September 25th 2015.
Prime minister Milanović,
Prime minister Vučić,
we are terribly disappointed with your irresponsible, inadequate and malicious statements and acts concerning a common challenge our countries are going through – the refugee wave. Our societies who have experienced violence in the 1990s know very well how dangers conflicting discourses on an international level are.
Instead of leading todays political discourse with an understanding of this danger you have decided to represent and act towards building a bileteral conflict which can cause immense damage to our societies. You have had an opportunity in this situation to improve relationships and benefit people in trouble, yet you have dragged our societies into a conflict caused by your immaturity, irresponsibility and rash acting. It is gravely disappointing to see that you are prone to diplomatic and trade blackmail rather than dialogue and cooperation.
Prime minister Milanović and Prime minister Vučić, take notes from your societies. Learn from your citizens, who hold you responsible for your actions. Volunteers from Croatia have sent humanitarian aid to refugees in Serbia, volunteers from Serbia have shared their experience of refugee relief with volunteers from Croatia.
You are alone in your violent and malicious acts. From the both sides of the border – we are disgraced with your statements and acting. All the damage that has been done and all the damage we are not even aware of yet – is your responsibility.
Still, it is not to late to choose cooperation over conflict. We urge you to stop reenacting the 1990s! We all very well remember how much the conflicts of the 1990s cost us – in lives, property and security – and we know, apparently much better than you, that it was not a game.
We call upon you and demand that you listen to your citizens who demand cooperation. We have spent decades working on dealing with the past, peace building and clearing the mess which the irresponsible conflict politics of the 1990s left behind. You are damaging there processes instead of using every opportunity to enhance them.
We call upon you and demand that you open the borders and choose friendly and cooperative diplomatic means instead of mutual blackmail, malicious and dangerous political solutions.
There is a right way to answer a common challenge, and it is completely the opposite of what you are doing at the moment. Stop reenacting the 1990s, talk, cooperate and allow us to live in peace and cooperation. This is not a matter of your choice. This is a matter of your responsibility.
Youth Initiative for Human Rights – Croatia
Youth Initiative for Human Rights – Serbia
