Slobodna Vojvodina

Thu, 28/01/2010 - 2:58pm

The Centre for Development of Civil Society (CDCS) warned, after the latest inter-ethnic incidents in Temerin, Vojvodina, that past experiences with growing indicents in Vojvodina (December 2003-October 2005) and CDCS's research at the time point out that what happens in Temerin, the most vulnerable community in the province, today could quickly spread to large parts of Vojvodina.

CDCS warns that the attacks on Hungarian youths on January 16 and 23 were undoubtedly ethnically motivated. While authorities reacted promptly to the first attack and detained the three attackers, in the second attack, according to VajdaságMa portal, the police not only have not identified the perpetrators, but it seems that the local police in Temerin has no authority to give any information to the public, while the spokesperson of Novi Sad Police Department doesn’t want to give any information.  (Read more by pressing "Opširnije...")

Bela Csorba, President of regional organization of Democratic Party of Vojvodina Hungarians (DSVM) for Temerin, says that “there is fear in Temerin after an MP for Nova Serbia party – bringing back to life the spirit of darkest times of Milosevic's regime - came forward with a bombastic fake thesis that Serbs are under threat in Temerin (where they make up two thirds of the population, by the way)”. 

"Under the ice with Hungarians"

Tamas Korhec, Provincial Secretary of minority affairs, said on January 27 that “a ‘graffiti war’ has been waged in Temerin for quite some time” and demanded from the state authorities to react to such events. In his view, there may be more ethnically motivated attacks in Vojvodina that remain unreported out of fear.

CDCS, therefore, emphasizes the importance of Korhec’s statement that “the number of extremist groups may be small, but if they are not isolated and sanctioned properly and in timely fashion, they will gain strength and impudence, similar to football hooligans”.

CDCS also repeated its own recommendation of 2005 that Vojvodina Police has to be given more functional autonomy to be able to react and alleviate the situation. (Source: CRNPS)

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