ZAP / ARK
GAJEVA 55
10 000 ZAGREB
CROATIA
zap_zg@geocities.com
http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Senate/3707/
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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...
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(please don't be haste and don't send anything before you double check
about
security. editor)
Friends
I have little time to type so I'll be brief. The situation in Kosovo
is
generally well known to people in Belgrade, except that I still think
a lot
more Albanians have been killed then reported. I have heard from a
verified
source that the Trepca works are now being used to melt down Albanian
bodies
(more dead than live ones) insted of ore.
The NATO hits in downtown Belgrade have been very precise, but that
does not
apply to most attacks outside the downtown. The Yugoslav Army is very
mobile, especially nights and has suffered few causualties to bombardment
except in the first two nights. Most of the troops hide in highly populated
residential areas in schools, kindergardens, parks, etc. I have heard
reports from Prishtina that policemen were entering Albanian houses
and
shooting at everthing that moves, during the "ethnic cleansing" of
the city.
Most of the common people in Belgrade are being highly hipocritical,
considering NATO attacks on Yugoslavia a bad thing , while at the same
time,
calling the "enthnic cleansing" (combination of genocide and forced
eviction
of people from their homes) of Kosovo Albanians a normal reaction of
"US" to
"THEIR" attacks. The most surprising thing to me was that many if not
most
common people who've had OK beliefs in the past are now readily supporting
"OUR" fight aganst "THEIR" attacks. Fortuinately, most of the previous
Antiwar Campaign activists and other peace activists aren't doing the
same,
although they are not doing much else either. NATO has once again
demonstrated it's alliance whith Milosevic in destroying all democratic
forces in the region. Most peace and social activists in Belgrade live
in
constant fear of mobilisation. The Gov. media (all media here which
have not
been closed down yet) have provided no information about the mobilisation
in
Macedonia except from official Macedonian sources until the mobilisation
boycot started to give effects (when reservists refused to go). The
Yugoslav
government is systematically covering up true NATO loses, vice-versa.
I
can't tell you where I got this information, but be sure that it is
true. I
fear that the Deal between Milosevic and the USA goes far further.
I can
only guess, but I believe that this entire war has already been agreed
upon
during one of Milosevic-Holbrook meetings. We'll never know... The
supposed
"humanitary aid" from Russia actually consists of airplane-parts to
be
assembled here and ammo. I've also heard unconfirmed reports of a weapons
deal whith Ukraine being planned. there is no more future in Yugoslavia
for
young people. Whatever happens next, I'm going to emmigrate and so
will
everyone whith a brain here. The only question is whether the cheap
(economical slave) labour will be used solely by Milosevic and his
Fascists
or will he have to share them whith the Transnational Corporations.
The future is grim for Yugoslavia...
If any deserters need help I can arrange for their accomodation and
food in
Belgrade, but I can't do much else please, forward any links you may
have
for getting out of the country and where people could go. I already
have
some people who are hiding here and don't know where to go.
(contact available on request - we must know you personaly or through
our
regular contacts. it was not published for safety reasons. editor)
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LET CIVILITY PREVAIL
A STATEMENT OF CONCERNED SERBIAN CITIZENS
As long time proponents of and activists for a democratic and
anti-nationalist Serbia, who have chosen to remain in Yugoslavia during
this
moment of crisis and who want to see our country reintegrated into
the
community of world nations, we state the following:
1. We strongly condemn the NATO bombings which have hugely exacerbated
violence in Kosovo and have caused the displacement of people outside
and
throughout Yugoslavia. We strongly condemn the ethnic cleansing of
the
Albanian population perpetrated by any Yugoslav forces. We strongly
condemn
the Kosovo Liberation Army's (KLA) violence targeted against the Serbs,
moderate Albanians and other ethnic communities in Kosovo. The humanitarian
catastrophe in Kosovo - death, grief and extreme suffering for hundreds
of
thousands of Albanians, Serbs and members of other ethnic communities
- has
to be ended now. All refugees from Yugoslavia must immediately and
unconditionally be allowed to return to their homes, their security
and
human rights guaranteed, and aid for reconstruction provided. Perpetrators
of crimes against humanity whoever they are must be brought to justice.
2. The fighting between Serbian forces and KLA has to be stopped immediately
in order to start a new round of negotiations. All sides must put aside
their maximalist demands. There are (as in other numerous similar conflicts
such as Northern Ireland) no quick and easy solutions. We all must
be
prepared for a long and painstaking process
of negotiation and normalization.
3. The bombing of Yugoslavia by NATO causes destruction and growing
numbers
of civilian victims (at least several hundred, maybe a thousand, by
now).
The final outcome will be the destruction of the economic and cultural
foundations of Yugoslav society. It must be stopped immediately.
4. The UN Charter, the Helsinki Final Act, the founding document of
NATO, as
well as the constitutions of countries such as Germany, Italy, Portugal,
have been violated by this aggression. As individuals who have devoted
their
lives to the defense of basic democratic values, who believe in universal
legal norms we are deeply concerned
that NATO's violation of these norms will incapacitate all those struggling
for the rule of law and human rights in this country and elsewhere
in the
world.
5. NATO's bombings have further destabilized the southern Balkans.
If
continued this conflict can escalate beyond Balkan borders and, if
turned
into land military operations, thousands of NATO and Yugoslav soldiers,
as
well as Albanian and Serbian civilians, will die in a futile war as
in
Vietnam. Political negotiations toward a peaceful
settlement should be reopened immediately.
6. The existing regime has only been reinforced by NATO's attacks in
Yugoslavia by way of the natural reaction of people to rally around
the flag
in times of foreign aggression. We continue our opposition to the present
anti-democratic and authoritarian regime, but we also emphatically
oppose
NATO's aggression. The democratic forces in Serbia have been weakened
and
the democratic reformist Government of Montenegro threatened by NATO's
attacks and by the regime's subsequent proclamation of the state of
war and
now find themselves between NATO's hammer and regime's anvil.
7. In dealing with the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia the leaders
of the
world community have in the past made numerous fatal errors. New errors
are
leading to an aggravation of the conflict and are removing us from
the
search for peaceful solutions.
We appeal to all: President Milosevic, the representatives of the Kosovo
Albanians, NATO, EU and US leaders to stop all violence and military
activities immediately and engage in the search for a political solution.
Belgrade, April 16, 1999
1. Stojan Cerovic, "Vreme" columnist and journalist
2. Jovan Cirilov, Belgrade International Theater Festival (BITEF) selector
and former director of the Yugoslav Drama Theater; Theater History
Center
Director
3. Sima Cirkovic, Member Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Professor,
Belgrade University, Dept. of History
4. Mijat Damnjanovic, Former Professor, Belgrade University, Faculty
of
Political Sciences, Center for Public Administration and Local Government
(PALGO) Director
5. Vojin Dimitrijevic, Former head of the Department of International
Law,
Belgrade Law School; The Belgrade Center for Human Rights Director;
UN Human
Rights Committee former Vice Chairman
6. Dasa Duhacek, Director Women Studies Center, Board Member of Alternative
Academic Educational Network (AAEN)
7. Milutin Garasanin, Member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and
Arts;
Vice President of The Association for Research of South-Eastern Europe
(UNESCO)
8. Zagorka Golubovic, Professor, Belgrade University, Department of
Sociology; Chair Social Sciences Department of AAEN
9. Dejan Janca, Professor, Novi Sad University, Law School
10. Ivan Jankovic, Belgrade lawyer, human rights activist, Board President
of Center for Anti-War Action
11. Predrag Koraksic, Belgrade caricaturist
12. Mladen Lazic, Professor, Belgrade University, Department of Sociology,
AAEN Board member
13. Sonja Licht, President, Fund for an Open Society Executive Board
14. Ljubomir Madzar, Professor Belgrade University, Faculty of Economy,
Member Group-17
15. Veran Matic, Editor in Chief, Belgrade Radio B92, President Alternative
Network of Electronic Media (ANEM)
16. Jelica Minic, Secretary General, European Movement in Serbia
17. Andrej Mitrovic, Professor, Belgrade University, Department of
History
18. Radmila Nakarada, Senior Reserach Fellow, Belgrade Institute for
European Studies
19. Milan Nikolic, Director, Center for Policy Studies
20. Vida Ognjenovic, Theater director, playwrite
21. Borka Pavicevic, Director, Center for Cultural Decontamination
22. Jelena Santic, Anti-war 487 group, human rights activist
23. Nikola Tasic, Associate member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences
and
Arts, Member European Academy
24. Ljubinka Trgovcevic, Senior Research Fellow, Belgrade University,
Department of History
25. Srbijanka Turajlic, Professor, Belgrade University, Faculty of
Electrical Engineering, Board President AAEN
26. Ivan Vejvoda, Fund for an Open Society Executive Director,
27. Branko Vucicevic, translator
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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
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