Mašić: Bosniaks in RS are second-class citizens

The problems of Bosniak children in the smaller BiH entity continue, and the authorities in RS have gone a step further, calling the Bosnian language the language of the Bosniak people. Damir Mašić, Minister of Education and Science of the FBiH, says in an interview with the BiH news agency Patria that good will is primarily needed to solve this problem.

Patria: What is the current situation, according to your knowledge, with Bosniak children in Konjević Polje and Vrbanjci? What is actually the main problem in the smaller BiH entity for children of Bosniak nationality?

Mašić: Although the parents of returnee children in the RS entity and the RS Ministry of Education and Culture are the right addresses for answering this question, I must point out a few facts. The problems of the returnee population, not only in Konjević Polje but also in the eastern Bosnia region, date back to the time of return to these areas.

Specifically, the RS relevant ministry should have resolved all these problems in exercising the right to education for returnee Bosniak children in the RS, without waiting for the school year to be called into question, as it had committed to resolving them in previous years. These are the children of Bosniak returnees in Konjević Polje and Vrbanjci near Kotor Varoš, whose education in the Bosnian language, as well as other subjects from the national group of subjects within regular classes, has not been allowed by the RS Ministry of Education and Culture this school year either.

In practice, the RS Ministry of Education and Culture does not allow children what the BiH Constitution and all valid laws guarantee them, which is to call their language whatever they want.

However, the ignorant attitude of the RS authorities and the official policy in the smaller BiH entity are proof that they clearly do not want to solve this problem, thus continuing to violate basic human rights and children's rights to education.

I consider it particularly unfair that Minister Mutabdžija completely ignored the court decision from Srebrenica, which ordered him to introduce a national group of subjects for students in these returnee settlements.

Furthermore, the competent educational authorities in the smaller BiH entity could find good examples for resolving issues concerning the education of the returnee population throughout the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as classes for children of Serb nationality are organized in a large number of schools in the Federation of BiH, i.e., in all schools where parents have requested such solutions.

The non-compliance with court decisions on temporary measures for introducing the right to study a national group of subjects within regular classes for students in Konjević Polje, and the public statement that "they will not grant that right to anyone until the same right is provided for children of Serb nationality in the Federation of BiH," only confirms the fact that the RS Ministry of Education and Culture does not intend to ensure equal rights and equal access to education for students of other constituent peoples, but is merely trying to shift obvious and serious problems within the jurisdiction of that entity to another.

Regardless of all this, children from Konjević Polje and Vrbanjci will learn their Bosnian language, whether anyone likes it or not.

Patria: What does renaming the language from Bosnian to the language of the Bosniak people mean, will you take any action and what specifically?

Mašić: The RS Ministry of Education and Culture, despite the guarantees of international conventions and agreements, as well as constitutional and legal rights, and court rulings in favor of children and parents, is doing nothing to eliminate discrimination. In fact, the indolent approach has been replaced by an oppressive attitude and intentions to place the right to use the Bosnian language, guaranteed by the BiH Constitution, behind the interpretation of the RS Constitution, which states that languages of the Bosniak, Croat, and Serb peoples are used on the territory of the RS. By this analogy, and completely unfounded, the language spoken by Bosniaks in RS is called the language of the Bosniak people, and the language spoken by Croats is called the language of the Croat people. It is symptomatic and worrying that only the language spoken by Serbs is named Serbian (which is taught as such in school), and not the language of the Serb people. Therefore, in the interpretation and implementation of constitutional provisions, there is a deviation from a uniform approach, and depending on whom it concerns, different criteria are used for the name of the language. It should be stated very clearly that the discriminatory attitude towards returnees, as well as towards members of constituent peoples who are in the minority in that part of BiH, is reflected, among other things, in the deprivation of the right to call their language as they wish and feel.

Patria: What message are the RS authorities sending to returnees with this act?

Mašić: The authorities of Republika Srpska are not sending good messages to any citizen in that entity, especially returnees, with such decisions. The RS Ministry of Education and Culture must be aware of the fact that it is not and must not be the ministry of only one people, and that such messages do not represent encouragement to returnees or other citizens and students, but on the contrary, they indicate public disrespect for the rights and freedoms guaranteed by constitutional and legal solutions. With such an approach, returnees to the smaller BiH entity are sent an open message that they will not have the rights guaranteed to them by the BiH Constitution and international conventions, and that therefore the authorities in that part of BiH can treat them as second-class citizens.

Patira: Is the solution to create special programs (used in FBiH) for children in RS? Is there any other way for Bosniak children to exercise their rights in the smaller BiH entity?

Mašić: There should be no politics in the exercise of human rights and education, but it is clearly the main problem and the ultimate cause of everything. To solve all problems, including this one, all that is needed is good will, understanding, and equal respect for everyone's rights, as well as respect for the other and the different. 

However, what is worrying is precisely the fact that for more than a year, the international community, primarily the OHR, has been turning a blind eye to this problem and remaining silent. It must react and must not turn a blind eye, especially when basic human rights and children's rights are called into question, because by doing so, it only supports the oppressive policy of the competent educational authorities in RS.

We will continue to insist that this issue be resolved at the BiH level, but until that happens, the relevant ministry in RS must fulfill its obligation.

I would like to remind you that the Federal Ministry of Education and Science, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Science and Youth of Sarajevo Canton and the Islamic Community in BiH, provided and financed instructional classes for Bosniak returnee children of primary school age in Konjević Polje, Nova Kasaba, and nearby places during the past school year, and will continue to finance them as long as there is a need, in that and any other environment where basic human rights are denied and obstructed. A similar model is being implemented in Vrbanjci these days. In this case, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of Zenica-Doboj Canton, and the Islamic Community, which will also provide its premises for instructional classes in this case.

I don't know about others, but we will never abandon any child whose rights are threatened, including the children of returnees in Konjević Polje and Vrbanjci.