As the Yugoslav economy went into crisis the Stalinist rulers turned to nationalism, scapegoating people of a different race or religion for the problems created by these same Stalinist bosses. They are all doing it, the Serbian ruling class are just the most efficient at stirring up blind hatred.
The world's big governments are all claiming to be shocked at what is happening. They are liars. Are we really expected to believe that they didn't know about the concentration camps until an ITV camera crew sent out pictures from one of them? Bullshit. Are we expected to believe that the Americans, Russians, French and British with all their spies, diplomats and satellites that are capable of reading a car number plate from space did not know of the camps where 110,000 were being imprisoned, tortured and murdered!
A UN document issued last May reported on the camps. It was not publicised until August when it could no longer be hidden. Their 'concern' has seen Italy and Austria close their borders to refugees. Hungary has sent them back. Germany is demanding visas but won't explain how people fleeing for their lives can obtain visas when armies of killers stand between them and the embassy. Visas can not be obtained. It is a sick joke to ask for them.
Britain has taken just 1,300 people. Ireland will only take 200. Each and every one of the European governments want these starving, hunted, terrified people to stay where they are. It is just like World War 11 when they closed their doors to Jewish escapees from Nazi Germany. DeValera's government refused to provide sanctuary to more than a few dozen families. Albert Reynold's gang is doing exactly the same cruel and callous thing in the 1990s.
These people will not act in the interests of ordinary people, whether in Ireland or Yugoslavia. UN or EC intervention is no answer. These are same powers that mass murdered their way through the Gulf War, bombing military and civilian targets without distinction. They are the ones who called for the overthrow of Saddam Hussein and then stood by while the Iraqi regime savagely suppressed the rebellions in the South and in Kurdistan. They are the same ones who encouraged the Serbian and Croat bosses in their nationalist carve up, and agreed to a 'cantonisation' of Bosnia.
It is not all bad news. There is a peace movement in Serbia which opposes the slaughter. Not everyone has been pulled into the jingoist madness of hating and killing other working class people because it suits the interests of the ruling class. When we look for a long term answer, we look to working class people in Bosnia, Serbia and Croatia learning that they have more in common than divides them. We look forward to the day when enough of them see the need to get rid of the governments and nationalist hatemongers in the region.
Right now, in Ireland, we need to say loudly and clearly that the refugees are welcome here. No restrictions, no quotas. Nobody should be condemned to live in fear; being shelled, being tortured, being starved. Nobody should be abandoned to die in the hellhole that was once Yugoslavia. Every refugee, whether Bosnian or Serb or Croat, should be welcome here.