14462 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS June 18, 1996 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS BISHOP KOMARICA-A VOICE FOR the views of my country, of my city, espe­ we people for you? Are we human beings for PEACE AND JUSTICE rn BOSNIA cially to represent the views of the people, of you? We ask for the basic human rights that tens of thousands of voiceless people who you enjoy. If we are guilty, we would ask you have no voice. to provide it to us, and if we are not guilty, HON. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITII As a leader and a Christian, I have an obli­ then you are doing great injustice to us when OF NEW JERSEY gation to help all the people in their effort to you are denying to us basic human rights." IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES be human and to be God-loving people. I I am taking this opportunity to tell you Tuesday, June 18, 1996 would like to help every human being to af­ and to express to all American peaceloving firm their human rights and their freedom people, God has given you in this country a Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, re­ and to establish their right to existence. It is generosity of the heart. Your land is almost cently the Helsinki Commission, which I chair, now six years that hundreds of thousands of like a garden, that there are many wonderful held a briefing on political and human rights people whose basic human rights have been plants and beautiful flowers. You are a gar­ developments in Banja Luka, the second larg­ taken away and denied. den of different people, different cultures, est city in Bosnia. Among the participants was That is the right to life, the right to pro­ different groups and religions. fessions, the right to possess homes and live, The common characteristic of all of you is the Most Reverend Franjo Komarica, Roman the right to have a country, the right to the freedom and love for peace and respect. Catholic Bishop of Banja Luka. Bishop work and to secure a living, the right to In this country, it's especially appreciated Konmarica has steadfastly pursued peace and have a social and security support, the right especially important human rights and justice throughout the 4-year-long war of of movement, the right to freedom of reli­ human honor and human dignity. These are armed aggression and genocide in Bosnia gion, the right to raise your own children in the precious gifts to our civilization, the which has left his church in ruins despite the your own convictions, the right of freedom of gifts emphasizing diverse cultures and multi­ fact that no large-scale fighting occurred in the conscience, the right of equality of being faced religion. diocese. free to belong to a political or a different You are an ideal and an example for us, faith group. Catholics from the region, predominately and you are a leader for so many other peo­ We cannot talk at all about these rights ple in the world. When we would affirm simi­ ethnic Croats, have been, and continue to be for thousands of our citizens. The denial of lar in Banja Luka, we are punished for that. subjected to various forms of harassment and basic human rights has taken place without You know that. Will you with clear con­ violence. An estimated 90 percent of Catholics the presence of any media or any voice to science allow, continue to allow, that the have fled the diocese, many the victims of eth­ publicly declare this. We had the impression basic human rights are still denied in my nic cleansing. Scores of churches have been that we are forgotten in our corner of the city and in my country? And they are being destroyed while virtually all of those left stand­ world. We were strengthened only by our punished just because they would like to be ing sustained at least some damage. Several faith in our God, whom we trust that he has like you-free, human and democratic peo­ the potential to redeem us. members of the clergy and religious were mur­ ple. And this thing that I once again mention is I expect an answer from you, which you dered during the course of the war. Mean­ really the basis, that we try to respect all have to give unto your conscience first and while, Father Tomislav Matanovic, the former our neighbors and not do any harm to any then to your people and then to the world director of Caritas Banja Luka, is missing and one of them. As in other parts of Bosnia and then hopefully to us as well. believed to be held by Bosnian Serb forces of there were confrontations, armed confronta­ Regardless of how you look at us and for the 43d Brigade. Bishop Komarica, who was tions and clashes, in this part of Bosnia what you think of us, we in Banja Luka are under house arrest for much of 1995, has there was no war and no open conflict be­ definitely fighting. With enormous efforts, demonstrated his firm commitment to peace tween different groups of different nationali­ we try to protect and restore civilization. I ties or faiths. and justice for all people of Banja Luka, re­ hope that we will not remain alone in this ef­ We opted for a different option here. We fort. We hope that we'll find friends who will gardless of their ethnic or religious back­ rather accepted denial of our basic human support us in this effort. We hope to find ground. Strengthened by his faith, Bishop rights than to hurt our neighbors and to es­ these supporters in Europe and especially Komarica is a leading advocate of reconcili­ tablish conflict. We are talking here about here in the United States. I am quite sure ation in a country rent by violence and war. people who have been peaceful and made that I will not be disappointed in this expec­ Mr. Speaker, I ask that the text of Bishop every single effort to remain people who re­ tation. Komarica's opening statement be placed in spect others and try to live together. The Thank you for listening. the RECORD. only blame that they receive is that they did not belong to a side or a group of people who THE COMMISSION ON SECURITY AND COOPERA­ by all means and by all forces and by brutal TIP TAX TRIBULATIONS TION IN EUROPE-BANJA LUKA-ETHNIC approach has tried to establish ethnically CLEANSING PARADIGM, OR COUNTERPOINT TO cleansed territory. A RADICAL FUTURE The biggest number, the highest percent­ HON.PHlllP M.CRANE OPENING STATEMENT BY MOST REVEREND age, of the people in this region, be they OF ILLINOIS FRANJO KOMARICA ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP Serbs or Bosnian Muslims or Croatians, have IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF BANJA LUKA-JUNE 11, 1996 a desire to remain in peaceful coexistence in Bishop Komarica: (through interpreter). this region. The Catholic Croatians in this Tuesday, June 18, 1996 Honorable friends, I greet you today as region have shown by their behavior that Mr. CRANE. Mr. Speaker, today I introduce friends of peace and God-loving people. I they are capable and ready to live together, legislation to exclude tip income from the ad­ thank you for your interest specifically re­ capable to live together in peace with the garding Banja Luka, my home town. I thank other two peoples, which are namely Serbs ministrative and tax burdens of the Federal in­ you for this opportunity given to me to ex­ and Bosnian Muslims. come tax. I have long objected to the taxation press my concerns and my hopes for my This desire to live in peace is denied by the of tips and it was the recent tribulations of a country. I thank you on behalf of all the citi­ members of the existing political structure, constituent of mine which prompted me to zens of my city, regardless of their national and despite all our efforts to live the com­ once again introduce this legislation. or state orientation. mandment of respect and love for others, to Charlene Beyer from Round Lake Park, IL, You know that I'm a Catholic bishop and love those who did so much evil to us, we are recently sent to me copies of the forms and not a political representative of any specific brutally hurt again and again and punished regulations covering the tax reporting require­ group. I'm not assuming the representation for no reason, and not just from the side of neither of Croatian people specifically, nor extreme nationalists, but those by inter­ ments for tip income she receives as a res­ Bosnian Muslims or Serb people in this terri­ national democrats. taurant employee. It is my understanding that tory. Regretfully, there is no politician We ask all those who still crush our human hard working restaurant employees even take available or existing right now to represent rights: "Why are you doing this to us? Are time out to attend classes to learn all the rules e This "bullet" symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. June 18, 1996 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 14463 concerning tip reporting. While serving cus­ She has also devoted many hours as a streamlined many hospital services and has tomers, they must keep track of their gratu­ rape-crisis hotline counselor helping rape vic­ advanced the hospital's computer system.