SARAJEVO, March 3 (Hina) - The demographic structure of Bosnia-Herzegovina was forcibly changed during the war and elements of the "tiger's hide" (regarding the mixture of different ethnic groups living together) had been totally
eliminated, the Sarajevo-based daily "Oslobodjenje" reported publishing results of research conducted by "International Forum-Bosnia" on the changes in the structure of population throughout the country. The conclusion of the research is that the centuries-long demographic structure of Bosnia-Herzegovina was totally altered by killing, expulsion and persecution carried out during the several-year-long cruel war and open aggression launched against Bosnia in 1992. According to the conclusions expressed in a document called "The Return of Refugees as Condition's for Bosnia's Survival", three military regions have been established on the Bosnian territory. Each o
SARAJEVO, March 3 (Hina) - The demographic structure of Bosnia-
Herzegovina was forcibly changed during the war and elements of the
"tiger's hide" (regarding the mixture of different ethnic groups
living together) had been totally eliminated, the Sarajevo-based
daily "Oslobodjenje" reported publishing results of research
conducted by "International Forum-Bosnia" on the changes in the
structure of population throughout the country.
The conclusion of the research is that the centuries-long
demographic structure of Bosnia-Herzegovina was totally altered by
killing, expulsion and persecution carried out during the several-
year-long cruel war and open aggression launched against Bosnia in
1992.
According to the conclusions expressed in a document called "The
Return of Refugees as Condition's for Bosnia's Survival", three
military regions have been established on the Bosnian territory.
Each of these territories makes it impossible for members of ethnic
groups who are in a minority there to have a normal life.
The research, conducted by the organisation led by a former eminent
Bosnian politician, Rusmir Mahmutcehajic, described such state of
affairs as the "demographic deformation" of Bosnia-Herzegovina.
According to the research, the (Moslem-led) Bosnian Army now
controls 32 percent of the territory, the Bosnian Croat Defence
Council (HVO) is on the 19.5 percent, while Bosnian Serbs have a
grip on the rest of 48.52 percent of the territory.
The number of the population has been significantly reduced on all
three areas.
Prior to the war, 2,161,464 residents lived in the area which is now
under the Moslem (Bosniak) control, and at the moment 1,771,242
people live there.
Until 1992, the area now controlled by Bosnian Croats was populated
by 585,932 residents, and after the war just 424,430 people live
there.
The biggest decrease in the population has been recorded in the
Serb-controlled territory. Of the pre-war 1, 600,000 residents,
only 944,102 remain there now.
During the bloodshed, 108,000 Moslems, 67,000 Croats and 56,000
members of other ethnic groups fled the Bosnian Serb entity. Even
218,000 Serbs left this area as well, while 120,000 people are
believed to be either killed or missing in the Republic of Srpska.
The Moslem-controled area is currently most densely populated area
with an average of 108.2 persons per square kilometre.
In the Bosnian Serb entity just 38 citizens on average live per
square kilometre, while 42,5 persons per square kilometre are
registered in the Croat-controlled region.
(hina) ms