Anti-Minority Incidents Continue in Vojvodina

January 2005

IV.
Proliferation of Racist, Xenophobic and Anti-Semitic Graffiti


Graffiti messages scrawled on homes as well as public institutions explicitly incite to violence against minorities and contain frequent use of the words “death to Hungarians,” “slaughter,” “go home,” and “this is our land.” The latter two messages are particularly grotesque in light of the fact that while the country has not adequately addressed the issue of hundreds of thousands of internally displaced ethnic Serbians from Croatia and Bosnia, Hungarians and other ethnic groups in Vojvodina are autochthonous to the region. The well-known and unmistakable Serbian nationalistic acronym “CCCC” often accompanies these warnings as do anti-Semitic symbols. HHRF’s current report covers 26 such incidents.

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NEW January 13, 2005

In Szabadka/Subotica, unknown perpetrators spray-painted chauvinistic graffiti at the entrance of the headquarters of the political party representing the Croatian, Bunjevac and Shokac minority groups. The message read: “Get out of Serbia!” (In Serbian: “Mars iz Srbije.”) Party President Blasko Temunovic condemned the incident and said that the graffiti reminded him of the Milosevic era’s ethnic cleansing. He noted that these sort of incidents are occuring with greater frequency and he expects an explanation from the federal Minister for Minority Affairs, Rasim Ljaljic, as to why. [Magyar Szó (Újvidék/Novi Sad), January 15-16, 2005]

NEW December 15, 2004

Newer examples of graffiti inciting to ethnic hatred appeared on the façade of a residential house located at 73 Petõfi Sándor Street in Újvidék/Novi Sad. The message of "Burn 'em, Brother" (in Serbian: Ma pali brate)-accompanied  by the popular Serbian nationalist acronym of four letter C-s separated by crosses-appeared next to earlier graffiti spray-painted in September and still not removed stating "Death to Hungarians." A police investigation is underway. [Vajdaság MA — Délvidék Hírportál (www.vajdasagma.info), December 16, 2004; Magyar Szó (Újvidék/NoviSad), December 16, 2004]


NEW November 24, 2004

Unknown perpetrators spray-painted swastikas and an insulting message on the Catholic vicarage in Pétervárad/Petrovaradin. The vandals scrawled, “Catholics go away!” in addition to the swastikas on the coat of arms and the front door of the Catholic vicarage, and painted three more swastikas on the garden wall. According to BETA (an independent news agency from Belgrade,) the police issued a short report about the incident, stating that an investigation is underway. [Vajdaság MA — Délvidék Hírportál (www.vajdasagma.info), November 24, 2004 ]


November 2, 2004

Unidentified perpetrators spray-painted anti-Hungarian graffiti on the wall of a private house at 30 Duna Street in Kamenica/Sremska Kamenica. The text was written in Cyrillic letters, saying: „Hungarians under the ice!” and „We will kill Kasza!” –– the latter referring to József Kasza, president of the Alliance of Hungarians in Vojvodina. The house is uninhabited, therefore no one filed charges with the police, and it is uncertain who will remove the graffiti. [Vajdaság MA — Délvidék Hírportál (www.vajdasagma.info), November 2, 2004]


September 28, 2004

In Újvidék/Novi Sad, unidentified perpetrators spray-painted graffiti on two columns of a building located in the projects on Bata Brkic Street in the Újtelep District. One of the texts was written in Cyrillic letters and stated “Death to Hungarians” (in Serbian: “Smrt madjarima”); the other said “Canak is an ustasha,” referring to Nenad Canak, President of the Vojvodina Assembly as being a Croatian facist. The Serbian acronym with the four C-s separated in four fields by a cross — popular among Serbian nationalists — was also left behind. [Magyar Szó (Újvidék/NoviSad), September 28, 2004]

September 24, 2004

Graffiti stating “Death to Hungarians” (In Serbian: “Smrt Madjarima”) was spray-painted in red, Cyrillic letters on a residential home located at No. 73 Sándor Petőfi Street in Újvidék/Novi Sad. The Serbian nationalist acronym of four letter “C”-s was also spray-painted next to the graffiti. The house belongs to an ethnic Hungarian family living in the so-called “Telep District” where most of the city’s ethnic Hungarians live. Spokesman for the Újvidék police, Stevan Krstic, told the local Radio 021 that an investigation of the case is underway. [Vajdaság MA — Délvidék Hírportál (www.vajdasagma.info), September 24, 2004; Index (www.index.hu), September 24, 2004]

September 15, 2004

At night, unknown perpetrators imbedded a 35-cm kitchen knife into the front door of the home of the Sötét family of Szabadka/Subotica. Graffiti using Cyrillic letters and stating “Death” and “Drop dead, Hungarians!” was also spray-painted on the house, as well as the well-known Serbian nationalistic acronym “CCCC.” 13-year old Klementina Sötét discovered the knife and the graffiti as she was walking to school that morning. She ran back into the house, screaming that there was blood on the door. The family reported the incident to the police, who began an investigation. The police also issued a short statement stating that nationalistic and offensive graffiti — there was no mention of the knife in the statement — appeared on a family home’s walls, targeting members of the ethnic Hungarian minority. The incident came only 12 hours before Ferenc Mádl, President of the Republic of Hungary’s official visit to Szabadka as his final destination.


In August, a group of ethnic Serbian youth assaulted 19-year old Denisz Sötét at a bus stop near the Hotel Patria in downtown Szabadka and he suffered numerous bruises and injuries (see report of August 22, 2004 in Section I). Since he has gone public with his story, Sötét’s mother, Slavica, told reporters that during the daytime a black car drives around their home and sometimes stops at the house, revving its engine. On September 17, the five-member family abandoned their home and left Vojvodina seeking political asylum in neighboring Hungary. Only the Sötét’s eldest son has remained in Szabadka. This development came unexpectedly after both József Kasza, Alliance of Hungarians in Vojvodina President, and Hungarian President Mádl visited the family, urging them to remain in Serbia. Currently, the Sötéts reside in one of Hungary’s three refugee camps, awaiting Hungarian authorities to grant them political asylum. [Magyar Szó (Újvidék/Novi Sad), September 16, 18-19, 2004; Népszabadság (Budapest), September 18, 2004]

August 25, 2004

A group of 15 supporters of the Obilić (Belgrade) football team set fire to the Hungarian national flag in Újvidék/Novi Sad during a game between the Obilić and Vojvodina (Novi Sad) teams. They also held up a banner with the slogan: “Temerin, revenge, warriors” which they put aside when the police came. The police escorted the instigators to the police station where misdemeanor charges of misconduct were filed against two: Mihajlo Milenović (aged 21) and Dalibor Marinović (aged 26). Each paid a fine of 700 Dinars (approx. $US 11). Further court proceedings are expected regarding the flag burning incident as this constitutes a crime in Serbia and not merely a misdemeanor according to the penal code. [Magyar Szó (Újvidék/Novi Sad), August 27, 2004]


July 25, 2004

Temerin City Council Chairman, József Milinszky, issued a statement informing the public about a flag-burning incident. At 3:15 a.m., a local police officer on downtown patrol saw three flags burning in front of the First Local Community’s headquarters. The Serbian, Hungarian and local flags had been put on display the previous day as part of a festival. A police investigation is underway. The desecration of national symbols is prohibited under the penal code. [Magyar Szó (Újvidék/Novi Sad), July 26, 2004]


July 21, 2004

In Nagybecskerek/Zrenjanin, graffiti offending sexual minorities was spray painted on the wall of the local educational center. The slogans said: “Go for a Serbia without homosexuals” (in Serbian: “Za srbstvo bez pedera”) and “Homosexuals are not humans” (“Pedery nesu ludy”). A human rights activist working for a civic organization housed in the building, who requested anonymity, said this was the first such offensive incident. Members of the association include a variety of religious, national, sexual and other minorities. [Magyar Szó (Újvidék/Novi Sad), July 22, 2004]

July 15, 2004

In Újvidék/Novi Sad, a large anti-Hungarian graffiti appeared by dawn on a concrete fence in front of a residence on the Ernő Kiss Street. The epithet was spray painted with red colors, stating “Okay, okay Hungarians — a deep mass grave awaits you.” Police have begun an investigation. [Magyar Szó (Újvidék/Novi Sad), July 16, 2004]

May 2, 2004

Nationalistic and anti-Semitic graffiti appeared again on several downtown buildings in the capitol of Vojvodina Province, Újvidék/Novi Sad. Inscriptions such as “Serbia belongs to Serbs,” “Out with Hungarians,” as well as anti-Israel slogans and crossed out Stars of David were found. László Galambos, Vice President of the local chapter of the Alliance of Hungarians in Vojvodina told reporters that such incidents occur daily in the city. [Krónika (Cluj/Kolozsvár, Romania), May 6, 2004]


April 19, 2004

Citing a statement issued by the Újvidék/Novi Sad Police, the Beta News Agency reported that graffiti instigating against Hungarians appeared on the pavement in front of the house at 34 Népfront Street in Temerin. [Vajdaság MA — Délvidék Hírportál (www.vajdasagma.info), April 19, 2004]

“Let’s Slaughter Hungarians” (in Serbian: “pobijmo madjare”) was the message spray painted on a train and highway bridge in Újvidék/Novi Sad. Mayor Borislav Nosakovic condemned the incident, promised to remove the graffiti and called on authorities to apprehend the perpetrators. [Magyar Szó (Újvidék/Novi Sad), April 20, 2004]

April 9, 2004

“Death to Hungarians” (in Serbian: “Smrt madjarima”) was the graffiti spray painted on a store and bakery located at the corner of Tito Marshall and Dusan Guconja Streets in the center of Bácsföldvár/Backo Gradiste. The officially approved Serbian-Hungarian bilingual road sign was also removed and replaced with a Serbian-language one. [Magyar Szó (Újvidék/Novi Sad), April 10-12, 2004]


April 2, 2004


Anti-Hungarian graffiti appeared in the town of Zenta/Senta stating “Death to Hungarians” and “This is Serbia.” The graffiti was found on a Hungarian historic monument and two place name signs. Local police and town officials have failed to investigate the incident. [Magyar Szó (Újvidék/Novi Sad), April 6, 2004]

Anti-Hungarian graffiti was reported on four buildings in Szabadka/Subotica: on the wall of the local sports arena, stating “Hungarians, go to Hungary” (see photo at left), the Hungarian cultural house, Népkör, stating “We will kill you, Hungarians” (see picture at right), the Szent Teréz Cathedral and the Lazar Nešić high school. The writings were all in the Cyrillic alphabet. [Magyar Szó (Újvidék/Novi Sad), April 3-4, 2004]

March 8 and 17, 2004


   

Anti-Hungarian graffiti appeared on a Hungarian decoration in a school in Csóka/Coka. The graffiti stated: “Out from Serbia! This is our home! You do not belong here!” (in Serbian: “Idite iz Srbije ove je nasa zemlja ovde niste dobrodosli”). A week after the message was removed, new ones appeared stating: “Out from Serbia!” (Idite iz Srbije), “Serbia: Extend to Tokyo” (Srbija do Tokija). Local police and town officials have failed to investigate the incident. [Magyar Szó (Újvidék/Novi Sad), March 12 and 17, 2004]


October 17, 2003

At the Gynecological Clinic in Újvidék/Novi Sad, personnel insulted an expectant mother, B.B., for speaking in Hungarian. The young woman was sent to the clinic for examinations and escorted by her husband, because she doesn't speak Serbian well. The required examination was high-risk, to be performed only in the 16th week of pregnancy. First, the receptionist at the clinic objected to the husband speaking for his wife and later started yelling at him that “he should have taught her Serbian.” The treatment the young mother received from three examining nurses was the same. They admonished her that “we will teach you Serbian!”. Finally, the nurses yelled so much at the patient that B.B. left the clinic crying and without having the procedure done. Afterwards, the patient’s gynecologist from Szabadka/Subotica, dr. Slavica Mazak Bešlić, tried to intervene with the director of the institution, dr. Vule Višnjevac. The director's retort was that she should teach her patients Serbian before sending them to the clinic. Sándor Egeresi, Vice-President of the Vojvodina Parliamentary Assembly, reported the incident to the Ombudsman of Vojvodina, dr. Petar Teofilović. Subsequently, the director of the clinic, dr. Višnjevac was removed, and a new director, dr. Milenko Bujas, appointed. However, the central director of the Clinical Center in Novi Sad said that the change did not occur as a result of the above-described incident. [Magyar Szó (Újvidék/Novi Sad), October 17, 18-19 and 25-26, 2003]


September 10, 2003

Jovan Pejin, historian and member of the Serbian People's Movement, accused Hungarians, Slovaks and Romanians of “occupying” Serbian territory in Vojvodina since the 10th Century. The diatribe was broadcast during primetime over Novi Sad Television during the “Otkopcano” (Unfastened) program. The Hungarian Alliance of Vojvodina (VMSz) protested this effort to undermine the peaceful coexistence of 26 ethnic groups in Vojvodina. [Press Release of the Hungarian Alliance of Vojvodina, September 16, 2003]


August 30, 2003

Graffiti, carved into the asphalt, appeared on the main street of Temerin, in front of houses inhabited by ethnic Hungarians. The message said: “Death to Hungarians” (in Serbian: Smrt Mađarima) and was signed: “Serb Chetniks” (Srpski četnici). The local branch of the Hungarian Democratic Party of Vojvodina (VMDP) condemned the act and called upon the authorities to take effective measures. [Press Release of the Hungarian Democratic Party of Vojvodina, September 2, 2003]


June 2003

In mid-June, unknown perpetrators spray-painted graffiti saying “Serbia is a Pravoslavic country” (in Serbian: “Srbija je pravoslavna zemlja”) in Cyrillic letters on the wall of the Hungarian Reformed Church in Zombor/Sombor. [First-hand Report from the resident minister, Rev. Andor Békássy, dated August 18, 2004]

March 10, 2003

On Monday, March 10, graffiti saying: “This is Serbia” (Ovo je Srbija), written in Cyrillic letters, appeared on the walls of the Széchenyi István Elementary School in Szabadka/Subotica. This school conducts its classes in Hungarian and has mostly ethnic Hungarian students. [Magyar Szó (Újvidék/Novi Sad), March 11, 2003]


 March 7, 2003

In Szabadka/Subotica, anti-Hungarian graffiti appeared on the walls of the Hungarian cultural house, Népkör, and a private house facing the Újvidék/Novi Sad University’s branch Faculty of Economics. The message read: “Hungarians leave from here to the beautiful green Hungary!” (In Serbian: “Mađari, kuš u Mađarsku, lepu zelenu”). In the morning, when the graffiti was spotted, employees of Népkör called the police, who arrived within 15 minutes, and began an investigation. [Magyar Szó (Újvidék/Novi Sad), March 8, 2003]


January 18, 2003

Residents of the district called “Telep,” a predominantly Hungarian inhabited area of Újvidék/Novi Sad, found a number of flyers on their cars inciting to hatred against Hungarians. The flyers were hand-written and they contained the following text: “Since we appreciate the good neighborly relations with Hungary we want the green stars [a term for ethnic Hungarians] living in Southern Bácska to go to the lovely green Hungary.” A clover, the letter “M,” as well as a green-colored five-pointed star were also inscribed on the pamphlets. A police investigation is underway. President of the Vojvodina Parliamentary Assembly Nenad Čanak condemned the incident. [Magyar Szó (Újvidék/Novi Sad), January 21, 2003]




Tartalom Vissza a tetejére




Copyright © 2004, 2005 Hungarian Human Rights Foundation

Hungarian Human Rights Foundation (HHRF) is an international human rights organization which, for the past 28 years, has monitored the human rights condition of the 3 million Hungarians who live as minorities in Romania, Slovakia, Serbia and Montenegro, Ukraine, Croatia and Slovenia. In accordance with its purpose, HHRF regularly collects, translates, analyses and disseminates reliable reports on the human rights condition of these communities. With offices in the United States and Europe, the Foundation serves as a clearinghouse of information for Western governments, human rights organizations, the media and the public.