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Serbia Today, 96-10-23
Serbia Today
23 October 1996
CONTENTS
[01] FULL MEMBERSHIP FOR YUGOSLAVIA
[02] TURKISH PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION VISITING YUGOSLAVIA
[03] NEW CONTRACTS FOR 300.000 NEW TELEPHONE LINES
[04] THE BELGRADE BOOK FAIR
[05] MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS IN BOSNIA NEWLY POSTPONED
[06] KRAJISNIK SIGNED THE SOLEMN OATH
[07] CROATS WILL END UP LIKE THE SARAJEVO SERBS
[08] WAR RACKET
[09] CROATIAN AUTHORITIES ARE NEWLY ARRESTING SERBS THAT HAVE BEEN GRANTED AMNESTY
[10] SLOVENIA DELETED FROM THE MAP
[01] FULL MEMBERSHIP FOR YUGOSLAVIA
The publication of the list of member countries - including the
name of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia - marked the beginning
of the UN Human Rights Committee session in Geneva yesterday. The
fact that Yugoslavia is also listed as one of the signatories of
the Human Rights Treaty - and thus obliged to submit reports
regularly, proves that this specialized UN body (as well as several
others) does not question the right of FR Yugoslavia to the
continuity with SFR Yugoslavia. This can also be interpreted as an
indication that FRY is once again treated as a part of the UN
system - with all the relative rights and obligations. All the
other countries that appeared in former Yugoslavia are listed as
new members in the Committee documents and are thus obliged to
submit their own reports.
(Borba, October 23, 1996)
[02] TURKISH PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION VISITING YUGOSLAVIA
Mr. Radoman Bozovic - Speaker of the Yugoslav Parliament Chamber
of Citizens received yesterday a delegation of the Turkish Great
National Assembly, visiting our country and headed by Assembly
Deputy Speaker Uluc Gurkan. During the talks it has been assessed
that the construction of good relations between the two countries
will be an important stability factor in the region. Mr. Bozovic
expressed hope that the visit of Turkish parliamentarians - the
first one after five years - will enhance parliamentary cooperation
and better understanding between the two countries. The visit also
anticipates the need of the Balkan countries to rely on
understanding, tolerance and dialogue in solving all issues, with
full respect of territorial integrity, sovereignty and
non-involvement in internal affairs. In this light, the dialogue
between Belgrade and Ankara has particular importance. The Speaker
of the Yugoslav Parliament Chamber of Citizens particularly
stressed the fact that Yugoslavia and Turkey should join efforts
to renew mutual trust in former Yugoslavia, and above all in Bosnia
and Herzegovina.
(Borba, October 23, 1996)
[03] NEW CONTRACTS FOR 300.000 NEW TELEPHONE LINES
The equipment that the French company Alcatel will supply to the
Serbian PTT will allow the introduction of 300.000 new telephone
lines in Serbia. This has been confirmed in the direct talks
between Alcatel and PTT Serbia representatives held in Paris during
the encounters of Yugoslav and French businessmen. According to Mr.
Milorad Jaksic - General Manager of the Serbian Post Office, the
cooperation with Alcatel should continue in the coming years. The
French company will invest large sums in the production of
equipment Serbian PTT needs, and in the modernization of the
telecommunications network, and French and Yugoslav banks are
prepared to endorse financially all the contracted projects.
(Politika, October 23, 1996)
[04] THE BELGRADE BOOK FAIR
The largest exhibition of books in Yugoslavia - the 41st
International Book Fair, was opened yesterday evening in Belgrade
by the renowned French author (of Russian origin) Vladimir Volkov.
"For Christians such as I, Serbia has in a way become the world
capital, because it was so many times the capital of suffering" -
Mr. Volkov said in explaining how honored he is to open the book
fair. He also added: "What is Serbia using to fight against so much
dishonesty paid with petrol-dollars, against so much lethal power
directed against a nation that wants nothing else but to live
freely, against the overwhelming global conspiracy? The book fair,
books - are its weapon!" This years fair rallied all the Yugoslav
publishers (326 stands) as well as publishers from Great Britain,
Switzerland, Holland, USA, Germany, Hungary, Greece, Romania,
Macedonia, Slovenia, Republic of Srpska, but also the "Prosveta"
publishing house from Zagreb and for the first time ever the Mt.
Athos Hilandar Monastery.
(Politika, October 23, 1996)
[05] MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS IN BOSNIA NEWLY POSTPONED
The municipal elections in Bosnia will be held next year because
the conditions for unobstructed elections have not jet been
achieved - stated Mr. Robert Frowick - Head of the OSCE Mission in
Sarajevo. "Due to political problems in the various municipalities
in Bosnia and Herzegovina the temporary elections committee decided
to postpone these extremely complex elections", remarked Mr.
Frowick at the press conference. "As Committee Chairman I shall
insist that they be organized as soon as possible in 1997" - added
the same official. The elections were initially supposed to take
place at the end of September, but had been postponed for November
23 - 24.
(Politika, October 23, 1996)
[06] KRAJISNIK SIGNED THE SOLEMN OATH
Mr. Momcilo Krajisnik, member of the trilateral Presidency of
Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Srpska, signed yesterday
in Sarajevo the solemn statement that he shall respect the
Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina. At the inauguration session
held three weeks ago (when Mr. Krajisnik did not appear) the same
statement has been signed by Alija Izetbegovic and Kresimir Zubak.
After talks that lasted almost four hours, Presidency members
revealed that they will meet again on Friday in the Serbian
controlled part of Sarajevo, and then again next week in downtown
Sarajevo. Before leaving for Sarajevo, Mr. Krajisnik told the SRNA
news agency that he will sign the statement as a sign that problems
regarding the functioning of joint state bodies have been overcome.
(Ekspres, October 23, 1996)
[07] CROATS WILL END UP LIKE THE SARAJEVO SERBS
Herzegovina is prepared to receive fellow Croats once the
Moslems exile them from Sarajevo - affirm Croatian Democratic
Community (HDZ) leaders from Sarajevo as part of their forecasts
on the fate of Croats in the Bosnian capital. This message -
slightly addressed to the international community - anticipates
that the Croats will soon face the same fate as the Serbs and that
they will be forced to leave Sarajevo. HDZ officials believe that
Sarajevo - as the federation capital and in accordance with Dayton
- should have an administration conceived in a way to rule out any
outvoting because this is the only chance for Croats to stay in
Sarajevo. Things being as they are, Croatian representatives are
convinced that everything indicates that Sarajevo will be
transformed into a mono-national Moslem town where it will be
impossible for Croats to live. Whilst the contrasts between
federation partners continues (Sarajevo being the new
"battleground" after Mostar) in hope of arbitration by
international representatives, no one is showing even minimum
concern for the local Serbs. Only the international community
Deputy Representative for B&H - Mr. Michael Steiner, occasionally
makes remarks about the Serbs, stressing that "a very small number
has returned" which is "not much of a success for multi-ethnic
Sarajevo". Until some more decisive steps are taken, the remaining
Serbs in Sarajevo will be sheer passive observers of the debate
whether their city will be mono-national or possibly bi-national.
(Politika, October 23, 1996)
[08] WAR RACKET
The court hearing in course before the Ljubljana County Court -
part of a law suit between local Moslem fractions, revealed that
Mr. Izetbegovic s "Democratic Action Party" (SDA) was extremely
active in Slovenia in the past several years (even though
activities of foreign political parties are illegal in Slovenia),
and also collected a specific "war racket" that probably ended up
in the pockets of Sarajevo politicians. Witnesses have stated, that
immediately after the war broke out, military attach Zlatko
Lagundzija came from Sarajevo and quickly set up contacts with
Slovenian authorities and the newly founded SDA. He and his
associates collected money from Moslems living in Slovenia,
assuring them it would be spent on the Moslem army, and threatening
those that refused to pay that they will loose their passport and
working visa. The extortion was ruthless - individuals were
physically threatened - and many have been sent to the front
because they refused to pay. Testimonies indicate that more than
500.000 German marks were collected from Moslems living in
Slovenia, but no one knows where the money went. The Slovenian
Police has been informed about the scandal, but it did nothing, and
SDA continues to operate freely in Slovenia.
(Vecernje novosti, October 23, 1996)
[09] CROATIAN AUTHORITIES ARE NEWLY ARRESTING SERBS THAT HAVE BEEN GRANTED AMNESTY
Yesterday, the Belgrade-based "Veritas" Documentation-Information
Center addressed a note of protest to the
representatives of international organizations and institutions
because Krayina Serbs that have been granted amnesty are being
newly arrested by Croatian authorities. The note also indicates
that after the adoption of the Law on General Amnesty, Croatian
authorities kept in jail a number of Krayina Serbs, by raising new
indictments against them. The description of the "crimes" has been
left unchanged, but different qualification (exempted from amnesty)
has been applied by the prosecution. "Veritas" indicate that this
represents a breach of one of the fundamental principles of
juridical theory and practice followed by all democratic countries
since people are being tried twice for the same crime. The note of
protest also includes a list of names and detailed facts regarding
16 Serbs that have been pardoned first, and then sent back to
prisons in Karlovac, Sisak, Gospic and Zadar after the indictments
against them have been modified.
(Vecernje novosti, October 23, 1996)
[10] SLOVENIA DELETED FROM THE MAP
The agreement between Slovenian and Croatian authorities to
avoid invoking unsettled bilateral issues - especially border
controversies - has been recently jeopardized by a number of
marginal and incompetent institutions such as various Croatian
tourist agencies. The tourist brochures they have circulated
internationally contain geographic maps that - according to
Slovenian media - "are gradually reducing the Slovenian territory
part by part". The latest and most drastic example of such maps is
the one issued by the Novigrad Tourist Bureau - where Slovenia has
been completely omitted. "Foreign tourists will thus learn that
Slovenia practically exists no more" - remarks the "Slovenske
novice" newspaper. Rejecting the possible Croatian explanation that
a generalized representation of a broader tourist area is involved,
the Slovenian side remarks that all other borders have been drawn
in full accordance with international law and regulations, and that
the map indicates that Croatia borders directly with Italy and
Austria, and that Slovenia is nowhere to be found. More subtle
Slovenian analyses on the current Croatian "tourist cartography"
indicate that such incidents are not causal but constitute serious
provocation. Analysts remark that such efforts are intended to
demonstrate that "the concept of Greater Croatia can have
historical and ethnic grounds not only regarding the eastern parts
of the former common state, but in Slovenian territories as well."
(Politika, October 23, 1996)
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