Letter to the President of the Town Council, Banja Luka, Mr P. Radic (Prot. no: 415/95 dated 3 June 1995)

WE ARE CONFUSED BY THE FACT THAT GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS ARE ALLOWING THESE CRIMES AGAINST BLAMELESS CITIZENS

Dear Sir,
The seven day ‘Odyssey’ for fifteen families, your peaceful citizens, Croat Catholics, indigenous to the village of Sargovac, totally stripped of their rights and forced, under the threat of death, to leave their homes without taking anything with them - entered a new insecure phase late yesterday afternoon! Entirely unprotected, like lambs being taken to the slaughter. Despite having their own homes in their immediate vicinity, in their own municipality, where they were born and to which they have contributed for years, they are now being compelled to wander from here to eternity!

Apart from these fifteen families with quite a large number of children, more than 300 families have been evicted from their homes in the past few days. This action was carried out by orders of the Municipal Crisis Centre which is, according to the perpetrators of this latest wave of ethnic cleansing of Catholic Croats, headed by the president of the local government.

The process of this atrocious ethnic cleansing as you well know and can see is continuing to be carried out according to plan. Even though official government sources are referring to this horrific act as “humane re-settlement” or an “exchange of property”(!) - you must be aware that this is a totally inhumane and transparent action, in this case and wherever else it may be occurring! It will not bring fortune to the assailants, nor blessing!

You are also no doubt aware that in the local municipal area, a radical heightening of activities has been undertaken in the “already existing plan” to destroy our holiest places - our churches, monasteries and convents. Our priests and nuns whose only duty it is to promote peace are being killed.

You are also aware that the only Catholic bishop in the area of the RS, also indigenous to this town, of which you are currently the leading political figure, has been "prohibited, unless given specific approval by the appropriate authorities” (which has never been issued!), from leaving his home, even to visit his elderly mother whose telephone was disconnected three months ago by the municipal authorities. In this way she cannot even call her neighbours for help in case of an emergency, what is more the police torment her and have been attempting to force her out of her home. This is being done by those same people who are evicting others “by order of the authorities” i.e. official bodies of our municipality.

The latest bombing of the parish-pastoral centre in the innermost centre of town (in the immediate vicinity of the police station), where huge material damages were caused, is evidence of the continued pressure on the remaining Catholics to leave our town and homeland.

Even though these incomprehensible and unjustified acts of violence have increased in the past month, the silence by the most competent political figures is an added factor of confusion for us. We consider this to be their way of “understanding” and “approving” of the atrocities being committed, particularly in the local media (Serbian Radio & TV, Studio Banja Luka, as well as the daily newspaper “Glas Srpski” which is issued in our municipality!)

Even though you have not answered my correspondence, which also goes against official norms of behaviour in a civilised world, I once again request from you that, based on the authority you currently enjoy, you take a more decisive and efficient stance in protecting basic principles of humanity and the civilisation we belong to! This of course refers to human and civil rights and liberties for each citizen without exception, rights which were taken away from us, as you well know, over three years ago!

Seeing that I know you personally as someone who is familiar with these basic principles and who is prepared to defend them when they are brought into question, I still hope that my repeated appeal to you will not be in vain!

You have the knowledge, and the will, and the authority in your hands!

Stop the persecution of innocent citizens - Catholic Croats!

Allow my faithful to return to their homes and their confiscated properties!

Enable us at least to gather on the ruins of our religious sanctuaries!

Enable us, as mayor, for whom we voted, not to be slaves in our own home town, nor strangers, nor sent to our graves before our time!

With respects!

Dr. Franjo Komarica,
Bishop of Banja Luka

c.c.
President of the National Assembly of the RS, Mr M. Krajisnik
President of the Presidency of the Croatian Republic of Herceg-Bosna, Mr K.
Zubak
Holy Bishops’ Synod of the SOC (Serbian Orthodox Church)
Papal Nunciature
Secretariat of the BC B-H

Next: WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CARE OF THE LOCAL CATHOLICS WHO HAVE BEEN VIOLENTLY AND LAWLESSLY EVICTED FROM THEIR HOMES IN THE BANJA LUKA MUNICIPALITY?