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Serbia Today 96-06-24

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From: Yugoslavia <http://www.yugoslavia.com>

Serbia Today

24 June 1996


CONTENTS

  • [01] BELGIAN-YUGOSLAV ECONOMIC TALKS START TODAY
  • [02] SPECIAL STATUS IN CROATIA
  • [03] EVIDENCE AGAINST TUDJMAN AND IZETBEGOVIC
  • [04] PUBLICATION ON CROATIAN CRIMES ON THE MILJEVAC PLATEAU
  • [05] SERBS ARE LEAVING SARAJEVO BECAUSE OF HARASSMENT
  • [06] TOUCHING TESTIMONIES FROM SARAJEVO
  • [07] BOSNIAN CROATS WANT A "GREATER CROATIA"
  • [08] SERBS CAN NOT RETURN TO MOSTAR
  • [09] SERBIAN VILLAGES USED AS TEST-GROUNDS FOR NEW WEAPONS
  • [10] DOLECEK: THE HAGUE TRIBUNAL WON'T HEAR OUT THE OTHER SIDE
  • [11] "US AND THE SERBS" - BOOK OF ESSAYS IN FRENCH

  • [01] BELGIAN-YUGOSLAV ECONOMIC TALKS START TODAY

    Upon an invitation of the Belgian Government and the Foreign Trade Council - encompassing all the major Belgian foreign-trade companies, a delegation of Yugoslav businessmen headed by the Federal Minister of Trade - Mr. Djordje Siradovic will visit Brussels today. Great interest exists in Belgium today for the renewal of the economic cooperation and trade with FR Yugoslavia U, illustrated by the fact that the Foreign Trade Council sent invitations to several hundred Belgian firms. They are to take part in a special seminar on the potentials of the Yugoslav economy, where they will be given first-hand information by Minister Siradovic and representatives of the Yugoslav industry. Yugoslav businessmen and officials are expected to clearly illustrate the potentials, make specific offers and demands, and to accept the rules of the open European market. (Borba, June 24, 1996)

    [02] SPECIAL STATUS IN CROATIA

    The deputies of the Assembly of the Serbian Region of Eastern Slavonija, Baranja and Western Srem met on Friday in Dalj. They unanimously approved the declaration on the settlement of the status of the region. The recognition of a special status for this region is justified by historical, geographic, ethnic and political factors. This is why a special status would be the best solution - reads the preamble of the Declaration. The document also reminds that the decisive reason for the EU recognition of Croatia - in spite of the Badinter Committee position that it does not meet the requirements for independence, and this was the US opinion as well - was the Croatian readiness to respect commitments about the special status of parts of its territory where the Serbs represented the absolute or relative majority. Along with the fact that the recognition of such a status would allow the region to remain a multi- ethnic, pluri-confessional and multi-cultural community, in the respect of the highest international standards regarding human rights and basic freedoms, particular importance is given to the special status in accordance with the Erdut Agreement. "In view of all these reasons, we ask the international community to ensure a special status, with all the characteristic elements of the regions that are part of the European regional community", the document concludes. (Politika, 22.6.)

    [03] EVIDENCE AGAINST TUDJMAN AND IZETBEGOVIC

    Prof. Dr. Vojin Dabic - Director of the Serbian Congress Information Center - stated yesterday that the Center gathered and submitted to the Hague Tribunal investigators that recently visited Vukovar, sufficient evidence for indicting Franjo Tudjman and Alija Izetbegovic for crimes of war. The Center has demonstrated that "the Croatian President know about the concentration camp in the village of Marino Selo near Pakrac and about the crimes committed there", and that "...sufficient evidence has been collected to indict Izetbegovic for war crimes in the case of Celebici camp." Speaking about the investigation of the crimes in Vukovar, Dr. Dabic remarked that in this town "so many crimes against Serbs have been committed the Croatian troopers that the Hague Tribunal could deal only with them in the next ten years". The series of crimes against Serbs in Vukovar, committed in July and August 1991. by Tomislav Mercep and his troops, and the crimes that followed in October and November of that same year, "clearly indicate that they were committed by the Croatian state and its institutions, and not by individual psychopaths", Dr. Dabic said. He also underscored that concrete evidence in this regard has been given to the Hague Tribunal investigators, and that it suggests that "Serbs in Vukovar were forced into armed resistance, a fact that undermines part of the indictment on "Serbian armed rebellion" raised against Sljivancanin, Mrksic and Radic by Prosecutor Goldstone". Commenting the case of the Vukovar hospital, headed by Dr. Vesna Bosanac - Mr. Dabic stressed that atrocities such as taking blood from the wounded, liquidation of YNA soldiers taken prisoner and burial of patients that were still half alive, took place. (Politika, June 24, 1996)

    [04] PUBLICATION ON CROATIAN CRIMES ON THE MILJEVAC PLATEAU

    The Krajina "Veritas" Documentation-Information Center, seated in Belgrade after being exiled from Knin, organized the promotion of yet another publication providing authentic and dependable documents about the Croatian war crimes committed four years ago during the first offensive on the UN protected areas. The publication about the victims of the Croatian offensive against the Miljevac Plateau contains original documents, medical examiner's minutes and photos of the Serbian victims, thrown later in bottomless pits. "The bottomless pits are a symbol of the most monstrous execution. These atrocities have been committed by the Croats against the Serbs for the second time in the past 50 years. The helpless prisoners were tried and sentenced on the spot." - states the introduction of the publication. The booklet also contains Croatian records about the exhumation of the of the karstic pit near the village of Drinovci. Even Croatian medical examiners from Sibenik stated in these minutes that - contrary to the international humanitarian law - the bodies of dead Serb soldiers were thrown into the pit, that many of them were massacred and some even headless. (Borba, June 22-23, 1996)

    [05] SERBS ARE LEAVING SARAJEVO BECAUSE OF HARASSMENT

    "More than 70 Serbs, who were harassed and evicted from their homes, recently left Sarajevo, and many more are preparing to do likewise." - said UN spokesman Aleksandar Ivanko at a press conference in Sarajevo. According to AFP, he underscored that the situation is "tense" in the Sarajevan quarters that were previously under Serbian control and have recently been settled by Moslems. Mr. Ivanko criticized the Moslem authorities for having done "very little" to improve the situation and invited them to protect the Serbs in these parts of Sarajevo. The Serbs accused Moslem-Croatian Federation Police of taking part in the violence - Mr. Ivanko said. (Borba, June 22, 1996)

    [06] TOUCHING TESTIMONIES FROM SARAJEVO

    "Pravo" a Prague political daily published photographs of new Serbian refugees from Sarajevo, the same that six months ago made the mistake of believing that they need not abandon the city. The commentary under the photos, entitled "Farewell to Sarajevo", states that they are leaving their home town fearing a Moslem aggression. Various radio station in Prague quoted the statement made by Michael Steiner - one of the highest international community officials in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and firm advocate of the need to stop the mass-exodus from the zones of the Sarajevo that the Serbs turned over to the Moslems. Mr. Steiner recently said that he is ashamed because Serbs have been maltreated in Sarajevo. Bosnian political leaders reacted immediately with remarks that Mr. Steiner is biased, but the High Official for Bosnia - Mr. Karl Bildt confirmed Steiner's remarks in his regular report. (Vecernje Novosti, June 23, 1996)

    [07] BOSNIAN CROATS WANT A "GREATER CROATIA"

    The French Foreign Ministry insists that the battle for Mostar is a battle for the Dayton concept of Bosnia. The same source warns that no "Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia" can exist, because it is contrary to the Dayton agreement and represents a breach of this document. This is why Croatia officially asked the international community to "exert pressure" on Zagreb and on Mr. Tudjman personally to ensure "the strict respect of all the articles of the peace agreement". The numerous recent statements made by Bosnian Croat leaders have caused negative reactions in Paris, because they are actually doing everything possible to obstruct the true functioning of the Moslem-Croatian Federation. French reporters in Mostar affirm that "the objective of the Bosnian Croats is quite clear - Greater Croatia" and that this means that the secessionist policy of the Croats will continue. The French Foreign Ministry spokesman openly indicated that Zagreb's attitude is unacceptable, since it is endorsing the stands of the leaders from Herzeg-Bosnia, even though it is officially supporting the Dayton Agreement and the creation of the twin federation. (Politika, June 24, 1996)

    [08] SERBS CAN NOT RETURN TO MOSTAR

    "Mostar has been definitely split between the Croats and the Moslems, and the return of 40.000 Serbs that previously lived there is quite impossible for the time being." - said Dr. Milorad Muratovic Chairman of the Association for Aid to the Refugees in FRY after spending several days in Mostar. "The hatred between the Moslems and the Croats has caused the complete division of the town. Only several hundred Serbs live there now, and the mass return of Serbian refugees is out of the question", said Dr. Muratovic that visited the town together with a group of refugees from Mostar with the help of the UNHCR Belgrade office. The Delegation visited only the Moslem side of the city and had official talks with representatives of the Moslem authorities and European Administration. The Croatian side refused any contact. "The Serbs did not leave Mostar of their own free will, as the Moslems and Croats now affirm", said the delegation members during the talks with the European Administrator Peres Cassada. (Borba, June 24, 1996)

    [09] SERBIAN VILLAGES USED AS TEST-GROUNDS FOR NEW WEAPONS

    The London weekly Observer affirms that the international forces deployed in Bosnia on a peace mission are using this former Yugoslav republic to test their new weaponry. British forces that are part of IFOR, are using deserted Serbian villages in the Glamoc zone (now under Croatian controll), to test the new "Warrior AS-90" armored vehicle and have target practice with live ammunition including air-strikes against ground objectives. The same terrain is used by the French to verify the potentials of their armored vehicles. Not far from Glamoc, the Americans are practicing attacks on ground targets with their "Apache" helicopters. For quite some time now diplomatic and military circles in London have been indicating suspicions that NATO forces in Bosnia are also testing some types of banned weaponry. (Ekspres, June 24, 1996)

    [10] DOLECEK: THE HAGUE TRIBUNAL WON'T HEAR OUT THE OTHER SIDE

    Prof. Dr. Rajko Dolecek - Chairman of the Czech Friends of Serbs and Montenegrins Society and professor of the Medical college in Ostrava, addressed a letter to Mr. Richard Goldstone - Chief Prosecutor of the Hague Tribunal, asking him to be impartial and to punish all the culprits that committed crimes in former Yugoslavia. Professor Dolecek is the founder of the Society that greatly helped the refugees in FRY and the Republic of Srpska in the past several years, and promoted the truth about the real causes, course and effects of the conflict in former Yugoslavia. In his letter to Mr. Goldstone, Dr. Dolecek stresses that the Hague Tribunal is neglecting the basic rights - it refuses hear out the other side and applies twin standards to the parties involved. Dr. Dolecek stresses that the Serbs were a priori treated as war criminals. This is best confirmed by the fact that compared tot he Serbs, very few Moslems and Croats have been indicted and that the indictments completely ignore the crimes against the Serbs in Vukovar or Eastern and Western Bosnia. (Politika, 22.6.)

    [11] "US AND THE SERBS" - BOOK OF ESSAYS IN FRENCH

    "Us and the Serbs" a book of essays in French having the subtitle "31 Writer Against Hypocrites", recently published by "L'Age d'Homme" in Lausanne, has been promoted at the Serbian Writers Society in Belgrade. The book includes articles by such authors as Jean Detour, Jean-Marie Dominique, Alexander Zinovyev, Patrick Besson, Vladimir Wolkow, Nora Beloff, Edward Limonov, Alain Pocard, Daniel Shiffer and Sarah Friedmann. "Us and the Serbs" is the latest book of the renown publishing house in its series of publications dealing with the fate of the Serbs in Bosnia and Croatia, - remarked Slobodan Rakitic of SWS. The book of essays contains impressions and historical analyses by reputable authors of different profession, age and nationality, "directly opposing the stands of the so-called involved French intellectuals, who are particularly responsible for the satanization of the Serbian people", added Mr. Rakitic. (Borba, June 22-23, 1996)
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