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Serbia Today 96-02-15
15 February 1996
In This Edition
NO PROSPERITY WITHOUT NATIONAL EQUALITY
CHARGES AGAINST NATO
BOSNIAN CROATS REFUSE DAYTON
KINKEL THREATENS SANCTIONS AGAINST CROATIA
CONTENTS
[01] DETERMINED PROTECTION OF CITIZENS
[02] NO PROSPERITY WITHOUT NATIONAL EQUALITY
[03] PEACE AND A STABLE STATE ARE COMMON INTERESTS
[04] MEDIA ACTIVITY OF THE ETHNIC BULGARIANS
[05] SUSPICIOUS ACTION
[06] INDICTMENTS AGAINST MOSLEMS ANNOUNCED
[06] CHARGES AGAINST NATO
[07] BOSNIAN CROATS REFUSE DAYTON
[08] KINKEL THREATENS SANCTIONS AGAINST CROATIA
[09] CROATIA WANTS TO DIVIDE BOSNIA
[10] ONLY 2000 AUTHORIZATIONS FOR REPATRIATION HAVE BEEN ISSUED
[11] CONFESSION WITHOUT SENTENCE
[12] MASS-GRAVES IN LIKA PROVINCE
[01] DETERMINED PROTECTION OF CITIZENS
Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic received yesterday
the US diplomat - Mr. Jacques Klein, UN Administrator
for the Srem Baranja Region, who came to Belgrade with
his associates. It has been stressed that the
comprehensive efforts of international factors will
accelerate the normalization of the situation in the
area, involving above all the protection of the safety,
rights, freedom and equality of the citizens, as well as
a quick economic revitalization. The importance of
establishing the cooperation between the local
authorities and the UN Administrator and its services in
the Srem-Baranja Region has been underscored. (Politika,
February 15, 1996)
[02] NO PROSPERITY WITHOUT NATIONAL EQUALITY
"Our basic objective is to ensure the lasting
stabilization of the relations in Kosovo and Metohija,
as well as economic prosperity and a lasting and stable
peace. There can be no prosperity of Kosmet without a
policy of national equality, nor without the respect of
the state we all live in." This is part of the speech
delivered yesterday in Pristina by Federal President
Zoran Lilic during his tour of the southern Serbian
province. He stressed the importance of the construction
of the Nis-Pristina-Pec-Cakor highway leading to the
Adriatic coast, as well as the introduction of natural
gas distribution and central heating networks, remarking
that these all depend on the unity and harmony in Kosovo
and Metohija. "This is why everyone - Serbs, Albanians
and Montenegrins must stand up against nationalism and
extremism, regardless of the nation it stems from." -
President Lilic said. (Politika, February 15, 1996)
[03] PEACE AND A STABLE STATE ARE COMMON INTERESTS
Federal Prime Minister Radoje Kontic received yesterday
the representatives of the religious communities in FR
Yugoslavia, and informed them about the plans and the
political objectives set forth by the Federal Government
within its domestic and foreign policy. Stressing that
the relations between the state and the religious
communities in Yugoslavia are regulated by documents
endorsed by the international community, Mr. Kontic
added that the Federal Government will continue its
present efforts to avoid any limitation of religious
freedom and rights. The relations between the state and
the religious communities are good, just like those
between the religious communities themselves, said the
Federal Prime Minister, adding that: "The common
interest of the state and of the religious communities
is to promote and help the creation of a stable,
multi-ethnic and multi-confessional state warranting
equality to all its citizens." (Vecernje novosti,
February 15, 1996)
[04] MEDIA ACTIVITY OF THE ETHNIC BULGARIANS
"Nowhere in the world did the state introduce a special
law for the needs of such a small ethnic community, and
this clearly illustrates the serious approach it assumed
in solving the problem of information for ethnic
Bulgarians living in our country. This law creates all
the institutional preconditions for more effective
activities in this sphere." These are some of the
remarks made by Mr. Venko Dimitrov - Director of the
"Bratstvo" Publishing House during his meeting yesterday
with the Serbian Minister of Information - Ratomir Vico.
The Minister added that he came to the town of Nis to
endorse the founding of "Bratstvo" and the enhancement
of public information for ethnic Bulgarians. "Serbia and
Yugoslavia can look into the eye of the entire world as
far as the rights of ethnic minorities are concerned -
the republican and federal authorities are doing
everything possible and have achieved the highest
international and especially European standards in this
matter." Said Minister Vico. (Borba, February 15, 1996)
[05] SUSPICIOUS ACTION
The arrest of Bosnian Serb Army officials - carried out
by Bosnian Moslem forces and their extradition to the
Hague Tribunal with the aid of NATO forces in Bosnia
might create a precedent and delay the implementation of
the peace process which was proceeding quite well until
this incident. These are only some of the remarks made
yesterday by observers in Brussels reporting from the
local NATO and EU institutions. The editorial published
by the leading Belgian daily - "La Libre Belgique"
reminds that the Dayton Agreement does not mention the
possibility of NATO and IFOR involvement in the arrest
of persons suspected of crimes that the Hague Tribunal
is authorized to deal with. It also stresses that IFOR
troops are authorized to intervene only if they discover
suspects while they carry out their prime assignment -
disengaging the warring sides and protecting the truce.
The particular case involves persons that were not cited
by the Tribunal and were on an official negotiating
mission - which generates additional confusion and
concern. The Paris daily "Le Figaro" remarks that the
arrest and extradition of the BSA officers jeopardizes
the Dayton Agreement, whilst "Le Mond" indicates that a
strong polemic has arisen concerning the role of the
peace forces in Bosnia. The French Foreign Ministry
clearly stated that they have a "peace role" and this
means that the mission of the international peace
keeping forces "...is not a Police but a military
mission". (Borba, Vecernje novosti, February 15, 1996)
[06] INDICTMENTS AGAINST MOSLEMS ANNOUNCED
The Chief Prosecutor of the Hague Tribunal - Judge
Richard Goldstone is about to complete his investigation
of the war crimes committed by Bosnian Moslems and he
will soon present the results of his investigation to
the Tribunal so that indictments can be raised - sources
at the Hague revealed yesterday. In his lengthy
statement Mr. Goldstone insists that he is impartial and
justifies the arrest of the two Bosnian Serb Army
officers, reaffirming that they are merely under
investigation, and have not been indicted. The Hague
Tribunal raised indictments against 52 persons; none of
them are Moslems, only seven are Croats and all the
others are Serbs. Although the Tribunal announced
indictments against Moslems on several occasions, this
is the first time an official statement deals with it.
Last November, the Association of Serbian Inmates of
Moslem Prison Camps in Bosnia, submitted to the Tribunal
a detailed list of persons that committed crimes against
Serbian civilians in Bosnia. (Vecernje novosti, February
15, 1996)
[06] CHARGES AGAINST NATO
Ms. Stojanka Goranovic (aged 49) from the village of
Gornja Radnja near the town of Teslic (northern Bosnia)
presented criminal charges to the Hague Tribunal,
accusing NATO and UN military and civilian officials of
crimes against humanity committed during the bombing of
the village of Gornja Radnja in September 1995. During
the NATO air-strike on the village, the house of Aleksa
Goranovic (83) has been destroyed, killing him and his
son Zoran (49) and wounding Zoran's wife Stojanka and
their three children: Borislav (14), Borislavka (11) and
Nebojsa (1.5). The explosion of the bomb completely
carbonized the bodies of the victims. The charges
indicate that the attack on the village of Gornja Radnja
- where there were no military installations -
represents a crime against the civilian population which
constitutes a crime against humanity according to the
Hague Tribunal Statutes. (Politika, February 15, 1996)
[07] BOSNIAN CROATS REFUSE DAYTON
Joining a number of articles and commentaries of the
American media about the tense relations in the Moslem-
Croatian Federation - The New York Times published a
text authored by its special correspondent in western
Herzegovina, which quotes the explanation given by the
local Catholic priest why the Croats in western Bosnia
will never accept the joint government with the Moslems.
"Their government is Islamic and they are no better than
the Turkish conquerors in the past. W can not allow them
to occupy us again." - said Rev. Vinko Mikolic The idea
of a joint government and the involvement of local
Croatian leaders has been met with such reluctance and
resistance that the foreign diplomats are starting to
doubt that the federation will ever come to life -
remarks the author of the article. The same journalist
also quotes the local Croatian politician - Milo Puljic
- who said that the only way for the Croats to protect
their rights in Bosnia is to create a state of their own
- contrary to what has been decided in Dayton. (Politika
Ekspres, February 15, 1996)
[08] KINKEL THREATENS SANCTIONS AGAINST CROATIA
German Foreign Minister Claus Kinkel threatened
sanctions against Croatia should it continue the
obstruction of Mr. Koschnik's plan for Mostar. In an
interview for "Deutchland Funk", Mr. Kinkel said that
the talks on special agreements between Zagreb and Bonn
will be suspended, and that the same applies to the
possibility of German financial aid for the
reconstruction of Croatia. The German Foreign Minister
also reminded that Croatia already faced the threat of
sanctions last year at the time of its offensive on
Krajina. This statement is actually a "reply" to the
cold reception and reluctance he was met with yesterday
in Zagreb during the talks with President Tudjman and
Foreign Minister Granic. (Politika, February 15, 1996)
[09] CROATIA WANTS TO DIVIDE BOSNIA
Mr. Ivan Jakovcic - member of the Croatian Parliament
and Chairman of the Istrian Democratic League - accused
the Croatian government of planning to divide Bosnia and
Herzegovina into three parts. "I believe that the
Croatian leadership has reached the final decision to
undermine the federal concept for Bosnia and Herzegovina
and intends to finally divide Bosnia into three parts -
so that part of B&H might be annexed to Croatia." - said
Jakovcic in an interview for the Split opposition
magazine "Feral Tribune". He also added that this will
"...initiate a new tragedy of the Croatian people."
(Politika, February 15, 1996)
[10] ONLY 2000 AUTHORIZATIONS FOR REPATRIATION HAVE BEEN ISSUED
Croatian Parliament deputy - Mr. Veslelin Pejnovic -
informed the Parliament that he has a list of 26.000
Serbs that fled to FR Yugoslavia that applied for an
authorization to return to Croatia. He stressed that in
the past five months, only 2000 have been allowed to
return. The same figure has been officially revealed in
Zagreb by government sources, with the remark that only
4000 Serbs asked for the authorization to return to the
country. (Politika, February 15, 1996)
[11] CONFESSION WITHOUT SENTENCE
In its latest edition, the Zagreb weekly "Globus"
published an article revealing that one Munib Suljic -
accused of murdering the entire Zec family (Serbs) in
Zagreb - now owner of a high-class restaurant in the
coastal town of Novigrad (Istria) and formerly member of
the so-called Mercep unit renown for its brutality -
confessed that in 1991, he "executed" the three members
of the Zec family. In spite of that, the "depositions
made by five members of the Croatian Police reserve
forces, including Suljic himself, are invalid due to
oversights in the investigation." - remarks "Globus"
adding that Suljic's colleagues stressed that he was the
most brutal murderer that killed 12 year old Aleksandra
Zec. The same magazine remarks that Suljic seems to have
been involved in the massacres in the Pakracka Poljana.
(Vecernje novosti, February 15, 1996)
[12] MASS-GRAVES IN LIKA PROVINCE
The Croatian public and media haven't yet reacted to the
article published by "Feral Tribune" which offered
documented evidence on the murders of Serbs and also
Croats in the town of Gospic in 1991. The Split weekly
published a recently found document written in December
1991, which was submitted at the time to the Department
for the Defense of the Constitutional Order of the
Republic of Croatia. Four years later, the document got
in the hands of the investigative judge of the Hague
Tribunal. "Investigating the crimes that they believe
were committed by members of Croatian units, the Hague
investigators located twenty possible mass graves. One
of them is in the vicinity of Gospic and it supposedly
contains the remains of 100-150 persons, mostly Serbs,
listed as missing since 1991 - remarks "Feral Tribune".
(Politika Ekspres, February 15, 1996)
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