Speaker A
I'm a Bosnian genocide survivor, and this is 15 lessons of Bosnian genocide, part three.
Survivor shares 15 lessons from the Bosnian genocide, focusing on trust, survival tactics, and harsh realities in Nevesinje.
Key Takeaways
- Distrust neighbors during conflict to protect yourself.
- Keep information about weapons secret to avoid being targeted.
- Age does not guarantee safety in genocide.
- Escape routes and hiding places greatly affect survival chances.
- Take enemy warnings seriously to avoid fatal consequences.
Summary
- A survivor recounts warnings ignored before the genocide, emphasizing distrust of neighbors.
- Lesson 31: Being the black sheep and having unpopular opinions can save lives.
- Lesson 32: Do not reveal the type or number of weapons to neighbors to avoid vulnerability.
- Elders’ wisdom from WWII was sometimes misleading during the genocide.
- Older people were not spared despite assumptions of safety due to age.
- Villagers who hid in difficult terrain often survived better than those taking easier routes.
- Resistance, even minimal, could deter attacks and save villages temporarily.
- Returning to a house after it has been attacked is dangerous and should be avoided.
- Believing enemy warnings can be crucial for survival.
- The video stresses the brutal and indiscriminate nature of genocide.
Chapters
- 00:00Introduction and Survivor's Warning
- 00:40Weapons Secrecy and Village Agreements
- 01:13Taking Warnings Seriously Saves Lives
- 01:46Elders' Wisdom from WWII vs. Genocide Reality
- 02:23Genocide's Brutality Against All Ages
- 04:48Escape Routes and Survival Strategies
- 06:02When to Trust Enemy Warnings
- 07:14Final Lessons and Hope for Viewers
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
Speaker A
year prior to genocide, he kept telling his fellow villagers, "We cannot trust our neighbors." They didn't listen to him. They in fact made fun of him. They ignored him. But, he kept repeating it.
Speaker A
Lesson number 31, be the black sheep. In the little village of Rabina near the Vesinja, there was a man called Omer Miečević, and for a whole year prior to genocide, he kept telling his fellow villagers, "We cannot trust our neighbors."
Speaker A
kind of weapons and how many you have to your neighbors. Also, in the village of Rabina near the Vesinja, there was a meeting between the Bosniaks and the Serbs, and they'd come to an agreement to protect each other when the opposing
Speaker A
They didn't listen to him. They, in fact, made fun of him. They ignored him. But he kept repeating it.
Speaker A
because they knew they only had a few hunting rifles, and that was it. So, they went in confidently believing the village cannot defend itself.
Speaker A
And only 5 hours separated the village from certain death when they actually took him seriously. And when they did, hundreds of people were saved.
Speaker A
somebody fired a couple of shots out of a village, that's the thing, do we go in and take a risk? We don't know what kind of resistance we're going to find. So, they ended up not taking that risk, and
Speaker A
So, therefore, one person with an unpopular opinion can make all the difference.
Speaker A
case of Bosnia, there was a piece of wisdom that a lot of the elders had, which was that they'd lived through World War II, and and back then, if you were to hide nearby your village while the other armies passed through, you
Speaker A
Lesson number 32, do not divulge what kind of weapons and how many you have to your neighbors.
Speaker A
matter where you're hiding and kill you. And yes, the elderly gave away this information out of best intentions, but as they say, road to hell is paved with good intentions. Lesson number 34, and staying on that theme of elderly, being
Speaker A
Also, in the village of Rabina near the Vesinja, there was a meeting between the Bosniaks and the Serbs, and they'd come to an agreement to protect each other when the opposing armies come through.
Speaker A
And they thought they're going to be safe even if they find them, they're not going to be interested in older people.
Speaker A
And at some point during this meeting, the Serbs asked the Bosniaks, "How many weapons do you have?"
Speaker A
fact that they were older and posed no threat to the Serbs didn't matter. This was a full genocide and they were going to die anyway.
Speaker A
And unfortunately, Bosniaks gave away that information freely, and it was then used against them when Serbs attacked the village because they knew they only had a few hunting rifles, and that was it.
Speaker A
that had paid upwards of $100,000 to shoot a child, which was more than they would pay to shoot an adult.
Speaker A
So, they went in confidently believing the village could not defend itself.
Speaker A
100-ft drop-off cave, and they eventually threw them in. In the case of a 7-day old baby that was thrown in, its mom as she jumped right behind it trying to catch it. There was no mercy. And furthermore, in a case of a mass grave
Speaker A
Conversely, there were a few villages in Bosnia that were defended by a couple of people and a couple of rifles, and that was because the Serbs didn't know how many weapons they had.
Speaker A
that was unborn. So, therefore, even if you're a little baby, if you're in a total genocide, they will murder you.
Speaker A
So, when there was any kind of resistance, meaning somebody fired a couple of shots out of a village, that's the thing: do we go in and take a risk? We don't know what kind of resistance we're going to find.
Speaker A
Except, they shot him. And then when he was able to get away and he went to the hospital, he offered all his money. He offered everything he had, but nobody wanted to help him. In fact, they left him to bleed and eventually die on a
Speaker A
So, they ended up not taking that risk, and some of those villages ended up being saved, at least for a little while.
Speaker A
wrong to anybody, why would they come after me?" It's a genocide. It's not a popularity contest. The fact that you were a saint before the genocide or even during it does not mean anything to a genocider is. They reduce you to your name,
Speaker A
So, don't give away information about the guns that you have.
Speaker A
In Nevesinje, there were those that went up the sheer cliffs of Mount Velez to escape certain death. And in many cases, they lived. Whereas, those that took the perceived easier route going across the foothills of the north side of the
Speaker A
Number 33, sometimes the wisdom of elders ages like wine, and sometimes like vinegar.
Speaker A
safe there forever. In the village of Bakarč an elderly couple had survived hiding there for 2 months and eventually they were found and killed anyway. If you have a chance to keep on running to the next safer spot, do it. Therefore,
Speaker A
In the case of Bosnia, there was a piece of wisdom that a lot of the elders had, which was that they'd lived through World War II, and back then, if you were to hide nearby your village while the other armies passed through, you usually were saved.
Speaker A
If you're on the run and you see some random soldiers with uniforms without insignia or some civilians that you don't recognize, don't assume that they're friendly. So, when a bunch of civilians were escaping across Jasenovac, they saw two unmarked
Speaker A
And then they passed that knowledge on to Bosniaks in this war. However, in 1992, this was total genocide and hiding anywhere was not going to help you.
Speaker A
run, some may have survived. Number 41. When your house is shot at, don't ever go back to it. When a Bosnian political leader from Nevesinje called Muja Čupina had his house shot at to the tune of 1,000 bullets almost a year before the
Speaker A
Serbs were taking time and effort to come after you no matter where you're hiding and kill you.
Speaker A
And then he was brought in front of a large rabid crowd of civilians that were treating tortures like a football game and were telling essentially the torturers as to what to do.
Speaker A
And yes, the elderly gave away this information out of best intentions, but as they say, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Speaker A
be humiliated and beaten. And then those same civilians spat, threw rocks, and verbally degraded the kidnapped Bosniaks. Oh, and because these women and children had not had any water for days and were cooking in the summer heat, these same civilians brought water
Speaker A
Lesson number 34, and staying on that theme of elderly, being elderly will not save you.
Speaker A
ahead of the group and do surveillance. He spotted many Serb extremists and helped his family maneuver around them, leading them to eventual safety and avoiding certain deaths. Uh lesson number 44, when your enemies spill the beans on what they're up to, believe
Speaker A
So, in the case of Kluna, which is a village near Nevesinje as well, there were 16 villagers that stayed behind. There were 15 older women and an older man. They were all 75 years old and above.
Speaker A
And when a local Serb woman came and told one of them that they're being sent a message to leave their houses so they can be used by Serbs coming in from a Yugoslav aggression against Croatia, the locals didn't take it very seriously.
Speaker A
And they thought they were going to be safe. Even if they found them, they were not going to be interested in older people.
Speaker A
wider village area so well that he was able to navigate it in pitch darkness as to avoid thousands of enemy units that were stationed all around his village.
Speaker A
Except 7 days later, after they were hidden, Serbs found them.
Speaker A
part three. I hope you never have to use them.
Topics:Bosnian genocideNevesinjesurvivor testimonywar lessonsgenocide survivalBosniaksSerbswar tacticsethnic conflicthuman rights
