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Serbia Today 96-01-03
From: ddc@nyquist.bellcore.com (D.D. Chukurov)
Serbia Today
3 January 1996
In This Edition
WELL BALANCED ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL TARGETS
DANGER OF NEW EXODUS
GRACE BY COERCION
CONTENTS
[01] NEW YEAR MESSAGE BY PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC TO CITIZENS OF SERBIA
[02] WELL BALANCED ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL TARGETS
[03] ABILITY TO COMPROMISE
[04] UNDERSTANDING FOR ANXIETY OF SARAJEVO SERBS
[05] FULL PROTECTION PRIOR TO TRANSFER OF AUTHORITY
[06] IZETBEGOVIC'S 'SELECTIVE' THREATS
[07] SMIT: MUJJAHEDINS ARE LEAVING BOSNIA
[08] DANGER OF NEW EXODUS
[09] NO AGREEMENT ON DIVISION OF MOSTAR
[10] 'ETHNIC CLEANSING DANGEROUS FOR CROATIA'
[11] GRACE UNDER COERCION
[01] NEW YEAR MESSAGE BY PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC TO CITIZENS OF SERBIA
In his New Year message to the citizens of Serbia, President
of the Republic of Serbia Slobodan Milosevic, with the best
wishes for the News Year, underlined that we are entering the
New Year with a justified optimism and said: "In this year we
have achieved the most important turning point, of interest
for all the peoples and population in these areas, the peace
has been achieved. In the past years the definition of the
three main priorities of our policy was: peace, economic
development and fight against crime. The peace is now
achieved, economic development is freed of bonds and
obstacles by lifting of sanctions, and we are entering a
strong fight against crime and shadow economy". This will be
the year in which a mass return of refugees will begin to the
areas from where they have fled under pressure and violence
of war destruction, continued Milosevic. "I am awaiting that
this process of their return will become especially intensive
after the first free and democratic elections in the Republic
of Srpska and the Muslim-Croat Federation, which will create
democratic institutions and will normalize the situation in
these areas", said Milosevic. (Politika, December 30,
1995-January 1, 1996)
[02] WELL BALANCED ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL TARGETS
When asked how much the lifting of sanctions has alleviated
the situation for the economy and what will be easier and
what more difficult for the business people, Prime Minister
of the Republic of Serbia Mirko Marjanovic said in his
interview for "Politika" newspaper, the following: "The most
important thing is that there are no more sanctions which
were an enormous obstacle for better earnings, and neither
can anyone anymore use them as an alibi for his own
inabilities. The main task of the Government of Serbia is to
support with all the available measures the market and export
orientation of the economy and a high rate of growth of the
social product, as the material basis for the real growth of
earnings, pensions and other incomes. We shall continue with
the policy of stabilization in the field of prices and a
regular supply of the market with the basic products, and we
shall most strongly oppose all forms of economic crime and
market speculations. We shall also conduct social policies
which will alleviate the solution of problems of the surplus
of manpower and which will improve the material status of the
socially endangered strata of population". Prime Minister
Marjanovic continued by saying: "I am convinced that better
economic results which we are rightfully awaiting in the next
year and our policy which was always taking into
consideration well balanced economic and social targets, in
the next year will make possible real growth of earnings and
of the standard of living". (Politika, December 30,
1995-January 1, 1996)
[03] ABILITY TO COMPROMISE
President of the Republic of Serbia Slobodan Milosevic is
among 14 personalities of the year according to the selection
of the Moscow newspaper "Sevodnia". In the year which has
just elapsed, writes the newspaper, President of Serbia has
shown the ability to compromise, by signing of the Dayton
Agreement. As an experienced leader and politician, Slobodan
Milosevic has made his choice, not without difficulties, but
the results are there: sanctions which have caused great
damage to the economy of the country have been suspended. The
newspaper also underlines that "the constructive policy of
Milosevic" has contributed to the fact that the international
community is no longer inclined to treat Serbs as the only
culprits for the dramatic events which have taken place in
former Yugoslavia. (Borba, January 3, 1996)
[04] UNDERSTANDING FOR ANXIETY OF SARAJEVO SERBS
The spokesman of the White House Michael McCarry stated that
President Bill Clinton wishes the understanding to be shown
for Serbs in Sarajevo, who are anxious because of transition
of the quarters in which they are living under the control of
the Bosnian government, as foreseen by the Peace Agreement.
Representatives of the Bosnian Serbs, in their talk with the
Commander of the NATO forces in Bosnia, Smit, have asked for
postponement of the time schedule for this transition.
McCarry said that the request "will be jointly discussed and
analyzed by NATO and military commanders" of the
international forces in Bosnia, adding that the U.S.
Secretary of State Warren Christopher has recently also
"tackled" this question. "Christopher said that certain
understanding should be shown for the population around
Sarajevo during changes of some aspects of the peace plan",
said McCarry and added that Clinton "also agreed with this
view". (Vecernje novosti, December 30, 1995-January 1, 1996)
[05] FULL PROTECTION PRIOR TO TRANSFER OF AUTHORITY
Decision of the NATO Commander for Bosnia, Admiral Leighton
Smit not to comply with the request of the Bosnian Serbs for
postponement of the transfer of authority in Sarajevo
municipalities on to the central government in Sarajevo,
could substantially deteriorate situation in the entire
Bosnia, warns the editorial of the Brussels newspaper "La
Libre Belgique". Therefore, it is suggested to Smit to engage
as soon as possible the high representative of the
international community Carl Bildt in finding the solution
which will satisfy the Serbian side. According to this
Belgian newspaper, Serbs in Sarajevo must be granted full
protection of their rights, and the authority should not be
transferred on to the central government until such
guarantees are a hundred percent. (Borba, January 3, 1996)
[06] IZETBEGOVIC'S 'SELECTIVE' THREATS
Leader of the Bosnian Muslims Alija Izetbegovic at the press
conference reiterated that he will not accept Serbian request
to postponed handing over of the Serbian part of Sarajevo to
the Muslim-Croat Federation. He argumented this statement,
among others, with the 'discovery' that one can not speak at
all of the Serbian Sarajevo, because before the war these
parts did not even have a Serbian majority. Nevertheless, he
"generously " invited all Serbs who are still living there,
to remain in their homes, while at the same time threatened
that the Muslim authorities "will prosecute to the last" all
the Serbs who they are considering war criminals. He did not
mention, however, whether he will also prosecute war
criminals within the Muslim-Croat ranks. (Politika, December
30, 1995-January 1, 1996)
[07] SMIT: MUJJAHEDINS ARE LEAVING BOSNIA
The Commander of the NATO forces in Bosnia, the U.S. Admiral
Leighton Smit, stated for the Television of the Republic of
Srpska that he has proof that the mujjahedins are in great
numbers leaving Bosnia, report the news agencies. The program
was a part of the campaign for the Serbian population to be
informed of the tasks of NATO. Smit tried to convince Serbs
that NATO is not hostile towards them, i.e. that he will be
impartial in the implementation of the peace agreement in
Bosnia, Reuters reports. In the headquarters of the American
Admiral in Sarajevo, news agencies claim, they did not have
additional data on departure from Bosnia of foreign
mujjahedin fighters, whose number, according to the AFP, last
summer was estimated at between two to three thousand.
(Politika, January 3, 1996)
[08] DANGER OF NEW EXODUS
The Commander of the French forces in Sarajevo, Louis Zeller,
underlined good will for cooperation with the warring sides
in the past Bosnian war, but also "fully impartial" attitude
of the French soldiers, underlining that France is
persistently and decisively demanding that the impartiality
be the leading stand in the mission of all the international
forces. The French reporters, however, are warning that a
complete mistrust remains of Serbs in the promises of the
Alija Izetbegovic's government. Paris "Le Figaro" is
reporting that Serbian residential quarters of Sarajevo "are
gradually being abandoned because all the promises of Muslims
have remain only so much ink on paper". Government in Paris
is concerned because of the increasingly visible signs that
there could be a mass exodus of Serbs. The reporters of the
French newspapers are warning that there is a danger of "a
real human drama" and are quoting the reports of the
International Red Cross saying that some 80 percent of Serbs
could abandon Sarajevo. (Politika ekspres, January 3, 1996)
[09] NO AGREEMENT ON DIVISION OF MOSTAR
At the meeting of the Consultative Board in the seat of the
EU Administration in Mostar, under the administration of Hans
Koshnik, when the statute of Mostar should have been adopted,
no agreement was reached on determining administrative
borders within the city. Management of the Muslim part of
Mostar reported that the Croat side is insisting on the
division of the city, as the war gains, on the division
lines, which is "completely unacceptable for the Bosniac
side". More than 20,000 Muslims have been expelled from
Mostar, and "the arrangement of the city along the division
lines would be a message that they can no longer return to
their city". Such a stand of Croats is an introduction into
an ethnic division within the Bosnia-Herzegovina Federation,
which would mean breaking down of the Dayton agreement,
states the Muslim leadership. (Politika, December 30,
1995-January 1, 1996)
[10] 'ETHNIC CLEANSING DANGEROUS FOR CROATIA'
The former high state and party official in former Yugoslavia
and the present editor of the newspaper "Hrvatska levica"
("The Croat Left") in Zagreb, Stipe Suvar, stated that no
people can survive on the formula of ethnic cleansing and
that this is dangerous both for Croats and for Croatia. This
formula, unfortunately, is now triumphant, but in a long-term
sense it will not bring prosperity, says Suvar in his
interview for the weekly "Nacional". When answering the
question have not Croats in both Yugoslavias been forces to
exile and has this not endangered their biological survival,
Suvar answered that Croats after the year 1990 are relocating
more than ever before, and that only now there is reason for
concern. According to Suvar, Croat people was not in any
jeopardy in former Yugoslavia and the number of Croats from
1948 to 1991 has even increased for over one million.
(Politika, December 30, 1995-January 1, 1996)
[11] GRACE UNDER COERCION
On the last day of the past year several hundreds of innocent
Serbs, arrested after the military aggression on Krajina,
under "the suspicion of having committed crime of armed
rebellion against Croatia" have been released from prison. By
the holiday decision of Franjo Tudjman 88 of the convicted
Krajina Serbs have been pardoned from further serving of
sentences already pronounced of three to eight years of
imprisonment, while against 455 persons of Serbian
nationality the criminal procedures have been dropped for the
crimes of "subversive activities against the set-up of
Croatia". Behind this "generous act of mercy of the state
leader" to release the innocent people, at least two reasons
are concealed. Croat military and civilian jurisdiction for
some time now is under the pressure of the world which,
although rather modestly, has come on the side "of the
rebelled people", but also under the burden of clumsy
indictments, unconvincing evidence and unreliable witnesses.
On the other hand, Croatia is expecting that Belgrade by a
similar act, will liberate all the detained Croats on any
basis, states Prof.Dr. Ivica Kostovic, Croat Deputy Prime
Minister in charge of humanitarian law. His statement
indicates that Croatia is not giving up on its propaganda
scenario that "some 7,000 Croats are still in the
concentration camps in Serbia". This figure for the local
Croat use is also serving to cover up the number of those who
have died in the armed conflicts after the secession of
Croatia. (Politika ekspres, January 3, 1995)
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