bosnet-digest V5 #79 / Monday, 26 February 1996

From: Dzevat Omeragic <dzevat@EE.MCGILL.CA>

Bosnia-Herzegovina News Directory

CONTENTS

[01] NYC Bosnia-related cultural activities in April

From:    jxnova@pipeline.com

CALL FOR ENTRIES

Hope & Horror from the Ashes of Yugoslavia: AN ART EXHIBITION IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE PEOPLE OF BOSNIA

Bosniac Cultural Center, 45 W. 38th St., Suite 2R, New York, NY 10018 April 1 thru April 26

An exhibition of works by local, national, and inter-national artists will be held at the Bosniac Cultural Center in mid-town Manhattan, to coincide with the world premier of Turkar Coker's new multimedia play, "Sarajevo Mon Amour,"at La MaMa ETC Theater.

The Bosnia Solidarity Committee has organized a month-long series of events in April 1996 in support of and in solidarity with the people of Bosnia in their struggle of resistance against genocide. The events will include performances, panel discussions, films, concerts, a book fair, and Bosnian Cultural Performances.

Volunteers are needed to contribute to and assist with all of these activities. For more information, leave message at (212) 686-9554.

Art Exhibition Calendar

March 8           Slide/Entry Deadline
March 15          Notification to artists
March 22 -23      Receipt of accepted  works
March 30          Opening reception:   6-8 pm
April 1-26        Exhibition runs
April 27-28       Removal of work:

Eligibility

2- and 3-dimensional original works in all media, relevant to the theme of this exhibition. There is no limit to the number of entries. One slide per entry. Label slides on side from which work will be viewed (as shown).

Size

2D works must not exceed 72 inches in width and 96 inches in height. 3D works must not exceed 30 inches by 72 inches by 96 inches or exceed 100 lbs. in weight.

Notification

Notification of selection will be by postcard. (** Artists may also receive notification by e-mail, if addresses are submitted).

Accepted Work

2-Dimensional works must suitably framed and wired for hanging. Display space for freestanding 3D works and sculptures may be of limited availability, therefore artists may be required to supply pedestals. Submitted work must be available for the entire exhibition.

Receipt and Removal of Work

Works selected must arrive by March 23. Mailed artworks must be sent in reusable shipping containers and prepaid return shipping provided

Sales

20% of any sales will go to Bosnian children relief agencies (names?). All works must be priced accordingly or marked not for sale.

To Enter

Fill out the form below. Include self-addressed, stamped envelope for return of slides.

Mail to:

Bosnian Art Exhibition c/o James Nova 240 E. 27th St., #17D New York, NY 10016

Agreement:

Submission of an entry to this exhibition, along with the signed form below, constitutes acceptance of all conditions stated and provides permission to reproduce any work for publicity.

Liability

The committee, the center, and their volunteers will not be responsible for any loss or damage

Inquiries: jxnova@pipeline.com

ENTRY FORM     (FILL OUT COMPLETELY)    PLEASE PRINT                   

_________________________________________
Last Name          First Name
_____________________________________________
Address
_____________________________________________
City               State          Zip
_____________________________________________
Day phone          Evening phone
_____________________________________________
e-mail address
Attach copy of this form for additional entries.
_____________________________________________
Signature                    Date



                                           Size
ENTRIES                       Title          Media     ( HxWxD)  Price
1.,,,
2.,,,
3.,,,
4.,,,
5.,,,

[02] NEWS - Feb. 23-5, 96

KOSCHNICK: "I AM LEAVING ON JULY 23, 1996, AT THE LATEST" Mostar, Feb 24, 1996 (Press TWRA) - EU administrator to Mostar H. Koschnick told "Bildt Am Sonntag" he would leave his current post by July, 23, 1996 at the latest, regardless of the situation in Mostar, conditions offered to him and the fact whether the EUAM mandate would be extended. "I promised it to my wife. I will go before July if proper person is found to replace me." /end/ A.S.

REPRESENTATIVES OF HVO AND BOSNIAN ARMY IN THE USA Sarajevo, Feb 24, 1996 (Press TWRA) - BH Army & HVO high officers left for the USA to visit several military bases and academies including West Point. They will talk about reinforcement and modernization of the B-H Federation armed forces. /end/ A.S.

STATE DEPARTMENT CRITICIZES BOSNIAN GOVERNMENT Washington, Feb 25, 1996 (Press TWRA) - "Joint Serb and the B-H Federation patrol should be accompanied by the international police. As it was not done, IFOR and UN seriously criticized the B-H government. B-H government set up some check-points in Vogosca not being allowed and sent its police patrols without the international attendance. IFOR has the information that about 1OO to 15O foreign soldiers are still in Bosnia and the B-H government has duty to deport them.

Serb leaving Sarajevo continues despite the calls to stay there. I believe that sanctions against Bosnian Serbs will be suspended in some way as they comply with the military annex of the peace agreement. Situation in Mostar has stabilized, so beside some street incidents, general progress has been achieved in the unification of the town," said the State Department spokesman Nicholas Burns. /end/ A.S.

CASSESE - COTTI Bern, Feb 24, 1996 (Press TWRA) - In the talk with the foreign minister of Switzerland Flavio Cotti, the ICTY president, judge Antonio Cassese repeated: "The states in which are hidden the suspects of war crimes in ex-Yugoslavia, charged by ICTY, have duty to arrest and extradite them to ICTY." So far indicted, mainly Serbs from B-H, are believed to stay occasionally, some of them permanently, in the states of central and western Europe, including Switzerland. /end/ A.S.

KOSCHNICK ON JOINT POLICE FORCES, EU COMMISSION ON KOSCHNICK Mostar, Feb 24, 1996 (Press TWRA) - Hans Koschnick's deputy, Klaus Metscher announced that Koschnick and EUAM decided that in the first ten days, combined police should be patrolling only in the very center of Mostar and from March 1, in the whole town.

Brussels - "Situation in Mostar is still worrying", said the president of the European commission, Jacques Poos, after the meeting of EU Commissary for foreign affairs, specially appointed for eastern and southeastern Europe, Hans van den Broek and Hans Koschnick. Koschnick informed the European Parliament Commission for foreign affairs on Bosniaks and Croats' demand for extension of his and EUAM mandate in Mostar till Dec 31, this year and on his willingness to meet the demand if EU agreed on it. Due to still high tension in Mostar, European Commission does not want to make any decisions on likely extension of the EUAM mandate. At the meeting of the EU diplomacy heads (EU Ministry Council) to be held in two days, Hans van den Broek will propose postponement of the decision "for which the time has not come yet." /end/ A.S.

KLARSFELD EXPELLED FROM PALE Pale, Feb 24, 1996 (Press TWRA) - French lawyer and experienced hunter on hiding Nazi criminals from WWII, Serge Klarsfeld arrived at Pale last night announcing his intention to persuade Karadzic and Mladic to voluntarily surrender to the International Tribunal. Klagersfeld was questioned for two hours by Serb police and then "asked" to leave. /end/ A.S.

YELTSIN LIFTED SANCTIONS AGAINST KARADZIC'S SERBS Moscow, Feb 24, 1996 (Press TWRA) - By last night's presidential decision, Boris Yeltsin lifted the sanctions against Karadzic's Serbs. Yeltsin's explanation of his decision was: "Bosnian Serbs have met the conditions defined by the UN resolution 1O22, by withdrawing from the demarcation lines in Bosnia."

Washington - State Department expressed regret due to Russian decision on lifting sanctions against Karadzic's Serbs. The statement reminds the decision came "too soon". /end/ A.S.

THE USA CONCERNED OVER MUJJAHIDS AND MLADIC'S THREATS Washington, Feb 24, 1996 (Press TWRA) - The US strengthened precautions for the IFOR troops in B-H due to Serb gen. Mladic's threats and further presence of Islamic mercenaries & volunteers in Bosnia. "Intelligence services and media warn that R. Mladic, in retaliation for arrest and extradition of his two officers, ordered Serb soldiers to take the NATO soldiers hostages. We do not know what Mladic is going to do - he has threatened a lot so far. Yet, his threats are taken seriously," says the Pentagon spokesman Ken Bacon. The State Department spokesman N. Burns says that Clinton's administration started investigation in Mladic's threats but so far, they have not been proved to be true. Burns says that 4 more strongholds of Islamic forces have been discovered representing potential threat to the IFOR security.

Sarajevo - Head of the intelligence operations of the IFOR HQ, gen. John Silvester says that about 1OO to 15O more persons should leave B-H, according to the Dayton agreement. /end/ A.S.

IZETBEGOVIC'S HEALTH CONDITION IMPROVING Sarajevo, Feb 24, 1996 (Press TWRA) - Physicians have announced that health condition of the president Izetbegovic is improving. He feels better and medical findings show stabilizing condition.

IFOR commander, US Adm. Leighton Smith said that NATO was ready to provide any medical assistance needed in the treatment of Izetbegovic any moment, shouldn it be necesary.

Washington - State Department spokesman N. Burns said that on hearing the news on Bosnian president's heart disorders, the Secretary of State Christopher Warren sent a message wishing him soon recovery. "In the implementation of the Dayton agreement, president Izetbegovic has an important role. Even if he had to resign due to health problems, Sarajevo should comply with the duties he took over, specially with regard to foreign fighters' leaving B-H. Iranian fighters and instructors are still present in B-H," said Burns, denying the allegations of Iranian foreign minister Ali Akbar Velayati who two days ago said that only Iranians performing humanitarian tasks on request of Bosnian government, had remained to Bosnia. /end/ A.S.

SMITH AND KRAJISNIK WENT FOR A WALK IN SARAJEVO Sarajevo, Feb 24, 1996 (Press TWRA) - IFOR Commander L. Smith and "president of Republic Srpska's parliament", M. Krajisnik have visited five residential areas around Sarajevo which should be taken over by the B-H Federation. Adm. Smith accepted Serb trucks to move Serb residents of Vogosca, adding that he hopes it will lessen the tension in the area. Restoring relations between IFOR and Karadzic's Serbs is visible elsewhere. British gen. M.Jackson agreed with Serb high official on reopening the Mahovljani airport near Banjaluka for the needs of IFOR since next week.

Nearly all Serbs left Vogosca by tonight, looting the ICRC (International Red Cross) storage while leaving. /end/ A.S.

KLEIN AND SCHWARZ-SCHILLING CRITICIZES AUTHORITIES IN BUGOJNO Bugojno, Sarajevo, Feb 25, 1996 (Press TWRA) - Deputy of the PIC high official C. Bildt, Christian Klein sent a letter to Dzevad Mlaco, the Bugojno mayor, warning him the return of 2OO displaced Croat families had not been organized in the town as planned by the Dayton accord. Klein calls Mlaco to summon immediately Croat Bosnian commission and try to make a test return of the displaced persons by the end of this month. "In Bugojno, residents are still being maltreated, the property plundered and destroyed what many Croats and Federal Commissary can witness," warns Klein.

International arbiter Christian Schwarz-Schilling visited Bugojno today stressing that in accord with the accord, the head of the County council of Bugojno must be a Croat. "If the County council is not formed, the Bugojno county will be exempted from the international aid," stresses Schwarz-Schilling. /end/ A.S.

PROPOSAL: THREE CANTONS WITH CROAT MAJORITY Mostar, Feb 25, 1996 (Press TWRA) - At the joint session behind the closed doors, presidencies of Bosnian HDZ and the so-called Herzeg Bosnia decided to organize the counties of Ljubuski, Siroki, Grude and Posusje as a separate canton with Croat majority. Another Croatian majority canton would comprise the counties of Tomislavgrad, Kupres, Livno, Glamoc, Drvar and Bosansko Grahovo. The third canton with Croat majority would be in Bosanska Posavina including Orasje and Odzak separated by the Republic of Srpska territory. Along with Odzak and Orasje, Croat nationalists plan to attach the "Croat county of Ravne Brcko" to the north Bosnian Croat canton. /end/ A.S.

SERBS ARE LEAVING SARAJEVO SETTING FIRE AND PLUNDERING Sarajevo, Feb 25, 1996 (Press TWRA) - IFOR ground troops Cmdr. M. Walker said the affairs between IFOR & Karadzic's Serbs and the work of combined group for two entities separation had been fully restored. IFOR has not decided yet if the conditions for lifting the UN sanctions against Karadzic's Serbs are met. For restoring the IFOR-Serbs relations, important were meetings of M. Walker with gen. Tolimir and gen. Jackson with gen. Talic and Ninkovic.

Adm. Smith said he realized that Bosnian authorities would not approve his permit for Serb trucks to come up to the parts of Sarajevo which Serb population was abandoning. UNHCR refused to take part in evacuation of the Serbs from Sarajevo regarding it as a support to ethnic cleansing being conducted in the area by Serb authorities from Pale. IFOR does not share this view.

Withdrawing from Rajlovac, Serbs set fire to the police station and the UNHCR storage, destroying and plundering about 6O% of the storaged food. French soldiers arrived there eight hours after the B-H government had informed IFOR. /end/ A.S.

KINKEL REGRETS OVER KOSCHNICK'S DECISION Bonn, Feb 25, 1996 (Press TWRA) - German vice-chancellor and foreign minister Klaus Kinkel expressed regret due to Koschnick's decision to resign late in July from the EU Mostar administrator post. Stressing that Koschnick was the right man at the right place and time," Kinkel expressed his understanding for his decision to return to Bremen this summer. /end/ A.S.

SOROS BANNED IN YUGOSLAVIA Belgrade, Feb 25, 1996 (Press TWRA) - Work of the Open Society Institute is banned in FR Yugoslavia after 56 months of its activity. It was a decision of the Supreme Court in Belgrade, annulling the registered Soros foundation. It is culmination of anti Soros campaign when late last year, the rector of Belgrade University said: "Soros must be stopped and his offices in Yugoslavia closed as he demanded bombardment of Belgrade and openly joined the foes of this state and its people." /end/ A.S.

NO PURCHASER FOR "GALEB" Podgorica, Feb 25, 1996 (Press TWRA) - Montenegrian government auctioned the ship "Galeb" on which the late president J. B. Tito travelled abroad. Nobody has appeared as a purchaser, reports AFP. The price is DEM 3 million. The ship is 118 m long, 15.6 m wide with two diesel engines, 1839 kW each, and does the speed of 16 knots. It is provided with a few cannons and anti aircraft rockets, can accommodate 18O persons and transport 1,OOO soldiers. Tito sailed by it to India, Africa, Indonesia and Britain and at the ship drawing room he received N. Hruiscov, G.A. Naser, M. Gadafi, Hu Kuo Feng and N. Sihanuk. /end/ A.S.

TUDJMAN: PRAISES TO HDZ, THREATS TO THE OTHERS Zagreb, Feb 25, 1996 (Press TWRA)- First session of the HDZ main board is held in Zagreb this weekend. President of the Party and Republic Franjo Tudjman first addressed to the gathering and then foreign & defence ministers, Granic and Susak, respectively, the B-H HDZ delegate Bozo Rajic ("Herzeg Bosnian" extremist), deputy of the diplomacy head Hidajet Biscevic, deputy prime minister Borislav Skegro and then Franjo Tudjman again.

When the session started-the first 2 hours, only journalists of the state's and media close to governing party were allowed to be present. Afterwards, some other journalists were allowed, too.

Tudjman said: "We have made our promise-we have a sovereign state, developed democracy. Yet, we are exposed to fabricated assaults from inside and abroad. We were first described as a party of dire intents, then as being under too great influence of Herzegovinian lobby and allegedly wrong policy towards B-H.(...)

My message to the workers is not to be the tools in battle against Croatian freedom and democracy: Do not be an instrument of those who want to overthrow democratically elected government! Among the railroad workers are old communists & syndicalists who want to oust Croatian democratic government.(...) Among Croatia's population there are between 15% and 2O% of those who want to restore Yugoslavia or to push Croatia into association named Euroslavia or alike.(...) Why the blames that I, as the state president, am surrounded by toadies and incapable people, when, on the contrary, I have succeeded with capable and respectable people in achieving a great reputation for Croatia?" (end) A.S.

CRISIS OF THE ZAGREB AUTHORITIES CONTINUES Zagreb, Feb 24, 1996 (Press TWRA) - New elections for the Zagreb town & county assemblies are likely to be held. Political rivalry so far has remained within the law and constitution. I believe it will be settled in a democratic way. Opposition will not accept any person appointed as the mayor & the Zagreb county head by F. Tudjman after his rejection of two our candidates" said chairman of the Zagreb Assembly, Z. Tomac at the meeting with a delegation of the British Parliament. The talks were held in the presence of the representatives of the ruling party (president of Sabor's (the Croatian parliament) foreign policy Board Zarko Domljan, president of Sabor's Board for the interparliamentary cooperation Zdravka Busic) and of the opposition (representative of the Serb minority Milan Djukic, vice-president of Sabor Stjepan Radic and liberal Bozo Kovacevic). British parliamentarians inquired in the chances for Croatian Serb refugees return. Z. Domljan said return was possible for all Serbs being Croatian citizens who had not committed any war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Chairman of Croatian Peasant Party Zlatko Tomcic said this week that HDZ had decided to appoint Franjo Greguric as the Zagreb mayor who, during the war from 1991 to 1992, was a prime minister of so far only Government of national unity. Greguric alone opposes the decision but he is exposed to a great pressure to accept it, says Tomcic reminding the opposition coalition would not accept either Greguric or any other candidate of HDZ.

Seven-party coalition with the majority in the Zagreb Assembly addressed a public letter to the director of Croatian TV, Mudrinic editor in chief Hloverka Novak Srzic and editor of the news program Obrad Kosovac due to reports on the dispute between the opposition and F. Tudjman. The opposition parties stress that their letter addressed to Tudjman was commented incorrectly, then partly retold while Tudjman's reply was reread several times without being shortened or commented. /end/ A.S.

A spokesman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Kris Janowski, said Bosnia's Federation police were helping fan panic among the Serbs: ``What we are concerned about is the house calls the federation police are making, which is very badly received by the local population, who are already quite scared... The whole Sarajevo issue is at stake here. And it's not only a Sarajevo issue, it's the issue of multi-ethnicity for the whole country... The fewer Serbs (who) remain in Sarajevo the worse it bodes for the efforts here to piece the country together again. The ultimate responsibility will be with the Bosnian government... ''

Janowski noted there had been no evidence of intimidation by federation police. ``But considering how paranoid these (Serb) people are, how afraid they are, what may be a harmless house call by the federal police may tip the balance, may be perceived as harrassment.''

Janowski also criticized nationalist Bosnian Serb leader Momcilo Krajisnik: ``What Krajisnik is doing is fairly outrageous and extremely manipulative... Krajisnik is one of the showmasters behind this hype in the media on the Bosnian Serb side... The problem is that he basically gave us a lot of trouble by scaring those poor people, by manipulating the media and now of course he wants to take them out because every Serb staying in Sarajevo is an insult to him or a challenge to him... '' ``The main problem that we're seeing at the moment is a certain vacuum situation in those neighbourhoods, with the previous establishment leaving and the new establishment not yet arriving. That refers to medical services, communal services... What we're trying to do is to get in some emergency aid to fill in the gap and also to ask non-government organisations to come in and take over some medical facilities and bring in medicines and so forth,'' Janowskli added.

``We have talked about security and safety ... in the areas of transfer,'' Gen. Tolimir commented. ``We have agreed upon better communications between IFOR and the Army of the Republic of Srpska. We came to agreement on all issues.''

``Quite clearly with military vehicles coming into the areas of transfer they've got to be clearly under the control of IFOR, they've got to be clearly absent any military equipment,'' Gen. Walker said. ``I suspect they're going to have be be driven by civilian drivers and they're going to have be used in a manner which is not threatening.''

EJUP GANIC TEMPORARILY REPLACES ALIJA IZETBEGOVIC Sarajevo, Feb 23, 1996 (Press TWRA) - Presidency of the Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina at today's session appointed its member Ejup Ganic as as acting president till recovery of the president Alija Izetbegovic. Meanwhile, Izebegovic's health condition has improved but he still needs rest. /end/ A.S.

GANIC AND MAJOR ON EXTENSION OF THE IFOR MANDATE Sarajevo, Feb 23, 1996 (Press TWRA) - Ejup Ganic said that Serb leadership at Pale was to blame for tension in Vogosca and other parts of Sarajevo to be taken over by the B-H Federation authorities. "We make effort to persuade Serb population to stay, but Pale is doing all it can to achieve the opposite. IFOR must do its best to arrest Karadzic and Mladic and hand them over to the International Tribunal. In that case extension of IFOR one-year mandate would be acceptable," said Ganic.

London - British Prime Minister Major said it was not likely for IFOR to meet all duties as scheduled (before the end of this year). "If the job is not done on time, we should reconsider what should be done to accomplish it," said Major. /end/ A.S.

MASS EXODUS OF SERBS FROM VOGOSCA Sarajevo, Feb 23, 1996 (Press TWRA) - Along with Bosnian interior minister Avdo Hebib and the chief of staff of the International police Peter Fitzgerald, at today's entering of 44 Federal policemen and founding of the Public Security Station in Vogosca was present Sejfo Sejfic the head of the Police section in the Security Service Center to Sarajevo. On the Serb population they found there, he said: "Those frightened people look miserable and poor. We found out that 5O more buses and trucks arrives today to take them to Visegrad and elsewhere. They hesitate whether to go or not. They do not know what to do. There are some who decide to leave and get on the bus and then change their mind and return."

Late last year till the Dayton accord, about 1O,OOO people lived in Vogosca, mainly Serbs. According to the 1991 census, Vogosca, north-western suburb of Sarajevo had 24,7O7 residents, 5O.8% (12,549) Muslims (Bosniaks), 35.8% Serbs (8,843), 4.3% Croats (1O74), 9.1% "Yugoslavs" and others (2241). The Vogosca County occupies 72 sq km, half of it being private, the second half state property.

Geneva - UN is dissatisfied with slow deployment of the international police forces, the UN spokesman to Geneva stated: "That is why Serb civilians are leaving the suburbs of Sarajevo. We call on the states which agreed to join their policemen in the international contingent, to step up sending them." /end/ A.S.