medical insurance...
4. Despite
the current state of lawlessness which has continued for the past
ten months now and the fact that we have been denied all human rights,
our people have not retaliated with evil to the evil being done
to them. We hope that they do not retaliate in the future either.
However, they are more or less at the end of their wits! Many of
our faithful are physically exhausted, even more so mentally. We
are afraid that what we have tried with all our might to prevent
will, nonetheless, occur, this being a desperate attempt to leave
this region at any cost, as truly the situation for many and in
most places is honestly unbearable. This may, however, just cause
even further problems and have far reaching repercussions for us
who remain here.
5. In
the Second World War, more than 1/3 of our parishes were destroyed
never to be renewed again. Now political decisions and force are
being used to continue the process of destroying the Catholic Church
in those regions covered by our diocese where it has existed for
more than seventeen centuries!
- In this fateful moment for us all, we appeal to all the appropriate
church and political leaders amongst our Croatian people and in
the free world to become more familiar with the dramatic circumstances.
We must not allow this horrific state to continue, so that the crimes
committed against mankind may finally be put to an end!
6. We
cannot accept the lawlessness and anarchy. 'Violence and crime cannot
become the norm of our lives. This behaviour and method of decision-making
regarding the future of individuals and nations or religious communities
cannot be accepted as a future way of life!
- In the name of God's justice and on behalf of mankind and all
the most valuable Christian and human principles of our European
civilisation, we beseech you to consider us as people and offer
us some constructive help: - do not burden your consciences with
indifference towards our misfortune! We do not wish that our misfortune
becomes your misfortune on the day of judgement which awaits us
all. Protect us and help us before it is too late!
Dr FRANJO
KOMARICA, Bishop of Banja Luka
with his priests
Bishop's
letter to the President of the ICRC, Mr Cornelio Samaruga
(Prot. no: 189/93 dated 24 November 1993)
THERE CAN BE NO JUST PEACE IN B-H UNTIL THE RIGHTS OF ALL PEOPLES
IN BOSNIA ARE REINSTATED AND RESPECTED
Most
respected Mr President!
It is with sincere joy and gratitude that I greet you in my home
town of Banja Luka. I deeply regret that I will not be able to see
you for at least a brief conversation, as I will be officially away
some several hundred kilometres away. I could not postpone my trip
to meet with my fellow bishops. I take the liberty, however, to
submit a brief correspondence via my delegates.
1. I
firstly wish to express my deep gratitude for the valuable presence
of the International Red Cross in our town and our midst. I hope
that this office will continue to be present here and that you will
establish branch offices in some other towns (Doboj, Tešanj, Žepče...)
2. My
Banja Luka Diocese covers the northwest of Bosnia-Herzegovina, a
region of 27 municipalities, or rather, 15,600 square kilometres.
Before the start of this war, there were 120,000 Catholics in this
region, mostly Croats along with minority groups (Italians, Poles,
Czechs) in 47 parishes. During the war, however, the greater part
of my diocese (38 parishes) fell under Serbian control; 8 parishes
are controlled by the Croats and one is under Muslim control. In
the territory controlled by the Serbs, where there were 71,000 faithful
before the war, over 41,000 have either been compelled to leave
or banished or even killed in areas where there were no war conflicts.
Ethnic cleansing is systematically being implemented and is continuing
undisturbed and without any outlook of being stopped! Despite our
peaceful attempts 1o stop this fascist process against an entirely
blameless people, this inhumane process is nevertheless continuing
and there are many indications that this is being implemented according
to a well thought out plan! More than 40 per cent of my churches
have been completely destroyed, a further 50 per cent damaged to
varying degrees and all with the clear intention to "clean"
the area of our faithful! Virtually 100 per cent of our people have
been dismissed from their places of employment and are under constant
pressure, both physical and psychological, to move out of their
apartments and homes where they have existed for centuries.
3. It
is with great joy and gratitude to God that I can say that my people
and faithful Catholics in this region have not done any harm to
other peoples living with them, neither to the Serbs nor to the
Muslims. They have not endangered anyone! They are people with a
clear conscience and clean face and can clearly look everyone in
the eyes!
As part of a constitutive nation in Bosnia-Herzegovina, we consider
it our natural and historical right to remain in our ancient homes
and to be worthy of living on our own hearths in the future! With
the current development of events - ethnic cleansing and the application
of the law of violence and force - it will be difficult to achieve
our wishes! I raise my decisive voice to you and the institution
you represent, against any form of ethnic cleansing or other forms
of oppression against human and civil rights and liberties wherever
and by whoever they are be committed! The international public must
find a way through its international organisations to compel those
who are strong and powerful to respect the wishes of the small and
weak. In other words, without respect and guarantee s for the rights
for all the people in Bosnia-Herzegovina, where peoples, cultures,
religions and even civilisations are so intertwined, there will
be no just peace!
I appeal to you, dear Mr President, to do what is in your power
so that our fundamental human and civil rights and liberties, as
individuals and members of a minority group, are once again reinstated
and guaranteed, that the ethnic cleansing be stopped and that all
refugees and displaced persons be allowed to return to their own
homes to live there in peace!
4. The
Catholic population which I must care for materially, is primarily
taken care of through our diocesan Caritas and covers the remaining
faithful in my diocese in these regions, as well as the faithful
from the neighbouring Vrhbosna (Sarajevo) Archdiocese - of whom
there are almost 65,000! Till now, Caritas through its engagement,
in co-operation with the ICRC and the UHHCR, has managed to save
the lives of thousands of people! Recently, however, the Serbian
authorities have been refusing to allow our convoys to go to Zagreb
for the more than necessary food supplies! Please help us in this
regard with some form of intervention on our behalf! I sincerely
thank you for all your help!
With respects!
Dr FRANJO
KOMARICA, Bishop of Banja Luka
Bishop's
letter to Jacques Santer, President of the European Union Commission
(Prot. no: 37/95 dated 13 March 1995)
DESPITE OUR PEACEFULNESS, THE CATHOLICS IN BANJA LUKA ARE BEING
DESPICABLY PUNISHED
Most
respected Mr President!
Your were kind enough to schedule an appointment for me for Thursday
9 March, in Brussels. Unfortunately, this collides with a meeting
I have already scheduled to be held in Bonn.
My intention was lo ask for help from leading European politicians
with regard to finding a solution to the war conflicts in my homeland
of Bosnia-Herzegovina, and the possibility of having human rights
reinstated for the rightless people of my Banja Luka Diocese. Despite
our explicitly peaceful behaviour, we Catholics in Banja Luka have
been frightfully punished for our efforts and have been abandoned
by all influential politicians - both local and international.
I consider it my duty to make known to those who feel responsible
for maintaining the basic principles of our European civilisation,
the very inhuman development of events in my home town and in other
regions under the control of the Bosnian Serbs.
I am certain, based on my knowledge about you, that you will take
decisive steps to introduce some form of international control to
this region, which has so far been neglected in this my homeland
of Bosnia-Herzegovina.
For all that you will do in this regard, I wish to thank you from
the depth of my heart and on behalf of the many thousands of rightless
people in my diocese and my homeland Bosnia-Herzegovina as well
as the entire former Yugoslavia.
I call on God's blessing to be upon you during your work and responsibilities
as a European.
I greet you with thankful memories of your goodness and Christian
heart.
Respectfully yours!
Dr FRANJO
KOMARICA, Bishop of Banja Luka
Letter
to the UNHCR & ICRC offices in Banja Luka
(Prot. no: 299/95 dated 4 May 1995)
MY PLEAS WERE MERELY A CRY IN THE DESERT
Dear
sir/madam!
You and the wider public are well aware that as the Catholic Bishop
of Banja Luka I have, on many occasions and especially most recently,
raised my voice in defence of innocent people stripped of then rights
and in defence of every human being regardless of whom it may be.
Unfortunately, my pleas were most often like a "helpless cry
in the desert", which hardly anyone wished to hear. Nevertheless,
I will continue to appeal to all humane people in my homeland and
abroad, whether they be members of humanitarian organisations or
political parties or people in authority, that they do then part
in protecting all those unprotected people in the Republic of Croatia
and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
The latest dramatic events in the region of western Slavonia in
Croatia with the Serbian population, as well as with the Croatian
population in the Banja Luka, Bosanska Gradiška region, particularly
today's event when our Catholic nuns, mostly elderly sisters, were
violently abducted and taken to an unknown destination from their
convents in Bosanski Aleksandrovac and Nova Topola, of which you
were informed by this Bishop's Ordinary, as were the local authorities,
can leave no man indifferent! I therefore once again appeal to all
those competent people and institutions to ensure that all people,
especially those who are totally without protection, be guaranteed
those basic human and civil rights and liberties, primarily the
right to life, to a home, to a homeland and property!
Let us not tire in our humane battle for the protection of every
oppressed and rightless person, regardless of their religious or
national affiliation!
Dr FRANJO
KOMARICA, Bishop of Banja Luka
c.c.
Media outlets
Bishop
Komarica's appeal to politicians, church and humanitarian organisations
following the destruction of the monastery
and church in Petrićevac, the church in Šargovac and the murder
of Franciscan monk, Father Alojzije Atlija
(Prot. no: 309/95 dated 2 May 1995)
DRAMATICALLY DETERIORATING SITUATION FOR THE CATHOLICS IN BANJA
LUKA AND ITS SURROUNDS
Following
the forceful expulsion of the remaining sisters from the ancient
convents in Bosanski Aleksandrovac and Nova Topola on 4 May this
year, the next day, 5 May, a fire erupted in the church in Vujnovići
on the periphery of Banja Luka.
The large, new parish church of the Petrićevac monastery was completely
destroyed by a large quantity of explosives in the night from May
6 to May 7, while the Franciscan monastery was se on fire.
One of the friars dies of a heart attack. The same night the church
in the Banja Luka suburb of Šargovac was razed to the ground.
Fear and panic has struck the local Catholics because they are completely
without any protection against the Serbian extremists amongst the
locals and newcomers. They are currently being kept as hostages
and are faced with the real threat of a pogrom or massive expulsion.
The situation is highly dramatic, because the behaviour of the local
authorities indicates that they are not in complete control of security
in Banja Luka and the Banja Luka region.
We beseech all politicians, local and international, as well as
representatives of church and humanitarian organisations to most
decisively prevent any new, serious atrocities, killings, ethnic
cleansing of an entirely innocent and unprotected Catholic population.
Dr FRANJO
KOMARICA, Bishop of Banja Luka
Bishop's
letter to the German Chancellor, Mr Helmut Kohl
(Prot. no: 62/95 dated 17 May 1995)
THE AGONY OF THE NON-SERBIAN POPULATION
IN NORTHWEST BOSNIA HAS CONTINUED FOR THREE YEARS NOW
Most
respected Mr Chancellor!
Allow me to once again turn to you. For three years now a horrific
and agonising situation has been endured by the non-Serbian population,
primarily the Croats and Bosnians in this region controlled by the
Bosnian Serbs around Banja Luka and northwest Bosnia.
Due to the unbearable harassment and dispossession (by the Serbs)
of virtually all our fundamental human rights and liberties, a great
number of our people (80 or 90 per cent) have been compelled to
leave their homes and live like refugees and displaced persons in
various European countries, including Germany, without a secure
future.
There were no war conflicts in this region and we were particularly
peaceful and did no harm to our neighbours. Despite all this, we
are being treated as non-humans. During this entire time of our
agony, nobody has bothered to help us here despite all our cries
for help! We have been abandoned by all the politicians and human
rights activists!
In addition, as the Catholic bishop, I must watch the agony of my
people here in my own home town, seeing my priests, nuns and faithful
being brutally killed. I have been compelled to see my churches,
convents, monasteries and other sacral buildings destroyed and see
my diocese fade away. In only the past ten days, two of my priests
and one nun were killed in their parish centres or convents. The
nuns of two separate convents were evicted and indeed expelled from
this region entirely. A large parish church and four subsidiary
churches were demolished, as was a large church which was a place
of pilgrimage for our faithful! The intention is to completely wipe
us and any traces of the Catholic Church from the face of this land.
For absolutely no reason at all genocide, ethnocide, culturecide
and the deliberate destruction of the Catholic Church, which as
the oldest religious institution in these regions survived the onslaught
of the Mongols, Tartars, Turks and even the atheist Communists,
are being committed here completely undisturbed! Now, the blind
extremist leaders of the Bosnian Serbs are, "on behalf of Serbian
Orthodoxy" (!) brutally expelling and destroying the Catholics
and of course the Bosnian Muslims.
Our peaceful behaviour and practical ecumenism towards our neighbours,
the Orthodox Serbs and Muslims have shown our willingness and capability
of living in peace respecting the rights of others in this our only
homeland! Why are we being so brutally punished? Why do none among
those in power help us in this unbearable torment? Why are such
brutal fascism and racism being allowed and why isn't anyone taking
any interest in what is truly happening here? I often tried to attract
the attention of responsible politicians in Croatia and Europe towards
our hopeless situation. The Bosnian politicians told me a long time
ago "there is nothing we can do"! All my efforts to date
have unfortunately been fruitless!
We have now come to the point when we have to say: Someone has to
protect us, reinstate our rights and liberties, or finally enable
these exhausted people to leave and create a new life elsewhere
in a new homeland! I am speaking on behalf of 35,000 Catholics (Croats
and others) and almost 40,000 Bosnians!
Please, Mr Chancellor, do not turn a deaf ear to this cry for help
by the Catholic Bishop of a European (!) diocese if for no other
reason than your promise last year in Dresden at the "Katholikentag"
that you would represent me as my lawyer! It is high time for that
now! Please do something so that an international commission can
investigate our circumstances! On behalf of my many people who have
been stripped of all their rights here in Banja Luka and its surrounds,
I thank you in advance from the bottom of my heart!
Respectfully yours!
Dr FRANJO
KOMARICA, Bishop of Banja Luka
Letter
to the Special Envoy for Human Rights to the UN, Mr T. Mazowiecki
(Prot. no: 402/95 dated 1 June 1995)
TAKE A MORE ENERGETIC STANCE ON OUR BEHALF!
Most
respected Excellency!
I thank you for your telephone call today. Thank you for your readiness
to seriously consider the dramatic, almost unbearable situation
faced by the Catholics (Croats and others) in the Banja Luka region
currently controlled by the Bosnian Serbs.
The remaining faithful in my diocese in the Banja Luka municipality
(there are some 12,000) who are still here despite the harassment
and lack of rights are now being forced by Serbian extremists to
leave their homes. Several hundred are now literally on the streets
and virtually every single family is under threat of being evicted
from its home and homeland. The official political circles are not
doing anything to help and protect these people.
The political leaders of the local Serbs are not allowing Serbs
from western Slavonia to return to their homes as they would then
not have an excuse to completely expel the remaining Croats from
this region!
Please, Your Excellency, in co-operation with other institutions
such as the EC, 1CRC, UNHCR or through relevant political institutions
(the Croatian Government, the Government of the B-H Federation,
the Contact Group and others) do take some constructive steps! The
peaceful Catholics, Croats and others, as well as the Bosnian Muslims
in this Banja Luka region must have a dignified life in the future
worthy of human beings. Do not allow the current power of force
of one relatively small group of extremists amongst the Serbian
people to use fascist methods to completely exterminate the blameless
non-Serbian population in this Banja Luka region!
We expect you as well as other people of influence to clearly show
your example of humanity and your affiliation towards fundamental
human rights! Do not allow dishonour to triumph and do not allow
a situation where no one will wish to live here in the future. You
can do something to prevent this if you wish. On behalf of all my
people, stripped of their rights, in this my home town of Banja
Luka and my entire diocese, I thank you in advance for all that
you will do and send my sincerest expressions of respect,
Dr
FRANJO KOMARICA, Bishop of Banja Luka
c.c.
- President of the Republic of Croatia
- President of the B-H Federation
- President of the European Parliament
- Papal Nunciature
- Secretariat of the BC B-H
Bishop's
letter to the Head of Civil Affairs to the UN, Mr M, Moussali (Prot.
no: 82/9S dated 15 June 1995)
WE STILL CONTINUE TO FORGIVE
Most
respected Excellency!
I sincerely thank you for your valued letter dated 1 June 1995.1
trust that all those humane and noble words which you wrote truly
reflect you sincere love of mankind and your decisive intentions
to support actions to protect our fundamental human and civil rights
and liberties, wherever they may be in question or violated as they
are in our tragic case.
Your Excellency in your letter you noted that you were "in
a position to closely follow and energetically report about the
unreasonable violation of human rights against the community of
Croats in the Banja Luka regions", and that the "unreasonable
humiliating violation of human rights is continuing" despite
your "clear invitations and sorry appeals".
Your readiness as well as that of your associates to help us in
the future, in the most effective way possible, to help the local
rightless population as you stressed in your letter, gives us additional
hope that this cry to the heavens above, will finally stop the lawlessness
of these tyrants against their blameless fellow citizens in the
Banja Luka region and beyond. The UN Peace-keeping forces should
clearly, publicly and repeatedly mate known to all those who have
been committing crimes against mankind and especially to those who
plan and order others to commit them that they will answer for their
crimes before the international community and bear the appropriate
consequences. Not a single normal human being can remain indifferent
if he is publicly accused of being a war criminal and if he is fully
aware that the international community will sooner or later try
him for his crimes!
We ourselves are doing what we can and to the best of our knowledge
so that the evil stops or is at least stabilised. As faithful Catholics
we lean on our faith in Christ and his Gospel. We will steadfastly
try and forgive those who mercilessly torture us, just as we would
live with our neighbours in times of peace. It is a gift of God
that we have not done any wrong to anyone! That is why we consider
that we should not be so drastically punished just because we wish,
as people and not as slaves, to live on our ancient hearths in peace
and mutual respect with the other peoples, religions and cultures.
As such we fervently appeal to all those whose right and duty it
is to apply international law in this part of our European continent
not to tire in their decisive and consistent application of this
law in all cases of evident violation of human and civil rights
and liberties, or in cases of continual atrocities committed against
an innocent population! The victim must be protected against the
lawlessness of self-will and the anarchy of tyrants! The principles
of European civilisation and humanity cannot be brought into question
in this section of Europe, let alone be completely denied! You and
all your associates must be a clear and sure guarantee for this!
Most valued Excellency, please accept my sincere expression of gratitude
and respect on behalf of all the rightless people around me in whose
name I am writing to you, as well as on my own personal behalf.
Dr FRANJO
KOMARICA, Bishop of Banja Luka
Bishop's
letter to the International Sector for Human Rights German Section
(Prot. no: 80/95 dated 16 June 1995)
OUR GREATEST NEED IS THE RIGHT TO LIFE
Most
respected Mends!
I wish to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your valued
letter dated 31 May 1995, in which you informed me of your very
worthwhile solidarity and readiness to help us in our great misfortune.
As you may yourself know, our most urgent needs are food, everyday
necessities and medicine for several tens of thousands of people
in distress, not only Croat Catholics, but others as well (Bosnians,
Serbs and others) who all expect our help!
But more than food itself we need our right to life, to our property,
to a home, homeland, the right to a life worthy of man! Forgive
me, but even animals need food and medical attention; we wish to
live like people! And slaves need food; we do not wish to be slaves!
What is more, based on our faith and cultural affiliation, we wish
to be tireless advocates of peace keeping in the aim of confirming
our highest principles on which our European civilisation is based!
As such we ask you to constructively help us in our decisiveness
to do good, to defend our fundamental human rights and liberties!
As far as your offer for material goods is concerned, may I ask
you to contact my Vicar in Zagreb, Dr Miljenko Aničić and arrange
the exact details regarding urgently needed goods, such as medicines
and food items" His phone and fax numbers in Zagreb are: +3383
1 454-934, or 275-695, or 426-767 (home).
If not too inconvenient for you, please forward this appeal to the
politicians and so on.
I sincerely thank you!
With gratitude, I sincerely send my regards!
Dr FRANJO
KOMARICA, Bishop of Banja Luka
Bishop
Komarica's Appeal forwarded to all political officials in Europe
and the world, to all members of humanitarian organisations, all
representatives of religious communities, all humane people of good
will.
(Prot. no: 79/95 dated 16 June 1995)
I APPEAL TO YOU ONCE MORE!
Brothers!
I am addressing you as just that, brothers!
I am doing this today on the third anniversary of the forceful abduction
from his presbytery in Nova Topola (Banja Luka region) of Father
Ratko Grgić. Father Grgić was known for his peacefulness. The official
authorities to this day are not willing to release any information
about the whereabouts of his remains!
I appeal to you once more, on behalf of several thousand of my compatriots
and other neighbours, who have for more than one thousand days had
their right to be people taken away from them!
This is happening on your doorstep, before your very eyes, before
your consciences!
This is happening in this region of my homeland Bosnia, a place
where we did not want a war nor did we wish it against our neighbours.
We tried with super human effort, and with God's help added, to
support peace, forgiveness, respect of basic human and civil rights
- for our neighbours and all people, for the protection and affirmation
of man's dignity and for all righteous laws which these people have
created - with joint efforts, despite the obvious differences between
them: ethnic, cultural and religious!
We did not support nor will we, the renewal of fascism and the introduction
of racism into this comer of the European continent, for we consider
this a totally unacceptable option for any one nation, or for that
matter any ethnic group, or religion or ideology amongst us, especially
at the close of the twentieth century!
Unfortunately, in our humane peaceful efforts of which you are aware,
we have been abandoned by many political and other influential people,
who could have and should have helped us!
Even though our basic human rights have been taken away or threatened
for the past four years now, (especially the right to life, to property,
to a home, a homeland, to work, social security, to equality, to
those goods necessary for life, to religious affiliation, etc.!)
and even though we have appealed to the appropriate political and
humanitarian bodies on countless occasions - our totally unbearable
situation has not improved in the least!
Conscious of our innocence, we once again ask all our torturers
as well as you all to stop and look at what is happening to us:
- Why are you committing and allowing such horrifying crimes against
mankind and us, your peaceful brothers?!
- What do you intend to achieve by the implementation or tolerance
of fascism, nazism and racism which are undignified for mankind
and the entire European civilisation. AU this is occurring on the
50th anniversary of the victory over these evils?
- Are you truly convinced that you have done everything you most
effectively and decisively can to protect these innocent and exceptionally
peaceful people in their dignity and rights, all in an attempt to
help them in their efforts for peace?
- Will you in the future allow defamation, mistreatment and the
murder of innocent people, children, women, the elderly and tireless
fighters for justice, peace and coexistence in these regions to
continue?
- Innocent victims, seven exceptionally peaceful priests, nuns and
over 400 faithful civilians of my Banja Luka Diocese were brutally
murdered in their own homes as were many other innocent victims
amongst the local population in the Banja Luka and northwest Bosnian
region (all within the jurisdiction of my diocese). On their behalf
I am obliged to prevent any new victims of this uncalled-for and
unjustified barbarity, lawlessness and the right of strength!
I call on each of you, if you hold to your own dignity, to personally
and more decisively contribute to returning those human rights and
dignities which were taken away from my oppressed people in my homeland
of Bosnia-Herzegovina and wherever else people continue to live
in oppression!
"I tell you solemnly, as you did it to one of the least of
my brethren, you did it tome. ...as you did it not to one of the
least of these, you did it not tome!" (Mt 25:40,45)
Dr FRANJO
KOMARICA, Bishop of Banja Luka.
Letter
to Mr Franz Bogen, Austrian ambassador to B-H
(Prot. no: 473/95 dated 22 June 1995)
DRAMATIC SITUATION & COMPLETE UNCERTAINTY
FOR THE FUTURE OF CATHOLIC CROATS AND OTHERS IN THE BANJA LUKA REGION
UNDER SERBIAN CONTROL
Your
Excellency!
Most respected Mi Ambassador Bogen!
On behalf of the Catholics of the Banja Luka Diocese, I welcome
you to Banja Luka. Your presence is a ray of hope which shows us
that we are not entirely forgotten and left to the mercy of self-willed,
fascist tyrants who often enough act towards us as if we were slaves!
As you are aware, the Catholics, primarily Croats as well as others,
in this region are the oldest religious or ethnic group. Thanks
to the fateful events of our religion, our forefathers were forced
to bear many an injustice inflicted by those who were more powerful
or by other brutal neighbours! Despite the destruction of our cultural
and religious roots, banishment and expulsion, based on our peaceful
behaviour and Christian faith, we have managed to live and revive
the values of European cultural life and civilisation in this region!
We wish to do this in the future as well!
But how?
As you know, the Bosnian Serbs have, by their military strength
and with the approval of influential European and world powermongers,
led a very fascist and racist campaign of ethnic cleansing and an
extensive destruction of our ethnic and religious community in all
those regions which they occupied in 1992.
Three-quarters of the Banja Luka Diocese in northwest Bosnia (some
16,000 square km and almost 120,000 faithful) are now controlled
by a violent extremist Serbian government. According to the words
and indeed actions of the official representatives of the Bosnian
Serbs, all non-Serbs have nothing to look for here!
If despite this, these people still wish to remain in their apartments,
houses, their home town and decide to live in peace with other people
and respect them then they are made to feel like they aren't even
citizens of a second or third class. Often they are treated worse
than animals! It is unbelievable, but nevertheless true!
For the fourth year now we have been living in the only homeland
we have, but as strangers and without any rights whatsoever. Even
though we have no guilt and have been peaceful and ready to help
everyone, even those who hate us for no reason, we have been harassed,
dishonoured and abused in various fashion. There are a countless
number of cases to prove this point!
Often in my position as the Bishop, because there was no one else
who could represent us politically, I had to raise my voice to the
Serbian and Croatian or Bosnian authorities as well as to European
politicians in defence of our rights or rather the reinstatement
of those rights taken away from us. Even though our tragic and unbearable
situation is now quite well known to local and international politicians,
no one has taken effective measures to change this as yet!
Why?
Why can't we continue to live equally with other people here as
Catholics and Croats, whose roots are deeply embedded in this land?
Is it truly the intention of everyone to allow racism and fascism
to be implemented in these regions, so that they can justify similar
steps to be undertaken in neighbouring countries on this European
Continent?
If this were truly to be the case, I and the people who are still
around me could never agree or approve of such a thing!
We will continue in the future to demand that we have all that the
powermongers themselves expect - respect of universal human rights
and Liberties; the cessation of genocide and culturecide; the cessation
of attempts to uproot our ancient religious community!
We demand a life worthy of all mankind; we demand the return of
all refugees with assurances that their religious, national and
cultural identity will remain intact!
We demand that the international community and primarily the European
community allow and help us here in our homeland to represent all
the humane and positive achievements of a European civilisation
and culture.
We hope that the noble, sincere and humane Europeans will recognise
our desires and support us in our decisiveness to establish a civilisation
of love and joint life, especially in this very complicated region
of the European Continent!
I thank you for allowing me to express my thoughts!
I sincerely send my regards,
with special respects,
Dr FRANJO
KOMARICA, Bishop of Banja Luka
Letter to Mr V. Čurko, head of the UNHCR office in Banja Luka
(Prot. no: 539/95 dated 6 August 1995)
CAN ANYTHING BE DONE TO STOP THE EXPULSION OF BANJA LUKA CATHOLICS?
Dear
Mr Čurko!
Enclosed is a letter to the Mayor of Banja Luka, Mr P. Radić advising
him of the positive reply sent by the Government of the Republic
of Croatia with regard to the supply of humanitarian aid for all
humanitarian organisations - via Zagreb to Banja Luka.
You will already be aware of this information, from our earlier
telephone conversation.
I must, unfortunately, say though that according to our sources
(Sunday 6 August 1995 about 18:00 hours) several hundred Croat families
were evicted from their homes in Banja Luka, only in the past two
days and that the evictions and expulsion are continuing!
The official authorities (Mr Kličković) state that they do not have
any official orders for such an inhumane action towards citizens
of the RS, namely, the indigenous Croat people.
What will happen to these Croatian displaced persons? Can anything
be done to save them and stop the exodus which at the same time
is tied to the vital question of aiding Serbian refugees?
Please do something within your power to help both groups. I (together
with my compatriots) stand at your service.
Respectfully yours!
Dr FRANJO
KOMARICA, Bishop of Banja Luka
c.c.
ICRC Banja Luka
Enclosures (1)
Letter
to the UNHCR & ICRC offices in Banja Luka
(Prot. no: 542/95 dated 9 August 1995)
EXPULSION OF CROATS BEING CONDUCTED WITH THE KNOWLEDGE AND UNDER
THE GUIDANCE OF THE AUTHORITIES
Dear
Sirs!
Three days ago I advised you that according to our information,
several hundred Croat families from the Banja Luka region had recently
been forcefully evicted from their homes.
Now I must inform you that according to unofficial sources, that
number has increased to more than one thousand families!
According to accounts and statements made by these people, the evictions
are taking place with the full knowledge of the authorities or officials
from the local community offices. These people evicted from their
homes are citizens of this town and are now entirely without care
or protection.
Our diocesan Caritas has no food, nor the facilities to care for
these people in a secure and protected place.
I appeal to you, that in keeping with your stance, you take measures
to reserve this open and very serious problem!
I thank you on behalf of everyone!
Dr FRANJO
KOMARICA, Bishop of Banja Luka
Bishop's
letter to the ICRC
(Prot. no: 150/95 dated 20 October 1995)
TO WHOM DO WE REALLY BELONG?
Dear
Sirs!
Being born in Banja Luka and now being the Bishop of the Banja Luka
Diocese, I take the liberty to relay to you the uncertain situation
of nearly 7,000 Catholics remaining in the wider Banja Luka region.
I appeal to you to help and protect us!
1. Ethnic
cleansing of the non-Serbian population and remaining Catholics
is continuing. As far as 1 am aware, several hundred Catholic families
have been forcefully evicted from their homes in the inner city
area of Banja Luka itself in the past few days. These peace loving
people cannot expect any protection from the local authorities!
What is to happen to these innocent people - who can and who should
be caring for them? To whom do we belong?
2. In
the past ten days, three completely innocent people were killed
in Banja Luka; an elderly man (83 years old), a lady (61 years old),
and a youth (18 years old). Apart from these incidents all trace
has been lost of several men. Rumours are circling, which we can
only but take as sincere, that they were all killed!
Enormous fear and feelings of insecurity are burdening our fellow
citizens, the non-Serbs.
Many desperately ask themselves what they should do. Maybe they're
next on the list!
3. We
are especially concerned for several hundred faithful (Catholic
Croats) in our parishes in Sanski Most, Sasina, Stara Rijeka, Ravska,
Ljubija, Šurkovac, Prijedor, Stratinska and Bosanski Novi - Novi
Grad. We know that several dozen are located in Serbian detention
camps in Omarska. According to eye witness accounts, many men were
taken out of this camp (and killed?). What will happen to these
people? How can we help them to survive - protect them, give them
food…
4. Once
again and with great concern I forward an appeal on behalf of our
kidnapped parish priest from Prijedor, Father Tomislav Matanović,
who was forcefully taken from his home over two months ago and after
some time spent under house arrest (together with his parents) in
his home completely disappeared on 19 September. We know that the
local authorities (the Mayor and Chief-of-police) are behind this
abduction. Please intervene with the Serbian authorities with regard
to this kidnapped priest.
We are deeply concerned for our remaining priests! The parish priests
in Šimići, P.Č. and in Ivanjska, P.T.J. escaped death only by a
miracle after being abused and threatened with firearms. We want
to once again, as we have until now, live in peace in our home towns
and wish to help everyone we can.
We hold great hope for this!
With special regards and respects,
Dr FRANJO
KOMARICA, Bishop of Banja Luka
Letter
to A. W. Bijeveld, Special Emissary of the UNHCR to the former Yugoslavia,
Geneva
(Prot no. 753/95 dated 1 November 1995)
THE SITUATION IS DIFFICULT AND UNBEARABLE
Most
respected Mr Bijeveld!
I heard that you were currently in Belgrade, so I take this opportunity
to appeal to you to listen to us here in Banja Luka. We are not
unfamiliar with you nor vice versa. Your personal involvement and
the efforts of the entire UNHCR, for which you are responsible in
this particular region, has enabled many people in this region to
somehow survive. We once again sincerely thank you for this.
1. The
situation which is currently faced by many people is quite difficult
and uncertain. Many refugees in this region are in need of appropriate
assistance just to survive.
2. In
addition to this, many non-Serbs - the local population - are still
exposed to violence and terror. They are being evicted from their
homes every day, without any chance to take any belongings with
them nor do they know where they are going! The majority of those
sacral buildings still remaining have been put at the disposal of
Serbian refugees (Serbian authorities have also forcefully confiscating
many other buildings from which they have evicted priests and nuns;
unfortunately, many more sacral buildings have been destroyed).
In the remaining two buildings - a convent and a monastery - and
the Bishop's Ordinary itself we wish to house non-Serbs; we do,
however, require some assurance of security from the local authorities.
In order that we be in a position to offer material help to these
refugees, we urgently need assistance from international humanitarian
organisations in food, clothing and hygienic articles. A special
problem is posed by heating: there is no fuel, wood, or coal for
heating. If we do not manage to supply these commodities, the winter
will be all the harder for these people to survive as the majority
of the people remaining are elderly folk. Your help therefore is
all the more needed, as the activities of our diocesan Caritas have
been limited or rather prohibited by the local authorities.
As such I would ask that while you consider our completely uncertain
and dramatic circumstances, you find the appropriate solutions for
us here.
Once again I would ask that you primarily assist us in reinstating
our human rights, including minority rights, above all the right
to life, to a home, a homeland, the right to free movement, the
right to health and welfare care etc.
You are already aware that we have been extremely peaceful in these
regions towards our neighbours and rather adamant to remain here,
so that we can contribute towards establishing a peaceful coexistence.
We justly expect your support and help for this purpose.
Please accept our sincere gratitude for all that you have done until
now.
My personal regards and respects,
Dr FRANJO
KOMAR1CA, Bishop of Banja Luka
Bishop's
letter to Mr J. Shattuck, US Assistant State Secretary
(Prot. no: 166/95 dated 11 November 1995)
I BEG YOU TO USE YOUR INFLUENCE TO HAVE ALL DETAINEES RELEASED!
Your
Excellency!
Allow me to once again sincerely thank you for you valuable visit
to my hometown Banja Luka and myself personally.
I especially thank you for you unambiguous confirmation and support
for our consistent and lasting efforts for the respect of human
and civil rights and liberties for all people in the Banja Luka
region, as well as wherever else these rights may be endangered
and violated.
Your very clear assurance that you will not forget us and the entire
Banja Luka region gives me and my associates an added obligation
to continue tirelessly struggling for the defence of human dignity
and the affirmation of humanity and other positive achievements
within our European civilisation and culture.
I take the liberty to once again ask you to take measures for the
immediate release of those people, Croat and others, about whose
fate we still know nothing! Here are just two names of my priests
who were taken away by the Bosnian Serbs from their homes and whose
whereabouts are still unknown to us. They are: Father RATKO GRGIĆ
(DOB. 1944) the parish priest from Nova Topola (Bosanska Gradiška)
who was abducted on 16 June 1992 (!) and Father TOMISLAV MATANOVIĆ
(DOB. 1962), the parish priest from Prijedor who was abducted on
24 August 1995. All our efforts to date to find out the fate of
these priests, both known as extremely peaceful people, have been
to no avail!
Your Excellency, please accept my sincerest expressions of respect!
Dr FRANJO
KOMARICA, Bishop of Banja Luka
Bishop's
letter to Ms Elizabeth Rehn, Special Emissary for the UN Commission
for Human Rights
(Prot. no. 189/95 dated 1 December 1995)
HELP US IN OUR HUMAN ENDEAVOURS!
Dear
Ms Rehn!
Allow me to thank you and your associates for visiting my home yesterday
and the Catholic Community (Croats and others), at whose head I
stand as the Catholic Bishop. Your efforts to directly become familiar
with our current circumstances, as well as your intention to help
us in the future to establish peace and humanity for all citizens
in Banja Luka are certainly worthy of special thanks.
You have certainly realised our sorrow and tragedy, as well as our
hopes and wishes not to allow the triumph, neither in the short-term
nor permanently, of evil which destroys the individual and the society
to which we belong.
I would like to once again stress that as believers we are prepared
and capable of positively contributing to the development of a better
future for the peoples of this region and country. We have practised
this all along in out efforts to forgive and remain peaceful. All
this is in an effort to try and create an atmosphere of reconciliation,
even during the war.
We expect you and ail humanitarians in Europe and the world to help
us in our human efforts for the lasting respect of human dignity
and fundamental human rights and liberties (including ethnic and
religious freedoms) for every person in our suffering homeland.
Once again, on behalf of all those who have been stripped of their
human dignity and whose rights are not respected at all, I ask you
not to forget us!
Please accept my expressions of respect!
Dr FRANJO
KOMARICA, Bishop of Banja Luka
Bishop's
letter to Amnesty International, London
(Prot. no: 205/95 dated 8 December 1995)
ON BEHALF OF ALL THE INNOCENT VICTIMS
OF THE SENSELESSNESS & LAWLESSNESS, I BEG YOU, HELP US!
Dear
Sirs!
As the Catholic Bishop of the Banja Luka Diocese located in the
northwest of Bosnia, I turn to you with a plea to help us find and
release two parish priests from my diocese. My many interventions
to date and appeals to the Bosnian Serbs, as well as other politicians
representing the Croats in Bosnia-Herzegovina, have not resulted
positively. I do not wish to, nor can I tire from looking for these
entirely innocent people taken away for no reason at all! Unlike
five other priests and one sister who, although they were completely
innocent, were killed or died as a result of injuries sustained
during detainment, we still nurture some hope that these two priests
are still alive!
1. Father
RATKO GRGIĆ (DOB 1944) from Vareš was on service in the parish of
Nova Topola, Bosanska Gradiška, where he was force hilly taken from
his presbytery by four uniformed and armed men on 16 June 1992.
at about 9:30 hours. Even though I immediately intervened that same
day with the Mayor of Bosanska Gradiška, Mr Nebojša Ivaštanin and
the Chief-of-police, Mr Vesić, as well as the Commander of the Territorial
Defence (army) Mr Raca, they just confirmed that "Father Grgić
was a peaceful man" and that "there was no reason for
his capture or detention". All my later interventions with
the civil authorities and the army in the RS have come across silence
or I nave received replies to the effect, "We are investigating
the case of the abducted priest".
It is my firm belief that the Serbian officials know where my priest
Father Grgić is and what has become of him.
I most ardently appeal to you, help us with additional demands to
the Bosnian Serbs, so that this entirely innocent priest who has
been missing for virtually three years and has perhaps been illegally
detained by tyrants, be found and returned!
2. Father
TOMISLAV MATANOVIĆ (DOB 1962), from Prijedor, who was the parish
priest in Prijedor, was forcefully taken from his home by the local
police on 24 August 1995, at about 23:00 hours -firstly to the police
station in Prijedor, and then was placed under house arrest together
with his parents in their home. There he remained until 18 September
1995. He was then taken from the home and all trace of him and his
parents vanished.
There was no legal case against Father Matanović either, nor did
the official authorities have any suspicions that he had "committed
an offence under any law". Everyone knows, both in authority
and his fellow citizens, that he was an extremely kind, peaceful
humanist who helped everyone throughout the entire time of the war.
The person most responsible for his abduction is Mr Simo Drljača,
Chief-of-police in Prijedor, as well as the president of the War
Council for the Prijedor municipality, Mr Srđo Srdić. My numerous
interventions to the Bosnian Serbs and Croat authorities in Bosnia-Herzegovina,
the International Red Cross and the Holy See have not produced any
positive results. The official authorities in Prijedor know where
Father Matanović and his parents are. These same authorities are
responsible for this crime against mankind!
Please help us in this case and that of Father Grgić so that we
can have these innocent people released. Our latest indications
are that Father Matanović and his parents are being kept in a detention
centre in Prijedor, in which there are apparently quite a number
of other Croats and Bosnians.
Apart from these two cases, there are many other unexplained cases
from the Banja Luka region where people have been abducted, taken
away, detained or just gone missing! Until now, as you are aware,
there was no access to this region for international organisations
concerned with human and civil rights and liberties. We hope that
with the signing of the Peace Accord in Paris on 14 December 1995,
all those organisations who wish to will be able to come to this
region to establish the truth of these violations which have continued
for too long now and where virtually no human or civil rights and
liberties exist!
Once again, on behalf of all those innocent victims of this senseless
war and all those who have been illegally and unreasonably detained,
including priests and all my rightless people, I implore you - HELP
US! Let us hope that your efforts to help these rightless people
will not be fruitless, but rather will return our dignity and all
our other human and civil rights and liberties where they have been
taken away from us for no reason at all!
With due respects!
Dr
FRANJO KOMARICA, Bishop of Banja Luka
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