Yugoslav Daily Survey, 98-10-22

Yugoslav Daily Survey Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: Yugoslavia <http://www.yugoslavia.com>

Yugoslav Daily Survey

CONTENTS

[01] SERBIAN GOVERNMENT RESCINDS DECREE ON SPECIAL MEASURES

[02] TANJUG AND FOREIGN REPORTERS PROTEST IN FRONT OF THE U.S. EMBASSY IN BELGRADE

[03] SEPARATISTS COUNT ON CONFLICTS

[04] WEBER SAYS ICRC IS ACTIVELY SEARCHING FOR MISSING REPORTERS

[05] YUGOSLAV EMBASSY IN VIENNA APPEALS TO OSCE OFFICIAL

[06] MACEDONIA BACKS PEACEFUL RESOLUTION OF KOSOVO AND METOHIJA ISSUE

[07] CONTACT GROUP SENDS A MESSAGE TO ETHNIC-ALBANIAN LEADER RUGOVA

[08] USAID ALLOCATES 4.8 MILLION DOLLAR AID FOR KOSOVO AND METOHIJA

[09] DROBNJAK AND AGANI GIVE STATEMENTS TO THE CHINESE NEWS AGENCY "HSINHUA"

[10] PRESIDENT OF THE PROVISIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL RECEIVED UN ENVOY

[11] YUGOSLAV FOREIGN MINISTER GIVES AN INTERVIEW TO "PRAVO"

[12] PRESIDENT OF THE PROVISIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL RECEIVED OSCE REPRESENTATIVES

[01] SERBIAN GOVERNMENT RESCINDS DECREE ON SPECIAL MEASURES

Tanjug, 1998-10-21

The Serbian Government on Wednesday rescinded the October 7 Decree on Sp ecial Measures in the conditions of threats with NATO military strikes ag ainst Yugoslavia, at the proposal of the Serbian Information Ministry, Se rbia Information Minister Aleksandar Vucic told Tanjug.

[02] TANJUG AND FOREIGN REPORTERS PROTEST IN FRONT OF THE U.S. EMBASSY IN BELGRADE

Tanjug, 1998-10-21

Several hundred journalists and employees of the Yugoslav Tanjug news ag ency, their colleagues in domestic and foreign media and Belgrade residen ts rallied in front of the U.S. Embassy on Wednesday protesting against t he abduction of Tanjug reporters Nebojsa Radosevic and Vladimir Dobricic.

The journalists rallied first in front of the Tanjug offices where they were addressed by the agency's Deputy Director General Dragan Micic who s aid that Tanjug had appealed to a large number of world agencies and inte rnational institutions over the past few days to help find Radosevic and Dobricic.

The journalists then marched in protest to the U.S. Embassy carrying pho tographs of Radosevic and Dobricic and banners saying "Give them Back."

Foreign correspondents, reporters and cameramen, a large number of domes tic reporters and President of the Association of Serbian Journalists Mil orad Komrakov also took part in the protest march.

Tanjug journalist Branka Stanisic read out a letter in which Tanjug appe aled for assistance in searching for the two missing reporters. The lette r was then handed over to U.S. Embassy officials.

The text of the letter, addressed to the U.S. Government, President Bill Clinton and mediator in Kosovo and Metohija talks Richard Holbrooke, run s as follows:

"Respected gentlemen,

Despite accords on the peaceful resolution of the crisis in Kosovo and M etohija, terrorising and violence is continuing by paramilitary groups of ethnic Albanian extremists who have taken to arms in the name of their d ream of secession and creation of a Greater Albania. In addition to Serbi an police and civilians, our colleagues, journalists, are also the target of that terrorising. Over the past few days alone, members of the ethnic Albanian terrorist organisation calling itself Kosovo Liberation Army (K LA, 1998) have killed seven and wounded four Serbian police officers and abducted two Serbian reporters.

The U.S. State Department and U.S. officials' reaction has so far been d eplorable and a cause of great concern because it implies direct or indir ect support to secessionism and terrorism.

Ethnic Albanian extremists have repeatedly targeted domestic and foreign reporters, intercepting and intimidating them and seizing their equipmen t, while precisely two months ago, Radio Pristina reporter Djuro Slavuj a nd his chauffeur Ranko Perinic went missing while doing their job. Their fate is still uncertain. On Sunday, October 18, Tanjug press photographer Vladimir Dobricic and reporter Nebojsa Radosevic, who were about to repo rt on the latest attack on a Serbian police patrol, were abducted near th e village of Magura, some 20 km away from Pristina.

In an attempt to prevent terrorism aimed at intimidating and silencing m edia, we have appealed to all press organisations at home and abroad and all international humanitarian and other organisations to protect the liv es of reporters and their right to work, but we have been unsuccessful so far. Terrorising of media representatives has continued and it is only a matter of days when the next victim will fall. Meanwhile, several places of mass execution have been discovered and bodies of scores of civilians liquidated by the KLA, so that our fear for the lives of our colleagues who have been abducted is justified.

Appeals and calls for solidarity are evidently not enough. It is vital t hat governments of Western countries and the United States in particular that are guarantors of accords on the peaceful resolution of the crisis a nd cessation of hostilities in Kosovo and Metohija make an effort to help release the kidnapped reporters and civilians.

Respected gentlemen, we are asking you to end this spiral of killing of the innocent and take immediate steps threatening the KLA with sanctions if it fails to release immediately our colleagues who have been abducted and all Serbian civilians that have been captured and to shed light on th e fate of nearly 300 Serbian civilians listed as missing. The United Stat es insists on playing a key role in defending democracy and human rights and freedoms in the world. What kind of democracy and justice are you def ending if they do not treat all equally.

As an architect and main guarantor of the accord reached on Kosovo and M etohija, the United States alone can effectively influence KLA political and military leaders to release all captured persons, including our colle agues Dobricic and Radosevic. We do not believe KLA leader Adem Demaci's pledges made in public, because he has just stated that his paramilitary did not sign anything and was not bound by any agreement. Besides, he has done nothing to help release Slavuj and Perinic. We believe that Mr Holb rooke who "accidentally" had contacts with KLA commanders should use his influence and exert pressure on them to set free our reporters.

Respected gentlemen, the lives of several hundred Serbian civilians are in the kidnappers' hands. We are asking you to do what you would do and a re doing all over the world when your nationals, your reporters, are vict ims of terrorists. You claim to be here because of peace and security but we are still being abducted and killed, do what is in your power, which is great, to help release our colleagues and ensure conditions for unhind ered work of all reporters and a life in peace for civilians that are vic tims of terrorism."

The letter was delivered to Robert Norman, head of the Embassy's politic al and economic section. Norman said he shared Tanjug reporters' concern, saying Holbrooke had already commented on negative effects of such incid ents on efforts to find a peaceful solution to the situation in Kosovo an d Metohija.

He said the Embassy had already informed some members of the ethnic Alba nian community about the U.S. concern. He said the Embassy joined Tanjug employees in their hopes that their colleagues would be immediately relea sed, saying the Embassy would do all it could to settle the matter.

[03] SEPARATISTS COUNT ON CONFLICTS

Tanjug, 1998-10-21

The so-called KLA "does not seem ready to reconcile itself with the fact that an accord has been achieved between Yugoslav President Slobodan Mil osevic and U.S. special envoy Richard Holbrooke on a peaceful and politic al solution of the situation in Kosovo and Metohija," the Italian daily " Liberazione" said.

The daily said that "the KLA cannot reconcile itself with the proposed a utonomy, which definitely confirms the territorial integrity of Serbia an d Yugoslavia and sinks all Albanian hopes for the independence of Kosovo and Metohija."

The daily pointed out that Albanian separatists, members of the so-calle d KLA, are continuing to launch attacks against the police, "in a despera te attempt to provoke a conflict in the region."

That is why despite the declared ceasefire, militant Albanians "continue with shooting and violent activities, as the kidnapping of two reporters of Tanjug Nebojsa Radosevic and Vladimir Dobricic," 'Liberazione' specif ied.

Albanian separatists "are once again resorting to fighting in the hope o f provoking conflict." However, "several days of provocations were follow ed by a strong reaction from the United States," in the form of a warning that the West knows how to differentiate between defense and provocation s, "Liberazione" said.

The daily quoted State Department Spokesman James Rubin as saying that i t would be a mistake "for the rebel group to consider NATO their airforce."

[04] WEBER SAYS ICRC IS ACTIVELY SEARCHING FOR MISSING REPORTERS

Tanjug, 1998-10-21

International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC, 1998) delegation head Be atrice Weber said on Wednesday that the ICRC had joined the activities in the search for missing Tanjug reporters and that it was trying to shed s ome light on their fate as soon as possible through contacts with the eth nic Albanian side.

When the disappearance of reporters Nebojsa Radosevic and Vladimir Dobri cic was reported on Sunday, the ICRC took steps aimed at contacting repre sentative of the so-called KLA, Demaci, Weber told Tanjug and added that the ICRC had talked with him several times, but that he had not confirmed whether KLA members were really holding the missing reporters.

She said that it was very important that Demaci had contacted one of the leaders of the so-called KLA, which controls the area southwest of the v illage of Magura, where the Tanjug reporters were headed.

According to Weber, Demaci made it clear to this leader that if he was h olding Tanjug reporters, he should treat them in a correct way, observing international conventions on the treatment of prisoners.

The ICRC will on Wednesday try to meet with some responsible persons in the so-called KLA and ask them for precise information about Tanjug repor ters, Weber said.

Within efforts to ensure a speedy return of the missing reporters to the ir families, the ICRC delegation in Belgrade held a meeting with represen tatives of the Contact Group member-countries and called for help.

A total of 119 civilians were reported missing to the ICRC in the past f ew months.

The ICRC has been trying to find out where these people are, but despite all attempts at making a breakthrough in talks held on different levels with KLA representatives, it has succeeded in securing the return of only three kidnapped refugees and a group of 35 people from Orahovac, Weber s aid.

Last week, the ICRC restored its activities on the ground, which were su spended when on September 30 a volunteer doctor was killed and three ICRC delegates injured when an ICRC car hit a mine.

The ICRC continues to secure hygiene products for all the needy and disp laced persons in Kosovo and Metohija, regardless of their nationality and to supply health care centres with medical equipment, Weber said and add ed that the organisation was preparing the distribution of warm clothes f or the coming winter.

[05] YUGOSLAV EMBASSY IN VIENNA APPEALS TO OSCE OFFICIAL

Tanjug, 1998-10-21

The Yugoslav Embassy in Vienna appealed on Wednesday to Freimut Duve, of ficial of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE, 1998) in charge of freedom of the media, to use his influence to help fin d out the truth about the fate of reporters abducted in Serbia's southern province of Kosovo and Metohija.

In a letter to Duve, signed by the Embassy's counsellor Dubravka Zverzan ovski, the Embassy said Duve, who monitored media activity in Yugoslavia often requesting different things from Yugoslav authorities, had failed t o react to the abduction of Tanjug reporters Nebojsa Radosevic and Vladim ir Dobricic that occurred on the route linking Pristina and the village o f Magura on October 18.

The Embassy said the fate of Radio Pristina reporter Djuro Slavuj and dr iver Ranko Perinic, who went missing on August 21, was still uncertain.

The abduction of reporters in Kosovo and Metohija is not only a drastic instance of violation of basic human rights and a threat to journalism bu t it is also a blow to the implementation of an agreement recently reache d between Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic and U.S. envoy Richard Ho lbrooke and an agreement on the deployment of OSCE verifiers to Kosovo an d Metohija, the Embassy said.

Commenting on OSCE officials' allegation that the government in Belgrade had declared war on independent media, the Embassy said that, in additio n to the state news agency, there were five private news agencies in the country, about 2,500 different papers including 80 weeklies and dailies p ublished in minority languages of which 50 are published in the Albanian language, as well as more than 100 private television stations and 300 pr ivate radio stations.

The Embassy said that, as regards a recent ban on some radio broadcasts and publication of some dailies, it had to remind Duve that Yugoslavia ha d been faced with an immediate war threat and therefore had to adapt its legislation.

The Embassy voiced confidence that 2,000 OSCE verifiers to be sent to Ko sovo and Metohija would have an opportunity to find out the truth about t he status of media in Yugoslavia.

[06] MACEDONIA BACKS PEACEFUL RESOLUTION OF KOSOVO AND METOHIJA ISSUE

Tanjug, 1998-10-21

British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook said in the Macedonian capital on W ednesday that the international community was firm in its position that t he peace accord on Serbia's southern province of Kosovo and Metohija, rea ched by Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic and U.S. envoy Richard Holb rooke, should be implemented as soon as possible.

Cook, who arrived on a two-day visit to Macedonia on Tuesday, told a new s conference that he would later in the day meet with leaders of ethnic A lbanians in Kosovo and Metohija, but did not specify what would be discus sed.

Macedonian Foreign Minister Blagoje Handziski, for his part, welcomed Yu goslavia's constructive approach to a peaceful resolution of problems in Kosovo and Metohija.

Handziski confirmed that Macedonia did not wish directly to participate in the OSCE verification mission in Kosovo and Metohija "for historical a nd some other reasons."

The Macedonian minister, however, said that his country, guided by the w ish for peace to be established in Kosovo and Metohija as soon as possibl e and wishing itself to participate in this, had decided to open its air space to unmanned aircraft and allow the aircraft to be stationed on its territory.

Asked whether border problems between Macedonia and Yugoslavia had been resolved, Minister Handziski said the border had been defined 50 years ag o and a Mixed Macedonian-Yugoslav Commission had only technically to mark it.

[07] CONTACT GROUP SENDS A MESSAGE TO ETHNIC-ALBANIAN LEADER RUGOVA

Tanjug, 1998-10-21

The Contact Group on Wednesday sent a message to Ibrahim Rugova, a leade r of ethnic Albanians in Serbia's southern province of Kosovo and Metohij a, calling on him to fully back the accord on a peaceful political resolu tion of the Kosovo and Metohija issue reached by Yugoslav President Slobo dan Milosevic and U.S. envoy Richard Holbrooke.

The message was signed by French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine on beha lf of the Contact Group foreign ministers. It said that it was essential that Rugova should support the political aspect of the accord, and unders cored that it was imperative that rapid progress be made in talks on a fu ture status of the province.

The Contact Group foreign ministers said a way had been cleared for a pe aceful political solution to the Kosovo and Metohija issue and Rugova was expected to display courage and his sense of responsibility. The message stressed that it was above all in the interest of the ethnic Albanians i n Kosovo and Metohija that the international verification mission start w orking as soon as possible and perform its task in the best of conditions.

Addressing a news conference in Paris last Thursday, after a Contact Gro up ministerial meeting, French Foreign Minister Vedrine criticized the re jection of the Belgrade accord in some ethnic-Albanian circles in Kosovo and Metohija. He said the dissatisfaction was due to the fact that the ac cord envisaged broader autonomy for Kosovo and Metohija and not independe nce, as urged by the separatists.

[08] USAID ALLOCATES 4.8 MILLION DOLLAR AID FOR KOSOVO AND METOHIJA

Tanjug, 1998-10-21

Director of the disaster relief department of the US Agency for Internat ional Development (USAID, 1998) Roy Williams said at a press conference o n Wednesday evening in Pristina that the Agency had earmarked 4.8 million dollars for an emergency winter aid program for displaced persons in Ser bia's southern province of Kosovo and Metohija.

The aid will be distributed through humanitarian organizations Medicines sans Frontieres, Direct Aid to Children, and the Catholic Church, and wi ll comprise food, blankets, hygiene products and other necessities for ab out 60,000 people.

The situation seems stable following the conclusion of the accord on a p eaceful solution to the problems in the province, but many people still n eed aid, Williams said.

The agency will study the situation on the ground in order to provide ad equate aid to people who have not yet returned home for various reasons, he added.

Asked by a foreign reporter why most of the humanitarian organizations h ad withdrawn their teams from the province last week in the face of threa ts of air strikes, leaving behind many people in need, Williams said that not much can be done while bombs are falling.

Answering a question by Tanjug reporter whether he believed that there s till were 200,000 displaced persons in Kosovo and Metohija as the interna tional community had been claiming prior to military threats, Williams sa id it was difficult to determine the exact number of displaced persons an d that this was one of the tasks of his agency.

Referring to the two missing Tanjug reporters, Williams said he had only heard about it but had no knowledge on their case.

[09] DROBNJAK AND AGANI GIVE STATEMENTS TO THE CHINESE NEWS AGENCY "HSINHUA"

Tanjug, 1998-10-21

Although the accord reached on Kosovo and Metohija by Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic and U.S. envoy Richard Holbrook has received world-wi de support, leaders of the ethnic-Albanians in the province refuse to acc ept it, member of the Provisional Executive Council of Kosovo and Metohij a in charge of information Bosko Drobnjak was quoted by the Chinese news agency Hsinhua on Wednesday.

"Their rejection is the biggest obstacle standing in the way of a soluti on to the crisis in the province," Drobnjak told a Hsinhua reporter in th e provincial capital of Pristina.

He said that, during the recent withdrawal of security forces, ethnic-Al banian terrorists had staged attacks on the police, killing five policeme n and wounding nine, and that they had also abducted two Tanjug reporters.

The major thing now is to create a calm atmosphere so that talks could r esume, the Kosovo and Metohija official said and stressed that, "if ethni c- Albanian representatives continue rejecting dialogue, the Serbian Gover nment will resolve the crisis in keeping with the Constitution."

Drobnjak accused the West of lending unprincipled support to ethnic Alba nians in Kosovo and Metohija, which he said had encouraged the extremists and further complicated the situation in the region.

The member of the Provisional Executive Council of Kosovo and Metohija t old the Chinese news agency Hsinhua that "some Western countries want to take over control of Kosovo and Metohija because of its strategic signifi cance...and are trying to provoke conflicts and interfere in them, not sh unning even military intervention."

Drobnjak underscored that a lasting solution to the Kosovo and Metohija issue would be found "if the West ceases to interfere in Yugoslavia's int ernal affairs."

The Hsinhua reporter also got a statement from head of the ethnic-Albani an negotiating team Fehmi Agani, who conditioned the acceptance of dialog ue with a Serbian state delegation on a "prior decision on the status" of Kosovo and Metohija.

Agani next contradicted himself by saying that "talks must begin without any conditions and in a calm atmosphere."

"Softening the tone of the ethnic Albanians who insist on full independe nce, Agani said that the Kosovo crisis could be resolved within Yugoslavi a but not within Serbia," Hsinhua said.

It quoted Agani as saying that the Democratic League of Kosovo was aware that it was "impossible for Kosovo to get independence in the near futur e, " and was, therefore, ready to accept a provisional solution within Yug oslavia for a three-year period, after which he said a referendum was to be held.

Hsinhua said that ethnic-Albanian leaders had earlier rejected a politic al solution which called for elections in nine months' time and a police whose ethnic make-up would reflect the make-up of the province's populati on.

The Chinese news agency set out that Yugoslavia had never abandoned its position that Kosovo and Metohija was "Serbia's internal affair and must, therefore, be resolved within Serbia, which, together with Montenegro, m akes up Yugoslavia."

Hsinhua said that "even Western countries are opposed to full independen ce for Kosovo," fearing that the ethnic Albanians in Macedonia, where the y constitute a fourth of the population, could also seek to join "Greater Albania" and "push the whole region into further unrest."

[10] PRESIDENT OF THE PROVISIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL RECEIVED UN ENVOY

Tanjug, 1998-10-21

President of the Provisional Executive Council of Serbia's southern prov ince of Kosovo and Metohija Zoran Andjelkovic met on Wednesday in the pro vincial capital Pristina the UN delegation headed by Staffan de Mistura, envoy of the UN Secretary-General.

De Mistura was interested in the activities and location of humanitarian centers as his report to this effect should help the UN provide adequate aid, the Kosovo and Metohija Information Secretariat said in a statement.

Pointing to the multi-ethnic composition of the Kosovo and Metohija popu lation, Andjelkovic said that the principal task of his Council was to re solve social and humanitarian issues to the benefit of all citizens and e thnic communities in the province.

Andjelkovic underlined that aid in food and construction materials for h ouses damaged in terrorist actions was being provided to all citizens, re gardless of their ethnic of religious affiliation.

Sixteen humanitarian centers have been set up in areas where aid was nee ded, Andjelkovic said and added that about 100 distribution points for hu manitarian aid would be opened in communities where local security has be en ensured, the statement says.

[11] YUGOSLAV FOREIGN MINISTER GIVES AN INTERVIEW TO "PRAVO"

Tanjug, 1998-10-21

Yugoslav Foreign Minister Zivadin Jovanovic, in an interview to the Czec h daily "Pravo" published on Wednesday, described the recent accord betwe en Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic and U.S. envoy to the Balkans Ri chard Holbrooke as a framework for settling all issues pertaining to the Yugoslav republic of Serbia's Kosovo and Metohija province.

We have directed all our commitments toward a peaceful political settlem ent, said Jovanovic and underscored that all agreements and accords that had been reached should be implemented.

He said that threats to use force and military methods diverted the atte ntion from the political settlement in Kosovo and Metohija.

Jovanovic stressed that whatever the problems in Kosovo and Metohija the re had been absolutely no grounds for threats or use of force. He said th at since August 28, Serbian security forces had not taken any action and that they were withdrawing to their permanent positions.

The Foreign Minister also said that the Yugoslav Army had always guarded the border and was still doing so, because of a threat of terrorist infi ltrations and arms smuggling into Yugoslavia from the Albanian territory.

Jovanovic said that threats were only additionally encouraging those who opposed dialogue so strongly and gave them hope that things which they c ould not achieve through talks could be obtained by a military interventi on.

He said that in Kosovo and Metohija, there were still those who believed that someone would make them a present of independence. He added that th is was an illusion, as no intelligent and politically responsible person could believe in the program of creating a "Greater Albania."

Jovanovic also said that ethnic Albanian separatists interpreted the Wes tern conduct as assistance and support.

He underscored that Yugoslavia was making a clear distinction between et hnic Albanian separatist and terrorist leaders and a vast majority of Yug oslav citizens of Albanian descent, who were loyal citizens but blackmail ed by ethnic Albanian terrorists.

Jovanovic said that a peaceful political settlement was not Yugoslavia's tactics but its strategy, which had not been forced by any pressure. He said it was a reality and the Yugoslav choice remained the strategy of so lving all issues in Kosovo and Metohija solely through dialogue and by pe aceful democratic means.

To a question of a possible contribution from the Organization for Secur ity and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE, 1998) verification mission to the re aching of peace in Kosovo and Metohija, Jovanovic said he was confident t hat the mission would contribute to a more objective view of the situatio n in Kosovo and Metohija and Yugoslavia's constructive policy of peaceful settlement.

Jovanovic said he expected the OSCE to give a clear signal that there co uld be no solution other than that within Serbia and Yugoslavia and to in fluence the other side that rejected dialogue to finally join the negotia ting table.

He said that Yugoslavia guaranteed full freedom of movement and full saf ety to all members of the OSCE mission. He added that the country did not rule out possible provocations from ethnic Albanian terrorists.

[12] PRESIDENT OF THE PROVISIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL RECEIVED OSCE REPRESENTATIVES

Tanjug, 1998-10-21

President of the Provisional Executive Council of Kosovo and Metohija Zo ran Andjelkovic on Wednesday conferred with representatives of the OSCE v erification mission, headed by John Sendrock.

In the meeting, the two sides voiced satisfaction with cooperation to da te between the OSCE verification mission and state authorities, a Provinc ial Information Secretariat statement said.

The OSCE representatives, who have toured districts and municipalities i n the province, thanked for the assistance extended to them in the organi zing of the technical part of the mission, so that conditions would be cr eated for the verifiers to start working as soon as possible, the stateme nt said.

Andjelkovic underscored that the signed agreement on the OSCE verificati on mission would fully be honoured and state authorities would fully coop erate in its implementation.

Yugoslav Daily Survey Directory - Previous Article - Next Article