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Serbia Today 96-03-11

Serbia Today Directory

From: ddc@nyquist.bellcore.com (D.D. Chukurov)

11 March 1996

In This Edition

A DRAMATIC REPORT OF THE UNHCR FROM SARAJEVO

CROAT ETHNIC CLEANSING REMAINED UNNOTICED

PARLIAMENTARY COOPERATION


CONTENTS

[01] MILUTINOVIC IN ZAGREB TODAY

[02] PARLIAMENTARY COOPERATION

[03] ACCELERATED RENEWAL OF AGREEMENTS WITH FOREIGN PARTNERS

[04] TESLA - THE THIRD MILLENNIUM

[05] STATUS OF SERBS SHOULD BE EQUAL TO THE ONE OF CROATS

[06] CROAT ETHNIC CLEANSING REMAINED UNNOTICED

[07] SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH IN ZAGREB PROTESTS BECAUSE OF JASENOVAC

[08] 'WARRIORS OF ALLAH' ARE STILL IN BOSNIA

[09] STRONGER AND STRONGER WARNINGS TO THE MUSLIM GOVERNMENT

[10] FRENCH MEDIA ABOUT DISINTEGRATED BOSNIA

[11] A DRAMATIC REPORT OF THE UNHCR FROM SARAJEVO

[12] ELIZABETH REN AGAIN DENIES PRESS WRITINGS

[13] THEY ARE DEMANDING EQUALITY

[14] SLOVENIA IS KILLING DEMOCRACY


[01] MILUTINOVIC IN ZAGREB TODAY

Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Milan Milutinovic, will make today a return visit to Croatia. This visit is taking place at the invitation by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Croatia Mate Granic. On this occasion, the chief of the Bureau of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in Zagreb Veljko Knezevic stated that Croatia has finally understood and accepted the stand of Belgrade that the normalization between the two countries can be reached only step by step. Tensions between the two countries have calmed down and the present situation is securing peaceful negotiations and discussions, and what is extremely important, all this is taking place in peacetime, and in the spirit of the implementation of the Dayton Agreement which the Yugoslav side is implementing up to the letter, said Knezevic. He also announced that the chiefs of diplomacies will devote special attention to the proposals of the agreement on the highway and railway transport and air traffic and the air corridor, and probably, as he said, on the agenda there will be other topics, such as the implementation of the Erdut and Zagreb agreements on the Srem and Baranja region and the problem of exiled Serbs. (Politika, March 11, 1996)

[02] PARLIAMENTARY COOPERATION

Yugoslav parliamentary delegation headed by the Chairman of the Chamber of Citizens of the Federal Assembly Radoman Bozovic, is to arrive today in Moldavia, where it is to discuss with its Moldavian colleagues the promotion of political and economic cooperation between the two countries. It is foreseen that our delegation during its visit to Kishinev will be received by the President of Moldavia Mirchea Snjegur.

At the invitation of the Federal Assembly, President of the National Parliament of Bulgaria Academician Blagovest Sendov, with a group of associates, has arrived on an official visit to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. During the visit to our country Bulgarian parliamentary delegation will have talks with the highest state officials of Serbia and Yugoslavia. "Good neighborly and friendly relations between our two countries will undisputably have a positive influence on the overall Balkan political climate", said Sendov on the eve of his arrival to our country. He also added that the Parliament of Bulgaria will strive to contribute to the faster reintegration of Yugoslavia in the international organizations and institutions. (Politika, March 11, 1996)

[03] ACCELERATED RENEWAL OF AGREEMENTS WITH FOREIGN PARTNERS

Republican Minister of Industry Oskar Fodor stated that in the second half of this year the results are expected of the revival of production, without the increase of which there can be no way out of the difficulties. There is an intensive renewal of contracts with foreign partners, said Minister Fodor and added that our 132 largest exporters which are making for 80 percent of the foreign exchange revenues, have prepared concrete agreements confirming that we can achieve a seven-fold greater exports than last year if the working capital is provided for the revival of production. Minister Fodor underlined that our partners from Western Europe are returning, even those for whom we thought that after the embargo they will not be coming back to our market. (Borba, March 11, 1996)

[04] TESLA - THE THIRD MILLENNIUM

"Tesla - The Third Millennium" is the name of the project which will celebrate, besides the anniversary of birth of the great scientist, also the 60th anniversary of the Society and Institute of the same name, the 40th anniversary of the Museum and the 20th anniversary of the Foundation "Nikola Tesla". Members of the honorary board for celebration of the 140th anniversary of birth of Nikola Tesla, headed by the Academician Aleksandar Despic, have informed the Prime Minister of Serbia Mirko Marjanovic that in the honor of these important jubilees there will be many scientific panels, school competitions and other events. The most important is the Fifth International Conference "Tesla - The Third Millennium" which is to gather over one thousand participants from the country and abroad. (Politika ekspres, March 9, 1996)

[05] STATUS OF SERBS SHOULD BE EQUAL TO THE ONE OF CROATS

In the lecture delivered at the panel of the Croat politicological society in Zagreb, the U.S. Ambassador in Croatia Peter Galbright especially commented on the reintegration of Baranja, Western Srem and Eastern Slavonia in the constitutional-legislative system of Croatia. The basic principle which is supported by the United States in these areas is the tolerance, said Galbright and added that "Serbian population in Croatia must be guaranteed full equivalence with the status of Croats, from employment up to the question of reconstruction of destroyed houses, because there are standards which must be satisfied by all the countries wishing to become a part of western civilization". Ambassador Galbright also stated, however, that after "The Storm" there were some undesired incidents of plunder, arson and killings in Krajina which have greatly degraded the reputation of Croatia. He showed to those present the latest issue of the "Time" magazine where in an extensive article entitled "Crimes of Croatia" there is a criticism of the attitude of Croat authorities towards Serbian population. (Politika, March 11, 1996)

[06] CROAT ETHNIC CLEANSING REMAINED UNNOTICED

The U.S. weekly "Time" is publishing in its latest issue an extensive article about the crimes of Croatia in which it is stated that Croats have profited from the U.S. concept of establishing military balance in order to exile Serbian minority. Croat ethnic cleansing has remained almost unnoticed and was neither criticized by the United States nor by the European Union, writes the magazine quoting one high UN official, who says that Croats were minimizing their own violation of human rights while, at the same time, satanizing Serbs. "The reason for this silence about Croat violations of the human rights is the strategy which the West has applied on the Balkans and because of which it has found itself in an unpleasant diplomatic and military embrace with Croatia and its President Tudjman", writes the "Time" magazine. The magazine is also quoting the statement by Colonel Andrew Lesly, a Canadian, who was the chief of the UN headquarters in Knin, who is claiming that the Croat army during the last summer's offensive on Krajina "was bombarding civilians in order to destroy Serbian will for defense. They knew that in these cities there was no army. Nevertheless, only on that first day of the offensive, over 2,000 grenades had fallen on Knin. Knin, a city with 35,000 inhabitants, was reduced to a city with 500 living and 500 dead, and plundered to the bone", testifies Lesly. (Politika, March 10, 1996)

[07] SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH IN ZAGREB PROTESTS BECAUSE OF JASENOVAC

Serbian Orthodox Church in Zagreb has joined the protests on the occasion of the recent Tudjman's initiative to change the present name of the memorial center of Jasenovac and to bury there, besides the earthly remains of the victims, also the remains of Croat Quisling soldiers. With the remark that in Jasenovac there are only innocent civilian victims, in the letter of protest of the Zagreb Eparchy and the Orthodox Church county, it is written: "We are asking a question how the world would react if someone is to propose that in the name of an all-German reconciliation, in the concentration camps in Dahau, Mathousen, Bergen-Belsen, memorial monuments are to be erected to Hitler, Goering, Goebbels and other SS officials". In the letter, an appeal is sent to the Croat and world democratic public not to allow such desecration of the innocent Jasenovac victims. (Politika, March 9, 1996)

[08] 'WARRIORS OF ALLAH' ARE STILL IN BOSNIA

In central Bosnia, according to the reports of military sources, there are still from five to seven clandestine military camps in which the mujjahedins or 'warriors of Allah' are training Muslim intelligence service staff. Among them are also members of the Ministry of Interior of Iran. Some of them have obtained Bosnian citizenship and are working in the Muslim Army or civilian services, some are diplomats in the newly established Iranian Embassy in Sarajevo, and some have gone undercover and are engaged in the intelligence and terrorist activities. The publicist Stojan Jovic, a retired colonel, in his talk with the Tanjug reporter, said that the leader of the group of mujjahedins in Zenica, an Algerian by the name of Abu Selim, recently said: "We did not come here just to leave as soon as the Americans arrive. We are living in the time when Islam will prevail. Bosnia is a Muslim country and we will defend it". Iran is the only country which has sent to Bosnia its regular army unit od some 2,000 persons, which is having its seat in Zenica. Mujjahedins in the Bosnian Army have formed special, so called Muslim defense forces, supplemented by some one thousand local volunteers who have passed a religious and military training. They are leaving behind them bloody track and are showing an unprecedented bestiality and brutality in torture and butchering of Serbian soldiers and civilians. (Tanjug, March 10, 1996)

[09] STRONGER AND STRONGER WARNINGS TO THE MUSLIM GOVERNMENT

The U.S. Administration has increased its warnings to the Muslim government in Sarajevo, because of the reports that in Bosnia there are still some 200 Iranian soldiers who are training the Army of the Muslim government, reports The Voice of America. After the U.S. Defense Secretary William Perry and chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff John Shalikashwili, also the State Department spokesman Nicholas Berns raised his voice by saying that President Clinton's Administration is not looking kindly at the visit of the Bosnian Prime Minister Hasan Muratovic to Iran. Berns said that the officials of the Muslim government in Sarajevo will regret the day when they became too close with Iran, "an outlawed state and a sponsor of terrorism". Because of the Iranian presence in Bosnia members of the U.S. Senate are threatening to prevent giving of the American contribution to the international fund for reconstruction of Bosnia, states the report of the Voice of America. (Borba, March 9-10, 1996)

[10] FRENCH MEDIA ABOUT DISINTEGRATED BOSNIA

From the circles of the official France and the analysts of the Balkan events, there are more and more doubts in the possibility of survival of the multi-ethnic Bosnia, as a sovereign and independent state, and views are expressed that such a Bosnia "is a state in name only". France has greatest doubts in a longevity of the Croat-Muslim federation which was efficient only as an anti-Serbian alliance. "Le Figaro" is almost regularly underlining that "it is not possible to reconcile Croats and Muslims", while "Le Mond" is even more strongly claiming that "Muslim-Croat federation is dead". Behind all these secessionist ambitions of Bosnian Croats there is a support of the Tudjman's regime in Zagreb, writes "Le Mond" and adds that "practically already a Greater Croatia has been created". The reporter of the French Radio from Sarajevo is concluding that "the present disputes about Sarajevo can be an introduction for a final division of Bosnia-Herzegovina into three parts". (Vecernje novosti, March 10, 1996)

[11] A DRAMATIC REPORT OF THE UNHCR FROM SARAJEVO

In parts of Sarajevo in which Serbs were living, in Ilidza and Grbavica, a dangerous 'vacuum' is created and the UN High Commissariat for Refugees (UNHCR) is doing its best to retain Serbs in their homes, but the chances for this are diminishing, states the analysis of the UNHCR distributed to the press at the Geneva Palace of Nations. Among the crucial elements which are dangerously following realization of the overall peace process, UNHCR is stating the arrest and extradition to the Tribunal in The Hague of the Serbian officers Djukic and Krsmanovic, then of the Croat-Muslim disputes about Mostar and the situation in Sarajevo after "the transfer of authority". What is the most dangerous at this moment, according to the UNHCR, is that in Grbavica and Ilidza there is no medical care, shops are closed, PTT services are not functioning, there is not even a minimum of police protection and under such circumstances Serbs are practically, even without their own free will, deciding to leave. (Politika ekspres, March 10, 1996)

[12] ELIZABETH REN AGAIN DENIES PRESS WRITINGS

In the Center for Human Rights in the Geneva Palace of Nations, there are categorical denials that the UN special envoy for human rights in former Yugoslavia Elizabeth Ren has given any statements for the press regarding the conditions for recognition of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, during her visit to Vienna early last week. Quoting the Austrian new agency APA, several media in Western Europe have broadcasted the news that Ren was striving for the international community not to recognize the FR of Yugoslavia before it offers guarantees for the respect of human rights in Serbia and Montenegro, and "in the regions in Bosnia under Serbian influence". This is not the first misunderstanding of the Ren envoy with the media which were broadcasting only what they liked, and were silent about things that were not suitable for them. Thus, for example, from the first report by Elizabeth Ren, they have kept silent about the flagrant examples of violation of human rights in Croatia, and were underlining only the part about the human rights in Yugoslavia to which Ren had devoted much less space. The same thing has occurred also after her visit to Srebrenica when she stated that she did not find mass graves while the distinguished western media were saying something quite different, (Borba, March 9-10, 1996)

[13] THEY ARE DEMANDING EQUALITY

At the first Congress of the Democratic Party of Serbs in Macedonia (DPSM), for whose president Dragisa Miletic was again elected, it was especially underlined that the party will strive will all the democratic means for the solution of the constitutional status of Serbian people in this former Yugoslav republic. The Congress has expressed the decision of the Serbian people to link permanently its destiny in Macedonia with Macedonians and members of other nationalities who are living in these areas. By deciding against any conflicting situations in the solution of the status of Serbian people, Miletic said: "Now only Serbs are not in the Constitution, only Serbs are not having their own newspaper, their cultural and arts society, only their theater and festivals are not finances by the state, only they do not have the right to their own Church. They are neither in the Parliament, in the state authorities nor in the local management". Serbs in Macedonia, added Miletic, are not asking for anything less, but also for nothing more than what the others are having in the collective being of Macedonia. (Vecernje novosti, March 10, 1996)

[14] SLOVENIA IS KILLING DEMOCRACY

The basic human rights in Slovenia are still being violated, and victims of national intolerance and harassment are mostly members of other nations of former Yugoslavia. This is stated in the latest report by the Ljubljana Bureau of the Helsinki Watch, an international organization for protection of human rights. More than one thousand individual requests, sent to the Bureau last year is confirming that in Slovenia the most frequent violation is of the right to citizenship, to the issue of documents, freedom of movement, employment, retirement pension and social insurance. These basic rights are being denied by the Slovenian authorities even without the legal decisions of the judicial bodies. Among the most serious cases of mass violation of human rights are stated the unresolved problems of over one thousand former military apartments whose tenants, mostly members of other peoples of former Yugoslavia, are living under constant threat of eviction. (Politika, March 10. 1996)
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