SELAK: MARCH 1 REMAINS SOURCE OF DIVISION

BANJA LUKA, MARCH 1 /SRNA/ – For Serbs in Republika Srpska, March 1 represents a remembrance of the unconstitutional referendum on BiH independence and remains a lasting reminder of persecution, vulnerability, and the first victim of the war that immediately followed, Republika Srpska Minister of Justice Goran Selak told SRNA.

He emphasized that for more than three decades, March 1 has divided the feelings, interpretations, and historical memory of the peoples living in BiH. "Truth and respect for facts must be the foundation of any discussion about the past, but also about the future. The Serb people did not recognize the referendum held on March 1, 1992, because there was no genuine consensus. There was only outvoting, which we experienced multiple times in the past," Selak reminded. According to him, the killing of Serb wedding guest Nikola Gardović on that March 1 at Baščaršija in Sarajevo has remained deeply imprinted in the collective memory of the Serb people. "The unconstitutional referendum and the killing of a Serb at Baščaršija were synchronized signals that there was no place for Serbs in BiH. That is why Republika Srpska was formed, to protect our right to existence and freedom," Selak noted. He reminded that BiH has no law on public holidays and that for Republika Srpska, March 1 has never been and cannot become a holiday. "Awareness of history cannot be based on one-sided interpretations that do not include genuine equality and consensus among all peoples. Republika Srpska observes its own holidays that carry legal, historical, and institutional significance for the Serb people," Selak pointed out. He believes that law, norms, and institutions must guide the Serb people toward a better future. "Justice means that remembrance cannot and must not be an instrument of division, but rather a framework in which dialogue and mutual respect are possible. This implies recognizing historical facts in their full and proper meaning," Selak said. He stressed that remembrance of March 1, 1992, should serve as a reminder that only through mutual respect is it possible to build a foundation for peace, trust, and lasting coexistence. "Not in forgetting, not in one-sided interpretations, but in a genuine confrontation with the past, with respect for the dignity of every person," Selak said. In parts of the Federation of BiH with a Bosniak majority, March 1 is marked as the so-called Independence Day of BiH, as an illegal referendum on independence and secession from the SFRY was held on that date 34 years ago. Serbs in Republika Srpska remember March 1 for the killing of the Serb wedding guest Nikola Gardović in Sarajevo, which was also the trigger for the outbreak of war. The Government of Republika Srpska declared March 1 a Day of Mourning due to the tragic events that took place on that date in 1992, which led to the beginning of the tragic conflict in BiH.