Slovenia: AI condemns forcible return of “erased”

When we left republika srpska in 93 and came to Canada, i didnt believe the stories that it would take 25-30 years for things to normalize to the level they once were before the war, but now, as each year passes and i talk to my relatives in Montenegro and Vojvodina and other regions in the balkans, it looks like it will take an even longer time for things to "heal".

There are so many unresolved disputes, some minor, some major, i miss my country SFRY, but the mess created in 3 years time of something that took 50 years to construct is truely amazing.

I hope we can all live in tolerance and understanding of one another and i hope that displaced and the bereaved alike can forgive/be forgiven for everything they've experienced during those senseless conflicts.

In reply to your article about family Berisha, I would like to tell you some facts. I am Slovenian woman, 73 years old. I had to work my entire life as all other Slovenes had.

When Slovenia became independent in 1991, our government invited all non-Slovenians to apply for Slovenian citizenship. Namely, according to the 1975 constitution, every one residing in Slovenia was able to apply and to obtain Slovenian citizenship. In addition, in 1991, our public (socialistic) property was divided among Slovenian citizens without regards to previous employment. I, for example, got certificates in the same amount as anyone else who has never worked.

If Mr. Berisha and all “erased” persons would have lived and applied for citizenship in early nineties, they would now had the same privileges as I have.

It is a matter of fact that Slovenia represented for many only a “spring board” for transfer to West, especially to Germany. It is ridiculous that now, when Slovenia has a very good economy, many who did not succeed in West blame us Slovenians for their failure.

Even during communistic Yugoslavia, we Slovenes, were frequently blackmailed into giving disproportionate amounts of funds into the common budget. Back than, the excuse was that we had to give more and remain quiet in order to preserve our “brotherhood and unity”.

I do not see a problem if Mr. Berisha is sent to his own home, among another two million of his brethren. We, Slovenes, are also a small nation of only two million and cannot and do not have moral obligation to resolve all problems of former Yugoslavia.

When we left republika srpska in 93 and came to Canada, i didnt believe the stories that it would take 25-30 years for things to normalize to the level they once were before the war, but now, as each year passes and i talk to my relatives in Montenegro and Vojvodina and other regions in the balkans, it looks like it will take an even longer time for things to "heal".

There are so many unresolved disputes, some minor, some major, i miss my country SFRY, but the mess created in 3 years time of something that took 50 years to construct is truely amazing.

I hope we can all live in tolerance and understanding of one another and i hope that displaced and the bereaved alike can forgive/be forgiven for everything they've experienced during those senseless conflicts.

In reply to your article about family Berisha, I would like to tell you some facts. I am Slovenian woman, 73 years old. I had to work my entire life as all other Slovenes had.

When Slovenia became independent in 1991, our government invited all non-Slovenians to apply for Slovenian citizenship. Namely, according to the 1975 constitution, every one residing in Slovenia was able to apply and to obtain Slovenian citizenship. In addition, in 1991, our public (socialistic) property was divided among Slovenian citizens without regards to previous employment. I, for example, got certificates in the same amount as anyone else who has never worked.

If Mr. Berisha and all “erased” persons would have lived and applied for citizenship in early nineties, they would now had the same privileges as I have.

It is a matter of fact that Slovenia represented for many only a “spring board” for transfer to West, especially to Germany. It is ridiculous that now, when Slovenia has a very good economy, many who did not succeed in West blame us Slovenians for their failure.

Even during communistic Yugoslavia, we Slovenes, were frequently blackmailed into giving disproportionate amounts of funds into the common budget. Back than, the excuse was that we had to give more and remain quiet in order to preserve our “brotherhood and unity”.

I do not see a problem if Mr. Berisha is sent to his own home, among another two million of his brethren. We, Slovenes, are also a small nation of only two million and cannot and do not have moral obligation to resolve all problems of former Yugoslavia.