I was absolutely delighted when Professor Rusmir Mahmutcehajic and the Committee for the Reconstruction of Stolac invited me to attend the activities that have recently been held in Stolac marking ten years since the persecution and ravages of war and five hundred years of the Carsija Mosque. Stolac and what has happened there has become an important part of my life. It was with a deep sense of respect and friendship with the Bosniak community of Stolac that I returned to this once magnificent town that was entirely cleansed of Bosniaks, and so terribly desecrated by the Bosnian Croats with substantial support from The Republic of Croatia in the early 1990’s.

One could well ask why a retired soldier from England would be interested in attending the formal opening of the rebuilt 1519 Carsija or Emperor’s Mosque in Stolac – especially when he is a Christian and not a Muslim. Why? – this was very clear. Firstly, to be in Stolac ten years to the day that the original 1519 Carsija Mosque was dynamited to the ground by Marijan Prce and his accomplices from the HVO. The resurrection of this ancient mosque, which is the very soul of the Bosniak community of Stolac, is an emphatic demonstration of victory of good over evil. Secondly, to demonstrate by my presence to both the Bosniak and Croat community of Stolac that what happened in those terrible days between September 1991 and the signing of the Dayton agreement in November 1995 will not be forgotten, and that those Bosnian Croats guilty of perpetrating the appalling war crimes that took place in Stolac will be brought to account. Thirdly, knowing exactly the scale and enormity of the crimes against humanity that were committed in the Stolac municipality, to respectfully and with dignity accompany survivors of those crimes to various locations where these atrocities occurred and to remember those that died in such horrifying circumstances. Fourthly, and perhaps most important to me as a soldier who has witnessed the horrors of war at close hand and who has seen his friends die, to confront some of the individuals responsible for committing these war crimes and to ask them why, how they could do the things they did, and how they feel now ten years on. And to leave them with no doubt in their minds that their actions are not forgotten, cannot be hidden, and that they will be brought to trial – either at The Hague or in Sarajevo - and that ultimately they will be answerable to God, the one and only God. They should not sleep easily at night. Fifthly, as a Christian to speak with the Roman Catholic Parish Priest of Stolac and to ask him to publicly condemn the crimes against humanity committed by the Bosnian Croats from Stolac against their fellow citizens between 1991 and 1995, and to welcome the reconstruction of the 1519 Carsija Mosque as a sign of reconciliation and tolerance - as practised in Bosnia for over 500 years between Roman Catholic, Orthodox Catholic, Muslim, Jew and other faith, and which made this country unique in Europe as a land practising unity in diversity of belief.

I would like to thank the Committee for the Reconstruction of Stolac and the Bosniak community of Stolac for inviting me to share this historic event with you and for making me so welcome. You opened your homes and hearts to me. You treated me as a son. I am extremely grateful for your warm, sincere, and generous hospitality. Thank you. The message of Mak Dizdar’s poetry remains with me. The witnessing of the ceremony ‘Let us recall God’ in the Carsija Mosque on Thursday evening, and the early morning prayers the following morning as the sun came up at the site of the ancient and historic Veli-dede Mosque within the castle above Stolac left me with a feeling of deep respect for your dignity, humility and courage in adversity in returning to your hometown to rebuild that which was so savagely laid to waste. The outward joy and happiness of everyone present at the formal opening ceremony of the Carsija Mosque on Friday was magnificent to see, and the opening of the Mosque doors by two young children so very poignant and significant. It is the young people, who along with the old and the Bosniak women of Stolac were brutally expelled on that cruel march from Buna to Blagaj, that were to return here in 2001 to rebuild this wonderful Mosque. The long-term future of Bosnia lies with the next generation. How right and proper it was to see this happy young girl and boy opening your house of worship. As I said when interviewed by Mostar Television – the reopening of the Carsija Mosque is a clear demonstration of the victory of good over evil. I congratulate you all on this significant project along the path to reconciliation and lasting peace. However, I was very sorry to see such a poor representation by both your National Authorities and the International Community at these very meaningful events for the Bosniak community of Stolac. I also found it embarrassing to see Spanish troops from SFOR wearing pistols when they entered the Carsija Mosque perimeter on such a joyous occasion.

I first visited Stolac in 1998, when as I say in the documentary ‘Operation Panther’ – You could smell the fear! Violence and intimidation were the order of the day. There were then about twenty families living in the Pilot Project Area for Bosniak returnees. The illegal Renner organisation run by Jozo Peric assisted by Marijan Prce and Vide Palameta ‘Dugi’ and his thugs ran rife. The IPTF in Stolac were almost under a state of siege and the returnees were subject to continual harassment and attack. Not a nice situation. When I compare this with what I saw last week it is almost unbelievable. Now you have some 3500 Bosniaks living in the town with approximately 5200 in all in the municipality. It was with the greatest pleasure that I could walk quite freely around the town, and see so many people proudly back in their homes and rebuilding the historical centre of Stolac in exactly the same way as it was for 500 years before everything was obliterated in the wanton destruction, looting and rape of Stolac that commenced in 1992. Whilst outwardly things appear to have improved since my visit last year, the causes for concern as expressed in my article ‘Stolac – a town imprinted on my heart’ remain. Bosnian Croat intransigence and obstruction is obvious to see – from deliberate provocation with symbols and flags to the inability of Bosniaks to be treated on an equal basis in the community; lack of equal opportunities for employment of returnees within the community; a town council that is heavily biased to the Bosnian Croat; a Mayor that is obstructive, and in a classic case of provocation has established a town court run entirely by Bosnian Croats in the former Kostana or Bone Hospital - where the Bosnian Croats from Stolac tortured and mishandled their Bosniak neighbours in the most gruesome way during the ethnic cleansing of Stolac. That same building was then used by the Croat run council, with – unbelievably - the concurrence of the OSCE, as the Stolac Voting Centre during the last elections. Talk about insensitivity and raw provocation! When I walked into the Bone Hospital and asked to see where the Djulic family had been held and tortured I was met with a cold intransigence and ignorance. The terrible treatment and fate of the Djulic family at the hands of Pero Matic and his accomplices is of historic significance to the Bosniak community from Stolac. Let this never be forgotten. Those that committed the barbarous acts that occurred in this Hospital must not be allowed to escape justice. I find myself asking how we in the International Community can allow such an infamous place to be used by the Croat town council for such purposes knowing full well the horror this recalls for any Bosniak who enters this building. We would never have allowed nazi torture chambers to be used in such a way after the Second World War – perish the thought if they were controlled by former members of the Nazi Party and their bullyboys. Knowing what happened in this building, and how the Bosniak victims of the Croat ethnic cleansing of Stolac feel about this, I find this sickening and distasteful. Surely we in the International Community can do better than this in stopping such unpleasant, deliberate provocation of Bosniak returnees to Stolac. One could be tempted to say that the situation in Stolac is slowly improving, but that only reflects what is happening on the surface. In reality a state of apartheid – albeit not quite so obvious as it was last year – remains very much in place with everything segregated and split. Bosnian Croats dominate with little representation for the Bosniaks although nearly half the community today is Bosniak.

It was with sombreness that I accompanied the small party that visited sites of the suffering of Bosniaks during those fateful months between April 1992 and August 1993. I was touched by the human feelings of despair and loss, yet the dignity and quiet courage of those paying homage to their friends and loved ones who died under the brutality that their Bosnian Croat neighbours meted out on them. And have no illusion about it, these crimes against humanity did occur! The ruthless detention of all Bosniak men; The fearsome torture and beatings at the Bone Hospital; The robbery, rape and humiliation of Bosniak women; The detention of Bosniak men in the horrifying concentration camps: Dretelj – I quote ‘a slaughter house’ – Gabela and Heliodrom; The use of detained Bosniaks as human shields in Mostar; The forced expulsion of all women, children and old people along the road from Buna to Blagaj; The organised looting and destruction of all Mosques, Bosniak historical and cultural buildings and homes in the Stolac area. Oh yes - these crimes took place on an enormous scale and 8000 Bosniaks were to suffer the consequences of this carefully planned, deliberate ethnic cleansing of the municipality of Stolac by Bosnian Croats. It is noteworthy that when we arrived at the Kostana or Bone Hospital the access gates to the hospital had been locked. On arrival at the point where women, children and old people started that terrible, exposed march from Buna to Blagaj there were arrogant young Croats – too young to know the horrors of war – trying to force their way past the mourning party to reach the water nearby. I stood in their way and stopped them. This was no way for them to behave. I was glad to accompany this small party of humble, brave people and my plea to all those who suffered under the cleansing of Stolac is that you make this an annual event, with increasing numbers attending as the years go by and as the wounds of what happened become more bearable. Those that suffered so terribly must not be forgotten, and the younger generation of Bosniaks and Croats must be made to realise that this must never repeat itself.

One of my main purposes in returning to Stolac was to meet face to face with some of those who participated in the War Crimes that took place here, and to pass a grim message to Marijan Prce and Vide Palameta ‘Dugi’. Both have dirty hands and were heavily involved in the ethnic cleansing and rape of Stolac. Vide Palameta played a central brutal role at Dretelj and directed the historic and fearful murder of Emir Repak at this death camp. Federal warrants have been out for their arrest since September 1999 and they remain fugitives on the run. My message to them via their families is ‘Surrender and face trial or you will be hunted until your dying days’. To your families I say ‘Do not judge me too hard. I have not destroyed your lives’. Ask Marijan and Vide how many Bosniak families lives have been destroyed by them and what they have on their conscience, for it is no less than the State Prosecutor in Sarajevo who wishes to question them. For the benefit of their wives and families - and the future of Stolac - it would be better if Marijan Prce and Vide Palameta were to come forward and face trial rather than remaining as fugitives for the rest of their days. And that is what they will be until they are arrested. I would ask Kreso Raic, who was at Dretelj and knows what happened there, to also pass this message to his old friends Marijan Prce and Vide Palameta. They will stand trial sooner or later – no ‘ifs’ or ‘buts’ about it. I was pleased to meet Pero Raguz, the Bosnian Croat Stolac Police Chief at the time when these appalling Crimes Against Humanity were committed. I am only sorry I did not have the opportunity to also meet Andjelko Markovic who was the Bosnian Croat Mayor of Stolac at this time. It is no good excusing what happened away. Nothing can justify the excesses that occurred here. All the States that make up the United Nations are agreed upon what comprises Crimes Against Humanity and those that took part in the ethnic cleansing of Stolac are guilty of complicity in these crimes. To Nikica Markic, who was present at the Primary School when the women were robbed of their valuables and jewellery, and to Ivo Maric, Manager of the HDZ Bank in Stolac, I raised the question of reparations or compensation. Would it not be better for reparation or compensation to be paid to returning Bosniaks before a claim is raised against the HDZ party and the Bosnian Croats from Stolac in the High Court in Sarajevo? The recent decision by the High Court in Sarajevo to order the payment of compensation by the Serbs to Bosniaks returning to Srebrenica serves as a pointer as to the way other claims for damages may be raised. It is significant that in all the days I was in Stolac I never heard the word ‘Hate’ used - apart from when talking with individuals implicated in War Crimes from within the Bosnian Croat community. Not once did I hear any remorse for the terrible War Crimes that were committed here. But I did hear plenty of reasons for excusing away those brutal acts. I was struck by the unwillingness of those involved - and the Bosnian Croat community of Stolac as a whole - to face up to the stark reality of the truth and what they participated in. That of course will bring a crushing sense of shame that will be almost unbearable to shoulder. But this time must come sooner rather that later for the good of all and the future of Stolac.

With this in mind I was delighted to meet the Roman Catholic Priest of the Church of St Elias, Don Rajko Markovic. As a fellow Christian I wanted to ask his views on what happened here and on the events connected with the reconstruction of the 1519 Carsija Mosque. I found myself questioning the logic of his arguments. Instead of reconciliation and tolerance I was hearing vengeance and provocation. This is not the way of the Christian faith and I would hope Don Rajko Markovic realises that to implicate the Roman Catholic Church in the events that occurred here in Stolac in the last 10 years through complicity is a cardinal sin - no more, no less. The War Crimes that occurred here are well documented and known. It is implicit upon Don Rajko Markovic to publicly condemn the inhumanities that his parish flock committed here against their Bosniak neighbours – not to try and cover them up or excuse them away with history. The argument put forward by Don Rajko Markovic that there was a Christian Church built on the site of the Carsija Mosque over 500 years ago, and that therefore the rebuilt mosque has no place here in Stolac is frankly nonsense. In 1998 when I first came to Stolac the site of Emperor’s mosque had been converted to a car park and rubbish tip. In 1999 Jozo Peric on release from Mostar jail held a party on the site, where he roasted a pig in insult to the expelled Muslim community. Not until some 9 years after the dynamiting of this famous mosque, and only after the Bosniak children had started to clear and rebuild their ancient mosque did Don Rajko Markovic raise this spurious claim. Firstly this is direct provocation, and secondly this goes entirely against what was agreed between the signatories of the Dayton Agreement in 1995 – whereby the right of returnees to rebuild their places of worship as they were before the war is enshrined. Don Rajko Markovic’s inflammatory rhetoric and actions do little to ease the burden of shame that the Bosnian Croat population will have to bear once it faces up to the realities of what it has done in Stolac. Don Rajko Markovic was a witness to what happened here in Stolac in those terrible days between 1992 and 1994. By not speaking out as a man of God against these appalling Crimes Against Humanity he is failing in his duty both to God and to his flock.

It is difficult to express all my deep feelings as I reflect over the events of the last week, but I am filled with a compassion and great warmth of kinship towards the many proud yet humble Bosniaks that I met in Stolac. How good it is to see you back in your rightful town, and to enjoy that sense of belonging with you. Thank you all once again for inviting me back and for making me so very welcome.

Finally, I end with a plea to Lord Ashdown - The High Representative, Ms Carla del Ponte - The Chief Prosecutor at The Hague, and The Federal Prosecutor in Sarajevo. Without justice there will never be true reconciliation and lasting peace. ‘The Stolac case’ remains the test case of the judicial reform process in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Please do not fail the Bosniaks of Stolac in their rightful quest for justice.

Hector Gullan
27 August 2003