Persecution of Croats in Serbia during the Croatian War of Independence
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Following the beginning of the Yugoslav wars, members of Serbian Radical Party and Serbian Chetnik Movement have been suspected to have conducted a campaign of intimidation of Croats of Serbia in Vojvodina, Serbia, through hate speech and threats by various parties including the ICTY.[1][2] These acts forced a part of the local Croat population to leave the area in 1992. Most of them were resettled in Croatia. [1][2][3][4] The affected locations included Hrtkovci, Nikinci, Novi Slankamen, Ruma, Šid, and other places bordering Croatia.[1] According to some estimates, around 10,000 Croats left Vojvodina in 1992.[5]
Description
In 1991, Hrtkovci was an ethnically mixed village with Croatian plurality (40.24%), located roughly 40 miles west of Belgrade. Vojislav Šešelj, the leader of the Serbian Radical Party, made numerous public threats to Croats in 1992.[6][7] Radicals replaced all Latin signs with Cyrillic ones and even renamed Hrtkovci to "Srbislavci" - 'place of Serbs' - though only for a short amount of time.[2] Šešelj personally visited Hrtkovci in May 1992 and gave an inflammatory speech by publicly reading out a list of 17 Croat "traitors" who must leave the village.[2][8] Incoming Serb refugees labeled Croats as "fascists".[3]
Following the threats, one part of local Croats rushed to Croatia to see the houses which were offered to them in the planned population transfer.[3] One Croat was even murdered by the radicals.[9] Šešelj's party even crafted a slogan for their campaign: "All Croats out of Hrtkovci".[10] In 1991, Hrtkovci had 2,684 residents, 40.24% were Croats, 20.49% Serbs, 19.19% Hungarians, and 16.58% Yugoslavs.[3] By the end of 1992, 75% of its residents were Serbs.[3]
The number of Croats who left from the village of Hrtkovci was 722.[11] Their empty homes were settled by Serb refugees from Croatia and Bosnia. Likewise, some Serbs tried to protect their Croatian neighbors.[12] After the events, Yugoslav authorities arrested five radicals who were responsible for harassment of Croats. [2]
See also
References
- 1 2 3 "The Prosecutor against Vojislav Seselj - Third Amended Indictment" (PDF). ICTY. December 2007. Retrieved January 19, 2011.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Marcus Tanner (August 1992). "'Cleansing' row prompts crisis in Vojvodina". The Independent. Retrieved January 19, 2011.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Chuck Sudetic (July 26, 1992). "Serbs Force An Exodus From Plain". New York Times. Retrieved January 19, 2011.
- ↑ "Podsećanje na slučaj Hrtkovci". B92. May 4, 2005. Retrieved January 19, 2011.
- ↑ Naegele, Jolyon (February 21, 2003). "Serbia: Witnesses Recall Ethnic Cleansing As Seselj Prepares For Hague Surrender". Radio Free Europe. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
- ↑ "Slučaj Šešelj - Vojislav Šešelj - Izjave" (in Serbian). Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia. Retrieved 2011-09-02.
- ↑ "Warning that couldn't be ignored". Sense Agency. 2010-02-16. Retrieved 2011-09-02.
- ↑ "Drastic Changes in Ethnic Composition of Population". Sense Agency. 21 October 2008. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
- ↑ Roger Cohen (August 31, 1992). "A Farm Village in Serbia Distills War Into Hatred". New York Times. Retrieved January 19, 2011.
- ↑ Final report of the United Nations Commission of Experts, established pursuant to UN Security Council resolution 780 (1992), Annex III.A — M. Cherif Bassiouni; S/1994/674/Add.2 (Vol. IV), 27 May 1994, Special Forces, (p. 1091). Accessdate January 20, 2011
- ↑ "The charges against Vojislav Seselj". BBC News. 2003-02-24. Retrieved 30 August 2010.
- ↑ "Kandić: Šešelja za Hrtkovce optužuju i Srbi". Vesti online. May 6, 2010. Retrieved January 19, 2011.