REPUBLIKA SRPSKA IS RESULT OF CENTURIES-LONG STRUGGLE OF SERB PEOPLE

PALE, JANUARY 6 /SRNA/ - Republika Srpska is the result of the centuries-long struggle of the Serb people in this area for survival, their ancestral hearths and freedom, Georgije Vulić from the Institute of Historical Sciences of the University of East Sarajevo told SRNA.

Vulić pointed out that on January 9, 1992, Serb political representatives in BiH made the decision to establish the first modern Serbian state west of the Drina River. According to him, the primary goal of this act was to put an end to the practice of outvoting the Serb people in BiH and to politically articulate the will of the majority of Serbs in this area, clearly and legitimately expressed in the plebiscite held in November 1991. "That will essentially came down to remaining in Yugoslavia with those who wished to continue living in a common state," Vulić said on the occasion of the marking of January 9 - Republika Srpska Day. He recalled that the state of the Serb people in BiH proclaimed at that time was later given the name Republika Srpska. According to Vulić, despite numerous wartime and post-war pressures, Republika Srpska has survived and developed with a significant degree of autonomy, and through the Dayton Peace Agreement it also received international confirmation of its existence, as well as a certain form of statehood. Vulić stated that political leaders who participated in the creation and development of the institutions of Republika Srpska often emphasized the importance of restoring traditional Serbian values, preserving the Orthodox faith and authentic Serbian culture. "Acting in this direction, Republika Srpska played an important role in the renewal of the spiritual life and cultural identity of the Serb people, following several decades of strongly atheistic rule," Vulić emphasized. He explained that the creation of Republika Srpska in 1992 also represented a defensive mechanism aimed at preserving the biological survival of the Serb people west of the Drina, while the Army of Republika Srpska played a crucial role in preventing a new genocide against Serbs in this area. "Historical experience and the living memory of the crimes committed in 1941 forced the Serb people to organize at a moment when Ustasha iconography and armed formations that inherited the Ustasha tradition, as well as the legacy of the 'Handžar Division' and related Nazi units, once again appeared on the historical stage," Vulić stressed. He added that this is why Republika Srpska remains, even more than three decades later, a guarantor of the survival of the Serb people west of the Drina. "Although exposed to constant political and institutional attacks, it endures and bears witness to the strength of the idea that led to its creation," Vulić said. He pointed out that it is also symptomatic that Republika Srpska has existed significantly longer than the Kingdom of Yugoslavia - a state whose creation generations had dreamed of. Vulić said that Republika Srpska, located at the crossroads of civilizations, survives despite numerous challenges, which testifies to the strong will of the people for it to endure and continue to develop. "The task of all of us who live in it is to leave it to our descendants in the form envisioned by those who built their lives into its defense," Vulić stated. "Republika Srpska - Mother of Heroes" is the slogan under which Republika Srpska Day, January 9, is being marked this year. January 9 is celebrated as Republika Srpska Day because on that date in 1992 it was established under its original name, the Republic of the Serb People in BiH. Republika Srpska was founded by Serb MPs in the then Assembly of BiH after they were outvoted on key issues concerning the survival of Yugoslavia, while representatives of the other two peoples moved toward secession against the will of the Serbs, who had the status of a constituent people. The name Republic of the Serb People in BiH was used until February 28, 1992, when the first Constitution was proclaimed and the name was changed to Serb Republic of BiH. This name was used until August 12, 1992, when it was changed to Serb Republic. In September 1992, this name was replaced by the current one - Republika Srpska.