On Some Tragic Misconceptions Regarding the Hague Verdict on the 'Six'

Much could be written about the verdict on the 'Six' who sought to create the so-called Herceg-Bosnia, from various aspects, as is already being written and discussed from diverse political, ideological, and other standpoints (including theological ones), with uneven tones, among which high tones prevail. Because of this abundance, it seems to me that it is worth highlighting only a few points that the media flood of comments has prompted me to address, in which I have noticed serious missteps or distortions of the essence of the matter.

But first, to avoid misunderstandings, it must be said that Croatian policy in the 1990s was inconsistent towards BiH. The court determined – clearly correctly, with arguments – that the Army of the Republic of Croatia acted (aggressively) in BiH. We who were here know this too. However, Croatia received a large number of refugees from BiH, people left BiH FOR CROATIA (Split, etc.) to go out into the world, Bosanska Krajina was, as far as I know, successfully liberated thanks in part to the support of the HV, etc. However, the fact(s) that horrific crimes were committed against Bosniaks in BiH by the HVO and HV, that entire cities and settlements were destroyed, that concentration camps were established for the abuse of Bosniaks, etc., cannot be ignored. These crimes were committed institutionally, as part of a strategy and policy. The public and today's politics must confront this. And it is precisely here that the first point I wish to make arises.

1. The media are full of comments, even insistence, that the verdict delivered on Wednesday was against individuals, persons. This is emphasized to say that THE PEOPLE ARE NOT GUILTY. It is true that a people can never be guilty anywhere, nor can a people be judged, but one must not fall into another trap to avoid this first one. Namely, Prlić and the others (the 'Six') were not on trial and were not sentenced as individuals, but as the real, effective INSTITUTIONS, or rather the leaders of institutions in whose name they committed crimes. This is a crucial difference! This still does not mean that the people (in this case, the Croatian people) are guilty, but the INSTITUTIONS (army, police, leadership of Herceg-Bosnia, etc.) were judged. This is the true state of affairs.

2. The media and current politicians constantly pose a false dilemma, as a rhetorical question: how much do verdicts like this contribute to reconciliation among peoples, suggesting with this question that they do not contribute to it at all, but rather the opposite. How should a court (any court) act to contribute to reconciliation among peoples?! Should it find an equal number of accused from each people?! The court's task is to ESTABLISH THE TRUTH, LEGAL FACTS, and it is precisely these established facts that should be, and are, the sole basis for reconciliation, provided that we have, at least today, after all the terrible experiences, normal politicians who are working on the ideological 'decontamination' of collective consciousness, history, and the present. The court must not and cannot falsify the factual situation to supposedly motivate some to take action for reconciliation. They, in fact, do not care about reconciliation because they profit from conflict.

3. I always write with great regret that in these recent years, the current political leadership of the HDZ in Croatia has continuously carried out a kind of political aggression against BiH. We remember the incursions of Croatian officials into Stolac, Plenković's visits where he tours 'Croatian lands' in BiH, bypassing Sarajevo, and so on. There is quite a bit of that. This is a completely wrong, and not at all friendly, behavior by the HDZ leaders from Croatia, whom I do not identify at all with that leadership, let alone with the people as a whole. Such diplomatic-aggressive incursions demonstrate a continuity of dishonorable intentions and goals from the nineties. Why don't they stop it?!

4. That is precisely the point! All these peoples in BiH can move forward (the whole of BiH) only under one condition: that the political 'elites' accept the historical and this Hague legal reality, and – and this is the most important thing of all! – act within their own people, institutionally and persistently, long-term, so that their peoples understand and accept that terrible mistakes were made, and that after such an understanding, they can move forward, because only together, without confrontation, can we achieve common progress. Instead, political 'elites' turn people who committed crimes as representatives of (their) institutions into victims and heroes (remember the posters MLADIĆ, YOU ARE OUR HERO!). Thus, this policy continues to pollute – forgive me: poison the consciousness – of a large part of the people, and it is precisely they who, by such behavior, thwart reconciliation and common progress, a step towards common salvation. At the same time, a significant part of the people celebrates these sick politicians who celebrate criminals as heroes. These are total paradoxes of sick societies. Let's look at how Germans became a healthy nation: for generations, they persistently, at every step and on every occasion, systematically accepted guilt for the Holocaust and World War II in general. In doing so, they freed, relieved many of their generations. That is a great nation! Our people here are doing the opposite: they celebrate their criminals, bless them politically and religiously – as saints, victims, as heroes... This is the fateful step that thwarts reconciliation, not the Hague verdicts.

And worst of all: this does not absolve current and future generations of their ancestors' responsibility, but rather, precisely by doing so, warns them that not everything is over yet, that we are still psychologically at war, and that the people/peoples should be prepared for some new wars here.

I call this the demonry of politics.