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Post by irac on Mar 18, 2005 19:51:50 GMT 1
I agree with the summation of things, well put Franchise, it's sad but true the general view of Knin and the area. As soon as I say I live in Knin the first response is "Knin, why?"
It's a lot to do with the perception the government promote, think of Panorama Franchise, how many times are stories done of Knin? Positive ones especially. I really don't think the "exiled" government have any sort of power base left!
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Post by CroatianSerbAbroad on Mar 18, 2005 20:15:18 GMT 1
I would be interested in any croatian views on the return of serbs from a policitical position. I understand the serb political party is getting stronger in Croatia - the SDSS. What is the Croatian view on this?, from what i have read the party seems pro-Croatia?.
Does anyone feel that the continued return of serbs and the strengthening of the political party is worrying?
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Post by Franchise Croatia on Mar 18, 2005 21:01:10 GMT 1
CroatianSerbAbroad The older generation (hardliners) are not happy about serbs returning, but the younger generation don't really think about it much. However, one does get the sense of feeling that most Croatians within their towns are waiting for the serbs that damaged their houses would return (The reason being for payback), although nobody really talks about it that much these days. Personnally I think most people accept the fact that serbs are returning, But as Irac would agree, within our Sibenska Kninska zupanija the serbs are only returning temporarily to sort out their Croatian documents, pensions, etc., or what not and then returning to either Serbia or Bosnia.
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Post by ZoraDawn on Mar 18, 2005 21:33:37 GMT 1
i am yung but i still don't want serbs back, just to many problems to solve if they come back
most serb very proud of serbia so stay in serbia.
make life less complcated
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midge
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Post by midge on Mar 18, 2005 21:56:45 GMT 1
Yeah? ... I think such attitude will definitely contribute to making life in Croatia more complicated.
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Post by CroatianSerbAbroad on Mar 19, 2005 17:02:53 GMT 1
Interesting difference in viewpoints i see.
Zoradawn, Serbs from Croatia cannot be proud of Serbia because what do we have to do with it?. I have been their only once and i would never wish to personally go there again - it is a foreign land.
My worry is that people presume that just because you are a Serb you should love Serbia and go back their? I find this viewpoint ignorant of the facts, you cannot associate ethnicity with geographical boundaries in this way. How on earth can a Serb from Croatia be proud of Serbia, a country he has barely lived in (or not at all), has no history with that country and with a completely different culture?
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midge
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Post by midge on Mar 19, 2005 17:11:39 GMT 1
Well now, there are certain elements of culture, mostly preserved in rural areas, that link Croatian Serbs with Serbians, and there is also religion etc., but that's not the point....law is law, and they have every right to come back. It's as simple as that. And when is tolerance and dialogue finally be appreciated in Croatia?
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Post by CroatianSerbAbroad on Mar 19, 2005 17:16:51 GMT 1
I would not disagree with you Midge, we do retain certain aspects vaguely common to Serbia, but this is not a basis to say that we are proud of Serbia or that we should live there.
Regardless of the law, surely common deceny and humanity should say that for an ethnic group who have spent hundreds of years living on a land should be allowed to continue to do so. People could argue do we deserve to return?, this is another issue, i for one never supported the Krajina and always felt we were nothing but pieces in a Milosevic-Tudjman game of chess.
And i must add, that i apply this same rule to Croatians from Bosnia and all displaced persons.
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midge
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Post by midge on Mar 19, 2005 17:20:19 GMT 1
I agree with you. Unfortunately I haven't seen much common decency and humanity regarding the issue...Hopefully, things will get better.
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Post by irac on Mar 19, 2005 17:26:13 GMT 1
Very well put Croserbabroad. The most important thing is building a country for all it's inhabitants to be proud of. Midge, those who go to Orthodox services in Croatia are similiar to those Church of Ireland goers in Ireland and Northern Ireland. They might speak the same language (as near as) those in England or Scotland, and they practice the same religion, but they are world's away from the culture and attityudes of those in England. I know a great many mixed faith or orhtodox families in Croatia and they are Croats, happy to be so and while they might have family as refugees in Serbia, they are Croats to the core, despite what extremists from both sides might want to promote!
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midge
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Post by midge on Mar 19, 2005 17:31:21 GMT 1
I never said they weren't Croats to the core and that they didn't like this country...I promote tolerance...and always will.....
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Post by irac on Mar 19, 2005 18:36:45 GMT 1
I understood that midge, but those under scrutiny, the orthodox population in Croatia, are a million miles away from those who practice the same faith not alone in Serbia but Greece and others of the church. Like many Bosnian Croats I know and have met who now live in Croatia, they have more in common with Bosnian Muslims (music, food, attitudes) than a catholic from Split, which sadly is a difference used by extremists in Croatia to lash out and put down those who migrated into the country!
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Post by CroatianSerbAbroad on Mar 19, 2005 19:09:33 GMT 1
I think you are right irac. As a Croatian Serb the one thing this war has taught us is that we have far more in common with Croatians than Serbians (Shame we didnt choose to learn and remember that before siding with them since 1990!). This lesson must be remembered so that we never encounter such a horrible scenario again.
I have friends in Knin who have told me that even their old Croatian neighbours despise the Bosnian Croats more than the Serbs, they see them as simple, mountaineous people who are not in the slightest civilised.
Lets just hope the Bosnian Serbs start to let these people go home, even bulding them houses if necessary. Although it has proved a lengthy and painful process, Croatia is at least helping some Serbs to return, others must also follow this example to re-establish this status quo.
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Post by CroatianSerbAbroad on Mar 29, 2005 12:38:28 GMT 1
Just read an indepth article about this so called government in exile, are they mad??
Do they really believe that they can start negotiations with Zagreb on the basis of the Z4 plan?. I couldnt believe what i was reading?. Even more astonishing is that their are Croatian Serbs in Belgrade who support this?, havent our people been through enough?
It astonishes me!, these people are just trying to get on with their lives in Croatia. Croatia as a country is trying to reconcile and build towards equal rights and then we get this nonesense, all i can say is that these people should be ashamed of themselves.
These actions can only stir greater trouble within Croatia, i hope this government in exile and its supporters stay in Serbia and never come back to Croatia, trust me the vast majority of us dont want them back!!!
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Post by Ugursuz on Mar 29, 2005 16:11:50 GMT 1
Well, there is much more than meets the eye - like always in politics. The general idea behind western politics towards ex-Yugoslavia is defined by anglo-american interests. US is offering Montenegro faster entry into NATO if they go WITH Serbia; they offer the same to Kosovo if they DON't push too much away from Serbia; they have Paddy Asshdown in BiH TO KEEP ETHNIC TENSIONS ALIVE because without ethnic tensions angloamerican politics has no base to stay in Bosnia. The same applies to this government in exile that pops out exactly about the time when EU makes decision on Croatia starting the negotiations.. When s+h+i+t flies, everone stinks. That is the general idea.
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