Threats addressed to non-Serbs, displaying tricolors, organizing chetnik gatherings, drawing offensive, fascist graffiti- that’s what has marked Berane. Weekend behind us will be remembered by two chauvinist events. On Saturday, an unauthorized chetnik gathering was held in Gornje Zaostro village and was attended by the present vice-president of the municipal assembly, Mr Goran Kiković. Yesterday, in settlements Hareme, Talum and Obalsko, walls of houses where Bosniak and Muslim people live were painted in graffiti displaying effigies of Pavle Đurišić, chethnik duke, and Draža Mihailović, the leader of chetniks.
These events come as no surprise to Mr Adnan Prekić, the historian. He says this the continuous policy of a part of right-wing forces in MNE who are trying to introduce into the public discourse of MNE a narrative that could be seen on Belgrade and across former Yugoslavia –the narrative n rehabilitation of quisling movements, in this particular case – rehabilitation of the chetnik movement.
“All these events only confirm that Montenegro has still so much to do make these things a subject of condemnation. However, we are far from that because, unfortunately, these things are some sort of basis for the political platform of some parties that act in Montenegro’s political life”, Mr Prekić says.
Montenegro has shown flexibility in several occasions and tried to use path of least resistance and allow these people to acknowledge their own mistakes.
“But that’s obviously not enough because these retrograde ideas are very powerful. I don’t think the problem lies in state’s role. The problem is that such ideologies and political platforms enjoy support from other political parties that act in Montenegro’s political life and, in that context, we have some sort of political spectrum – right-wing, clerical political spectrum that values and supports such ideas”, Mr Prekić says.
President of the Council on the association of fighters and anti-fascists of Montenegro, Mr Zuvdija Hodžić, says that gathering of chetniks in Gornje Zaostro an extension of religious processions and it’s not a big surprise given the fact that Montenegro has leaders of political parties who declare themselves as chetniks. In a statement for TVCG, Mr Hodžić said that drawing graffiti on buildings and hatred speech were incomprehensible.
“We are talking about a small group of intellectually- disabled and morally-strayed people in Gornje Zaostro. They re shadows on Montenegro. Extension of religious processions. The chain is as strong as its weakest link. They want religious processions again, before elections”, Mr Hodžić said.
According to him, all such attempts are minor compared with what will take place until the election day comes. Mr Hodžić expects more provocations.
“But that’s all in vain”, he said.
Montenegrin historian, Mr Boban Batrićević, also expressed his view on these events. In a text published in Antena M, Mr Batrićević says that photo taken in Gorenje Zaostro was specific in many terms.
“It’s a perfect illustration of the revamped politics that Serbian people hold in the container of great-state misconception. But it’s also a funny parade and a big auto-parody”, Mr Batrićević writes.
Lined up in new uniforms of the former army of Yugoslavia, with Chetnik insignia and flags, advocates of Dražća Mihailović and Pavle Đurišić looked like some amateur theater that visits villages in Šumadija where “šljivovica” and roast pork are served, Mr Batrićević says.
Ministry of Human and Minority Rights, political parties, Ombudsman and president of the municipality of Berane, Mr Dragoslav Šćekić also harshly condemned graffiti in Berane.
Mr Šćekić said that it is clear what political kitchens have “cooked” graffiti.
“We have reasons to suspect that such actions come from circles very close to the present local self-government and the objective is to provoke international divisions and damage inter-religious harmony”, Mr Šćekić says.
He called on residents not to allow anybody’s political interest to endanger stable coexistence in Berane.
Mr Šćekić urged prosecutor’s office and police to find and punish perpetrators of this shameful criminal offence.
