By Ben Kopp
Impunity Watch, Europe
SARAJEVO, Bosnia – On June 6, 2013, approximately 3000 protesters kept nearly 1500 lawmakers, government employees, and international bankers blocked inside Bosnia’s parliament building for fourteen hours. The protesters consisted primarily of students and young parents, who have been unable to get birth certificates or identification numbers for their babies since February 2013.
Dating back to the 1992-1995 war, ethnic divisions between Serbia and Bosnia heat the battle between a unified or divided country. Currently, Bosnia consists of two semi-autonomous mini-states, each with a president and parliamentary government. A joint parliament, government and a three-member presidency link the mini-states.
In early February 2013, an old law on identification numbers for Bosnian citizens lapsed. Disagreements among ethnic communities have delayed the creation of a new law, leaving undocumented babies born since the lapse. While Bosnian Serbs seek an identification system that reflects territorial agreements established after the war, Bosniaks and Croats seek a solution that unifies the country.
Recently, a baby in need of stem cell treatment in Germany could not leave Bosnia because she had no documentation. On June 5, young parents protested and trapped lawmakers inside parliament. Although the government reached an interim deal, protesters claimed that they would continue for as long as necessary to reach a long-term agreement. Every hour, more people joined the blockade. On June 6, thousands of protesters formed a ring around parliament, encouraged by protests in other Bosnian cities.
As parliament employees attempted to escape the building through windows, protesters shouted, “Get back to work!” before sending them back inside.
Tarik Celik said, “This is not just about the ID number. It is about their attitude toward us. It is about how unimportant we are to them as citizens.”
Additionally, parliament salaries angered protesters. Reports claim that lawmakers receive six times Bosnia’s average salary per month. However, poverty throughout the country has increased, and the unemployment rate hovers above twenty percent.
On the morning of June 7, police helped free the people trapped inside parliament, who decided to return after the weekend. Nevertheless, within hours, student protesters returned, and demanded improvements for impoverished citizens, rather than “ethnic bickering.”
“We just want to send a message to the politicians not to play with our future,” said protester Amar Nurkovic, “because their future is in our hands.”
Peter Sorensen, the head of the European Union mission in Bosnia, stated that such protests were “a clear demand on elected officials in Bosnia-Herzegovina at all levels to do what they have been elected to do — work in the interests of the citizens.”
As demonstrated in Sarajevo during a recent commission meeting, Bosnia and Serbia currently support each other on their path toward EU membership. For stability in the region, the Bosnian delegation emphasized a need for progress.
While Serbia appears to support EU membership for Bosnia, it appears that progress will be delayed until the government agrees to unify or divide the country. Only then can economic and social woes be fully addressed.
For further information, please see:
EuroNews – Parents in Bosnia in Birth Registrations Protest – 7 June 2013
Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty – Bosnian Police Evacuate Parliament Besieged by Protesters – 7 June 2013
Reuters – Protesters Allow Out Bankers, Lawmakers Trapped in Bosnian Parliament – 7 June 2013
Westport News – Bosnian Lawmakers Take Early Weekend after Siege – 7 June 2013
Bloomberg Businessweek – Thousands Protest Lack of Bosnian Law on ID Numbers – 6 June 2013
InSerbia News – Serbia and BiH Support Each Other on EU Path – 5 June 2013
