I oppose Putin's aggression against the Ukraine; I oppose Aksyonov's mafia-style separatism, shamelessly supported by Moscow; and I oppose the recent sham referendum in the Crimea!
Why? Because I am a Croatian Serb, and the current situation in the Crimea reminds me of what happened in the former Yugoslavia. It reminds me of how the Krajina Serb rebels spuriously and maliciously claimed that Croatia's ethnic Serb population, of which I am one, was in danger of a "repeat genocide" to be committed by Croat nationalists fifty years after the original genocide committed by Ustashas during WW2. Personally, I don't like Serb or Croat nationalists; I think they're both a bunch of cynics, and I think their worldview is morally flawed! However, anyone who does thorough research into the wars of the former Yugoslavia – of course, taking into account both sides of the story, to begin with – will have to conclude that both sides were NOT equally guilty of starting the war; the wars were started by
Milošević's régime in Belgrade, which sponsored Serb nationalist régimes in Croatia and Bosnia, providing them arms with which to commit REAL persecution against non-Serbs within their authority (authority they established thanks to the Yugoslav People's Army taking their side, even though that army was meant to protect
all Yugoslavs). The wars he started in those two countries were brutal AGGRESSIONS, and not genuine interventions to protect ethnic Serbs from persecution.
As you can tell, I also don't buy Moscow's claims that Russian speakers or ethnic Russians in the Ukraine are under threat of being persecuted by Kiev, i.e. that they could become victims of systematic human rights abuses to be committed by the current interim Ukrainian government (formed following the overthrow of the country's previous president last month, now a fugitive wanted for mass murder) with the intent of causing them grave harm. About the recent controversial repeal of the 2012 regional language law in the Ukraine – which even I found rather troubling, being a supporter of multiculturalism, multilingualism, etc. – I'm relieved to have found out that it was
vetoed by the interim president, which I think was a very decent move on his part. Nevertheless, looking at the bigger picture, whatever fault this interim government may have, it certainly cannot be equated with what Putin is doing to their country!
I am ashamed of the wars started by Slobodan Milošević against Croatia and Bosnia, based on false allegations of a similar nature; I am ashamed of his sponsorship of CRAZY Serb nationalist régimes in Croatia and Bosnia, which brought about distruction and misery to so many people! What Putin has done so far to the Ukraine is awfully remiscent of what Milošević did more than two decades ago in the Balkans, and I am so sad and fearful of what's coming next.
I will not keep quiet; I am choosing to be on the RIGHT side of history! That's why I say:
SHAME ON MILOŠEVIĆ! SHAME ON PUTIN!
