A Serbian supporter of Kosovo independence

Copyright owner: BBC

A Serbian schoolboy has become an unlikely champion of closer ties between his country and the European Union and Nato. But Rastko Pocesta, 12, has won admirers - and enemies - for his outspoken views, the BBC's Mark Lowen in Belgrade reports.

Rastko Pocesta straightens his pinstripe suit and tie and picks up a copy of his first book - a short history of US presidents.

It is an unusual choice of topic for a 12-year-old author, but then Rastko is a rather unique boy.

A passionate supporter of the West, he has published blogs and articles calling for Serbia to join the European Union and Nato.

He also believes his country should recognise Kosovo's 2008 declaration of independence from Serbia - something the Belgrade government says it will never accept.

Surrounded by flags of the EU and US, he tells me his dream for Serbia.

"It's a country in which human, civil, political and minority rights are maximally respected, which is not seen through the wars in the '90s and war crimes, but by its involvement in international affairs as a defender of democracy.

"The EU means economic stability and prosperity, while Nato means security," he tells me. "As a Serb, I love my country and I want all the best for it."

But those views, aired on the internet, have not gone down well with ultra-nationalists here, who have sent him violent threats. He has now been placed under police protection.

The forum of the biggest right-wing group, Obraz, bears comments including: "He should be slapped and when he grows up, break his ribs."

Another boasts: "I would mistreat this kid for fun... He doesn't need school, but hospital."

"At first I didn't really care," Rastko says calmly. "But when a man said he will wait for me at school and then kill me there, I was a bit worried so my mother and I visited the police who are now searching for these men."

Across the river, in New Belgrade, is the office of Obraz, led by Mladen Obradovic. He is clear about his feelings for Rastko.

"There's something wrong with this boy," he says. "But I hope, since he's still very young, that there is enough time for him to understand he's wrong and become a better pupil, a better Serb, a better Christian, a better person."

I ask whether he thinks loving Serbia and supporting integration within the EU can go hand-in-hand.

"I think not," he says. "The EU and Nato have shown that they are the enemies of Serb nationalism."

He tells me Serbia's current pro-Western government is to blame for "making such a disgrace as this boy".

"They don't teach our children to love the heroes of our nation, but to become some kind of new Serbs - or maybe even non-Serbs," he says.

So what about the threats aired on Obraz's forum? "They're not serious," says Obradovic.

I ask whether it is acceptable to keep such views on a public internet page. "Yes," he says. "This country claims to be democratic. So where is the freedom of speech?"

Different faces

Ultra-nationalism is still a force in Serbia, its followers often involved in street protests. Their anger, stoked by Washington's support for Kosovan independence, led to the US embassy in Belgrade being set alight in February 2008.

And they believe any Serb supporting Nato is a traitor, after the military alliance bombed their country 11 years ago during the Kosovo war. Across the capital, the names of ultra-nationalist groups are scrawled in graffiti.

But modern Serbia has so many different faces.

This is a country where the majority supports EU membership, but also opposes any move to arrest former Bosnian Serb military commander Ratko Mladic, who has been indicted by the war crimes tribunal in The Hague.

Issues like regional reconciliation, or gay rights, or Kosovo split the population down the middle.

Rastko's story shows a country pulled in two directions - one liberal, keen to move on from the past, and the other still fiercely nationalistic.

"In post-conflict societies, you still have violent groups which simply don't see themselves in a system with rules," says Marko Karadzic, Serbia's State Secretary for Human Rights, who has himself received death threats.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Kosovo
• NATO
• EU
• USA

[pop93577]

RASTKO INCESTA hahhahahahah

[crnaroka]

@YAUJTAwarrior and you are talking shit...

[chaosknight95]

DIE ALBANIAN KID

[Ultraskuqezi]

you chosed the right way bro !

[7MrExorcist]

ahahaha when i see the book of Obongooo i realized what kind of brainwashed person is he lol

and before clicking the video i thought all Kosovars would occupy this video ,and here it is ....

[luckyD1993]

SRBIJA RED STAR! FOREVER RED!

[Dardanian1994]

RKS !!!!! KOSOVA REPUBLIK !!!!! RKS

[OrthodoxCETNIK93]

najebem ti se majke oca i sve familije 20 kolena unazad izdajnicke,pizda vam materina ustaska izdajnicka.jebo vas pavelic hasim taci i ostalaq kompanija,srbi su vekovim krvarili za tu zemlju!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!

[04071993ify]

ЂУБРЕ ИЗДАЈНИЧКОООООООООООООООО !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[SvezaSrbiju]

Препариран мали, обликован по сатаниним слугама, мали издајник, антихрист који има чип и на њему прима фрекфенције његових манипуланата! Ниси достојан најсветије титуле СРБИН!

[srbomanijak94]

Dabogda ne docekao punoljetstvo, ili bar dabogda ga ja sreo na ulici, da mu rebra polomim i taj balavi nos razbijem

UMRI MAJCI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[zarkoable]

do juce je sisao sisu maminu on je nasao da prica o kosovu !