ZAP / ARK
GAJEVA 55
10 000 ZAGREB
CROATIA
zap_zg@geocities.com
http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Senate/3707/
***************************************
How you can help:
- forward this message to people who might be interested
- we need translators. especially if you speak soutslavic language(s).
- if you can, print this out and send to people who don't have access to email
- if you can, help us send Zaginflatch to people who usually receive paper
version. We presently can't afford to mail them out via snail mail, and we
have an international mailing list of people who regularly receive this
newsletter since it was founded. Write to us and ask if we have a contact in
your country. It'd be great if you could send this newsletter for us...
***************************************
from: Student Union of Yugoslavia
"He dropped his bomb in good faith, as you would expect of a trained pilot from a democratic country."
NEWS:
NATO has admitted that it bombed a refugee convoy on Wednesday, leaving
Kosovo refugees dead after a pilot mistook the civilian vehicles for
Yugoslav military units. Nato's admission came a day after more than 70
refugees were reported to have been killed in at least two attacks in the
south of the province.
At first the Pentagon suggested that Serb forces had attacked convoys of
refugees - it later withdrew the statement.
A NATO officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there were two
convoys on the same road. Two NATO planes attacked - one hit the military
convoy, the other struck at what he called a ``mixed convoy.'' After this
incident all NATO planes returned to the base safely, he said.
According to Serbian Media Centre in Pristina the convoy of refugees was
returning to their homes when NATO planes attacked it. They say there were
no military vehicles nearby.
The prodemocratic forces in Serbia hope that all of those who are
responsible for ethnical cleansing in Kosovo will be convicted. However, we
wonder if the same will happen to NATO officers responsible for civilian
casualties (regardless of nationality) during the 'bombing campaign'.
***************************************
Q: Why did I receive this mail?
A: Because your e-mail address is displayed on the list of media, student
and Non Governmental organizations, as well as on lists of some influential
people, who have shown some interest for the conflict in Kosovo recently.
Q: Who are you?
A: We are a group of young prodemocratily oriented people (students mostly)
who have spent the best years of their lives trying to change some things in
Serbia, to create a more democratic society were people would be able to
have freedom of speech without being afraid of getting arrested, beaten,
tortured, etc. In the last ten years of bloodshed on Balkan, we've condemned
and protested against any form of violence, ethnical cleansing and crimes
against humanity, no matter which side is responsible for it. We were under
constant repression and were brutally molested by the regime during the
Student Protest 96/97. Although we failed in trying to change the
Milosevic`s regime (which did not happen because the West did not help us in
time), we achieved a lot. Many people in Serbia opened their eyes and
started using their heads instead of being hypnotized by propaganda. We are
aware of the fact that our attitude - against NATO intervention and
Milosevic's regime as well - is not popular among the sides taking part in
this conflict, but that is exactly why we think our side is the right one
and therefore it is the only one that can contribute to the stopping of
bloodshed.
Q: What do you want?
A: Our aim is to offer you an independent view of all the aspects of this
crisis, at the peak of the propaganda of the media on both sides. Since the
true victims of this conflict are innocent civilians (regardless of
nationality), and all the aspects of the crisis (because of which this NATO
intervention started (the humanitarian aspect, the diplomatic one, and that
of democracy)), are getting worse terribly every day, we want the conflict
and bombing to stop NOW, and the finding of a peaceful solution to start. We
think the possibilities for a political solution are numerous and it is
still not too late to reach them.
***************************************
PANCEVO PEACE MOVEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT
Dear European citizens
Dear friends
Current situation in Yugoslavia and at the Balkans is against wishes and
interests of the citizens of Yugoslavia, the Balkans and Europe. After the
NATO attack on Yugoslavia, we are getting further and further from peace,
stability and long-term democratic and fair solution of the problem in
relations between Serbs and Albanians, as well as all other interstate and
international problems on the territory.
The interest and wish of the great majority of people in Yugoslavia and at
the Balkans are the long-term stability and development. With its
activities, both peaceful and military ones, NATO has moved away this whole
territory from the ideals and values common to the European Union citizens.
During all war years on the territory of former Yugoslavia, Slobodan
Milosevic, the president of Yugoslavia, followed only the logic of the
strongest armed force at the Balkans, which gave him a right to perform a
mass military attack against the citizens of Bosnia, Croatia. He justified
his acts as the fight for freedom and equality of one nation in these
countries, and the aim of his military attacks with the fight for the
long-term peace and stability. Today we are in a situation to see the same
logic followed by the president of the USA, Bill Clinton. Acting out of
control of wider international community, as commander supreme of the NATO
forces, Clinton has equalled himself with Mr Milosevic. What Milosevic has
represented for the Balkans, Clinton now represents for Europe and the
world.
Citizens of Europe and America should know that at the multiparty elections
in Yugoslavia and Serbia since 1990, Milosevic has not won trust of the
majority of voters, that the basic civil rights have been abolished for the
citizens of Serbia, that during the last decade independent media have been
systematically destroyed by the Slobodan Milosevic's authorities, that the
total production potential of the country is in his hands and that the
independence of the administration of justice has been completely suspended.
but the constructive resistance to president Milosevic's regime has been
growing stronger and stronger and street demonstrations more and more
massive. However, after the NATO forces attack on Yugoslavia, all citizens
have become both Mr Milosevic and Mr Clinton's military and economic
hostages. We understand and accept Mr Clinton's explanation that the
president of Yugoslavia, Slobodan Milosevic, is most responsible for
violence and destruction on the former and present Yugoslavia's territory,
but why then destruction and punishment by the NATO forces are not directed
towards Slobodan Milosevic, instead of being directed to the citizens of
Yugoslavia? Help in preventing humanitarian catastrophe in Kosovo cannot be
done by creating humanitarian catastrophe in Yugoslavia.
The situation we are experiencing now irresistibly reminds of the situation
when two tough guys are slapping someone else's children in order to see who
will longer endure.
Long-term peace and stability on this territory mostly depend on the
development of democracy in Serbia but, in this situation, while the NATO
attacks are in progress, Serbia is getting further and further from
political, economic and other democratic changes. The results of scientific
and cultural institutions, democratic political parties, non-governmental
organizations, independent media houses. and other forces for development of
peace and tolerance, are gradually diminishing, and by that the
possibilities for the development of peace and democracy as well. We hope
that we will not have to, because of the consequences of the NATO military
policy, do what we, as a peace movement, have been doing since 1991, because
of the consequences of the military policy in Yugoslavia.
Please reconsider your participation in the NATO forces, think and act
positively and support democratic changes in Serbia and Yugoslavia to the
maximum potential.
Pancevo, March 26, 1999
In the name of Pancevo Peace Movement
Aleksandar Weisner
Fax 381 13 513857 e-mail ppm@bozic.co.yu
***************************************
From: "grupa484"
Serbian NGO Demand for Restoration of the Peace Process NATO bombardment and
armed conflicts in Kosovo must stop. The only way out of the crisis is an
unconditioned reactivation of the peace process. Since the effects of
crooked policies are mass destruction of human life and devastation of the
land, restoration of the peace process shall be a difficult task which will
require participation of everyone who is able to make contributions to
development and implementation of suitable solutions. If this issue
continues to be resolved only by the people who have caused the explosion of
the Kosovo crisis and the whole Yugoslav tragedy, an effective, just and
rational solution to the Balkan crisis will not be achieved. In the past ten
years, embracing the principles of human rights, democratic transition,
dialog and compromise, a compact network of civic organisations has been
established that articulates the interests of a large number of citizens
from the troubled region. These organisations had both Serbs and Albanians
active in their membership working on projects together. This is why these
organisations, including the Nezavisnost Trade Union Confederation can
contribute to a successful course of the peace process, to initiation of a
dialog between appropriate segments of the Serbian and Albanian societies
that could lead to reconciliation and
solutions acceptable to the conflicted parties. In all previous attempts to
solve the Yugoslav crisis, international representatives have approached
government representatives and social structures in Serbia and Kosovo which
they considered influential. Unfortunately, these structures mostly had
radical views and nationalist policies, considering that even the KLA was
approached. At the same time, initiatives and opinions of democratic
structures in the civil society that eventually turned out to be correct and
well grounded, were not taken into account. After contemplating all this,
the civic organisations in Serbia that have signed this document and UBS
Nezavisnost demand:
Belgrade, April 13th 1999.
Association of Citizens for Democracy,
***************************************
Dear friends,
Info about Zaginflatch is available on request.
Basically, with this newsletter we want to inform the international
community (this is you) on how antiauthoritarians in Yugoslavia and
ex-Yugoslavia feel in these moments. Also, as people who have experienced
air raids and general alerts, we want to support our friends in Yugoslavia
who are experiencing this today. We don't want to prejudice any political
solutions to Kosovo and other ex-yu problems, we just want to help our
friends, and support them in this way. All opinions published in
Zaginflatch will be just personal ones. There is no joint platform.
Zaginflatch will bring you hardly any news in the way mainstream media does
it. For this kind of info we suggest you try cnn, bbc or some other
services. They are available to you anyway.. This is meant to come from
inside... Also, if you're into alternative news sources, we suggest you try
at www.b92.net ...
Zagreb Anarchist Movement (ZAP)
1. Representatives of these organisations to be allowed to actively
participate in solving the Kosovo crisis and other problems generated by the
disintegration of Yugoslavia.
2. A permanent International Conference of civic organisations from the
Balkans, South-east Europe and, finally, the whole of Europe, to be
established which would participate in this process and take part in finding
ways to politically, economically and socially stabilise this region.
We believe that you shall consider our arguments and support our initiative.
Social Justice and Support for Trade Unions
Belgrade Circle
Center for Democracy and Free Elections
Center for Transition to Democracy
Civic Initiatives
EKO Center Belgrade
Women Studies
Center European Movement in Serbia
Forum for Ethnic Relations and Foundation for Peace and Crisis Management
Group 484
Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia
The Student Union of Yugoslavia
Union for Truth About Anti-Fascist Resistance
VIN's Weekly Video News
Women in Black
YU Lawyers' Committee for Human Rights District 0230 Kikinda
> Urban – in Novi Pazar, and
NEZAVISNOST Trade UnionConfederation
Back to index
Back to the OGB page
AGONY homepage
Workers Solidarity Alliance
Anarchist Resources