LINTA: ATTACKS ON SERBS IN FBiH - RADICAL FORM OF CEMENTING ETHNIC CLEANSING

BELGRADE, JULY 26 /SRNA/ – The Chair of the Alliance of Serbs from the Region, Miodrag Linta, told SRNA that the frequent attacks on Serbs in the Federation of BiH /FBiH/, including attacks on their property, cemeteries, and churches, are not isolated incidents, but part of a broader campaign aimed at intimidating the few remaining Serb returnees as well as the displaced, in order to make them give up their property and rights.

"These acts send a clear message to expelled Serbs not to return to their hometowns, not to fight for their property, but to give up their rights. It is clearly a radical form of cementing ethnic cleansing of Serbs in that area," Linta stated. He says the goal of these attacks is to instill fear, uncertainty, and anxiety among the small number of Serbs who still live in the FBiH, sending them a clear message that they are not welcome and that it would be best for them to leave. Linta emphasizes that, unfortunately, the relevant authorities at the cantonal and federal levels fail in most cases to identify the perpetrators or those who ordered the attacks, let alone prosecute them, thus sending a tacit message that attackers can break the law with impunity and continue their anti-Serb campaign. "What is especially concerning is that representatives of the international community remain silent in most cases about these acts of vandalism. These are no longer isolated incidents, they represent a recurring pattern, which is troubling, alarming, and demands concrete action from the motherland," Linta said. He stressed that Serbia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs should seriously analyze this issue, issue an official diplomatic note to Sarajevo, and insist on accountability. Linta pointed out that it is particularly telling that Serb children are often the targets of these attacks. He asked whether anyone had addressed the recent stoning of a bus carrying Serb children in Srebrenik. "They were throwing stones at Serb children from Krepšić outside Brčko because they know they previously got away with harassing Serb kids from Drvar in Bihać and the children of Serb returnees in Baćevići outside Mostar. The judiciary’s inaction only encourages extremists," Linta concluded. Attacks on Serb returnees, their property, and religious sites in FBiH continue unabated. The recent attack on a chapel at the Serbian Orthodox cemetery Karaula near Kakanj, along with dozens of others over the past year and a half, remain without adequate response or identification of the perpetrators.