What are the causes of ethnic violenceDiscuss with reference to Essay

What are the causes of ethnic violenceDiscuss with reference to Yugoslavia as a case study - Essay Example However, the turning point of the unrest in this area was probably the ratification of the new constitution in 1974 which gave more autonomy to the individual republics that are part of the Yugoslavian jurisdiction (Devic, Ann (1998). According the new constitution, the republics have the option to declare its independence from the federation. Although this provision of the constitution is well-meaning and very democratic, this paved the way for people in the different republics in the Yugoslavian territory to seek independence and become a full-fledged nation on its own. The seed of nationalism is said to be planted by this provision of the constitution and spur the people from the republics to dream of becoming independent. The need to be independent by the republics became more apparent when the Yugoslavian President Josip Borz Tito died in the 1980s (Cairns E. and Roe M. (2003). The tension between the republics became more intense that June of 1991, Slovenia and Croatia decided that they want to become independent and severe their ties with the other federal republics (Cairns E. and Roe M. (2003). Later, in September of the same year, the republic of Macedonia made its intention to become independent while Bosnia and Herzegovina followed in March of 1992(Cairns E. and Roe M. (2003). Unfortunately, Serbia and Montenegro did not approve of the move of Croatia and Bosnia & Herzegovina to leave the federation. They however supported the idea of Slovenia leaving the federation. The assumption of Slobodan Milosevic in 1989 as president of Serbia, the largest and the most heavily populated republic in Yugoslav region brought the tension in the area to a higher level. In December 23, 1990, 88% of the voting populace in Serbia voted for independence (Spencer, Metta (1998). President Slobodan Milosevic also started his plan to unite the regions of Croatia, Bosnia and Serbia into a great Serbian republic