Salkić: Militarized Police a Threat to Bosniaks, NATO Forces Should Be Deployed on the Border with Serbia

Interviewed by: A. Čorbo-Zećo

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The entity authorities of the RS behave as if we Bosniaks do not exist at all in this entity. Both the elected representatives of Bosniaks and all Bosniak citizens,” said Ramiz Salkić, Vice President of the RS entity, in an interview with Patria.

“If, in addition to that, you have a clear stance regarding the past and the current position of Bosniaks in this entity, you find yourself in an even more difficult situation. I call things from the past and what is happening today by their real name, without substitute, convoluted terms, and thus I run into greater problems.

This attitude of the entity authorities is mirrored in local communities, and wherever possible, Bosniaks are being pushed out of local, executive, and legislative power. Examples include many municipalities in this entity such as Bratunac, Foča, Vlasenica, and many others. We are currently in a very difficult and delicate moment when Serbian extremists, followers of the separatist policy of a part of the Bosnian Serbs, want to intimidate and provoke Bosniaks,” Salkić states.

He emphasizes that Bosniaks are subjected to systemic discrimination without the possibility of employment in the public sector, without the ability to influence the creation and adoption of decisions in this entity.
“Disenfranchisement has lasted too long and it leaves serious consequences for the number of Bosniaks in this entity. Systemic discrimination aims to ensure, in peacetime conditions, the realization of one of the strategic goals of the rebel Bosnian Serbs from 1992 regarding an ethnically pure Serbian Orthodox territory,” adds Salkić.

According to the 1991 census, about 440,000 Muslims – Bosniaks lived in this administrative unit. According to the 2013 census, about 170,000 Bosniaks live there. Today, realistically, between 80,000 and 100,000 live there. 

“So, about 350,000 Bosniaks were expelled, killed, or displaced as a result of systemic discrimination, impossible living conditions, and economic survival after return.
Unfortunately, we do not have the capacity to prevent this, and those who could are not interested in helping us in this field. The constitutional position is such that representatives of the Serbian people can make decisions on their own without respecting our opinion and satisfying our interests. Above all, help from the OHR, OSCE, Peace Implementation Council, and other important embassies in our country has been lacking,” Salkić points out.

Bosniaks are, unfortunately, in this part of Bosnia and Herzegovina left at the mercy of those who would most like them not to have returned at all. Salkić shares the opinion that it can be metaphorically said that the attitude towards him and his function actually reflects the attitude towards Bosniaks and returnees.

“That is so, without a doubt. When Milorad Dodik decided to move the offices of the entity's vice presidents out of the building where the services that serve the president and vice presidents of the entity are located, he clearly sent a message about what he thinks of Bosniaks and Croats and where their place is in society in this entity. I immediately understood the message and the direction in which Milorad Dodik's policy would develop and informed domestic and international relevant factors about it. Unfortunately, I did not find understanding,” explains Salkić.

The unwillingness of the international community to oppose systemic discrimination and apartheid in the educational process that began to develop at the beginning of 2011, Salkić points out, encouraged Dodik. 

“If there had been a timely reaction, we would not be in this state today. Unfortunately, we see that then, and today, Dodik had and has certain support in international circles for his separatist policy, but also for implementing systemic discrimination against Bosniaks. His policy is simply that we should not be here, that this entity should not be part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and that an environment should be created in which we cannot stay and survive here, as well as an environment in which Bosnia and Herzegovina cannot function,” says the Vice President of the RS.

That is the goal, he adds, of our neighboring state Serbia as well, regardless of sporadic statements from Serbia that they respect the sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“Practical activities and cooperation with the entity, without cooperation with the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina, confirm this. Everything they build in this entity they name after Serbia or some toponyms directly related to Serbia. In every respect, they want to turn this part of Bosnia and Herzegovina into something that resembles Serbia as much as possible. This impression should be gained by the inhabitants of this entity, but also by passers-by through this part of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” notes Ramiz Salkić.

Speaking about the security situation of returnees, as well as about the call of the Chairman of the Presidency Željko Komšić that NATO should protect returnee areas, Salkić says:

“We are today physically closest to threatening peace since the signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement. Bosniaks are disturbed by daily organized and deliberate provocations supported by the system. Many are wondering if it is time again to leave their newly rebuilt hearths.

The formation in Banja Luka and the singing of profascist songs by members of the entity's Ministry of Interior, who should guarantee security for us Bosniaks as well, sends a very clear message. They are only there to protect citizens of Serbian nationality. Bosniaks have been exposed for years to various forms of harassment and humiliation, and now our safety and security are also being attacked. The entity police should guarantee security for all citizens, but they pride themselves on being followers of a police force whose parts have been convicted of committing genocide against Bosniaks and other serious crimes in Prijedor, Bijeljina, Vlasenica, and many other places,” Salkić says.

He specifies that such a police force cannot be useful to all citizens in objectively and impartially establishing and maintaining public order and peace. 

“Bosniaks have no confidence in such a police force. I objectively doubt its impartiality and inclination towards achieving the separatist goals of a part of the Bosnian Serbs, led by Milorad Dodik.
There are very frequent complaints from citizens about, in their opinion, tendentious behavior of police officers in everyday life. This is supported by the national structure of employees in the entity's Ministry of Interior, where about 95% are Serbs, while about 5% are all others. This ethnically cleansed, and at the same time militarized police, represents an objective threat to Bosniaks in this entity.

Due to these facts and the undoubted existence of activities and plans for the partition of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the need logically arises for international forces to be stationed at key points on the border with Serbia.

Bosniaks are concerned about the current situation and have no confidence in the environment they have returned to due to the fact that this environment glorifies war criminals, denies genocide, and many perpetrators of serious war crimes and genocide are at large. All this constitutes a potential and real threat to the peace and lives of Bosniaks in this part of our homeland. It should never be forgotten that Serbia was convicted by the International Court of Justice in The Hague for failing to prevent genocide and failing to punish the perpetrators of genocide. Serbia is still a safe haven for numerous suspected and convicted war criminals.

That is a logical and rational reason for NATO forces to be deployed on the border with Serbia. That would somewhat relax relations, reduce tensions, and enable a return to normal life topics,” adds Salkić.