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Serbia Today 96-04-16
16 April 1996
In This Edition
COMMUNIQUE BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ABOUT THE ELIZABETH REN REPORT
MUSLIM PROVOCATIONS NEAR BRCKO
JASENOVAC MUST BE SAVED FROM TUDJMAN
CONTENTS
[01] YET ANOTHER ABSURD IN THE UN SYSTEM
[02] COMMUNIQUE BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ABOUT THE ELIZABETH REN REPORT
[03] CHALLENGES OF A LARGE MARKET
[04] ASSISTANCE WITHOUT POLITICAL CONDITIONS
[05] MUSLIM PROVOCATIONS NEAR BRCKO
[06] ABDIC: ALIJA IS HIDING BEHIND THE ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT
[07] JASENOVAC MUST BE SAVED FROM TUDJMAN
[08] WITHOUT THE YUGOSLAV MARKET SLOVENIAN ECONOMY HAS ONLY FAILURES
[09] MATRIMONIAL RIGHTS ARE NOT HUMAN RIGHTS
[10] POPE IN SLOVENIA - AN EXPENSIVE GUEST
[01] YET ANOTHER ABSURD IN THE UN SYSTEM
The UN European Economic Commission, one of the five regional
commissions of the world organization, at the 51st annual
session in Geneva, will debate the process of the UN system
reforms, development of the private sector and industrial
development, with the special emphasis on the so-called
countries in the period of transition. Among the 55 members of
this body there are also the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and
all the former Yugoslav republics, but, contrary to all of them,
only the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia although it is the
member of the Commission, and this membership is not disputed by
anyone, is not taking part at this year's session. It is a
question actually of the yet another absurd in the UN system.
regardless of the fact that the UN Legal Department on several
occasions underlined that the FR of Yugoslavia has the full
right to the international continuity, Yugoslavia is practically
forbidden from participating at the session of the one of the
most important bodies of the world organization. This is in fact
a repetition of the already well known story about different
interpretation of the UN General Assembly Resolution 47/1 on the
suspension of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. (Politika,
April 16, 1996)
[02] COMMUNIQUE BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ABOUT THE ELIZABETH REN REPORT
Yugoslav mission at the UN in Geneva has published yesterday as
the official document of the current 52nd session of the UN
Commission on Human Rights, "The Communique by the Government of
the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia on the Report of the Special
Envoy for Human Rights in Former Yugoslavia" Elizabeth Ren. The
commentary is published on the eve of the address by Mrs Ren to
the participants of the session. While supporting the past
strives of Mrs. Ren on the ground to verify the state of human
rights, Federal Government is underlining that from the special
envoy it is expected to base her activities most of all on the
verified facts, to be unbiased and impartial and never become,
consciously or unconsciously, the subject of manipulation by
those who from the very beginning of the Yugoslav crisis have
abused the problems of human rights for political pressures on
only one side - the Serbs. In the communique it is pointed out
at some incorrect facts in the factography and in the evaluation
of the state of human rights and rights of minorities in the FR
of Yugoslavia, which facts are groundless. One of the random
conclusions by Elizabeth Ren is that the FR of Yugoslavia has
proclaimed itself the only successor to former Yugoslavia, which
is not true. The right of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to
the continuity has been, on several occasions, confirmed also by
the UN Legal Department. Regarding the status of minorities,
Federal Government states that "there is no discrimination of
ethnic or religious groups in Kosovo and Metohija" and in many
examples which are illustrating this it is stated that at
present there are 25 newspapers and magazines printed in the
Albanian language which "are fully independent from any control
or influence by the state". (Politika, April 16, 1996)
[03] CHALLENGES OF A LARGE MARKET
President of the Chamber of Economy of Serbia Vlajko
Stojiljkovic had talks with the delegation of the government of
Harbin, the capital of the Chinese Province of Heilundjang, on
the possibilities for promotion of the economic relations, most
of all in the field of machine building, agriculture and trade.
This large market of the Province of Heilundjang, with some 36
million inhabitants, is for our firms a challenge and an
opportunity to find their place there with the competitive
products, together with many world companies, said Stojiljkovic.
In the economic cooperation several concrete jobs have already
been realized, and it was proposed for the city of Harbin to
establish in Belgrade its commercial and cultural center,
through which it will be possible to get China closer to Europe.
(Politika, April 16, 1996)
[04] ASSISTANCE WITHOUT POLITICAL CONDITIONS
After the Donors Conference for Bosnia in Brussels, in the
British diplomatic circles it is underlined that Britain will
direct its assistance and jobs to entire Bosnia, which means
also to the Republic of Srpska. It is recalled that Britain does
not wish to follow those who are conditioning their aid to the
Republic of Srpska by political targets. Because of the adequate
participation of the British companies in the reconstruction of
Bosnia, the Foreign Office will establish soon in Sarajevo its
trade and economic representative office. (Borba, April 16,
1996)
[05] MUSLIM PROVOCATIONS NEAR BRCKO
In the village of Brka, some ten kilometers from Brcko, two days
ago some 15,000 Muslims have gathered at a rally, demanding for
Brcko to be given to them. At the rally where the atmosphere was
brought to the boiling point by the Vice President of the
Federation Ejup Ganic and the President of the Socialist
Democratic Party of Bosnia-Herzegovina Nijaz Durakovic, all this
broadcasted by the Muslim television, demands were voiced for
the forcible entry into Brcko. Ganic and Durakovic on several
occasions underlined that "there is no peace without Brcko". The
rally was all the time supervised by the IFOR helicopters which
was creating an impression in the gathered Muslim population
that the entire world is on their side. On this provocation,
some 7,000 Serbs from Brcko were waiting on the frontiers of the
so-called pink zones, fearing the forcible entry of the Muslims
into the city. No incidents have occurred, however. The greatest
attention on this event was focused by the Croat media claiming,
however, that the rally was not held in the village of Brka, but
in the village of Vitanovici where the majority are Croats.
According to the Dayton Agreement, Brcko belongs to the Republic
of Srpska and the announced arbitration does not refer to this
city but only to the separation lines in the former corridor.
(Politika ekspres, April 16, 1996)
[06] ABDIC: ALIJA IS HIDING BEHIND THE ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT
The former member of the Muslim Presidency of Bosnia, the
political opponent of Alija Izetbegovic, Fikret Abdic, announced
yesterday in his interview for the Zagreb daily "Vjesnik" that
he will place his candidature for the elections in
Bosnia-Herzegovina with the newly formed party - the Democratic
People's Community. Abdic who is now staying in Croatia, said
that he was not surprised by the recent arrest of the group of
Muslims in Croatia for which it is claimed that they were
preparing an assassination attempt against him. "The planned
assassination attempt", said Abdic, "is disclosing the
intentions of the Party of Democratic Action to liquidate its
opponents, because Izetbegovic can not bear to have beside him a
strong personality". (Vecernje novosti, April 16, 1996)
[07] JASENOVAC MUST BE SAVED FROM TUDJMAN
Jasenovac, the biggest and the most brutal Ustashi death camp in
the World War Two, must be preserved as it is, intact, because
it is historically important also for the comprehension of the
present-day tragedy taking place in these areas. This was the
ic which served as basis to the last night's lecture
delivered in the Carnegie Foundation in the Washington D.C. by
Dr. Milan Bulajic, director of the Belgrade Museum of the
Victims of Genocide. He has joined many others in the demands
for the Croat President Tudjman not to desecrate this execution
grounds by burring there in "the joint grave" the remains of the
Ustashi and their victims, Serbs, Jews and Gypsies. Within the
forum "Crisis in Former Yugoslavia", in front of an audience of
distinguished personalities, Dr. Bulajic underlined that
Jasenovac must be preserved from such a violence also because in
it the Fascist authorities of the Independent State of Croatia
(NDH) have committed "a three-dimensional crime of genocide
against Serbs, again Jews and against Gypsies". Bulajic recalled
that there is a wave of protests caused by the Tudjman's idea,
also in the United States. In his capacity of the director of
the Belgrade Museum of the Victims of Genocide, Bulajic
requested that the UN and the European Parliament form a special
investigation commission which would determine full truth about
this camp of death. To the competent institutions in Washington,
Chicago and Los Angeles Bulajic proposed to organize an
exhibition entitled "Jasenovac - the System of Ustashi Death
Camps" and it is learnt that there are chances for this
exhibition to be organized soon. (Tanjug, April 16, 1996)
[08] WITHOUT THE YUGOSLAV MARKET SLOVENIAN ECONOMY HAS ONLY FAILURES
In the moments of nationalist passion because of the secession
from Yugoslavia, Slovenians have literally mocked the
distinguished economist and the head of the then Ljubljana
Institute of Economics, Alexander Bajt, who claimed that
Slovenia can not survive long without the Yugoslav market. After
less then five years of life in an independent democracy,
however, Bajt's forecasts were confirmed - Slovenia is faced
with a real economic catastrophe. The announcement that the
Slovenian Government can no longer cover the losses of the
Maribor metal giant "TAM" is the latest confirmation that there
is an inevitable disappearance of the Slovenian illusion about
"an independent success". Before the bankruptcy of "TAM",
foreigners have already bought everything that was of any value
in Slovenia. "Elan" became Croat and from "Iskra", "Metalka" and
other major companies only a shadow remained, while recently
even the paper factory in Krsko was bought by the Czechs. The
director of "Iskra Holding" Dusan Sesok is one of the few
sincere ones who admitted that Yugoslavia is the only way to
save the Slovenian economy. (Vecernje novosti, April 16, 1996)
[09] MATRIMONIAL RIGHTS ARE NOT HUMAN RIGHTS
Instead of preventing an obvious discrimination and helping a
number of families from Slovenia and the FR of Yugoslavia, the
UN Commission for Human Rights has rejected the demands of the
women from Slovenia and has sided with the Slovenian state
bureaucracy which is so powerful that it is prohibiting life
together of the married couples. The trouble of many Slovenian
wives started with the departure of the former Yugoslav People's
Army from Slovenia, when their husbands mostly higher officers,
by respecting their military pledge, have left Slovenia. The new
Slovenian government has proclaimed them aggressors and have
prohibited their entrance in Slovenia, although there was never
any criminal prosecution against them and no one was convicted.
In Slovenia the wives have remained with children striving to
preserve the property and apartments, and have occasionally been
meeting with their husbands in Hungary or in Yugoslavia. The
Geneva Commission for Human Rights to which they have
complained, has rejected their complaints allegedly for the
"state security" reasons and without explanation. Slovenia is
thus still entitled to prohibit the entrance of the former YPA
officers in its territory almost exclusively Serbs and
Montenegrins, by brutally violating the human rights and
interfering in the most intimate matrimonial sphere. (Vecernje
novosti, April 16, 1996)
[10] POPE IN SLOVENIA - AN EXPENSIVE GUEST
Special units of the Slovenian police will boycott the security
of the Pope's visit to Slovenia, which is officially announced
for the middle of May, because Ministry of Interior Affairs did
not accept their ultimatum for the raise of salaries. This lack
of hospitality for the Pope John Paul Second on the even of his
visit to Slovenia, was already expressed in several polemics in
poor taste between the Slovenian Government and the Church,
about who will pay the principle of 15 million DEM for the
Pope's visit to Ljubljana, Maribor and Postojna. Slovenian
public in several surveys has also pronounced the Pope "a too
expensive guest". (Borba, April 16, 1996) .
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