- VI -
TO LOCAL POLITICIANS

Letter to the Mayor of Banja Luka, P. Radić
(Prot no: 450/92 dated 15 June 1992)
ANOTHER ARMED ATTACK ON THE PASTORAL CENTRE IN THE BANJA LUKA PARISH OF BUDŽAK

Mr Mayor!
It is with great regret and concern that I am compelled to once again turn to you as the first man in our municipality of Banja Luka, with regard to the protection of the lives of religious officials, as well as the property of the Catholic Church.
Attached is a copy of a letter by the parish priest in Budžak - Banja Luka, Dr Karl Višaticki who speaks about the third attack in the past three weeks against himself, the parish start, as well as parish property.
I have already requested the appropriate official bodies to protect the staff and property of our religious community or simply to allow the faithful to legally protect themselves. You advised that it would be better if this task were left to the officials, which I agreed to of course, but following the frequent attacks against religious property and officials of the Catholic Church, one has the opinion that your wishes and orders are not carried out in practice. What are we to do so that we can protect these unfortunate people from an even greater catastrophe with negative repercussions for our entire town and municipality?
We have also received news that on orders from the offices or institutions of our municipality (lam convinced this was without your knowledge or approval), it is intended to demolish, damage or destroy some 700 (seven hundred) buildings in the region of our municipality?!! As you are aware, several religious buildings belonging to the Catholic Church have already been the target of fatal attacks by uncontrolled individuals or gangs. This latest relentless event on the eve of our Catholic feast day; of the Holy Trinity and the celebration of Holy Confirmation in the Banja Luka parish of Budžak, has embittered all the Catholics of this parish and indeed the entire region!
Mr Mayor, we must use all reasonable force to maintain the peace which has been seriously threatened amongst the Catholic population in this part of our municipality. Please arrange an appointment, so that we can meet as soon as possible. This is a request on behalf of the parishioners from the parish of Budžak - Banja Luka.
Thanking you in advance for all your efforts so that the inhumane witch hunt against certain individuals and against the Catholic Community be brought to an end.
With my due respects 

Dr FRANJO KOMARICA, Bishop of Banja Luka

Appendix:
Report by the parish priest regarding the armed attack.

Letter to the Banja Luka and Bosanska Gradiška Police Stations
(Prot. no: 495/92 dated 6 July 1992)
THE ABDUCTION OF REV. R. GRGIĆ, PARISH PRIEST IN NOVA TOPOLA, THE BESTIAL ABUSE OF  CATHOLIC NUNS AND THE ENDANGERING OF CONVENT PROPERTY IN NOVA TOPOLA

Even though the addressee is well aware of this subject from my manifold verbal interventions most recently, unfortunately, not one incident has been resolved or enlightened. As such I am compelled to turn to you in writing with a request that our ill and recently abducted priest be found and that officials undertake greater measures regarding the security of our sisters and their property in the convent in Nova Topola.
The following should serve as a brief reminder of the relentless events regarding the Nova Topola convent:

1. On 16 June at about 9:20 hours the parish priest, Father Ratko Grgić, was abducted by four armed persons from the presbytery in Nova Topola and taken in the direction of Laminci. That same day, I intervened with the police in Nova Topola and with Mr Nebojša Ivaštanin, the president of the Bosanska Gradiška Town Council, who confirmed that there was no official reason why the parish priest should be arrested and detained. They also assured me that they would immediately take measures to find the abducted priest and return him to his home. At the same time I was assured that the police had received orders to tighten the security around the convent, where the sisters were quite disturbed following this abduction.

2. That same evening at about 22:00 hours, the convent was violently broken into by the same four armed persons. They demanded that the sisters (22 mostly elderly sisters between the ages of 70 and 90) gather into one room where they were jointly and then individually abused - physically, verbally and with weaponry. They were especially sadistic and brutal to a couple of the younger sisters which deserves every condemnation! In the chronicles of our centuries-old history, the Catholic Church in these regions has never recorded such a vile event!
This form of bestial abuse and infliction against a group of helpless and innocent nuns continued until 04:30 hours the next morning! In the meantime not one patrol car was to be seen doing its rounds despite this being their official duty.
That same evening (17 June), immediately after being informed of the incident, I informed the official bodies for public security in Banja Luka, Nova Topola and Bosanska Gradiška of this truly harsh and completely unjustifiable serious crime. I was once again assured greater protection for the sisters and the convent. I need not emphasise that all the sisters were terribly traumatised and some have experienced physical and psychological repercussions. That same night the parish presbytery in Nova Topola was broken into and robbed.

3. Despite all the various assurances and guarantees, unidentified persons entered the yard of the convent during the night between 22 and 23 June and broke off the lid on the fuel tank (used for the central heating system in the convent) and drained the remaining fuel from the tank. A few days before that, the local police had helped themselves to a significant quantity of fuel from the tank.

4. During the night between 27 and 28 June, unidentified persons set fire to the convent's stable housing cows, pigs and fowl. A large quantity of straw and firewood were burnt.
These relentless crimes have been duly reported to the addressee and other official bodies as we have taken it upon ourselves to inform them verbally.
As the church leader, I am responsible for the lives and property of the said nuns and parish priest. Therefore, I am obligated to once again warn you that no positive results have been noticed regarding the investigation undertaken by the Bosanska Gradiška and Banja Luka authorities regarding the fate of Father Grgić, as well as the future security of the nuns in Nova Topola, who have resided there for more than 100 years and have worked in peace and harmony with the local population.
I request the valued addressee to undertake effective measures regarding these issues regarding the nuns and Father Grgić.
In expectation of your reply.

 Dr FRANJO KOMARICA, Bishop of Banja Luka

Protest forwarded to:
- Secretariat of the BC B-H, Sarajevo
- Papal Nunciature, Belgrade
- Secretariat of the CBC, Zagreb

Letter to the police and military authorities in Banja Luka and Laktaši
(Prot. no: 523/92 dated 22 July 1992)
ARMED ATTACK ON THE "MARJANOVAC" CONVENT IN BOSANSKI ALEKSANDROVAC

As reported by the Mother Superior of the "Marjanovac" convent in Bosanski Aleksandrovac, Sr Maristela Hećimović, during the night of 22 July this year, approximately between 00:30 hours and 03:00 hours, an armed attack with light weaponry was carried out against the convent and parish church of "St John the Baptist" in Bosanski Aleksandrovac.
Quite a number of bullets hit the facade, roof of the convent, church and smashed several windows in the nuns' rooms, directly threatening the lives of these elderly nuns.
The police station is not far from the convent on the road between Banja Luka and Bosanska Gradiška and the guards surely heard the shooting. Moreover, they could even see the entire incident and could have and should have reported the incident to the appropriate bodies.
I once against ask the respected addressee to energetically prevent these forms of tragic incidents against this institution of the Catholic Church, which has done no harm to anyone, quite the contrary, it has done a great deal of good for all citizens.
We rightly expect that law and order be guaranteed to everyone in the Laktaši municipality, including the Catholics and their nuns - who have too often been the target of attacks in the mentioned "Marjanovac" convent in Bosanski Aleksandrovac.
With respect! 

Dr FRANJO KOMARICA, Bishop of Banja Luka

Protest forwarded to:
- Provincial Administration - Zagreb
- General Administration - Rome, Italy

Letter to the President of the Town Council, Banja Luka, P. Radić
(Prot, no: 552/92 dated 3 August 1992)
CONTINUED UNCERTAINTY AND INCREASING RIGHTS VIOLATIONS AGAINST THE CATHOLIC POPULATION OF THE BANJA LUKA MUNICIPALITY

Mr President!
A month and a half has already gone by since I requested an appointment with you to discuss the current situation faced by the Catholic faithful in the regions of our municipality. I thank you for giving me the opportunity to personally meet with you and relay the increasingly difficult situation faced by my people.
In the past month and a half the situation has, generally speaking, declined although your interven­tion did remove some of the anarchic behaviour of armed individuals and gangs. As you are surely aware, the Catholic Church in this town and municipality has tried this entire time to maintain a fragile peace not only amongst its faithful but throughout the entire region amongst our neighbours and friends as well. You are perhaps not even aware of some of the provocative incidents taking place, nor of the harassment, oppression, threat to property and the lives of the Catholic population. As far as I know there have not been any incidents of retaliation. Thank God! However, there are still many unresolved issues of which you must surely be aware and to which you and other politicians and officials must find a long-term solution. I ascertain this based on your praiseworthy statements that you will listen and value everyone's needs and rights, while you are in a position to do so! In witness of your humane efforts for all the people under your jurisdiction, I am convinced that you will understand the problems faced by the Catholic faithful in the Banja Luka municipality, which I will relay to you and that you will attempt to find the appropriate solutions to them.
1. In the past two months direct threats to the lives of our priests and nuns in the region of the Budžak parish have increased, as well as against the monastery in Petrićevac and the convent in Martićeva Street.
2. Desecration of religious buildings and graveyards in the Budžak region have also increased. Most recently 4 incidents have been recorded, as well as the monastery in Petrićevac and the convent in Martićeva Street, followed by an attack on the presbytery in Martićeva Street; firing at the church steeple.
3. Self-initiated (no warrant issued) searches conducted on church premises: pastoral centre in Budžak; monastery in Petrićevac; Trappist monastery; the Bishop's Ordinary and the Bishop's palace; Caritas premises.
4. Confiscation of medicines and sanitary material obtained from Caritas International, intended for the health institutions in Banja Luka and the entire region.
5. Crippling the work of the diocesan Caritas by confiscating eight trucks which were used to deliver food and other aid.
6. Harassment of Caritas staff and beneficiaries (several hundred) who were waiting for Caritas to assist them in leaving Banja Luka (refugees, students, the ill, workers abroad).
7. One sided decision to annul a contract already made between the Bishop's Ordinary, the Council officials and the "Vrbas" construction company of Laktaši regarding the construction of Caritas premises on a piece of property which belonged to the Church in Martićeva Street.
Furthermore, I must, along with the members of my Catholic Church, once again ascertain that these same members of my church have been denied their fundamental human rights and liberties, and with that the following:
1. the right to equality regardless of their nationality or religious affiliation;
2. the right to the goods necessary for life, personal sustenance;
3. the right to work and to a fair share of the fruits of their labour (more than 90% of the Catholic population has been released from their jobs);
4. the right to private ownership:
5. violations and threats to freedom of conscience, as well as the right to free thought and expression;
6. the right to the inviolability of one's person;
7. the right to free choice of employment;
8. the right to raise and educate one's own children;
9. the right to freely associate and contribute to public decisions;
10. the right to a good reputation;
We have substantial evidence of violations for each of the above and for some (the right to freedom of conscience, private ownership, educating one's children) there is, unfortunately, too much evidence!
All this lawlessness which is being committed against the Catholic population, of which the majority are Croats but include Ukrainians, Slovenes, Italians, Czechs, Austrians and others, despite their extreme peaceful behaviour and attitude, has resulted in great social oppression and justified dissatisfaction. Because of our tireless preaching at all our religious gatherings about our Christian behaviour and not taking revenge and as such not returning injustice with the same measures, our faithful are asking more and more assistance and protection from us as their spiritual leaders. Seeing that political structures of the Croatian people are not able to function properly, people come to the Bishop asking that he intercede on behalf of the 2,800 Catholics who have been dismissed from their jobs because they refused to be mobilised into the army! Now there are more than 12,000 members of their families who have been left unprovided-for! - Mr President, this heavy fact cannot and must not be bypassed without your greater efforts to positively resolve the status of these oppressed people!
Not wishing to avenge the violence through rebellion, but rather in an attempt to avoid the growing violence, the majority of existentially oppressed victims are leaving their homes. Mr President, as the spiritual leader of all Catholics in these regions (of whom there are more than 30,000), I must caution you, as well as all official bodies in our municipality, that you are obliged to protect and respect the fundamental human rights which should be enjoyed by these people as well as every citizen. What is happening to our Catholics today (I am not competent to speak on behalf of others) is a certain form of racism and even genocide! Being forced to leave their ancient hearths, the Catholic faithful are experiencing the expulsion of the Catholic Church from this town, in which, despite the difficult ten centuries of the Ottoman occupation, they managed to survive as an element of the civilised and cultural society of this region. This current situation is surely a very serious and long-term problem and must be positively resolved! 1 am convinced that you will personally, along with you companions, see further into the future and prevent any further destruction and oppression so that the Catholics of this region can continue to Live normally.
I take the liberty to pose a few other questions:
- What do you personally plan for the immediate future for the Catholics (Croats and others)?
- What rights are we to be guaranteed here?
- Can you - as the first person in our municipality - urgently prepare another joint meeting between representatives of the Catholic Church and other institutions of the Croatian (Ukrainian) nations, with the competent representatives of other responsible institutions in our municipality?
- What is left for us, for me as the Bishop, my priests, nuns and remaining faithful members of the Catholic Church to do to contribute towards the reasonable solution to these problems which will satisfy all those concerned?
In the hope that you understood our pain as well as our sincere wishes to jointly resolve the problems faced by our entire population in our town and municipality, I thank you and sincerely greet you on my own behalf and all those who ask that you represent them!

 Dr FRANJO KOMARICA, Bishop of Banja Luka

c.c.:
- Secretariat of the BC B-H - Sarajevo
- Secretariat of the CBC - Zagreb
- Papal Nunciature - Belgrade

Letter to the President of the Town Council, Prnjavor, Nemanja Vesić (3 August 1992)
STOP THE VIOLENCE AGAINST MEMBERS OF THE CATHO­LIC CHURCH AND ITS PROPERTY IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF PRNJAVOR

Mr President!
As the leader of the Catholic Church in the region of the Bosanska Krajina. I have recently held several meetings with the highest level of the civil and military authorities in Banja Luka and the Bosanska Krajina, the reason being the manifold problems with which we are faced everyday, as well as the wish that as believers we contribute to calming the enflamed passions in the hope of maintaining peace in these regions. With this aim and in co-operation with other religious commu­nities, we have tried to be active in the Held, where despite the level of peace there is still great fear and tension to be felt.
I can say with satisfaction and joy that the Catholics in these regions are not making any problems - as was admitted to me by the highest civil and military authorities - towards a peaceful coexistence. This is true for the Catholics and their religious officials in the entire region.
At the same time, these same people in authority have assured us that they will protect our rights and security and the entire property of the Catholic Church.
I am therefore even more taken aback by the violence against my faithful, religious officials and church property which is being conducted currently within our region. The latest examples are the demolition of the Greek-Catholic church in Prnjavor and the Roman Catholic church in Kulaši, also the violent break-in in the subsidiary church in Štivor and the confiscation of the Prnjavor parish priest's car.
Even more shocking is the indifference shown by official police bodies in resolving these crimes and attempting to bring the culprits to justice. In the case of the demolition of the church in Kulaši, the police actually threatened the priest who came to report the incident to them(!).
I ask you, "What have the faithful and religious officials of our municipality done to deserve such treatment? What can we expect from these people following these incidents? Are they to be faced with another massive wave of expulsion and destruction? What are the official authorities doing to calm these people down?"
We would like to believe that the noted incidents are not in keeping with the policies of the actual authorities, but that they are the actions of irresponsible individuals and gangs. As such we rightly expect that these same official bodies undertake effective measures to find and punish the culprits of these and similar events and that these crimes be prevented by legal measures available. If these regions are ever to see a just state, and they will have to, its foundations will need to be laid now. This form of anarchy is not in anyone's interest.
As a man of responsibility, it is not necessary to have to explain to you the enormous repercussions these events may have for the future of our joint existence in these regions.
For this reason I forward to you and other official representatives this appeal and expect concrete actions from you by virtue of the position you hold and responsibility it entails. I am convinced that you are willing to try and are capable of coming to terms with these problems on behalf of the people you are responsible for.
With respects!

 Dr FRANJO KOMARICA, Bishop of Banja Luka

cc.
- Public Police Security - Banja Luka
- Papal Nunciature - Belgrade
- Secretariat of the BC B-H - Sarajevo
- Secretariat of the CBC - Zagreb

Letter to the President of the Town Council, Bosanska Gradiška, Mr Nebojša Ivaštanin
(Prot. no: 566/92 dated 7 August 1992)
FORCED EXPULSION BY THE MUNICIPAL AUTHORITIES OF CATHOLICS FROM THE PARISH OF DOLINA

Mr President!
I received an official notice that on 5 August 1992 a large group of military police belonging to the Territorial Defence unit of Bosanska Gradiška did the rounds in all three villages of the Dolina Parish - Gornja Dolina, Donja Dolina and Novo Selo. On this occasion, they issued an ultimatum to the local population that they had to depart from this region immediately and had no later than 1 September this year as this had to be an ethnically clean area. They were further told that if they did not utilise this opportunity to leave healthy and alive across the bridge over the Sava River, they would be forced into the Sava itself. Some people were ordered to draw up a list of their household goods and to immediately organise their own evacuation.
The same notice stated that if something was not done immediately a most horrific fate awaited these people. My intervention has, therefore, been called for.
As I was not able to contact you, despite our scheduled appointment to discuss this problem, after my visit to Dolina, I was only able to speak to the secretary of the Executive Committee of the Bosanska Gradiška Council, Mr Dušan Radić. He advised me that the Town Council of Bosanska Gradiška did not have any legal regulation upon which anyone could legitimately implement such a monstrous attempt to evict an entire Catholic parish from these regions where they have survived for centuries.
Seeing that I myself witnessed the many injustices experienced by the Catholic population in the Dolina parish, during this war, I am not surprised that this threat has created so much uneasiness amongst the population. As such I expect you, dear Mr President, as the most responsible persons in this municipality to issue a denouncement by 10 August 1992, from the most highest level in your office for the purpose of the said residents of the Dolina parish, to the effect that this ultimatum is not valid and cannot be characterised in any other way except as a fascistic act entirely undignified in our time and these regions of which neither we nor the entire civilised world can approve.
I expect an official reply from you so that I can forward it accordingly to General Talić, Commander 1st Krajina Corps who personally asked me to calm the situation amongst my faithful wherever this may prove necessary.
With respects!

Dr FRANJO KOMARICA, Bishop of Banja Luka

 c.c.
- Police security - Banja Luka
- Secretariat of the BC B-H - Sarajevo
- Secretariat of the CBC - Zagreb
- Papal Nunciature - Belgrade

Letter to General Momir Talić, Commander 1st Krajina Corps
(Prot. no: 623/92 dated 22 August 1992)
STOP ANY FURTHER CRIMES AGAINST UNPROTECTED CATHOLICS IN THE LJUBIJA REGION (MUNICIPALITY OF PRIJEDOR)!

Commander!
As you have probably already been informed by your deputy, Colonel Vojinović, as a result of the meeting held 21 August 1992, with representatives of the civil authorities in Ljubija, Mr Đoko Taranjac and Mr Milenko Jelisavac and the parish priest from Šurkovac, Friar Josip Božić and the undersigned Bishop of Banja Luka, that more than 500 faithful from the parish of Šurkovac near Ljubija have been coerced into "voluntary" (!) resettlement.
Seeing that Colonel Vojinović clearly relayed your stance against any, especially, forced re-settle­ment, the delegation from Ljubija - Šurkovac requested that another meeting be organised as soon as possible to discuss this very real problem which could have far reaching effects. The meeting could be attended by you or rather your deputy, Colonel Arsić, as well as the Chief-of-police, Mr Drljača, battalion commander Bilbija, the mayor, Dr Stakić, the police station commander in Ljubija, Mr Bajić, as well as Messrs Taranjac and Jelisavac.
They have asked me to come today and explain to those people who have already commenced to move out, to remain in their homes and that the authorities, both civil and military, would do everything to guarantee their complete safety.
At today's meeting, the two representatives from the civil authorities in Ljubija did not turn up (I was told that they were afraid of the people from their own ranks!). There were, however, some 200 very frightened people who did come and who are concerned for their future. For three months now, they have not been able to sleep in their own homes because of the constant shooting at their homes by uniformed persons from a particular military unit from Bosanski Novi who refer to themselves as "smoked ribs". More than 200 homes have been entirely looted. The people have virtually nothing to live on. Panic has overtaken them and they fear a great massacre against innocent people similar to one that took place in the nearby village of Briševo, where several dozen people were slaughtered - including women and children. They were even more frightened by the words of the civil authorities said two days ago, "Until now we've managed to protect you and act this way towards you, but soon the "dogs" will be let loose from their chains and then you're finished. This is (referring to their re-settlement) your last chance! You saw what happened in Briševo!"
These same people told me that they are fed up with promises and cannot believe anyone anymore. After speaking with me they, nevertheless, decided not to move, but on the condition that they are protected by a military unit under the command of General Talić. This is fairly easy to achieve according to the two representatives of the civil authorities, as well as the readiness of Colonel Vojinović.
I would like to briefly inform you that I am concerned at the odd, even arrogant, behaviour of the battalion commander Mr Bilbija who today assured us that there were no problems in those areas under his command. He referred to Šurkovac as well, stating that not one religious building in this region has been touched. When I advised him that he was evidently not aware of the situation in the field, in light of the situation reaching its climax, which is also to be said in the Ljubija and Stara Rijeka parishes and that the church and presbytery in Briševo had been completely razed to the ground that the newly built church in Ljubija had been burnt and looted more than 20 days ago, he replied that this was the first news of any of these events. (!!!) If one was to look at his behaviour, as well as some of his close associates, then I am truly afraid that tonight or within the next few days, an even more atrocious crime could happen than the ones which have already occurred.
I ask you, General Talić, and appeal to you to immediately undertake all necessary measures to prevent all crimes against mankind and all unfortunate events which the Catholics in the Ljubija region i.e. the parishes of Šurkovac, Ljubija, Stara Rijeka and Ravska, have in no way provoked. I am convinced that you will (with my modest assistance of course) help us in these concrete cases, in an effort to protect these innocent people and as such enable a secure and happier future for all the residents of the said regions. With respects! 

Dr FRANJO KOMARICA, Bishop of Banja Luka

Letter to General Major M. Talić, Commander 1st Krajina Corps
(Prot. no: 640/92 dated 29 August 1992)
FIFTEEN CATHOLIC CHURCHES ALREADY DESTROYED IN REGIONS OUTSIDE WAR ZONES - WHY?

General!
During the evening between 28 & 29 August this year, St Joseph's church in Prijedor was mined and completely razed to the ground. This church was built over 100 years ago. The church steeple was built in 1970 and has suffered extensive damage and there is a real danger of it toppling over. The church was full of priceless liturgical objects (altars, statues, paintings etc.). Everything has been completely destroyed.
- Today I was escorted by the military police under your command and visited the site of this event and personally witnessed this scandalous destruction of these very valuable sacral buildings in Prijedor. I also inspected the extensive material damages to the presbytery, pastoral centre and the entire surroundings of the church.
- According to eye witness accounts, the culprits arrived after 22:30 hours and attempted to break dawn the door of the church. When the parish priest heard their racket, he asked them who they were and what they were doing. The reply was, "you better run priesty or we will kill you!". The parish priest immediately phoned the police who recorded the report and assured him they were on their way. However, as no one came the priest phoned another three times and in the end was told, "OK we know about this case!". The culprits, in the meantime, had broken a glass panel next to the entry door and placed explosives in the church. The local neighbours heard the racket and saw two car loads of people and they also rang the police. No one arrived however! The military guard, who was on duty only a few dozen metres away from the church, knew these people were there and what their intentions were. According to one account by one of the on duty guards, one of the culprits simply told the guarding soldiers, "Leave us alone, we have a job to do here tonight!"
- The explosives tang out at about 01:00 hours. -Just before that the parish priest tried to contact the fire department at least, but no one answered the phone!
- I ascertain then that the demolition of this church was done with the full knowledge of the police and military guards, stationed not far from the church. The police were called several times that night, but they did not respond!
- I ascertain that until 14:00 hours the next day, not one person from the official authorities came to see the parish priest, what had happened to him and his house mates nor to take an official record of the event. Nor did anyone inform the parish priest what his rights and obligations were and what he should do in this case with regard to his parishioners who were, quite understandable, shaken by this event.
- I also ascertain that the armed uniformed person, who had been ordered by the city authorities to "guard the ruins of the church" (?) in front of the entrance to the parish office, where I myself was in the company of military police, swore and insulted the local parish priest with the most abusive language and shouted, "the priesty should be killed. I'll kill the priesty!"
- In the local police station in Prijedor no one could give me an explanation for the demolition of the church nor the security of the parish priest and his household, because the "comrade chief has strictly prohibited anyone but himself from giving any statements". After two hours I once again asked for the chief-of-police and was only allowed to speak to him via an internal phone from the reception room. The said chief, Mr Simo Drljača, was quite confused and told me that he "distanced himself from this vandalistic act which he personally condemned", and furthermore "if the parish priest were to be killed, he would personally conduct an investigation"(!!).
-On my way out of the police station a uniformed armed person leaving the station at the same time asked one of the policemen in my escort. "Are you the one driving this priesty - bishop?". My escort answered, "1 am an official escort" to which the former added, "Why don't you just kill the shit?!"
- General Talić, the officials I have referred to were all in uniforms of the police or army! I sincerely regret not so much the humiliation and foul language directed at me personally, nor my parish priest and his parishioners, but rather because the police and army (at least these people) have stooped to such a low level! Are my blameless people truly to be left to the mercy of these thugs and is there no official person who could put a stop to this lawlessness or at least denounce it publicly?!
- What am I to do after so many churches and church buildings have been destroyed, even though there have been no war conflicts in the area of Prijedor, Bosanska Dubica, Bosanska Kostajnica, Bosanski Novi, Kozarac, Donja Ravska, Briševo, Bosanska Krupa and Ljubija? I have been told that the parish church in Šurkovac and the one in Prijedor were mined with as much as 300 kg of explosives!!?! Will even one of our Catholic churches be spared? May I ask you, as the commander of the 1st Krajina Corps, "to whom did you issue orders (dated 23 June this year) that not one religious object was to be touched or desecrated in my diocese?" In those regions where there were absolutely no war conflicts (!) more than 15 churches have been destroyed or rendered unusable (?!) and this is after your orders were issued (!).
General, can you do anything, in agreement with the police forces, to prevent the further escalation of this horrific violence in our region against a blameless population? Will a just state finally begin to function here in our homeland which unfortunately is currently being ruled by anarchy, disregard, evil and arms?!
With respects! 

Dr FRANJO KOMARICA, Bishop of Banja Luka

c.c.
- Police security - Banja Luka
- Papal Nunciature - Belgrade
- Secretariat of the BC B-H - Sarajevo
- Secretariat of the CBC - Zagreb

Letter to General Major Momir Talić, Commander 1st Krajina Corps
(Prot. no: 650/92 dated 3 September 1992)
CONTINUED CRIME AGAINST MEMBERS OF THE CATHO­LIC CHURCH IN THE BOSANSKA KRAJINA REGION

General!
In accordance with my agreement with you and your deputies, I lake the liberty to once again submit a report to you of the most urgent cases resulting in the situation faced by my Catholic faithful in some of the parishes of my diocese in regions under your authority.

1. In 16 June 1992, i.e. over two and a half months ago, four armed men abducted the parish priest from Nova Topola, Ratko Grgić in the middle of the day and took him towards the direction of the village of Laminci. The car and armed men were seen by neighbours. Even though we have perhaps had some indications, to this day, we do not know what has happened to Father Grgić. It appears as though the official authorities, both civil and military, do not really wish to find Father Grgić. I ask you General to once again be advised of this painful fact, so that you may undertake some decisive action within your ranks and solve this case which certainly stains the current authorities - civil and military in this region or rather municipality!

2. When referring to the situation of the Catholics in Bosanska Gradiška, despite my manifold interventions with the local authorities in regard to at least minimal protection of basic human rights for these people, further repression, undignified by any human standards, continues to be felt. I firmly believe that you yourself are not aware of the real situation in Bosanska Gradiška and Nova Topola, especially in the parish of Dolina and its villages -Gornja and Donja Dolina, and Novo Selo, where several military units are currently based and where the local population is at the edge of their patience. They are requesting me to take them out of that "hell" no matter what the price. Please send your delegate as soon as possible, who will review the situation and try and calm the people down, for I can no longer do this successfully because I have done all that I possibly can. I also ask that the lives of my parish priests in Dolina and Bosanska Gradiška be protected. They have already received several threats that "their heads would be cut off, just like that of the priest's from Nova Topola"!?

3. In the municipality of Laktaši, there exist two parishes churches: in Mahovljani and in Bosanski Aleksandrovac. An ancient convent is also situated in Bosanski Aleksandrovac. Even though there is a guard's check point close by the church and convent in Bosanski Aleksandrovac, on the road between Banja Luka and Bosanska Gradiška, there are frequent shooting incidents around the church and convent and at the parishioners who come to church. The soldiers on guard duty themselves are quite often guilty of foul language towards the sisters and anyone who comes to see them or goes to church so that the people quite often avoid going there anymore. How long will this merciless situation continue? Will the sisters reach the point where, due to the continuing pressure since last summer, they will be forced to leave their convent, one of the oldest in Bosnia-Herzegovina which will surely bring into question the further existence of the parish in this region?
On 23 September 1991, the church in Mahovljani (known as the Italian church) was targeted with three explosive devices - of a military origin - and caused extensive damage of more than 20,000 German marks. Since then and until mid-July this year, when the army made camp in the vicinity of the church, it has mostly been calm. Several houses belonging to our faithful were mined and individuals have been abused. However, after the said period, the church, presbytery and manager of the estate (the church is surrounded by farm land which belongs to the diocese of Banja Luka), were attacked on several occasions by uniformed persons and most recently, in the absence of the manager, looting has begun with everything that can possibly be carried being carted off and what remains destroyed. The interior of the recently renovated church has been completely destroyed while all the windows, the roof, and the frontage has been damaged. More than 15 cubic metres of construction wood, for an extension to the farm buildings, were taken away. The orchard has been destroyed, the garden and the forest cut down. All this happened in full view of the army which was supposedly guarding the approaching roads to the church, presbytery and farm land. Is it possible that the army co-operated in this unsavoury business? What have we done to deserve this? May we at least put that little which remains there away in safety, with approval of the military? Will this church once again experience the same fate it did in 1942, when together with the presbytery and the local school it was burnt to the ground?

4. In the Prijedor region several days ago, the parish church in Prijedor was destroyed. Before that the church in Kozarac was targeted. In Ljubija the church was burnt down, though fortunately some of it was salvaged. The new pastoral centre, however, was completely destroyed inside. In Donja Ravska, the subsidiary church was burnt down. The most tragic events were recorded in Briševo, where the church and presbytery were burnt down along with some one hundred houses and where some ninety innocent civilians were killed - mostly children and elderly folk, as I have been informed by several eye witnesses and army representatives. In the atrocities of Briševo and Ljubija, it is certain that particular military units were involved, which is very well known to the battalion commander Bilbija. The Catholic population of that entire region is in terrible fear of all this and because of the continuing attacks and looting of everything they own and themselves personally, they are asking me to pull them out of this unbearable situation. I cannot do this, but am demanding the military and civil authorities to protect this Innocent population. Is there no one in this region who can truly or at least partially put an end to the horrific self-willed actions of certain individuals or gangs? Is it possible that your military command knows about all these events and yet is doing nothing, even despite the recent assurances I have received in response to my Interventions?

5. A similar situation is faced by the Catholic population in Ključ which is being driven out or killed! Who has the final word in that region and is it at all possible for the blameless population of that region to receive some form of protection and that the ethnic cleansing be brought to an end?
General, these are just some of the most urgent cases which require your immediate intervention. There are unfortunately many more cases, but I will refer to them next time. I expect your concrete actions as do thousands of my faithful Catholics in the Banja Luka diocese. Thanking your in advance!
With deserved respect! 

Dr FRANJO KOMARICA, Bishop of Banja Luka

Letter to the head of the Centre for Public Security Banja Luka, Mr Stojan Župljanin
(Prot. no: 715/92 dated 11 September 1992)
WHY AREN'T YOU TAKING DECISIVE MEASURES TO PRO­TECT YOUR PEACE LOVING CATHOLIC CITIZENS, RELI­GIOUS OFFICIALS AND BUILDINGS IN THE REGION OF BOSANSKA KRAJINA?

Dear Sir,
As the Catholic bishop of Banja Luka, I once again turn to you as the most responsible person when it comes to public order and peace in the entire region of the Bosanska Krajina, throughout which the majority of my diocese is located.
Since the beginning of the horrors of this senseless war, which unfortunately has not ended in these regions, the direct threat to many of my Catholics has increased.
You are more than likely aware that the majority of Catholics in this region did not take up arms, and did not want war and have hi fact with all their might opposed the war from spreading to these regions. However, despite their not being guilty of anything, many have been abused, tortured and so far more than 150, as far as I am aware, have been killed. This is especially the case for the Prijedor, Ključ, Kotor Varoš and Bosanska Gradiška regions.
- You are also aware that the parish priest from Nova Topola, the Reverend Mr Ratko Grgić was, on 16 June 1992, abducted from his home in the middle of the day by armed uniformed persons and who, despite my interventions with both the civil and military authorities, obviously with yourself as well (!), to this day has not been heard of!
- You must surely be aware that my priests: the parish priest of Kotor Varoš, Friar Ivan Franjić, the parish priest of Dragalovci, the Reverend Mr Marko Šalić, the parish priest and dean of Stara Rijeka, the Venerable Mr Ilija Arlović and the parish priest of Ljubija, the Reverend Mr Stipo Šošić - without any evidence of their guilt whatsoever, were horribly physically and mentally abused in detention centres and concentration camps for periods of between 12 and 80 days. They are now more or less invalids or rather candidates for an imminent death.
- You are aware that the sisters in the convents in Bosanski Aleksandrovac and Nova Topola have not bothered anyone, nor have they disturbed the local residents with whom they have lived for over 100 years and yet some unidentified uniformed persons a few months ago directly threatened their lives, obscenely and sadistically attacked them despite the explicit assurances by the police that they would be protected!
- You are aware that for no reason at all, as there were no battles waged anywhere in the vicinity, and despite the explicit command by the commander of the 1s Krajina Corps, in the past three months many of my churches, 40 to be exact, in the region have been destroyed. A further 50 have been extensively damaged.
- You are surely aware that in the territory under your authority, armed uniformed persons are implementing frightening looting sprees (destroying civilian buildings, houses, property...) in many villages inhabited by Catholics who have nothing to defend themselves with but most often are compelled to Gee. They are being chased out virtually like wild animals. This is especially true in Prijedor, Ljubija, Ključ, Kotor Varoš, Bosanska Gradiška and Sanski Most.
- You must surely be aware that armed "officials" in uniforms are conducting searches, especially of the houses of those people who are in regular contact with the parish community or are members of parish committees, choirs or the parish Caritas. They are regularly harassed and it appears that it is their connection to the Church which is their crime, so that they can be abused, robbed, abducted and even killed?! - In this regard, I wish to mention just one case of a particular parish committee member, a true peace keeper and ideal citizen in this town, Mr Marijan Vištica from Bosanska Gradiška who before the eyes of the police (!?) was pulled out of a bus by some civilians and taken to whereabouts unknown. Talk around town is that he was immediately killed and his body thrown into the Sava River!
It is interesting to note that your employees were hardly ever interested in solving this and similar cases, when they were reported to them. I will only mention the cases of the demolition of the churches in Prijedor, Kulaši or the attacks conducted against the Cathedral in Banja Luka or the parish church in Mahovljani or Nova Topola or Ljubija...
Everyday, many of my faithful who manage to come to me tell their woeful tales of insecurity in their own homes, while many others call me on the phone and ask for protection (!) from the constant looting and threats to their lives! Several more civilians were foiled in the past few days in the parishes of Ljubija and Šurkovac! Tens of thousands of my faithful are putting pressure on me to re-settle them because the feeling of complete helplessness is too much for them to bear anymore. This is especially true of the parishes - Prijedor, Bosanska Gradiška, Kotor Varoš, Ključ, Sanski Most, Mrkonjić Grad and more and more the Banja Luka region itself.
Sir, in one of the replies to a protest I lodged about the constant oppression against the Catholic officials and buildings in this region, the Commander of the 1st Krajina Corps, General-major Talić amongst other things wrote, "1 consider that the official authorities, unfortunately, are not taking strong enough measures. As such I request that you mention my name and contact Mr Stojan Župljanin, the head of the Centre for Public Security, so that he urgently becomes involved and takes the necessary measures to resolve these issues".
I turn to you after I managed to visit the majority of these regions - escorted by the military police -where I myself witnessed the destruction and looting taking place in my diocese. I would ask that you yourself personally, or your delegated deputies, establish the true situation faced by the Catholic population under 'your authority' and truly undertake the necessary measures to ensure some level of protection and security against the crimes being conducted by certain individuals and gangs who are destroying and killing where they can! Either we will build justice and truth on our ruins to ensure a better future for our people or we will leave it all to someone else! While we are in any position of power and hold official positions we must behave responsibly - both you and I!
I expect your reply and decisive measures!
With respects!

Dr FRANJO KOMARICA, Bishop of Banja Luka

c.c.
- Commander 1st Krajina Corps - Banja Luka
- President of the Town Council, Banja Luka
- Papal Nunciature - Belgrade
- Secretariat of the BC B-H - Sarajevo
- Secretariat of the CBC - Zagreb

Letter to Mr Vojo Kuprešanin, acting deputy to the President of the "RS"
(Prot. no: 1379/92 dated 15 November 1992)
 THE DRAMATIC DECLINE OF THE SITUATION FACED BY THE CATHOLICS IN THE BOSANSKA KRAJINA REGION

Mr Kuprešanin!
As a reply to my letter dated 12 August 1992, about the dramatic situation faced by the Catholics of my Banja Luka Diocese in the regions of the Bosanska Krajina, the President of the Republika Srpska, Dr R. Karadžić personally advised me that he had authorised you to undertake measures to prevent the injustice and oppression of fundamental human rights against the innocent Catholic population in the region of the Bosanska Krajina. You consciously attended to the situation and there were some marked improvements.
Unfortunately, only for a short while though!
I am compelled once again to turn to you with an urgent appeal that the current authorities in the mentioned regions truly do what they should be doing, and you yourself confirmed they could, in an effort to prevent and stop any further decline in this truly dramatic situation for the Catholics in many of our parishes.
I must regretfully say that as Catholics we are currently exposed to the most serious of dangers for our continued existence in these regions since the very beginning of the Banja Luka Diocese and definitely the biggest danger and most fateful action since the existence of the Catholic Church here - which is a period of many centuries!

1. The months-long difficult injustice towards us is dramatically increasing daily and resulting in:
- massacres and killing of civilians (Sanski Most - Škrljevita, Poljak, Kruhari, Šimići, Kotor Varoš - Bašćina) even the murder of the priest in Ravska near Ljubija, Father Ivan Grgić. You have personally witnessed the innocence of these people!
- physical abuse and mutilations of the young, sick and old alike (Stara Rijeka, Prijedor, Sasina, Tomašica, Stranjani, Bosanska Gradiška, Dolina, Čatrnja, Ljubija, Banja Luka, Kulaši, Dragalovci);
- the mining of the new large parish church in Stara Rijeka, the burning of the parish church in Mrkonjić Grad, the rifle fire at the churches in Sanski Most, Barlovci, Budžak, Prnjavor, Štivor, Ralutinac, Kulaši, Majdan, Ključ, Bosanski Aleksandrovac, Trn, Čelinac - often endangering the lives of people;
- the razing of houses and farm buildings and properties, as well as looting (Stara Rijeka, Sasina. Sanski Most, Briševo, Šurkovac, Bosanska Gradiška, Dolina, Kulaši, Kotor Varoš, Liskovica, Ključ, Prijedor, Bosanska Dubica, Petrićevac, Barlovci, Nova Topola, Prnjavor).
- All these are unfortunately, heavy and bitter facts, not only for those directly threatened and affected but also for those who allow these events to occur or who do not undertake energetic enough steps to prevent this senseless and violent oppression and destruction of lives and pro petty. Not in a single case noted can it be said that there was even an inkling of provocation, let alone guilt on our part!
You yourself Mr Kuprešanin, were able to witness, together with myself, the conduct of my faithful and priests in several parishes of the Sanski Most, Prijedor and Kotor Varoš regions, as well as their very few demands! You assured them personally, as did the local authorities and military, that you would undertake "maximum effort to protect all the citizens of these municipalities regardless of which nation they belonged to or their religious affiliation...". There have been some worthwhile results, at least partially and in some places. Unfortunately the general result is still quite negative, resulting in almost horrific massive evacuation by my faithful especially from the Sanski Most and Prijedor regions in an effort to save their bare lives!

2. Added unrest and justified concern for their bare existence amongst the Catholic population, Croats and minority national groups alike, throughout the entire region of Bosanska Krajina have been caused due to the forced (it seems to be the fifth in a row) mobilisation and call up to arms, even though it is a well known fact that we do not wish to take arms and that we are guile decisive in this attitude and will continue to be so in the future! In my many discussions with the Commander of the 1st Krajina Corps, General-major M. Talić, as well as his deputies, and with you yourself personally, as well as other leading politicians in our region, I have always heard complimentary descriptions of our peaceful attitude towards our brotherly Serbian neighbours and towards other peoples and of course towards our own Croatian people. According to what criteria then or mandate do official bodies, or rather municipal and other authorities, abuse us, and not only those eligible for military duty but also their close relatives (parents, wives and even the Bishop himself!!) because of failure to answer to the current mobilisation?! These people are regularly being dismissed from their place of employment (if they haven't already been), as well as being evicted from their homes and even directly threatened down to their bare existence!!

3. The current months-old brutal physical and psychological pressure and stripping of the most fundamental human and civil rights and liberties - according to our knowledge - has forced tens of thousands of the faithful of my devastated and burnt diocese to leave their homes (i.e. more than a third of my faithful!). You yourself told me that the Catholics, Croats and others, in the Bosanska Krajina have not presented any threat to the Serbian authorities in the Republika Srpska! Neverthe­less, we are still the target of a direct or even a perfidious campaign, which has lately increased in intensity, and a fascist programme of ethnic cleansing - expulsion from our ancient hearths!
I personally cannot fathom that the current officials amongst the Serbs, with whom we have lived for several centuries, as it appears truly wish to get rid of all the Catholic Croats from the entire region of the Bosanska Krajina and that this is truly the "will and wish of the Serbian people"!
Despite the praiseworthy actions of individual leaders in the civil authorities and the military to protect us and allow us to live normally - generally there appears to be a lack of will and objectivity (!) or inability to prevent and stop the violence targeted against us! Is it truly believed that this inhumane method, applied exclusively by the power of lawlessness, violence and intolerance by one nation, the Serbs, will gain understanding and support by the other civilised nations of Europe and the world? Can anyone truly believe that these actions can be blessed with the happiness and fortune promised by God, our joint Creator, Saviour and Judge?!
Mr Kuprešanin, that which I demand for my people and faithful in my diocese is what I sincerely wish for all people and other religious communities! I still believe that the demands of my people and faithful from the current authorities will not be futile! It would be fatal for us all, not to say shameful and completely defiant!
I pray to God that he will not allow this to happen - neither to you, nor to us!
With deserved respect - I expect your reply!

 Dr FRANJO KOMARICA, Bishop of Banja Luka

c.c.
- President of RS, Dr R. Karadžić - Pale
- President of the RS parliament, Mr M. Krajišnik - Pale
- Secretariat of the EC
- Papal Nunciature - Belgrade

Letter to the President of the Town Council, Prijedor, Dr M. Stakić
(Prot. no: 2030/92 dated 23 December 1992)
PREVENT THE UNLAWFUL CONFISCATION OF CHURCH PROPERTY IN THE PARISH OF PRIJEDOR

Mr President!
Following the vandalistic act of the demolition of the church in Prijedor, you sent me a note "of regret and sharp condemnation for this unsavoury event", assuring me at the same time, "that officials would undertake all necessary measures to find the culprits and bring them to justice". You even expressed your readiness that "once peace has been established to assist us in rebuilding the church in Prijedor but until then arrange for the necessary security of the church and safety of the parish priest".
I most sincerely accepted your assurances and humane words following this serious act and true atrocity which was committed against the Catholic religious community in the region of this municipality. What is more, this very valuable church was destroyed for no reason, as was the adjoining presbytery which was seriously damaged including the pastoral centre.
Unfortunately, your words, as the most responsible person in the Prijedor municipality have not born any positive results. In fact the contrary is true and since then the steeple of the church was demolished even before the faithful could collect and salvage what valuables could be discovered in the rums of the church. The Bishop's Ordinary in Banja Luka was not officially advised of the demolition of the steeple (the steeple contained several bells). I need not mention that this vandalistic act has increased the already sustained damages to the church.
The latest information at hand from the Prijedor parish has shed some light on the entire incident and especially on the attitude of the official municipal institutions and local authorities towards the Catholic population of the area. Before any warning was given to the Roman Catholic presbytery in Prijedor or indeed the Bishop's Ordinary in Banja Luka, a certain organisation from Prijedor which was apparently (or truly) approved by the local authorities, was allowed to cart away the remaining material found at the site of the ruins which could be salvaged and was still usable. This created great dissatisfaction and disapproval from the local population, who are already quite disturbed and have been stripped of all rights as citizens of that town.
This latest misdeed and looting of the Catholic Church and its property with the (possible) approval of the legal authorities is a shameful "greeting" for Catholics on the eve of our dearest and most celebrated feast for all Christians, and not only Catholics, but for our Orthodox brothers - the feast of Christ's birth.
We cannot and do not wish to come to terms with the fact that we Catholics in this town, where we have existed for at least as long as our Orthodox brothers and where our mutual relations have always been at an enviable level, are now condemned to destructive forces, aimed at all that we hold most holy and most dear - not only our parish church and property, but also our friendship towards our brothers, the Serbian people.
Sir, I ask you as a man who surely wishes to be a humanist - is it truly possible that all that is happening to us is with your knowledge and approval? Is it truly possible that you as the Mayor of Prijedor do not have the authority or competence to prevent these latest acts of injustice which are being imposed upon us and which at the same time do not serve in anyone's honour? May I, along with all the Catholics in the Prijedor parish, nevertheless, hope that your words, noted at the beginning of my letter, will not remain empty?
I expect your reply as do a large number of my faithful from Prijedor, who are at the same time your fellow citizens.

     FRANJO KOMARICA, Bishop of Banja Luka

c.c.
- President of the Parliament of the RS, Mr M. Krajišnik - Pale
- Papal Nunciature - Belgrade
- Secretariat of the BC

Letter to the President of the Town Council, Ključ, Mr Jovo Banjac
(Prot no: 4ZO/93 dated 11 February 1993)
PARISH CHURCH IN KLJUČ MINED ON ORDERS FROM THE AUTHORITIES

Dear President Banjac!
Despite my many attempts to contact you both in writing and verbally, I have unfortunately not succeeded in doing so. Nevertheless, I will not lose hope that you, as the most responsible person in the Ključ municipality, will recognise me and hear the constant appeals forwarded from repre­sentatives of the Catholic Church.
You are well aware that the Catholics in the region of your municipality have not in one case disturbed their fellow citizens, let alone threatened them. Nevertheless, dozens of our people have been killed or detained in concentration camps or furthermore been compelled to abandon their homes as you are surely aware. Our repeated written requests to explain why no one in authority is doing anything about this situation, have mostly been met with deafness, which in itself is an answer! One has the impression that what we are faced with is a deliberate planned attempt of extreme inhumane intentions, which can be referred to as nothing less than fascist ethnic cleansing. It was silently approved and re-affirmed by the non-provoked event of the night between 1 & 2 January 1993, when the "Holy Mother of God" church was burnt down. Anything that could burn did. Just prior to that, obviously incited children (certainly not Catholics!) smashed several windows of the church which the parish priest duly replaced each time in his attempt to preserve the only shrine we have in this town.
On 10 February this year, in the afternoon hours, several uniformed persons, soldiers and policemen, placed dynamite under the church bringing down the steeple and walls. Any attempts by the parish priest and indeed my deputy, Father F. Krešić to save the church were worthless. No one could explain this act to him and in fact he was the target of abuse. All his attempts to phone and report the incident to the civil and military authorities in Ključ and to request protection for these institutions were left without any positive results. Upon our intervention with the appropriate civil and military authorities here in Banja Luka, amongst whom were none other than Mr Tomić, the President of the Executive Committee of the Ključ Town Council and Mr Marjanović, an army representative, we were given an answer of surprise that any such thing could happen.
As the Bishop of Banja Luka, which covers 23 municipalities in the Bosanska Krajina, I quite often had to contact the local authorities in the aim of calming the dramatic situation caused by the war conflicts throughout the region of our homeland. I was frequently told by my collocutors, both civil and military, how peaceful the Catholics were in this region and that they in fact contributed to the situation not being far worse than it was. This is even more incomprehensible and painful for us Catholics and even more so inhuman and humiliating on behalf of your authorities, and not only in your municipality but elsewhere, especially considering what has actually been happening to the Catholics. I cannot believe that the Ključ municipality is headed by those people who even with their silence could support such uncivilised and inhumane atrocities against their often proven peaceful fellow citizens.
Sir, may I expect that you will publicly distance yourself from these loathsome crimes which have been committed against particular members and the property of the Catholic Church in your municipality and that you will find a method to calm the few frightened faithful left - that is the Catholics and their parish priests, who are true witnesses of ecumenical relations and friendship with the Orthodox Serbs and other fellow citizens?
With respects!

Dr FRANJO KOMARICA, Bishop of Banja Luka

c.c.
1. Commander of the 1st Krajina Corps, General-Colonel M. Talić - Banja Luka
2. Chief-of-police - Banja Luka
3. President of the RS, Dr R. Karadžić - Pale
4. Papal Nunciature - Belgrade
5. Secretariat of the CBC - Zagreb
6. Secretariat of the BC B-H - Sarajevo

Letter to the President of the Town Council, Banja Luka, Mr Predrag Radić
(Prot. no: 320/93 dated 19 February 1993)
MORE FREQUENT ATTACKS ON RELIGIOUS BUILDINGS AND AN EVEN MORE DRAMATIC SITUATION FOR THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN THE REGION OF THE BANJA LUKA MUNICIPALITY

President!
In the past month and a half we have witnessed an obvious decline in the security of our municipality. This can unfortunately be confirmed on the basis of the increased frequency of armed attacks against Catholic religious complexes in our town, especially the armed attacks that are literally taking place every night, including the physical abuse of our faithful.

1. Through our many conversations, you are certainly familiar with all the measures 1 have taken, together with my priests and nuns, to ensure that the members of the Catholic Church in our town and municipality (and there are still nearly 30,000 of them) be and remain truly a reliable factor to our peaceful coexistence. This is so valuable, especially during the winds of this war which are raging through Bosnia-Herzegovina. I thank God that our wishes and determined efforts have born prosperous fruit and that the Catholics in our municipality have not threatened anyone's life or property. On several occasions, I appealed to you and urged you and other representatives of the police and military in our municipality, to provide us with the minimum necessary for the security of the lives and existence of all our citizens. You all told me that it was a legitimate and realistic request to expect this of you and my faithful. You assured me, time and time again, that you would bring law and order and take control of the lawlessness and violence. I do not doubt your personal sincere intention to put your words into practise. However, the dramatic decline in the security and the increasing uncertainty regarding the future of Catholics in this town compels us to conclude that people in positions of responsibility in our town are either not decisive enough or indeed helpless in their humane wishes and desires.

2. Your are more than aware of the manifold (nine!) armed attacks on the new parish pastoral centre and direct threat to the lives of the parish priest, pastoral staff as well as the faithful in the Budžak-Derviši parish. The attackers ate obviously encouraged by the inertia of the appropriate official bodies of law and order and have compelled us - to the great regret of many of our parishioners - to close the pastoral centre until further notice. Mass cannot therefore be served there, nor religious instruction for the children and youth given. We justifiably ask - how long will you and those in power tolerate this shameful slur in our municipality which cannot be justified by any means and which has disabled us from attending to our religious needs in one of our parishes?!
You have been informed of the armed orgy by a large gang of persons who fired several thousand bullets at our cathedral of "St Bonaventura" on the feast of Orthodox Christmas and the Orthodox New Year when invaluable material damage was caused especially to the unique stained glass windows and the new steeple - truly priceless jewels in our town.
You were also informed of the armed attack against the Franciscan monastery in Petrićevac which was repeated on two occasions, yet nothing concrete was done against the culprits. Only a miracle of God saved one of the sisters and some monastic brothers from being killed as they were deliberately targeted. Last night once again, unfortunately, a bomb attack was repeated on the monastery and the results are obviously extensive material damage.
You were surely advised of the armed attack from automatic weaponry at the parish church in Martićeva Street and the smashing of quite a number of the windows on the convent of the order of "St Vincent de Paul" in the same street - which was committed by incited youths and girls whose primitivism and rudeness I myself experienced during an official visit to the sisters in the convent. The latest 'Sunday attack' against the order of "The Servants of the Immaculate Mary" at 17, Goce Delčeva Street in Budžak during the nights between 15 and 16, 18 and 19 of this month, when great damage was caused, and the triple attempt of barbaric attacks at the "Novi Nazaret" convent of the "Adorers of the Precious Blood of Christ" at 8, V. Vitjuka Street (also in Budžak) during the nights of 16, 17, 18 and 19 of this month. These further confirm the unfortunate series of destructive attacks against Catholic religious buildings and against innocent unprotected people who live in and use these buildings.
We all know very well, both you and I, how these vandalistic attacks and those who order them are deliberately targeting the Church and its people. The outcome is a direct hit to the most sensitive spot in the heart of a religious community, in this case the Catholic Church.
While I decisively raise my voice against the desecration, destruction, oppression of religious property and people of any religious community, no matter where and no matter who the perpetrator, I cannot but with sorrow and regret forward my most energetic PROTEST AGAINST THE TOLERA­TION OF THE AFOREMENTIONED MOST INHUMANE AND UNCIVILISED CRIMES AGAINST CATHOLICS -YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS!
Knowing you as a humanist and a man with high cultural spirits, I once again appeal to you to publicly distance yourself from these crimes and to condemn them in an effort to prevent any fatal actions by, as you yourself said, delinquents known to you in our municipality. I beg you do not allow them to drag you into any dishonourable games which would unfortunately substantiate this madness, in this our joint home which has been plagued by this war conflict!

3. Even more dramatic is the situation in which the Catholics of our town and municipality have found themselves in. This is especially true of some particular sections of our town: Paprikovac, Rudarska Street, J. Savinovića Street, Budžak III, Česma, Šargovac, Budžak I, Derviši which is not to say that the other sections of the town have been spared the self-will of armed gangs who break into houses every night and physically abuse our Catholic population. Several hundred of our families -as far as I am aware of - have in the past month and a half been physically attacked under the threat of arms. Some even on several occasions. It should not be difficult for you to understand the horrific panic of these entirely unprotected and helpless people, who are innocent of any crime and who often enough when they call the police for protection have been told "So what are you waiting for? Why don't you move? What are you still looking for here?"
Losing any confidence in the most needed urgent protection for their bare lives by the political factors of this town, these poor people with no rights left, turn to their parish priests and their bishop, asking and begging for us to save them. When we forward them to the appropriate authorities and security forces, who, by the way, keep assuring us that all people have the right to protection, our people do not wish to go. They are disappointed and ascertain that everything they are exposed to has been done not only with the knowledge of the local authorities but, moreover, with their approval.
I have done what I can until now to try and calm these people who are justifiably afraid and disturbed. At the same time I have asked all the competent authorities in the territory of our municipality to prevent the worst from happening, which you yourself said, the ethnic cleansing of our town and municipality.
Due to your ineffectiveness to protect the residents of our municipality - including the Catholics -1 as their Bishop have become "the guilty party" in the eyes of my faithful for their manifold woes and for the complete uncertainty of their fate!
I ask you as the most responsible person in our town and municipality, am I truly expected, as far as you are concerned, to stand at the head of a long column of the Catholic-faithful who wish to head off in a direction of no return out of this, our only place of birth, where our roots have been embedded for as long as the roots of our fellow citizens, if not even longer?! - If this is out of the question, then tell us can you and will you help us to more effectively protect our lives and that of our fellow citizens in this town? • If indeed this too is out of the question then we ask you as a human being to tell us what to do to save our own lives and yet not threaten the lives and dignity of neither yourselves nor any of our fellow citizens?

4. You are surely aware of the readiness of the Banja Luka Bishop, via our diocesan Caritas, to help everyone including you and others in responsible positions in our municipality (and in other municipalities of our region) in an effort to soften the acute social poverty being experienced. In the past few months, Caritas has been able, with your help as well, to do more good for several dozens of thousands of residents in our town and municipality (obviously not only Catholics!).
For three weeks now, Caritas has not been allowed to deliver the more than necessary food to ease the hunger which is literally knocking at the doors of many families. This is especially the case where the breadwinners have been dismissed from their jobs. While other international organisations have been delivering aid from Zagreb without interruption, via Bosanska Gradiška, Caritas, also an international humanitarian organisation, has been prevented, for reasons unknown to us, from using the same route to deliver aid. This is at the same time a threat to the bare existence of so many tens of thousands of our faithful outside the Banja Luka municipality for whom Caritas has also cared.
I appeal to you as the most competent person so that you can allow the urgent normalisation of operations for our diocesan Caritas so it can continue to deliver urgent aid to our municipality and entire region.

5. These difficult and fateful times urgently require people with great minds and hearts who will use their constructive, unselfish efforts to save the lives of their compatriots and as such lay sound foundations for a new, more humane and happier future. Mr Radić, I consider you one of these men and that is why, as the Bishop of Banja Luka, your fellow citizen, I sincerely and with good intentions turn to you. I have done this until now, most often verbally during our frequent meetings, undertaking myself for the good of all people and every man, resident of this my home town.
I am convinced that this written speech will not remain without your positive response which is not only expected by myself, but my many thousand faithful at whose head - by God's will – I stand.
As such I thank you in advance on my own behalf, as well as on behalf of the Catholic Church in our municipality where you stand at its head!
With respects and greetings 

Dr FRANJO KOMARICA, Bishop of Banja Luka

c.c.
1. President of the RS - Sarajevo
2. Commander 1st Krajina Corps - General-colonel M. Talić - Banja Luka
3. Papal Nunciature - Belgrade
4. Secretariat of the BC B-H - Sarajevo
5. Secretariat of the CBC - Zagreb

Letter to the President of the Town Council, Prijedor, Mr Duško Kurnogi
(Prot. no: 684/93 dated 6 March 1993)
MINING AND DESTRUCTION OF THE SACKED HEART CHURCH IN ŠURKOVAC (NEAR LJUBIJA) AND THE DRAMA FACED BY THE CATHOLICS IN THEPRIJEDOR MUNICIPAL­ITY CONTINUES

President!
On Wednesday the 3rd of this month at about 04:00 hours a powerful explosion toppled both steeples and a greater part of the church and surrounding buildings of the "Sacred Heart Church" in Šurkovac. The remainder of the church is in such a state that it will have to be demolished, because it is no longer fit for use nor can it be repaired. The explosion also damaged the pastoral centre and the presbytery which are also temporarily not usable.
After several earlier attempts and shooting incidents at the church and other sacral buildings with automatic weapons, and also previous damages caused by hand grenades, not to mention the robberies and desecration of the church statues, all of which were regularly and orderly reported to the police in Ljubija, now we witness this latest, entirely unprovoked attack - or rather atrocity! According lo estimations by experts, several hundred (!) kilograms of explosives must have been used. (This was obviously not carried here by hand or on foot.)
Even though the parish priest and parishioners on several occasions begged the appropriate authorities in Ljubija and Prijedor to protect them from armed gangs in order to prevent the further desecration of the church and the constant oppression of the innocent population of Šurkovac and surrounding villages, by setting up a police check point in the area, nothing was done. We all ask, what else needs to happen before law and order is implemented and before these people receive some protection for then lives and property?!
You are surely aware that in the Prijedor municipality alone, several Catholic church complexes have been destroyed, burnt or damaged including the ones in: Prijedor, Donja Ravska, Briševo, Ovanjska, Ljubija and Kozarac and that a parish priest, Father Ivan Grgić - whom the authorities themselves especially praised (!) - was horribly killed.
Several villages have been burnt, looted and masses of the population have fled or were compelled to leave their homes.
Without any reason whatsoever, on behalf of our faithful - as I was assured by the competent government authorities and military in the region - huge material damages have been caused not to speak of the spiritual catastrophe. Confidence and friendship amongst many a neighbour - even relatives - have been set asunder!
It is more than evident that there has been too much evil and misfortune, and that all the people in this region are yearning for peace and a peaceful coexistence to live according to the law and in freedom.
As I have previously requested your predecessors - the people in authority in the Prijedor munici­pality and Ljubija region – I now request you, as the current most authorised person, to do something so that peace, law and order, as well as a sure existence be returned to this municipality! Be assured that you will be assisted by members of the Catholic Church in all your noble actions for the good of all our fellow citizens!
With respects!

 Dr FRANJO KOMARICA, Bishop of Banja Luka

c.c.
1. Chief-of-police - Banja Luka
2. President of the RS - Sarajevo - Pale
3. Commander 1st Krajina Corps - Banja Luka
4. Papal Nunciature - Belgrade
5. Secretarial of the EC B-H - Sarajevo
6. Secretariat of the CBC - Zagreb

Letter to representatives of the civilian and military authorities of the Banja Luka municipality and of the RS
(Prot. no: 22/93 12 March 1993)
THREATS AGAINST THE LIFE OF THE BISHOP ON THE INCREASE

 Respected Sirs!
It is my duty to inform you of the insults and death threats I have received on several occasions and which have recently become more frequent and insolent.
I do not believe they are harmless!
I do not consider my life any more valuable than any of my faithful and other innocent people in this town and region who are also the target of such threats and actions. I wish to share this joint fate of ours with all of them which is unfortunately characterised with the power of lawlessness, extortion, blackmail, murder and many other forms of evil - despite our continuing noble and praiseworthy efforts as you yourself have said.
May God help us all and may he convert those whose souls have been poisoned with sin and save them from eternal destruction! 

Dr FRANJO KOMARICA, Bishop of Banja Luka

c.c.
President, Town Council, Mr P. Radić
Chief-of-police, V. Tutuš
Chief-of-security, S. Župljanin
Commander 1st Krajina Corps, Gen. M. Talić
President of the RS, Dr R. Karadžić
President, RS Parliament, Mr M. Krajišnik
Prime Minister of the RS, Dr V. Lukić

Letter to the President of the Town Council, Banja Luka, Mr P. Radić
(Prot. no: 1071/93 dated 7 May 1993)
LATEST ARMED ATTACK AGAINST THE AFFILIATE CHU­RCH IN THE BANJA LUKA SUBURB OF THE NOVAKOVIĆI -PETRIĆEVAC PARISH

Dear Sir!
In its letter no. 2631/93 and dated 7 May this year, the Roman Catholic parish office in Petrićevac advised this Bishop's Ordinary of the latest attack and desecration of religious building sin the said parish or rather our Banja Luka Diocese.
Apart from earlier incidents of desecration in the "Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Church" in Novakovići, which I have reported previously in our discussion of 19 February this year, now on 5 May this year between 22:00 and 23:00 hours an armed attack was conducted resulting in one of the walls of the said church being demolished. On 7 May this year at about 00:43 hours the church was once again the target of a bomb attack.
On both occasions the police station in Budžak was informed. We have yet not received advice that the police have been to investigate the scene of the crime. Seeing that next Sunday (the 5th Sunday after Easter), i.e. 9 May this year, we were to have held the regular annual procession and liturgical celebrations, it is understandable that incidents such as these have caused great regret and disappointment, not to mention creating unrest and bitterness amongst all the Catholic faithful (and others!) from that particular region. While I advise you of this unsavoury incident, at the same time I ask you that, in keeping with your obligations and capabilities, you stop those guilty of these crimes (who are well known to the local population!) and prevent them from repeating these inhumane actions. Such decisiveness will surely be useful towards the more than needed peace, which is necessary for our joint lives in this region and for which we, as members of the Catholic Church in these regions, have been striving for, as you are aware of!
With respects! 

Dr FRANJO KOMARICA, Bishop of Banja Luka

c.c.
1. Deputy Prime Minister of the RS, Dr V. Popović - Banja Luka
2. Papal Nunciature - Belgrade
3. Secretariat of the BC B-H - Sarajevo
4. Secretariat of the CBC - Zagreb