The Past That Would Not Die

It was a time and place where the political structure was thoroughly aligned with ultra-nationalist hate groups. Encouraged by a mythologized version of their own history, and a perverted use of their religion, to justify their actions and ideology. Cheap thugs thought nothing of blowing up religious buildings filled with children; and throwing the bodies of unarmed men into the river which had defined so much of this society's culture and collective literary experience. Those who did stand up to the existing power structure, and we should never forget that there were those who did provide a "voice in the wilderness", often had to leave for their own protection. The local media convinced the citizens that they were "under invasion" and that news programs from the outside were nothing more than "propaganda" designed to destroy their way of life.

Of course, I'm talking about Mississippi in the 1950s and 1960s.


Recently the FBI has reopened the cases of several lynchings that took place in Mississippi and other states in the south; and bringing the now elderly klansmen responsible for their murders to justice.

Besides giving an overview of the crimes and investigations into these crimes, the above article also gives mention of the problems of trying to seek justice for crimes that occured decades ago; evidence gets lost, witnesses die, documentation from the orignal investigations would have been thrown out.


Meanwhile, we can only hope that in the Balkans the individuals responsible for immeasurable suffering and violence will someday be brought to justice; although it seems that with each passing day, and every press conference where some NATO official or whoever has a "new lead" for the search for Karadzic, the chances of that happening becomes smaller and smaller. The only measure of comfort is that their state organized and perpetrated crimes of extermination, systemetic torture, rape and forced deportations are much better documented than the atrocities carried out by some violent thugs in the South. Finding evidence doesn't seem to be the problem, finding them however is.

Oh yes, and speaking of ghosts from the past, and not to mention mass murderers, it is the anniversary of Slobodan Milosevic's death as well.

Bosnian Serb Helsinki Member Killed

Duško Kondor, a member of the human rights organization, Helsinki Watch was murdered in his home. His daughter was also shot, but it appears as if she is out of danger.
Mr. Kondor recieved numerous threats and harassment in the year prior to his murder.
http://listserv.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0702&L=justwatch-l&D=1&O=D&P=61239


BIRN issued a statement regarding Mr. Kondor and his murder:

BIRN condemns the brutal murder of Dusko Kondor, a Human Rights activistfrom
Republika Srpska, and extends its sympathies to Mr. Kondor's family andfriends,
as well as colleagues from the Helsinki Committee for Human Rightsin Republika
Srpska.We hope that the authorities of Republika Srpska will act promptly and
processthose responsible for this crime, thereby sending a message to all those
whodo not believe in universality of human rights.

Justice and Impunity

Human Rights Watch offers a report on the Bosnian War Crimes Chamber. Meanwhile over at Neretva River; Observer offers his take on Ratko Mladic's "miraculous disappearance from EU policy papers." While authorities in the Netherlands criticize the EU for the not being "strict enough with Serbia."
Back in Bosnia, Dodik says that he'd rather stay out of the EU than accept police reforms and the abolishment of the RS police force.
Meanwhile, a Bosnian court recently sentenced a former police officer/mafiaso to 26 years in prison for crimes relating to his second occupation.