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Friday, 22 November 2024 | ||
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Serbia Today 96-01-17Serbia Today DirectoryFrom: ddc@nyquist.bellcore.com (D.D. Chukurov)Serbia Today17 January 1996In This EditionWITHDRAWAL AHEAD OF DEADLINEMUSLIMS BURNING SERBIAN HOUSESJASENOVAC - SERBIAN AUSWITZ BECOMES A MEMORIAL OF 'CROAT VICTIMS'CONTENTS[01] SOLUTION OF PROBLEMS BY PEACEFUL MEANS[02] UNHCR PLAN FOR RETURN OF REFUGEES TO THEIR HOMES IN BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA[03] SUPPORT TO THE HIGH COMMISSARIAT PLAN[04] MILANOVIC: SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION IS IN THE SPIRIT OF THE BASIC AGREEMENT[05] CROAT INTERPRETATIONS OF THE UN RESOLUTION OF SREM AND BARANJA REGION[06] WITHDRAWAL AHEAD OF DEADLINE[07] INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION FOR SARAJEVO[08] MUSLIM BURNING SERBIAN HOUSES[09] FALSE AMNESTY[10] UN STARTS INVESTIGATION[11] JASENOVAC, SERB'S AUSHWITZ, TO BECOME MEMORIAL FOR 'CROAT VICTIMS'[12] TANJUG AND REUTERS TO RENEW COOPERATION[13] SAMSUNG OPENS A BRANCH OFFICE IN BELGRADE[01] SOLUTION OF PROBLEMS BY PEACEFUL MEANSUN Security Council Resolution on Prevlaka has confirmed the orientation of the international community to continue with solution of all disputable questions in former Yugoslavia by peaceful means - states the commentary of the Tanjug news agency.On the basis of the relevant resolutions, which have made possible over the past period to reduce the one-time tensions about Prevlaka, the highest UN forum has once again confirmed justification of its stand that this peninsula must be de-militarized and that through negotiations the solution is reached of the differences between Yugoslavia and Croatia. (Politika, January 17, 1996) [02] UNHCR PLAN FOR RETURN OF REFUGEES TO THEIR HOMES IN BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINAThe plan of the UN High Commissariat for Refugees on a large-scale repatriation of refugees, was adopted at the meeting of the work group for humanitarian questions in former Yugoslavia, held in Geneva.According to this plan, repatriation will take place in phases. In the first phase the return of refugees in Bosnia and the displaced persons in Bosnia itself is scheduled. The second phase which would probably take place next year is envisaging return of refugees from Krajina, then from Croatia, and the third phase covers the return of refugees form the west European countries. According to the UNHCR data, the largest concentration of refugees from Bosnia is in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia 450,000 and in Croatia 187,000. There are also some points which have not been completely specified in the UNHCR plan. This refers to the return of Krajina Serbs. Sadako Ogata said that she 'hopes' that conditions will be provided for their return, but it is certain that there is no clearly defined plan for the return of Serbian refugees, which would be binding for Croatia. (Vecernje novosti, January 17, 1996) [03] SUPPORT TO THE HIGH COMMISSARIAT PLANChief of the Yugoslav delegation at the meeting of the work group for humanitarian questions in Geneva, Federal minister Tomica Raicevic, stressed that in the implementation of certain provisions of the peace agreement, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia is striving for strict respect of the principle of just and impartial treatment of all the refugees and securing of their human rights, bearing in mind that the Serbian side in many cases was unequitable treated. Furthermore, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia is giving its full support to the right of refugees to freely decide on the place of their permanent residence.Raicevic recalled that the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, from the very beginning of the crisis in former Yugoslavia, has spent more than one billion US dollars on programs for accommodation of refugees and that it has offered its assistance to these endangered persons at the hard times of international sanctions and isolation. He underlined that proving shelter for some 700,000 refugees in Yugoslavia demand the aid of the international community, because the Government of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia is not able to bear the large costs by itself. (Politika, January 17, 1996) [04] MILANOVIC: SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION IS IN THE SPIRIT OF THE BASIC AGREEMENTUN Security Council Resolution 1037 on the Srem and Baranja Region is in the spirit of the basic Serbian-Croat agreement signed on november 12, 1995, stated the chief of the delegation of the Srem and Baranja Region at the negotiations with Croatia, Milan Milanovic.According to him, the contents of this document "are guaranteeing safety and survival of Serbian people in Srem and Baranja Region". Milanovic stressed full readiness of the Serbian side to cooperate with the transitional administration of the United Nations in the implementation of the basic agreement, emphasizing however, that "Serbs will not accept anything that is contrary to the provisions of this agreement". (Politika, January 17, 1996) [05] CROAT INTERPRETATIONS OF THE UN RESOLUTION OF SREM AND BARANJA REGION"For the stationing of the UNTAES units it will be necessary to have 30 to 60 days, and if after this time within one month de-militarization of the Croat Danube basin is not done, international forces will withdraw, and Croatia will by military means - with full support and understanding by the world public - expel the rebels from the occupied areas - said Ivica Vrkic, chief of the Croat government "bureau for establishing Croat authority in Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Srem", while interpreting the Security Council Resolution on this region.The possible military action "in case the local Serbs are to trick the Erdut-Zagreb Agreement" was announced on Monday to the deputies of the Croat Parliament (Sabor) also by President Franjo Tudjman, when he said while explaining the decision on demobilization of 50,000 men under arms, that in certain areas "some military contingents and military technique for extraordinary measures" will remain. (Politika ekspres, January 17, 1996) [06] WITHDRAWAL AHEAD OF DEADLINEIn the command of Herzegovina Corps in Bileca it was reporter yesterday that the Serbian forces in all parts of the front line in Herzegovina have respected the provisions of the Dayton Agreement ahead of the deadline - January 19, 1996.Withdrawal from the territories which according to the Dayton Agreement are to belong to Croat-Muslim Federation, was effected even earlier, and as of two days ago the last units of Herzegovina Corps have been withdrawn two kilometers from the separation line. (Borba, January 17, 1996) [07] INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION FOR SARAJEVOMinister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Srpska Aleksa Buha requested from the representative of the international community Carl Bildt, in case in Serbian Sarajevo over the next 14 days the situation is not calmed down, to establish an international arbitration which would give the final judgment on its status.Buha said that at the meeting of the headquarters for the implementation of the Dayton Agreement in Serbian Sarajevo, held in Pale, it was stated that the Agreement is allowing the present situation to remain until the new elections scheduled for September this year. (Politika ekspres, January 17, 1996) [08] MUSLIM BURNING SERBIAN HOUSESRepresentative of the Nordic battalion within the IFOR, Lt.Col. Swerker Gorason stated yesterday that soldiers of the Muslim government in Sarajevo are burning down and looting houses in villages along the front line in order to prevent Serbs from returning there.According to the AP reports Muslim soldiers have since January 10, 1996 looted and burned down dozens of Serbian houses on Tumarsko hill some 25 kilometers west of Tuzla. Muslim and Serbian forces should also here, as well as along the entire front line in Bosnia, separate until Friday. (Politika ekspres, January 17, 1996) [09] FALSE AMNESTYFrom 455 Krajina Serbs who were pardoned on the New Year's Eve by the Croat government, only 306 of them have crossed the border into Yugoslavia, as of Saturday last inclusive. The rest of them, according to the official Croat version, have of their own free will decided to remain in the state from which four years ago they were defending themselves. Testimonies of Krajina Serbs who have arrived in Yugoslavia in convoys of "pardoned", however, are bringing under doubt the official version of the Croat authorities."By checking the lists of the pardoned Krajina Serbs - says Sava Strbac, manager of the Krajina documentary and information center Veritas - the International Committee of the Red Cross has established that four names are being repeated, so that at the very beginning we have a false information which was officially submitted by the Croat authorities. According to their data in the prison camp in Gasinci village near Djakovo, 349 persons have arrived. The rest has decided to remain in Croatia. In Gasinci yet another group of 43 is still remaining, who have, it was reported, 'willingly' decided to remain in Croatia. (Politika ekspres, January 17, 1996) [10] UN STARTS INVESTIGATIONSpokesperson of the UN Secretary General Silvana Foa stated at the yesterday's briefing that the competent services of the world organization will start an investigation about the theft of data and documents on violation of human rights by the Croat authorities over the local Serbs, Tanjug reports.Last Saturday, in the United nations Center for human Rights in Zagreb, unknown perpetrators have broken into the premisses of the Center and have taken four computers with the memory data on crimes perpetrated by the Croat authorities over Serbs in Krajina and other regions. (Politika ekspres, January 17, 1996) [11] JASENOVAC, SERB'S AUSHWITZ, TO BECOME MEMORIAL FOR 'CROAT VICTIMS'In the Report on the State of Facts in the Croat State and Nation in 1995, submitted two days ago to the Parliament (Sabor) of Croatia, Croat President Franjo Tudjman supported the transformation of the Memorial grounds of Jasenovac to the "Memorial Grounds for Croat War Victims". "In that area, further to the memorial monuments to all victims of Fascism, there would also be a memorial to all the victims of Communism and especially to the victims of the motherland defense war, so that for every one killed for freedom of Croatia, a monument: headstone or cross with his name, would be placed", proposed Tudjman.Jasenovac , the concentration camp in which during the World War Two in the Ustashi Independent State of Croatia over 700,000 Serbs, Jews and Gypsies were killed, at the proposal of the Croat President should make equal both victims and their executioners, and by the name itself would deracinate the name of Serbs as the greatest victims of mass executions in the Independent State of Croatia. (Tanjug, January 17, 1996) [12] TANJUG AND REUTERS TO RENEW COOPERATIONThe Yugoslav news agency Tanjug and the British agency Reuters have signed an agreement on renewal of cooperation, the first of its kind after the suspension of sanctions on the Federal republic of Yugoslavia. (Politika, January 17, 1996)[13] SAMSUNG OPENS A BRANCH OFFICE IN BELGRADESamsung, the leading South Korean producer of electronic equipment, was among the first foreign companies after the suspension of sanctions, to open its branch office in Belgrade. According to Vlada Godjevac, director of the branch office, Yugoslavia is having its place in the Sansung development strategy until the year 2000. This cooperation will not be a one-way one, but will explore possibilities for development of cooperant relations, and during this month businessmen from "Samsung" will investigate possibilities of concrete cooperation with our economy. (Politika, January 17, 1996) |