In 1992, 63.4% of the country turned out to vote of which 99% voted for independence according to Yugoslav constitution. Bosnia wasn't an entity at a time like RS is but a Republic and did it lawfully. The only reason they did it was b/c Serb leaders were arming people already.
If Serb leaderships in the 1980's and 1990's did not ramp up their ethno-nationalism, did not threaten a Greater Serbia, did not completely shit on Tito's legacy...the likelihood is that there wouldn't have even been a referendum. But there was b/c they were preparing for war.
The RAM plan wasn't some hidden thing, it was an open agenda to arm Serbs in order to gain control over the territories & ensure a Greater Serbia. People voted for a multi-ethnic, sovereign, united, and equal Bosnia. That's different than once again Dodik wanting a Greater Serbia
& btw Yugoslavia was already dissolving by the time the Bosnian Independence Referendum was voted on. The choice wasn't stay in Yugoslavia or be independent, the choice was Greater Serbia or an equal state of all people...we chose the latter & rightfully so.
So no, RS leadership continually violating Bosnian constitution, threatening war and secession, is not at all the same thing. Most importantly, it's not the same thing b/c they are an entity which was built on genocide...and genocide is what they want yet again.

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More from @Rrrrnessa

5 Nov
It's really not one or the other. Plenty of people I see/know/speak to are frustrated with both, worried about war and angry about the heat. I just returned from Sarajevo and a great deal of people I spoke to are definitely worried. & tbh, that's been the case since 1995.
I really hate these simplifications by people who don't live in BiH esp. He's based in HK for example. & even if lots of my Sarajevo family & friends aren't posting about it publicly, the private conversations we are having are definitely focused on the war and Dodik's threats.
Additionally, what's standard in Sarajevo is not going to be standard for Visegrad or Srebrenica for example, both of whom are under the rule of the Republika Srpska entity. People there are particularly worried.
Read 5 tweets
4 Nov
I like my job and I enjoy my career. I get to be super creative every day. I get to make tough decisions and manage crises. I do cool stuff sometimes and meet cool people. But my life-long career dream is not to have to work ever and to just exist...preferably in a library.
I love working. Like genuinely love working. It's great. It keeps me stimulated. But I would risk it all to just exist, wander the streets with a baguette and listen to music all day and do nothing else. That's my dream job.
I don't even aspire to be rich. I don't really care to have fancy stuff or a big huge house full of fancy stuff. I just want to exist and like visit parks and tend to plants and dance in my underwear in the middle of the day and have endless cups of coffee with cigarettes.
Read 5 tweets
3 Nov
Not to make this all about me (but I will because I can) but I've been literally right about the US, EU, and Turkey supposed "commitments" to Bosnia for years. There are none. It's empty words and promises, pls stop begging and take some actual action for a change.
Honestly, the fact that Bosnians of influence & their far more powerful Western allies in positions of power aren't making noise regarding the current crisis is just absurd. Words and promises last time ended with 600+ mass graves of our loved ones.
I'm not saying I have all the answers but why aren't people being urged to protest? Why aren't our powerful allies stepping in? There's only so much open letters, Twitter threads, and articles will do.
Read 5 tweets
23 Oct
Let's talk about what is currently happening in Bosnia and why there's suddenly more fear than usual about another war breaking out.

If you've been following me for a long time, you know that due to the Dayton Agreement which ended the war, Bosnia was split by ethnic lines.
After the Serbs committed genocide and all sorts of human rights abuses in the 1990s, they were rewarded with their own entity- courtesy of the International Community. Milorad Dodik is currently the Serb leader of that entity as well as a member of the Bosnian presidency.
Milorad Dodik was once called a "breath of fresh air" by Madeline Albright. Initially, he was an "anti-nationalist", admitted genocide happened and that Serbs perpetrated it. But that changed quickly as he gained more power.
Read 21 tweets
22 Oct
I've basically been a single mom this week as my husband has been away on a film shoot. Two takeaways:

1. Plans never go accordingly when you're doing it all on your own and have no other support

2. I accomplished a LOT, had some great alone time and I am absolutely EXHAUSTED.
I mean, just absolutely drained. School pick ups and drop offs, showers that took 10 minutes at most, rushing to make sure everything is done and that she is fully taken care off while also working full time was a wild ride. I literally was on the go all day w/ no breaks.
But mainly: it's really nice to have a supportive and loving partner. Because it's easy to forget how much work they alleviate for us on a daily basis. I know women who function as single moms even when they're married and I am so thankful that's not my fate.
Read 4 tweets
20 Oct
A little tidbit of information about all the anti-vax people complaining about having to be vaccinated in order to work. When I came to the USA as a refugee, my first week in the country, I was taken to a doctor's office and given literally 14 shots. Get. Over. It.
I had many of these shots as a child in Bosnia. Some I received upon birth, some later but the requirement of my entry to the United States was a full vaccination regardless of my prior status. I was not allowed to go to school and my parents could not work until we got vaxxed.
When I had my daughter in the United States, at birth she got vaccinated too. When she started school, I was told that she could not attend unless she had her full immunisation and of course she did. The laws around vaccinations have always existed. You are not oppressed.
Read 5 tweets

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