Talk:Bijeljina massacre/GA1

GA Review

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Reviewer: Tomobe03 (talk · contribs) 12:36, 5 April 2013 (UTC)

GA review – see WP:WIAGA for criteria

1. Is it reasonably well written?

   A. Prose quality:

   B. MoS compliance for lead, layout, words to watch, fiction, and lists:

2. Is it factually accurate and verifiable?

   A. Has an appropriate reference section:

   B. Citation to reliable sources where necessary:

   C. No original research:

3. Is it broad in its coverage?

   A. Major aspects:

   B. Focused:

4. Is it neutral?

   Fair representation without bias:

5. Is it stable?

   No edit wars, etc:

6. Does it contain images to illustrate the topic?

   A. Images are tagged with their copyright status, and valid fair use rationales are provided for non-free content:

   B. Images are provided if possible and are relevant to the topic, and have suitable captions:

7. Overall:

   Pass or Fail:

General comments:

• Does the RDC figure of 1040 killed reflect the events of the 1-2 April 1992 or the entire war? Is RDC a WP:RS? If so, shouldn't this information be used in the infobox and the lead?
  • Deaths in the initial takeover is claimed to be 48 by the ICTY and, from the impression I get from the source, the overall war is estimated to be 1,040 by the RDC. The RDC is "an independent, professional, nongovernment, nonprofit and nonpartisan institution" [1] and has been cited by numerous reliable sources on Google books. I included it in the aftermath for context and not in the infobox since this article covers primarily the takeover of 1-2 April.
    • I feel some clarification should be made along with the RDC statement - whether the RDC claims the deaths occurred on 1-2 April or in April or in 1992 etc.--Tomobe03 (talk) 09:02, 10 April 2013 (UTC)
    • A quick look at the google books revealed that there's precious little information about actual figures in those sources which discuss the event. I found Goldstein claiming "probably nearly 1000" ([2]), and Magas/Zanic claiming 500 ([3]) in the same period. Arguably those disagree with each other and with the RDC. In light of all that, would it be wise to back up article's claim of 1040 killed with these as well. Since the figures are scattered in a wide range, I'd suggest using "at least 48-78" formulation in the infobox.--Tomobe03 (talk) 09:29, 10 April 2013 (UTC)
      • I've put more weight on the estimate that hundreds or a thousand were killed given we have three separate sources in that range. I added "at least 48-78" and clarified the RDC estimate is for the whole war. --◅ PRODUCER (TALK) 00:16, 11 April 2013 (UTC)
• The article specifies ICTY determined at least 48 killed in one instance and at least 52 in another. Which is it?
  • The takeover between 1-2 April 1992 is estimated at 48. The number between the months of April and September 1992 is estimated at 52.
• Is there any other source on the number of killed besides the ICTY and the RDC (found none in the article)? Where does the 48-78 range used in the infobox come from?
  • The figure of 48 is from the ICTY while 78 is from Serbia's prosecution office. Looking again at the source of the latter figure, its possible that it includes victims killed in other locations. Other sources, specifically HRW say: "although it is clear that many people were killed in Bijeljina in the first days of April 1992, in particular political leaders, businessmen, and other prominent Bosniaks, the exact number remains unknown. Amnesty International claims that up to forty people were killed, but other sources claim that the death toll may have been as high as several hundred or even a thousand." It cites: "Among others: Keith Dovkants, Victor Sebestyen, “War Criminals who may be Charged with Balkan Atrocities,” Evening Standard (London), February 16, 1993; State Commission for the Gathering of Facts about War Crimes — Municipal Commission of Zivinice, Criminals and Victims — About War Crimes committed in the Tuzla-Drina area in the war years 92-94, Bosnia-Hercegovina, 1995. Moreover, several persons interviewed by Human Rights Watch stated that the number of people killed ran into the hundreds." --◅ PRODUCER (TALK) 01:01, 10 April 2013 (UTC)
• Is there any reliable source contradicting or supporting the RDC figure? I assume the ICTY does not aim to determine an exact figure, rather culpability.--Tomobe03 (talk) 21:46, 9 April 2013 (UTC)
  • See above --◅ PRODUCER (TALK) 01:01, 10 April 2013 (UTC)

• Article lead seems to lack several key pieces of information from the article. For instance it does not mention when the event took place. Please include all relevant information per WP:LEAD there.--Tomobe03 (talk) 08:59, 10 April 2013 (UTC)
  • I'll address this after the other points are settled. --◅ PRODUCER (TALK) 00:16, 11 April 2013 (UTC)
    • Oh, but that's all that's left.--Tomobe03 (talk) 01:13, 11 April 2013 (UTC)
      • Ok I've edited it. --◅ PRODUCER (TALK) 01:58, 11 April 2013 (UTC)
• There's a single piece of information that might be useful to the Background but seems to be missing. Page 135 of the Balkan Battlegrounds says that "On 31 March, in an apparent attempt to provoke an armed Muslim response that would justify a Serb takeover of Bijeljina, local Serbs attacked a Muslim-frequented coffee shop. The provocation worked. The next day Serb TO and volunteer troops surrounded and flooded the town, routing scattered members of the Bosnian Muslim Patriotic League and police and executing Muslim leaders in the streets." The rest of the passage identifies the volunteers as the Arkan's Serbian Volunteer Guard, says that JNA moved in od 3 April, but the SVG continued to operate beyond that day as well. Unfortunately there's no additional information there on the coffee-shop incident or any more specific details. Given lack of details I cannot say if the 31 March event is of any significance, but thought to let you know if you wish to pursue that later on.--Tomobe03 (talk) 09:39, 10 April 2013 (UTC)
  • I've found three other sources that also speak of intentional provocation by the Serbs in Bijeljina (and one mentioning it as a general tactic) plus a figure of how many SDG members were involved [4][5][6]. Another says "grenades thrown through shop windows were the pretext for action". [7] --◅ PRODUCER (TALK) 00:16, 11 April 2013 (UTC)