In Vukovar, as elsewhere in Croatia, hardline Serb nationalists urged Serbs to boycott the referendum, while moderates advocated using the poll to register opposition to independence.

The SPS urged Serbs to attend "protest meetings against the violent behaviour of the Croatian HDZ government."

The unrest was fomented by pro-Karadzic radio stations that urged Serbs to take to the streets to protest the seizure of the police stations.

NATO and the Serbian Orthodox Church have also urged Serbs to stay in Kosovo or to return there.

It's fine for us to urge Serbs and Slovenians to resolve their differences peacefully; it's proper for international institutions to offer good offices in mediation.

He also urged Serbs who had fled Kosovo to return, saying: "We are calling others to show courage and come back.

He urged Serbs to take their grievances to Parliament, where his party holds an overwhelming majority.

In a "message to the Serbian people" issued in Brussels, the Europeans urged Serbs to use their vote against Mr. Milosevic.

In October 2004, Pavle wrote an open letter in which he denounced the elections in Kosovo and urged Serbs to boycott the polls.

The nationalism he whipped up, urging Serbs to unite and promising them that their history of being oppressed was over, continues to poison Bosnia.