MEMORIES OF BUKOVICA WAR CRIMES STILL FRESH 15 YEARS LATER

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PODGORICA 000213

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR DRL/P AND EUR/SCE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM SOCI KAWC MW BK
SUBJECT: MEMORIES OF BUKOVICA WAR CRIMES STILL FRESH 15 YEARS LATER

REF: A) 07 PODGORICA 381 (B) 07 PODGORICA 265


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: On July 23, the Ambassador traveled to
Montenegro's remote Bukovica region to meet with Muslims who
survived a campaign of ethnic cleansing in 1992 and 1993.
Bukovica is one of five war crimes cases that occurred on
Montenegrin territory or that involved Montenegrin citizens.
Several told heart-wrenching stories of murders, abductions,
homes burned, assaults on the young and elderly, and expulsions.
An investigation into these crimes began only in 2007, with no
indictments or other progress thus far. A week after the
Ambassador's visit, the government announced a 4.5 million Euro
development plan for Bukovica, but it seems unlikely that many
of those who fled will return. END SUMMARY.



The Bukovica War Crimes Case

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2. (U) Bukovica's 37 villages, surrounded on three sides by the
Republika Srpska, formerly had 1,500 residents, of whom 65-70
percent were Bosniaks or Muslims. According to various sources,
between 1992 and 1993, Yugoslav Army (VJ) reservists, backed by
paramilitary troops and local Montenegrin police officers,
expelled dozens of Muslim families (about 221 individuals in
all) from the region's villages, forcing them to flee to
Pljevlja, as well as to Sarajevo and Cajnice in Bosnia.
According to press reports, eight civilians were murdered,
eleven were abducted and remain unaccounted for, 70 were
physically assaulted, and 40 were taken to prison camps. In
addition, eight houses and two mosques were burned. Even after
15 years, their repatriation has been slow. Of 250 residents in
Bukovica today, only about 45 are Muslims, and the region is now
one of the least populated in Montenegro.




3. (U) Montenegrin authorities have done little thus far to
bring the perpetrators of these crimes to justice. While one
individual was convicted of a murder (not a war crime) in 1993,
it was not until December 2007 that the Higher Court in Bijelo
Polje formally initiated an investigation of the possible
involvement of seven Pljevlja residents (two former policemen
and five military reservists) in war crimes against a civilian
population.




4. (SBU) When the Ambassador visited Bukovica on July 23, local
police initially recommended against the journey due to bad road
conditions. (Note: The Ambassador has previously traveled to
remote areas in Montenegro, even in winter, but has never
received such a warning before). Before the Ambassador's car
reached Bukovica, his local police escort pulled over, asserting
that the road was "unsafe" to continue further. The police then
insisted that the road be inspected before going any further in
an apparent attempt to delay the visit. An Embassy driver
eventually drove the road with the police escort and confirmed
that it was quite passable, and the Ambassador pressed on.



"The Agony Began on May 4, 1992..."

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5. (SBU) In Bukovica, the Ambassador spoke with 13 Muslim
residents, many of whom had been expelled from their homes in
1992-93. Several told heart-wrenching stories of their
experiences during this period. For example, one elderly man
recounted numerous beatings at the hands of police. Haris
Tahirbegovic, who was 17 at the time, recalled that his family's
"agony began on May 4, 1992," when local police and Yugoslav
reservists expelled his family from their home and stole his
mother's gold jewelry while he and his brother were taken away
in an army vehicle. Neighbors eventually freed them, but they
lived "under constant threat" until July 18, 1992, when they
were ordered to permanently leave, presumably by police.




PODGORICA 00000213 002 OF 003



6. (SBU) Tahirbegovic said his family initially fled to
Pljevlja. When they tried to return to Bukovica, local
residents bombed their home. He eventually fled to Bosnia,
where he stayed for ten years. According to Tahirbegovic, 90
percent of people expelled from Bukovica either live in Sarajevo
or have since died. He added that, to add insult to injury,
many of the local police officers who took part in the
atrocities had since been promoted.




7. (SBU) Not all Bukovica's Muslims fled during the early
1990s. For example, Hasan Okica told the Ambassador that some
Muslim families who enjoyed "good reputations" were allowed to
stay. But even those who remained recalled a tense period. For
example, Stovrag Ismet, who stayed in Bukovica, said that
although he was never physically assaulted, his Serb neighbors
cut the electricity to his home. He later sent his wife and
daughter to Pljevlja out of fear for their safety. Salem Becic,
an elderly man who also remained, said army reservists
desecrated his mother's grave. He added that the few Muslims
left in the village have been treated as "second-class
citizens."




8. (SBU) Several participants expressed concern that the meeting
might provoke the anger of the authorities and of their Serb
neighbors. One Muslim asked the Ambassador to make it clear to
Serb residents that the meeting was held at the Ambassador's
initiative. In fact, several Serb residents later showed up at
the meeting and asked to speak with the Ambassador. (See Para.
Eleven.)



Focus On The Present

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9. (SBU) A number of participants chose to shift the discussion
to present-day difficulties of life in Bukovica - namely, the
lack of jobs and economic opportunities, as well as the
isolation, bad roads, and poor access to medical care during the
winter months. All agreed that improving the roads to Bukovica
was their top priority, but disagreed over exactly which road
should be repaired. Some believe that the government is using
their lack of unity to do nothing. Others asked that the GoM
establish a purchasing center for locally-produced agricultural
products.



A Plea For Help

--------------




10. (SBU) Participants implored the Ambassador to help them
obtain compensation for their suffering and destruction of
property, and to help improve living conditions in Bukovica.
The Ambassador promised to raise both issues with the GoM; he
also promised to find out more about a government initiative --
mentioned at an earlier meeting by the Deputy Mayor of Pljevlja
-- that was supposed to provide assistance to Bukovica
residents. The residents were unaware of it and highly
skeptical. (Following his return, the Ambassador raised
economic issues in Bukovica with the Deputy PM, the President's
Office, and with two other Ministers.)



Meeting with Serbs

--------------




11. (SBU) During a spontaneous meeting with Serb residents, the
Serbs said it was "time to forget the past" and move on. They
too complained about living conditions and said bad roads
hampered their ability to sell goods in Bosnia, formerly their
main market. The Ambassador pointed out that Serbs and Muslims

PODGORICA 00000213 003 OF 003


seemed to have similar concerns. The Ambassador then visited a
church that Serb residents were constructing with volunteer
labor and materials.



Unexpected Good News

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12. (U) A week later, the GoM adopted a development plan for
Bukovica, which will initially allocate 386,000 Euros to
reconstruct a 16 kilometer stretch of road leading to Kovacevici
village. Another ten kilometer portion, eventually connecting
Montenegro to the Bosnian border, is in even worse condition and
is the area where the worst cleansing occurred; however, the GoM
has not agreed to allocate monies to repair this part of the
road.




13. (U) Minister without Portfolio Suad Numanovic, the GoM's
coordinator for the Bukovica development strategy, told the
Ambassador on August 1 that up to 4.5 million Euros would be
budgeted for Bukovica over the next two years. According to
Numanovic, the plan was initiated by President Vujanovic to
encourage returns and stimulate the region's economy, to the
benefit of both Muslims and Serbs. Numanovic played down the
political significance of the initiative, saying that it was
part of the GoM's overall strategy to promote economic growth in
the north.




14. (U) Numanovic identified poor roads and lack of electricity
as the main problems for residents of the area. He also
presented the Ambassador with a list of 36 people who formally
expressed interest in returning to Bukovica. He added that 110
homes (some inhabited and some abandoned) in the region need
repair and said that the GoM would set aside up to 2.5 million
of the total 4.5 million Euros for this purpose. Numanovic also
said that the GoM would offer small business loans to residents
and returnees.



Comment

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15. (SBU) It is encouraging that the GoM is finally trying to
improve economic conditions and encourage returnees. However,
the dire economic conditions in Bukovica, its remote location,
and the significant time lag since area residents fled make it
unlikely that many will return. The GoM economic initiative is
positive, but it does not erase the fact that fifteen years
later, the perpetrators of Bukovica's "ethnic cleansing" have
still not been brought to justice. The strange behavior of the
police during the Ambassador's visit suggests that there is
still a long way to go before interethnic relations in Bukovica
are normalized.
MOORE