Rape Camp Vilina Vlas Hotel: Why Is The Internatonal Community Still Unmoved?

Year 2021, Issue: 22, 131 - 160, 01.12.2021

Senad Sevdik

Abstract

This research paper investigates the Vilina Vlas hotel in Visegrad city of Bosnia and Herzegovina which was used as a former rape camp for torturing, raping, beating, and killing innocent civilians, mostly Bosnian Muslim women. The main problematic and ethical issue of this paper regarding Vilina Vlas hotel is that it functions as a tourist place and tourists still accommodate and sleep in the same beds which women were attacked. The hotel receives high support from the Visegrad mayor, Republika Srpska entity’s Tourism Ministry, and from Serb ethnic nationalist politicians. These politicians and the local community of Visegrad constantly deny these crimes or erase any traces that can be used as evidence against them. Therefore, this research paper takes a new approach for trying to solve this denialism at the state level such as using OHR’s (Office of the High Representative) possible interventions (Bonn Powers) through building a monument near the hotel and definitely terminating all tourism activities of the hotel. This paper also highly values the suggestions of Vilina Vlas survivors during the creation of a memorial for victims. Thus, it asks the main research question of “What do survivors of Vilina Vlas demand from the current High Representative of BiH (Bosnia and Herzegovina) to commemorate the rape victims of Vilina Vlas Hotel in Visegrad?” It proposes the combination of two theoretical frameworks which are conflict reconciliation and lexander Wendt’s constructivism for stressing to construct “collective identity and shared ideas” against rape, beatings, and killings of innocent civilians. The paper’s main argument is that the former rape camp of Vilina Vlas hotel must be closed and a monument must be built to remember all victims. The Serbian government has no choice rather than cooperate positively with the BiH government for closing Vilina Vlas hotel since they have a high historical responsibility for committing these crimes.

Keywords

Bosnia and Herzegovina, War crimes, Rape camps, Vilina Vlas hotel, International Community, Women rights, Monument

Supporting Institution

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Project Number

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Tecavüz Kampı Vilina Vlas Oteli: Uluslararası Toplum Neden Hala Hareketsiz?

Abstract

Bu araştırma makalesi, çoğunlukla Bosnalı Müslüman kadınlar olmak üzere masum sivillere işkence etmek, tecavüz etmek, fiziksel saldırı ve öldürmek için eski bir tecavüz kampı olarak kullanılan Bosna Hersek’in Visegrad kentindeki Vilina Vlas otelini incelemektedir. Bu makalenin Vilina Vlas oteli ile ilgili temel sorunu ve etik konusu, bir turistik yer olarak işlev görmesi ve turistlerin hala kadınların saldırıya uğradığı aynı yataklarda konaklaması ve uyumasıdır. Otel, Visegrad belediye başkanı, Sırp Cumhuriyeti tarafının Turizm Bakanlığı ve Sırp etnik-milliyetçi politikacılardan yüksek destek almaktadır. Bu politikacılar ve Visegrad yerel halkı, bu suçları sürekli olarak inkar etmekte veya aleyhine delil olarak kullanılabilecek her türlü izi silmektedir. Bu nedenle, bu araştırma makalesi, bu inkarcılığı devlet düzeyinde çözmeye çalışmak için, otelin yakınında bir anıt inşa ederek YTD’nin (Yüksek Temsilcilik Ofisi) olası müdahalelerini (Bonn Yetkileri) kullanmak ve tüm turizm faaliyetlerini kesinlikle sona erdirmek gibi yeni bir yaklaşım benimsemektedir. Bu makale aynı zamanda kurbanlar için bir anıtın oluşturulması bağlamında Vilina Vlas’tan kurtulanların önerilerine de büyük değer vermektedir. Böylece ana araştırma sorusu olan “Vilina Vlas’tan kurtulanlar, mevcut Bosna-Hersek Yüksek Temsilcisi’nden, Visegrad’daki Vilina Vlas Otel’in tecavüz mağdurlarını anmak için ne talep etmektedir?” sorusunu sormaktadır. Masum sivillerin tecavüze uğramasına, dövülmesine ve öldürülmesine karşı “kolektif kimlik ve ortak fikirler” inşa etmeyi vurgulayan çatışma uzlaşması ve Alexander Wendt’in inşaacılığı olan iki teorik çerçevenin birleşimini önermektedir. Bu araştırma makalesi’nin ana argümanı, eski tecavüz kampı olan Vilina Vlas otelinin kapatılması ve tüm kurbanları anmak için bir anıt inşa edilmesi gerektiğidir. Bu suçları işlemek ve sebep olmak konusunda yüksek bir tarihsel sorumluluğa sahip olduğundan dolayı Sırp Hükümetinin Vilina Vlas otelini kapatma konusunda Bosna-Hersek hükümetiyle pozitif işbirliği yapmaktan başka seçeneği bulunmamaktadır.

Keywords

Bosnia and Herzegovina, War crimes, Rape camps, Vilina Vlas hotel, International Community, Women rights, Monument

Project Number

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