Posted by stjepankljujic on October 1, 2003, 4:24 pm, in reply to "Re: We're on the same page"
You definitely bring up an interesting point. For the last ten or fifteen years, there hasnt been a bigger issue in the Balkans than the validity of the AVNOJ borders. The republic borders were drawn up not at Yalta but at the AVNOJ conference in Jajce in 1943. Now there are people on the other side of the argument that claim for example that if not for Tito and the Partizans, Istra and parts of Dalmacija would still be part of Italy today. Interestingly, Serbs claim the borders were drawn to weaken Serbia.
But lets step back and take a look at just how Croatia came to have its present day borders. I cant do another historical survey so Ill just start in 1971 with the MasPok. In response to this, the 1972 Yugoslav Constitution and 1974 amendments created among other things, the Bosnian Muslim nation, the rotating Yugoslav presidency , autonomy for Vojvodina and Kosovo as well dissolving a good portion Yugoslavias centralist power into the hands of the individual republics. It also laid the foundation for secession and basically said that internal Republican borders could not be changed without their permission. Its also believed to be the basis for the conclusions of the Badinter Commission and consequently the legal basis for the secession and subsequent independent states of Croatia and Slovenia. Acceptance of Badinter Commission criteria cleared the way for international recognition of Croatia and Slovenia. The Commission also brought about the Bosnian referendum in which Croats and Muslims voted (Serbs boycotted) and 99.4% voted for independence. It was also on the basis of this that the Serb claims of nation rather than republic secession was struck down.
But heres my big problem with changing the borders
if for instance, Croatia decides to annex Herceg-Bosna
how is that different from Serb claims on Krajina and what stops Italians in Istra from deciding to join Italy?
So ultimately, the answer to your question of why we need to respect the current borders is that fact that if you want to change them
youd better be prepared to change ALL of them. Do you think the annexation of Western Hercegovina into Croatia is worth losing Istra to Italy, parts of Baranja to Hungary, the renaissance of Republika Srpska Krajina and ultimately a massive Serbia that fulfills Seseljs Karlovac-Karlobag-Virovitica border?
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