CROATIA/BOSNIA BORDER: BOSNIAN TOURISTS RETURN TO THE CROATIAN COAST FOR HOLIDAYS AFTER THE WAR

Record ID: 646263

  • Title: CROATIA/BOSNIA BORDER: BOSNIAN TOURISTS RETURN TO THE CROATIAN COAST FOR HOLIDAYS AFTER THE WAR
  • Date: 11th August 1996
  • Summary: VINJANI BORDER CROSSING (ON BOSNIAN-CROATIAN BORDER), MAKARSKA RIVIERA, CROATIA (AUGUST 11 AND 12, 1996) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) VINJANI BORDER CROSSING (BOSNIAN-CROAT BORDER) AUGUST 11 1966.RTV-ACCESS ALL 1.GVS TRAFFIC JAM AT BORDER CROSSING 0.10 2.GV CARS WITH SARAJEVO LICENSE PLATES 0.20 3.SCU CROATIAN POLICEWOMAN CHECKING BOSNIAN PASSPORTS INSIDE OFFICE 0.26 4.CU POLICEMAN STAMPING PASSPORTS 0.33 5.SVS MINI-BUS FULL OF YOUNG BOSNIANS 0.44 6.GV NATO IFOR JEEP AND IFOR SOLDIERS 0.45 7.GV BOSNIAN FAMILY IN CAR,DAUGHTER IN BATHING SUIT SITTING ON SUNROOOF 0.50 8.SCU PAN BABY AND FAMILY IN CAR 0.55 9.TRAVELLING SHOT COACHES,IFOR TRUCKS AND CARS IN TRAFFIC JAM 1.43 MAKARSKA, CROATIA 12 AUGUST 1966 RTV ACCESS ALL 10.GV CHILDREN SLIDING INTO WATER FROM WATER-CHUTE 1.48 11.GV BEACH SCENES 2.02 12.GV WATER-SLIDE WITH CROATIAN FLAGS ON SIDE, BOYS SLIDING DOWN 2.09 13.SCU MIHOVIL ELJUGA, WATER SLIDE OWNER SAYING THE NUMBER OF BOSNIANS AT THIS SEA RESORT IS NOT AS GREAT AS BEFORE THE WAR BUT MORE AND MORE OF THEM ARE COMING.PEOPLE LOOK MORE RELAXED AND IN MANY PLACES IN MAKARSKA YOU CAN SEE PARKED CARS WITH BOSNIAN FEDERATION LICENSE PLATES. (SERBO-CROAT) 2.32 14.SV FAMILY MUHAREMAGIC (FATHER AND SON) SWIMMING 2.44 15.GV EDHEM MUHAREMAGIC SITTING ON BEACH AND SAYING "AFTER FIVE YEARS OF WAR THIS LOOKS LIKE HEAVEN. HERE IS SUN, SEA...WE FEEL AS IF WE CAME OUT OF HELL. WE SIMPLY CAN'T BELIEVE HOW NICE THIS IS. IT'S REALLY SUPER." (SERBO-CROAT) 2.59 16.(VOICE)JOURNALIST ASKING "HOW WAS IN TUZLA IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS?" (SERBO-CROAT) SCU MUHAREMAGIC SAYING "IT WAS HARD IN TUZLA IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS. THERE WAS A WAR, HUNGER...I NEVER EXPECTED THAT WE WILL BE BACK HERE AT THE SEA. BUT, IT HAPPENED. ..BETTER DAYS CAME...A PERSON CAN NOW FEEL ALIVE AGAIN, THERE IS LIFE..THERE WAS ONLY WAR AND DEATH THERE (TUZLA).ALL YOU COULD SEE ARE DEAD BODIES AND HUNGER." (SERBO-CROAT) 3.21 17.GV MUHAREMAGIC SON ADNAN SWIMMING 3.28 18.GV ADNAN ON BEACH SAYING "IT'S BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL" (SERBO-CROAT) 3.33 19.SV MAN BUYING POSTCARD FROM KIOSK 3.46 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
  • Embargoed: 26th August 1996 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: VINJANI BORDER CROSSING (BETWEEN CROATIA AND BOSNIA), AND MAKARSKA RIVIERA, CROATIA
  • City:
  • Country: EUROPE Bosnia Croatia
  • Reuters ID: LVA3FCH47IWXPIQW2H2MA9FF491M
  • Story Text: Long lines of cars with holiday makers and jammed border crossings between Bosnia and Croatia's coastal region in scenes not witnessed since before the war in the former Yugoslavia.

    This summer, Bosnians have returned to their favourite beaches in southern Croatia below the Biokovo mountain which serves as the natural border between Bosnia and Croatia.

    Relaxed Bosnian families sunbathing, many with young children who are visiting the sea for the first time, gave an impression that the peace in the former Yugoslavia is holding.

    "The number of Bosnians is not as great as before the war, but more and more people are coming back and they are already more relaxed...You can see here in Makarska in many places parked cars with Bosnian Federation license plates," said Mihovil Eljuga, the owner of the water-slide in the tourist resort of Makarska.

    One tourist, 35-year-old Edhem Muharemagic from Tuzla,went with his wife and 8-year-old son to the coast for the first time since the war.

    "After five years of war this looks like heaven. People are nice. Here is sun, sea...we feel as if we came out of hell...we simply can't believe how nice this is. It's really super. One feels alive again..." Muharemagic said.

    When asked how it had been in Tuzla during the war, Muharemagic said it had been hard. "There was only war and death there, all you could see were dead bodies and hunger."
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