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KAPIJA

A case study of a Bosnian community's initiative for re-building peace

A dissertation presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements

for the degree of

Doctor of Philosophy

m Social Anthropology

at Massey University, Palmerston North,

New Zealand

Bemard Jervis

2007

ABSTRACT

During 1 992-95 the Serb ian estab l ishment i n Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina executed a

pol icy of ethn ic-cleans ing against the Musl im and Croat population in Bosnia­

Herzegovina. On 25 May 1 995 the town square in Tuzla was she l led by a Bosn ian Serb

art i l l ery unit k i l l ing seventy-one people and i njuring many others. The aim was to div ide

the Musl im, Croat and Serb community of Tuzla i nto taking sides in a confl ict that saw

atrocities committed on a scale not seen in Europe s ince the Second World War. This

study is about peace and conflict and gives some insight into how this commun ity dealt

with violence. The decis ion to bury those ki l led together in a common burial s ite

i rrespective of ethnic background was made in the face of external re l igious and pol i tical

oppositicm. In tak ing th i s action, these fami l ies re inforced the long-held trad it ion in

Tuzla vf being a tolerant mult i-ethnic community. Those buried together were buried as

friends not d iv ided by re l i gion and national ism. As such, the burial site i s the s ingle

most important symbol of peace in this commun ity.

Other key findings from th is study show the enorm ity of personal loss and grief for the

fam i l ies of those k i l led; the impact of this inc ident on the whole community; questions

about j ustice; trans-generat ional trauma; ethn ic identity; mixed-marriages; and a changed

demographic make-up of the town 's population due to an increase of displaced persons.

11

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This study could not have been undertaken without the agreement and co-operation of

those people I interviewed during my periods of fieldwork in Tuzla during 2004 and

2005. For the fami l ies, community and rel igious leaders, and others who recalled what

happened in Kapija Square on 25 May 1 995 it was a painfu l memory . Often the

interv iews were very emotional and upsetting and I was mindfu l of th is at a l l t imes.

Therefore I am grateful to these people for giving me their time and stories which I hope

in some smal l way may have served some cathart ic value for them. They seemed to be

appreciative of me talk ing to them about what had happened and the value of the

research. I was mindfu l , too, of the stress that this could put on the two interpreters I

used, E ldin Omerovic and Amira Kovcic, without whom I could not have conducted the

interviews. In addition, valuable assistance was provided by Jasmina Redzepagic at

Peace F lame House and Maida Berbic from the local radio station, Kameleon Radio .

Their local contacts and networks made my task a lot easier. Other valuable information

within th� national context was provided by Mirsad Tokaca, the President of the Research

and Documentation Centre, in Sarajevo.

Ethical approval for my research was obtained from Massey University Human Eth ics

Committee, and the Association of Social Anthropologists of Aotearoa!New Zealand I nc .

I am grateful for the financial contribution provided by the School of People,

Environment and Planning and the Doctoral Committee of Massey University that

al lowed me to complete my fieldwork.

Ill

KAPIJA

Com posed by Asim Horozic

Dedicated to those k i l l ed and injured in

Kapij a Square, Tuzla, Bosnia-Herzegovina

on 25 May 1 995

Sarajevo Phi lharmon ia P laying t ime: I 0.24 minutes

IV

CONTENTS

Abstract ( i i )

Acknowledgements ( i i i)

Dedication ( iv)

Chronology ( ix)

I 1 1 ustrat ions (x i i )

Chapter I OBJECTIVES, M ETHODOLOGY, ETH ICS, F IELDWORK AND THE STRUCTURE OF THI S STUDY

1 . 1 Research objectives, methodology and ethical i ssues

1 .2 Choosing the research topic 3

1 .3 Two phases of fieldwork 5

1 .4 Basic account of what happened on 25 May 1 995 8

1 .5 Conceptual framework 1 1

1 .6 Confl ict flow-chart 1 3

1 . 7 Observations 1 4

1 . 8 Personal considerations 1 7

1 .9 Reflections on the fieldwork experience 1 8

1 . 1 0 The structure of the study 1 9

Chapter 2 SEEK IN G AN EXPLANATION FOR THE ETHN IC

VIOLENCE THAT OCCURRED IN BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA

DURING 1 992-95 23

2. 1 H i story of ethnic identity, rel igion and language 23

2.2 . Modern h istory 26

2 . 3 The contemporary pol itical s ituation 30

V

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

2.4 Post -con tl ict accounts of what happened

during 1 992-95 33

2 . 5 Genocide and crimes against human ity 35

2 .6 Pol itical and m i l itary structure i n Bosn ia-Herzegovina

during 1 992-95 39

2 .7 Casualt ies of the war and outstanding issues 42

2 . 8 Conclusions 43

RESTORING THE PEACE: THE ANTHROPOLOGY O F PEACE-BU ILDING 46

3 . 1 Anthropology of peace 46

3 .2 The mean ing of peace 47

3 . 3 Social justice, freedom and human rights 5 1

3 .4 War crimes tribunals 53

3 . 5 Restorative princip les 55

3 .6 Peace by peacefu l means 57

3 .7 Peace processes 59

3 . 8 Conclusions 63

INTERVIEWS WITH A FAM I LY MEMB ER OF SOMEONE

KI LLED IN KAP IJA SQUARE

4. 1 List of interviewees

4.2 Conclusions

INTERVIEWS WITH COMMUN ITY AND

REL IG IOUS LEADERS

5 . 1 L ist of interviewees

5 .2 Conclusions

INTERVIEWS WITH SIGN I F ICANT OTHERS

6. 1 L ist of nterviewees

6.2 Conclusions

VI

65

67

1 1 6

1 1 7

1 1 8

1 44

1 47

1 47

1 94

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Appendices

TRUTH AND RECONCIL IAT ION

7.1 Account of what happened i n Kapija Square

on 25 May 1995

7.2 The graves

7.3 Ethnic background

7.4 Mixed-marriages

7.5 The importance of each part icipant 's ' story'

7.6 Trans-generational trauma

7. 7 Three basic facts/statements that arose from the

interviews

7.8 Support of community and rel ig ious leaders for

this project

7.9 Justice

7.10 M i l itary service

7.11 Displaced persons

7.12 Peacebui ld ing

CONCLUS ION

I. Project: Information sheet

196

197

198

200

202

205

206

207

207

209

211

213

214

217

227

2. Project: Participants consent form 233

3. Project: Interview questions 234

4. Eth ics review of ethics meet ing 2004 237

5. Project: Interpreters confidential ity agreement 239

6. Summary guidel ines for fieldwork 240

7. Restorative framework: Core values, guidelines and principles 242

8. B i ljena Plavsic addresses the international crim inal tribunal for the former Yugoslav ia at The Hague 2002 244

9. UN Convention on Genocide (1948) 248

VII

I 0. I n augural speech of publ ic prosecutor to war crimes chamber, Sarajevo, Bosn ia-Herzegovina 25 I

11. Names of those buried at A leja Mladosti cemetery 254

1 2 . N ames of those buried i n graves e lsewhere 256

11. UNPROFOR i nvestigat ion report on the she l l ing of Kapija Square 257

References 259

V Ill

61h -7th Centuries

869

I Oth Century

1159

Late 12th ·century

1219

1235-1265

1346

1353

1389

1453

1459

1483

CHRONOLOGY

BOSNIA AND SERBIA

Ancestors of South S lavs enter the Balkans (from Poland and the Ukraine)

Death of Saint Cyri l , symbol of the Christian izing of the South Slavs :

[a ] Dalmatia and Croatia came with in the domain of Charlemagne's Roman Catho l ic F rankish Empire

[b] Serbia and Macedon ia came with in the Byzantine Empire and Orthodox Christian ity

De Administrando Imperio first mention of Bosnae, as part of Serbia

Stefan Nemanja founds Serbia as an independent k ingdom

Independent state of Bosn ia

Saint Sava becomes the first Archb ishop of the Serbian Orthodox Church

War with Hungary. Bosnia defeated.

Founding of the Patriarchate of Serbian Orthodoxy

Trvtko is crowned King of Bosnia, Serbia and the Western Lands (extended to Serbia and the Dalmatian coast)

Death of Lazar at the batt le of Kosovo (Serbia defeated by Turkey)

Ottomans take Constantinople and change its name to Istanbul

Last Serb stronghold at Smederevo fal l s to the Ottomans (Serbia now part of the Ottoman Empire)

Ottomans take control of al l Bosnia and Herzegovina

IX

1 53 1

1 5 5 1

1 556

1 5 57

1 804

1 8 1 8

1 829

1 847

1 864

1 878

1 903

1 9 1 4

1 9 1 7

1 9 1 8

1 9 1 8

1 939

1 93 9

Gazi Husrev Beg Mosque constructed in Sarajevo, the major mosque in Bosnia

Coloured Mosque of Foca is constructed

Construction of the great Mostar bridge

Construction of the Drina River bridge at Visegrad

Karadjordje ' s revolt against Ottoman rule

Assassination of Karadjordje by rival Mi los Obrenovic, founder of the first modem Serbian dynasty

Treaty of Adrianople : Serbia gains autonomy under M i los Obrenovic

Njegos publ ishes The Mountain Wreath

Death of Yuk Karadzic, col l ector of Serb poetry and lore

Treaty of San Stefano: Ottomans cede Bosn ia to Austro-Hungarian Empire

Descendants of Karadjordje establ ish a new dynasty in Serbia

F irst World War commenced fol lowing the assassination of the Grand Duke of Austro-Hungary by a Serb national ist in Sarajevo. Serbia joined Great Britain, France and Russia against Germany, the Austro-Hungarian Empire of which Bosnia was a part, and Turkey

Un ion of South S lavs is declared

End of First World War: Germany, Austro-Hungarian Empire and Turkish Ottoman Empire defeated

Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and S lovenes ( later to be cal led Yugoslav ia) is estab l i shed under the authority of King Peter I of Serbia

Yugoslav ia reorgan ized : Bosn ia d ivided between Croatia and Serbia

Second World War commenced : Great Britain, France and Soviet Un ion (formerly Russia) against Germany, Japan and I taly

X

1 940

1 940

1 945

1 945

1 98 1

1 990

1 99 1

1 992

1 995

1 999

2003

2003

2006

2006

2006.

Yugoslav ia occupied by Germany

Independent Croatian state declared with German 'puppet' government establ i shed

End of Second World War: Germany, Japan and I taly defeated

Tito declares a federation of Yugoslav ia with 6 republ ics and 2 autonomous regions with in a soc ia l i st ideology (Commun ism)

Marshal Tito dies

S loven ia breaks away from Yugoslavia

Croatia-Serb ia war

Secret agreement between Serbia and Croatia to attack Bosnia and d iv ide the country between them withi n a pol icy of ethn ic­c leansing

Dayton Peace Agreement brokered by the Un ited States ends the war in Bosn ia. The country i s partit ioned into two entities determined by majority ethnic identity ( i .e . Federation of Mus l ims and Croats, and the Republ ika Srspka)

Death of President Franjo Tudj man of Croatia

Bosnia appl ies for membership of the European Un ion

Death of President Al ija I zetbegovic of Bosnia-Herzegov ina

Death of Slobodan Mi losevic, former President of Serbia from a heart attack while in custody at the Internat ional Crim inal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia at The Hague on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity

Referendum in Montenegro votes for i ndependence from union with Serbia

Serbia' s app l ication for membership to the European Union i s presently suspended

Source: Michael A. Sells (1996), The Bridge Betrayed (Religion and Genocide in Bosnia), University of Cal i fornia Press.

Additional material from 1 992-95 onwards: Bemard Jervis.

XI

ILLUSTRATIONS

KAPIJA SQUARE I MM EDIATEL Y A FTER 25 MAY 1 995 . Photo: ZLOCIN publi shed by

Bi H War Crimes Commission, 1 995

KAP IJA SQUARE 2004. Photo: Bernard Jervis

MEMORIAL IN KAPIJA SQUARE.1 Photo: Bemard Jervis

PLAQUE MARKING W H ERE THE SHELL EXPLODED. Photo: Bernard Jervis

BURYING THE DEAD A FTER 25 MAY 1 995. Photo: ZLOC IN publ i shed by BiH War

Crimes Commission, 1 995

IND I V I DU A L GRA YE IN ALEJA M LADOSTI CEMETERY. Photo: Bernard Jervis

THE GRA Y ES . Photo: Bernard Jervis

A LEJA M LA DOSTI CEMETERY. Photo: Bernard Jervis

I 0 TH ANNI VERSARY COMMEMORATIONS 2005. Photo: Bernard Jervis

REMEMBRANCE WALL FOR A L L 800 PEOPLE KI LLED IN TUZLA DURING 1 992-95 . Photo: Bernard Jervis

1 Trans lation of poem on Memorial:

'One does not l ive here only in order to l ive

One does not l ive here only in order to die One dies here in order to l ive.'

X I I