CROATIA/BOSNIA BORDER/CROATIA: THOUSANDS OF BOSNIANS FLOCK TO CROATIAN COAST FOR VACATION

Record ID: 646316

  • Title: CROATIA/BOSNIA BORDER/CROATIA: THOUSANDS OF BOSNIANS FLOCK TO CROATIAN COAST FOR VACATION
  • 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) 1. LV OF TRAFFIC JAMS AT BORDER CROSSING 0.06 2. CU/SV POLICE CHECKING BOSNIAN PASSPORTS 0.20 3. SLV IFOR VEHICLE 0.23 4. SV BOSNIAN FAMILY IN CAR, DAUGHTER IN BATHING SUIT SITTING ON ROOF OF CAR 0.28 MAKARSKA, CROATIA 5. SV BEACH, PEOPLE SUN-BATHING, PLAYING IN THE WATER (2 SHOTS) 0.36 6. SV CHILDREN SLIDING INTO WATER FROM WATER-SLIDE (2 SHOTS) 0.46 7. MCU 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) 1.09 8. SLV FAMILY MUHAREMAGIC (FATHER AND SON) SWIMMING 1.21 9. SLV/MCU FATHER 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)/ JOURNALIST ASKING QUESTION: "HOW WAS IN TUZLA IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS?" (SERBO-CROAT)/ 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) 1.59 10. SLV MUHAREMAGIC SON ADNAN SWIMMING 2.05 11. MCU BOY ADNAN SAYING "IT'S BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL" (SERBO-CROAT) 2.11 12. SV MAN BUYING POSTCARDS 2.22 13. LV BEACH AND SEASIDE RESORT 2.27 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: LVAC3ZRC5QV1HY17KMPC864586E8
  • Story Text: INTRO: Thousands of Bosnians flocked to the Croatian coast this summer for the vacation they could not enjoy during five years of war.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------- Long lines of cars with holiday makers and jammed border crossings between Bosnia and Croatia's coastal region are scenes not witnessed since before the war in the former Yugoslavia.

    But this summer, Bosnians have returned to their favourite beaches of 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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