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Serbia Today, 97-03-31
Serbia Today
CONTENTS
[01] SERBIAN UNITY - PRECONDITION FOR A SUCCESSFUL AND STABLE DEVELOPMENT
[02] BULLETIN SUPPLEMENT: DARK SIDE OF THE AWARDS
[03] ANOTHER BATTLE FOR VUKOVAR
[04] NEW PROVOCATION BY THE CROATIAN POLICE
[05] FORCIBLE DENIAL OF COUNTRY AND PROPERTY
[06] "ALLEGEDLY MISSING" AND "ALLEGEDLY MURDERED" SERBS
[07] THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE BELGRADE CIRCUMVALLATION ROAD CONTINUES
[08] MINISTER MILENTIJEVIC HAD TALKS IN WASHINGTON AND NEW YORK
[09] DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA UNTIL 2010, WITH
FORECASTS UNTIL 2020
[10] GREETINGS FOR THE STATEHOOD DAY
[11] TANJUG IMPEDED FROM WORKING IN LJUBLJANA
[12] CROATIAN FLAG ON A MOSQUE
[01] SERBIAN UNITY - PRECONDITION FOR A SUCCESSFUL AND STABLE DEVELOPMENT
On Serbian Statehood Day - March 28, President Milosevic laid a wreath at
the Unknown Soldier Monument on Mt. Avala. During the ceremony, the
national anthem has been played and afterwards President Milosevic wrote
the following in the Book of Impressions: "March 28, 1989, marked a
national victory in the struggle for Serbian Unity. The unity of Serbia was
a precondition for its survival during the dire times of crisis and break-
up of former Yugoslavia, and today it represents the grounds for its
successful and stable development in peace and freedom."
Serbia Today, 1997-03-31 ; Politika, 1997-03-29
[02] BULLETIN SUPPLEMENT: DARK SIDE OF THE AWARDS
Last week, US President William Clinton, received Mr. Alija Izetbegovic
President of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina and a politician that
managed to combine two absolutely incompatible things: after an award for
merits for Islam and Jihad, he has been given an award for democracy. He
received the first award from Saudi Arabia in 1993, and the second on March
25 ,1997 from the American Center for Democracy.
The award rationale indicates that Mr. Izetbegovic merited the democracy
award because "after 43 months of war, with the September 96 elections, he
moved Bosnia in the direction of multi-ethnic and democratic society". This
leads to the conclusion that Mr. Izetbegovic fought a war for 43 months to
use Jihad - the Moslem holy war - to bring about democracy and a
multiethnic society to Bosnia. According to the same logic, to do this he
was right in exiling more than 500.000 Serbs and 100.000 Croats. This is
why he established concentration camps - like the one in Celebici that he
visited twice - where numerous war crimes were committed against Serbian
civilians. His struggle for a "multi-ethnic society" yielded the death of
7.500 Serbian civilians, the destruction of Orthodox and Catholic churches,
and the demolition of dozens of towns and villages in Bosnia and
Herzegovina.
Mr. Izetbegovic has best displayed his political beliefs in his book
"Islamic Declaration" where he wrote: "It is certain that there is an
incompatibility between Islam and non-Islamic systems. There can be no
peace nor coexistence between Islamic religion and non-Islamic social and
political institutions." In the same book, Izetbegovic stresses that Islam
excludes the right or the possibility of any other ideology being active
within the territory it rules.
The fact that - even after 43 months of war - the President of the
Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina and President of the Moslem Democratic
Action Party stayed faithful to the beliefs he listed in his "Islamic
Declaration", is confirmed by a recent example. At the elections rally held
in the village of Grepko (near Grazde) on September 5, 1996, Izetbegovic
and the Imam Jamaal Grade spoke to the people. On that occasion Izetbegovic
accused the world of leaving part of Bosnia "under the heel of the evil
ones", and the Imam stressed: "Jihad is our path, it is our salvation. the
Koran is our only constitution." In other words, Izetbegovic's merits in
the cause of Islam and his devotion to Jihad are undeniable. As far as
democracy and the motivations for the US Center for Democracy Annual Award
are concerned - they are unclear only at a first glance.
Serbia Today, 1997-03-31 ; Vecernje Novosti, 1997-03-28
[03] ANOTHER BATTLE FOR VUKOVAR
"The main battle will be for Vukovar, just as it was on the military field.
The Croats are fearing that they might loose the town of Vukovar in the
elections, since this would jeopardize their choice of county seat. They
can not accept the possibility of a county center having a Serbian
municipal council. If we go to the elections, we could win in a number of
municipalities representing the Vukovar hinterland", said Independent
Democratic Serbian Party president Dr. Vojislav Stanimirovic at the
constituent assembly of the Vukovar chapter. He also stressed that the
necessary conditions for elections still have not been met, but that the
Serbia side has to prove this both to UNTAES and the Croatian side. "The
international community has decided to separate us from our mother-country
and leave us in Croatia as it is - a country that has adopted the symbols
of Independent State of Croatia run by Ustashas, a country in which
hundreds of thousands of Serbs were victims of pogrom. However, maybe this
Serbian oasis in Croatia can be the beacon and give hope to all our fellow
Serbs that have been exiled from their homesteads" - said regional leader
Stanimirovic. He also stressed that the number of Serbs living in the
region will determine their fate. "The worse thing that could happen to us
is that 50% of us leave - this would suit Croatian Croatia, because the
UNTAES mandate will be successful, the Croatians will be content and we
would be completely ruined." - underscored Prof. Stanimirovic.
Serbia Today, 1997-03-31 ; Politika, 1997-03-28
[04] NEW PROVOCATION BY THE CROATIAN POLICE
Another arrest of an official Serbian representative, during his official
visit to Osijek, only a week after two high officials of the Serbian
administration in Vukovar have been arrested in Zagreb where they had been
invited for an official visit by the Croatian Government, represents
another intimidation directed to the Serbian population in the Srem-Baranja
Region, as UNTAES officials remarked as well. Prof. Dr. Dusan Matic went to
Osijek on Tuesday on an official invitation of the Croatian Ministry of
Education and Sports. After the talks, he was accompanied by UNHCR
officials (that drove him to Osijek) to the Faculty of Pedagogy where he
taught before the war, in order to take his employment booklet from the
secretariat. While he was waiting, he was approached by two persons in
police uniform that arrested him rudely and without any explanations -
taking him to the Police headquarters. There he was made to wait for about
half an hour and was then told that he is free to go - once again without
any explanation.
Serbia Today, 1997-03-31 ; Politika, 1997-03-28
[05] FORCIBLE DENIAL OF COUNTRY AND PROPERTY
The Association for Aid to Exiled Persons and Refugees living in FRY,
issued a letter of protest against the latest decision of the Croatian
authorities to allocate apartments of exiled Serbs from Kistanje to
Yugoslav citizens of Croatian origin from the village of Janjeva. The
communique qualifies this decision as a genocidal one. The letter stresses
that the forcible denial of country and the seizure of property owned by
about 10.000 Serbs from Kistanje, constitutes the worst possible crime of
genocide and a direct breach of the peace agreement between FR Yugoslavia
and Croatia, as well as a cause for further conflicts in the region. These
senseless actions merely encourage retrograde forces, terrorism, violence
and will probably provoke new wars. Those that promote and those that allow
such actions, are hypocritically ignoring the human rights of the Serbs
from Northern Dalmatia, and are seriously damaging the peaceful settlement
of the conflicts in the Srem-Baranja Region - preventing the return to
normal life. These actions will only generate new exiled persons and
obstruct the implementation of the rights of refugees from all Croatia, in
spite of the fact that all exiled persons from Northern Dalmatia want to
return home - stresses the communique.
Serbia Today, 1997-03-31 ; Politika, 1997-03-31
[06] "ALLEGEDLY MISSING" AND "ALLEGEDLY MURDERED" SERBS
The Permanent Yugoslav Mission to the UN in Geneva submitted to the UN
Human Rights Committee the Yugoslav Government comments concerning the
report prepared by the expert for missing persons in former Yugoslavia -
Mr. Manfred Novak. The commentary is now being circulated as an official
document at the current annual session of the UN Committee. Three years ago,
Yugoslavia warned that Mr. Novak's appointment to this office is not
justified, since there already exist institutions dealing with the problems
of missing persons. Subsequently, Mr. Novak's unacceptable attitude has
been pointed out on various occasions, especially due to the politicization
of these highly sensitive issues. Just before the adoption of a resolution
abolishing his office, Mr. Novak resigned and circulated his last report,
in which he once again used fabrications, ignored well-know facts and
suggests erroneous conclusions. Mr. Novak's cynicism peaks in his head-
count of missing persons in former Yugoslavia. When he talks about missing
Croats or Moslems, he uses "exact" figures without any reservations. But,
when he talks about the Serbs, be they from Krayina, Western Slavonija or
soldier of the former Yugoslav Peoples Army, Mr. Novak regularly uses the
qualification "allegedly missing". According to him, Croatian soldiers
"allegedly killed" in the Spacva Forest a thousand Serbian refugees from
Krayina, and "allegedly" Serbs have been mass-liquidated in the zone
between Glina and Bosanski Novi. The Federal Government commentary unmasked
with arguments Manfred Novak's report.
Serbia Today, 1997-03-31 ; Borba, 1997-03-29
[07] THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE BELGRADE CIRCUMVALLATION ROAD CONTINUES
On Friday, at the building site near Ostruznica on the banks of the Sava,
Mr. Dejan Kovacevic - Cabinet member in charge of capital investment
projects, inaugurated the continuation of the construction works for the
Belgrade circumvallation road. Last week the construction of the highway
from Horgosh and Feketic was also inaugurated. This time a somewhat smaller
road segment is involved (16,8 km), but it is extremely important since it
is part of a 37 long highway going around the capital. Once completed, this
road will greatly improve traffic conditions in the center of the city. At
the same time, this investment project will employ numerous construction
companies and ancillary industries. "Today on Statehood Day, we initiate a
capital investment project relying on our own means and knowledge. Our road-
builders and construction companies, as well as our entire industry, hereby
show their capacity to undertake major and complex projects under adverse
economic conditions. The highway segment we are about to start building, is
part of the European E-75 highway, going from Hungary through our country
to Greece and Bulgaria, and of E-70, going from Italy and Austria to
Romania." -said Mr. Kovacevic. Stressing that our country tackled the
project without foreign financial aid, Prime Minister Mirko Marjanovic
said: "Bearing in mind that these are profitable investments, we anticipate
that foreign capital will be interested in becoming involved in the
project.. This is why the Law on Concessions is to be adopted imminently."
"It has been affirmed that this will be a reform year, and President
Milosevic spoke about it in particular, and we will prove that this was not
merely empty talks."
Serbia Today, 1997-03-31 ; Politika, 1997-03-29
[08] MINISTER MILENTIJEVIC HAD TALKS IN WASHINGTON AND NEW YORK
In the past few days, Serbian Minister of Information - Ms. Radmila
Milentijevic had a number meetings in Washington and New York with
officials from various important state and private agencies and
associations, and talked with several reporters about the preparations for
the new Law on Information in Serbia and other issues concerning media and
information. During the encounter with Yugoslav correspondents in New York,
Minister Milentijevic said that in view of the negative American reactions
to the draft law, she used firm arguments to point out to the officials she
talked with that this is only a first draft and that it has been offered
for the broadest possible public discussion. The public debate will have
the greatest influence on the final shaping of the law, that has been
modeled upon the practice and corresponding legislation of the most
developed European countries said Ms. Milentijevic. The Serbian Minister of
Information met in Washington with the representatives of the Government
Agency for International Aid and Development, as well with officials from
the OSCE Commission, the US Agency for International Development, and the
National Democratic Institute and discussed with them issues related to the
information environment, stressing the efforts that Serbian Government is
making to enhance the democracy development process.
Serbia Today, 1997-03-31 ; Politika, 1997-03-29
[09] DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA UNTIL 2010, WITH
FORECASTS UNTIL 2020
At the session of the government of the Republic of Serbia chaired by Prime
Minister Mirko Marjanovic the decision has been passed to immediately
initiate the drafting of the large project "Development Strategy for the
Republic of Serbia Until 2010, With Forecasts Until 2020", under the
coordination of the Republican Development Institute. This project has been
judged inevitable, because with the return on the international market, and
the reintegration of our country into international financial, trade and
political organizations accompanied by a stabilization of the business
environment, new possibilities for a more intense social and economic
development of Serbia are being created. This is why such a document has to
define strategic grounds, as well as circumstances and limitations, and
formulate objectives, criteria and methods for promoting and directing long-
term development of Serbia.
Serbia Today, 1997-03-31 ; Politika, 1997-03-28
[10] GREETINGS FOR THE STATEHOOD DAY
Federal President Zoran Lilic sent his greetings to Serbian President
Slobodan Milosevic for Serbian Statehood Day - March 28. "This year, You
have defined as a year of reforms, will be decisive in many ways for the
overall development of Serbia, and consequently of Yugoslavia as well.
Serbia is proceeding along the path of deep transformations, which it was
the first to initiate in this part of Europe, even though well-known events
and circumstances prevented and slowed down its efforts in the past several
years. The new stimulating system environment will allow the complete
mobilization of enormous natural, economic, and human potentials bringing
Serbia up to the level of moderately developed countries in a short time",
states the letter of greetings sent by President Lilic. The Speaker of the
Serbian National Parliament - Mr. Dragan Tomic reiterated in his letter of
greetings that the adoption and proclamation of the 1989 amendments to the
Serbian Constitution reinstated the state and legal sovereignty of our
Republic. The centuries old statehood has thus been reconfirmed as well as
the readiness of its people to be their own masters, firmly determined to
avoid any war on Serbian territory. These amendments preserved peace and
protected us from the seed of evil, stressed Mr. Tomic. A united and stable
Serbia, guided by Your wise and coherent peace policy, allowed us to be
ready for the new period offering chances of further successful development
- observed Prime Minister Mirko Marjanovic in his letter of congratulations
addressed to President Slobodan Milosevic on the occasion of Statehood Day.
Serbia determined to pursue comprehensive progress will fully contribute to
the evolution of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and to its evolution into a
modern democratic state marked by an open market economy, fully integrated
in the international community - said Mr. Marjanovic.
Serbia Today, 1997-03-31 ; Tanjug, 1997-03-29
[11] TANJUG IMPEDED FROM WORKING IN LJUBLJANA
Last week, the TANJUG news agency correspondent in Ljubljana has been
forcibly prevented from entering the agency office in Ljubljana, and thus
impeded from working. The leaders of the Regional Organization of Slovenian
Free Unions have locked up the agency offices, with the unfounded excuse
that they own the premises. Police, the Government Information Bureau and
the Slovenian Foreign Office, did nothing to prevent this illegal act even
though they have been informed about this latest and most brutal in a
series of attacks on TANJUG in Slovenia. Thus, Slovenian authorities
allowed the illegal seizure of the TANJUG office in Ljubljana and the
breach of fundamental journalistic and human rights of the agency
correspondent.
Serbia Today, 1997-03-31 ; Tanjug, 1997-03-29
[12] CROATIAN FLAG ON A MOSQUE
In the village of Ahmici near the town of Vitez, Croatian authorities have
hoisted the Croatian flag on the ruins of the local mosque, appalling the
remaining Moslem population in the region. "We have been revolted by the
fact that in Catholic Easter time, the checkered Croatian flag has been
resurrected in the village of Ahmici where Croats massacred 99 innocent
Moslems", stated the representative of the Travnik Mufti. The Moslems
interpret this as an "attempt to irritate and cause further pain to those
that can now only look from a distance at their destroyed homes and temples
".
Serbia Today, 1997-03-31 ; Vecernje Novosti, 1997-03-31
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