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Serbia Today, 97-04-22
Serbia Today
CONTENTS
[01] PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC RECEIVES JACQUES KLEIN
[02] IN SPLIT 16 SERBS DETAINED IN PRISON WITHOUT TRIAL
[03] INSTEAD ON A BENCH IN THE HAGUE TRIBUNAL - MERCEP IN THE CITY ASSEMBLY
DEPUTY
[04] SERIOUS CRIME AGAINST IMPRISONED SERBS
[05] MUSLIM APPETITE - THE ENTIRE BOSNIA
[06] TRADE UNIONS OF SERBIA ON THE OWNERSHIP TRANSFORMATION
[07] SUPPORT TO PROFITABLE PROJECTS
[08] FOR A JUST SOLUTION OF KOSMET PROBLEM
[09] CHINA INTERESTED IN INVESTMENT DEALS IN YUGOSLAVIA
[10] KLEIN: SERBS HAVE A FUTURE IN THE SREM AND BARANJA REGION
[01] PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC RECEIVES JACQUES KLEIN
President of the Republic Slobodan Milosevic received yesterday the United
Nations Administrator for the Srem and Baranja Region Jacques Klein, who
informed him of the elections in the area of the UNTAES zone. It was stated
that in spite of many obstacles, citizens of the Srem and Baranja Region
manifested a high degree of democratic consciousness and by their votes
secured the election of legal bodies, showing their firm determination to
assure by democratic means their equality, freedom and permanent life in
these areas. Federal Republic of Yugoslavia has offered a great
contribution to the creating of prerequisites for a consistent and
comprehensive implementation of the Erdut Agreement, by continuously
supporting the process of stabilization in the Srem and Baranja Region.
Expectations were expressed that the UN transitional administration, headed
by the Administrator Jacques Klein, shall continue consistently will
exercising its entrusted mandate, in accordance with the Erdut Agreement.
Serbia Today, 1997-04-22 ; Politika, 1997-04-22
[02] IN SPLIT 16 SERBS DETAINED IN PRISON WITHOUT TRIAL
In the Croat jails, without either an indictment or trial, 16 Serbs are for
one year and a half being detained. According to the Dayton Accords and the
special agreement between ministers of foreign affairs of Yugoslavia and
Croatia, this group of war prisoners should have been released long ago.
"It is the question of the Croat disrespect for all the agreements reached
so far about liberation of the prisoners of war. Authorities in Zagreb have
also tricked the recent agreement between Kresimir Zubak and Biljana
Plavsic on the exchange of these prisoners for Croats who are in prisons in
the Republic of Srpska, serving the legitimate sentences for criminal
offenses which are not connected with war conflicts", says Savo Strbac,
president of the documentation and information center of Krajina "Veritas".
Sixteen imprisoned Serbs, as soldiers of the Republic of Srpska and the
Republic of Serbian Krajina, were captured during the Croat attacks on
Bosansko Grahovo and during the aggression on Krajina, in early August
1995. They were neither indicted nor tried and are spending their time in
jail mostly in forced labor. Center "Veritas" submitted this case, entitled
"Lora" after the Split penitentiary in which they have spent most of their
time, to the Criminal Tribunal in The Hague. With the Croat refusal to
fulfil its obligation from Dayton Accords, also Elizabeth Ren is acquainted,
the special UN envoy for human rights.
Serbia Today, 1997-04-22 ; Vecernje novosti, 1997-04-22
[03] INSTEAD ON A BENCH IN THE HAGUE TRIBUNAL - MERCEP IN THE CITY ASSEMBLY
DEPUTY
"The Napoleon of Vukovar", Tomislav Mercep from the village of Bogdanovci
near Vukovar, was shedding innocent blood of Serbian civilians in the year
1991 in Vukovar, later on in the Pakrac plain, up to Gospic, and as "a
sincere patriot and volunteer of the motherland war" received from the
hands of President Tudjman the medal for "bravery shown". The slaughterer
Mercep, instead of sitting on the bench of the accused in The Hague
Criminal Tribunal for War Crimes Committed in Former Yugoslavia, will be
now sitting in the deputy seat of the City Assembly of Vukovar. The UN
Administrator for the Srem and Baranja Region, the American general Jacques
Klein and the entire international community are making possible for the
criminal of the caliber of Tomislav Mercep, to be a candidate and take part
at the elections in the Serbian Region on April 13 and 14, 1997.
"Independent List for Vukovar" of Tomislav Mercep won in Vukovar 12.69
percent of votes and announced coalition with Tudjman's Croat Democratic
Community, which obtained 40.32 percent of votes. This is a significant
jeopardy for the absolute winner at the elections, the Independent
Democratic Serbian Party headed by Dr. Vojislav Stanimirovic, which has won
46.99 percent of votes.
The fact that against Serbs in Vukovar, Borovo Naselje and the vicinity
during the year 1991 terrible crimes were committed by the death squads of
Tomislav Mercep, is very well known to the entire international community,
but the Tribunal in The Hague is still silent. Information center of the
Serbian Alliance in Belgrade, headed by Prof.Dr. Vojin Dabic, is having
available the entire documentation about the crimes committed by Mercep and
his "patriots" in Vukovar, Sarvas and vicinity, who did their utmost to
eradicate Serbian people from this area. Also the Tribunal in The Hague has
undeniable proof and evidence to bring Mercep to trial and the bench of the
accused and to judge him for all the bestialities which he had committed
against civilians. Now it is made possible for Mercep to "change the role"
and from the war criminal to become - a politician. "Our party is striving
for a safe return to Vukovar and we want a victory over Serbs who dislike
Croatia to the core", threatened Mercep only several days before the
elections in the Srem and Baranja Region. Serbs in Vukovar are afraid and
are waiting to see whether an indictment will arrive from The Hague against
Mercep.
Serbia Today, 1997-04-22 ; Politika ekspres, 1997-04-22
[04] SERIOUS CRIME AGAINST IMPRISONED SERBS
Before the grand criminal council of the District Court of Modrica, the
trial started yesterday of Ferid Halilovic from Odzak, for war crimes
against civilian population. The indictment is charging Halilovic of having,
in his capacity of the member of the 102nd Brigade of the Croat Defense
Council in 1992, committed serious crimes against imprisoned Serbs who were
then detained in the Croat-Muslim prison camps in Brod and Odzak. From the
effects of torture and beating Rade Tomanic from Modrica and Sima Cvetkovic
from Gornji Svilaj near Odzak have later died, while tens of prisoners
remained grave invalids. In the women's prison camp in Brod, Halilovic
first raped one Serbian woman and then forced her to sit on a burning plate
of the electrical cooker. This is the first trial for war crimes committed
in the area of Posavina (Sava river valley) where 39 witnesses will appear,
mostly the former inmates of the Croat-Muslim prison camps in Brod and
Odzak.
Serbia Today, 1997-04-22 ; Politika ekspres, 1997-04-22
[05] MUSLIM APPETITE - THE ENTIRE BOSNIA
"Muslims can not call their army the army of Bosnia-Herzegovina, because in
this way they are strongly violating the Dayton Accords and are
presumptuously making it know that it is their intention to place under
total military control the entire Bosnia-Herzegovina", says the chief of
the Main Headquarters of the Republic of Srpska Army, Major-General Pero
Colic. He further adds that the Serbian side on several occasions over the
past several days informed of this the international representatives. "It
is well known that there is the Republic of Srpska Army and Muslim-Croat
Army in the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina, and no where in the Dayton
Accords is it written that there is the Army of Bosnia-Herzegovina",
specifies Colic. He is pointing out that Muslims are preparing their own
public opinion through a media campaign, parades of units and "history
lessons" organized for children in schools, indoctrinating them, first of
all, with a large dose of animosity towards Serbs. Through the return of
refugees, especially in the region of Prijedor and Banja Luka, Muslims are
trying to also realize a part of their military strategy, using the
American program "Equip and Train" and uncontrolled armament. They are
doing this outside of all the agreements and are not loosing any chance
through various "exercises" to demonstrate force. In the opinion of Colic,
all this is the part of preparations of Muslims to create by force an
Islamic state also in the territory of the Republic of Srpska.
Serbia Today, 1997-04-22 ; Vecernje novosti, 1997-04-22
[06] TRADE UNIONS OF SERBIA ON THE OWNERSHIP TRANSFORMATION
Trade Unions of Serbia uphold their determination that in the forthcoming
ownership transformation, 51 percent of the value of social capital be
distributed gratis to the workers. Until the final adoption of the Law on
Ownership Transformation this the most massive labor force organization in
Serbia, will insist that its remarks and suggestions be inscribed in the
final version of the legal document. Republican Minister for Ownership
Transformation Milan Beko says that the Government, while respecting
remarks of all the participants in the public debate, will try to find an
optimum compromise solution. "The Law for the moment is not prescribing
mandatory ownership transformation, but if such a transformation is to be
undertaken, it must be completed to the end. The speed of realization of
this process is the imperative for our further development", says Beko.
With the request to pass in good time the appurtenant social program, Trade
Unions of Serbia are insisting also that the mechanism of sale of shares
with a discount, be simplified and to be upgraded in the sense which would
increase the volume of gratis shares. It was also proposed to exempt from
the ownership transformation the buildings constructed with the funds of
the trade unions and funds for joint consumption.
Serbia Today, 1997-04-22 ; Borba, 1997-04-22
[07] SUPPORT TO PROFITABLE PROJECTS
The Maize Institute from Zemun Polje, specialized scientific and research
institution, the only one of its kind in Europe engaged in studies of only
one culture, breeded until now 295 officially recognized new maize hybrids
of different properties, use and length of vegetation. As a special token
of recognition, last year at a scientific gathering in Rome, its was
decided to entrust our Institute with establishment of the central European
data base for maize, so that this institution became central European "Bank
of Genes" for maize. Republican Minister of Agriculture Dr. Jovan Babovic,
during his visit yesterday to the Institute, was informed also of a number
of other important facts from the work of this institution. Maize Institute
is cooperating with 60 countries throughout the world and is covering the
entire Yugoslav requirements in maize seed of 22,000 tons while at the same
time it is producing maize seed for exports. While pointing out that the
Government of the Republic of Serbia in its current economic policy has
given the priority to agriculture, because this branch is participating
with 49 percent in the creation of the social product, Minister Babovic
said: "Our country can be the exporter of maize but also of meat. The
yields must be increased also in individual farming households, and most of
all with the aid of contemporary scientific achievements, which we do not
have to buy, thanks to this Institute. All the projects of this institution
must be supported because they bring affirmation to our country and at the
same time are profitable".
Serbia Today, 1997-04-22 ; Politika, 1997-04-22
[08] FOR A JUST SOLUTION OF KOSMET PROBLEM
For a just solution of the Kosmet problem it is necessary that Skypetars in
Kosmet be guaranteed full civil and minority rights, that they benefit from
the existing legal and constitutional rights, through their legitimately
elected representatives to show loyalty to the state in the territory of
which they are living by taking part at the elections, by disbanding
illegal parallel institutions, by returning their children to schools and
by showing good will for life together with Serbs and other citizens in
this multi-ethnic area. These are some of the proposals for the solution of
the Kosmet problem, stated in the letter of the Association of Serbs from
Kosmet in Diaspora, sent to Alan Kassof, director of the Project for Ethnic
Relations, the organizer of the recently held round table in New York.
Milorad Rajkovic, president of the Association, is mentioning that the
letter was received in New York during the Serbian-Albanian talks, but that
it was not discussed and adds that representatives of Serbs from Kosmet
should have participated in the talks, because they are the most pertinent
and vitally interested party in the solution of the Kosmet problem.
Together with the stated proposals, the letter recalls the historical facts
about Kosmet and encloses the corresponding documents. Rajkovic says that
the Association is also caring for the remaining Serbs in Kosovo and
Metohija, and that one of his first tasks is to compile a list of the
people who have moved away from Kosmet over the last 50 years, no matter
where they are now. The Association is also requesting abolition of the law
which prohibits the return of Serbs and Montenegrins to their property in
Kosmet from which they were expelled in the period 1941-1945, and for a de-
nationalization to be made and property and real estate returned
expropriated from the Serbian Orthodox Church and other owners.
Serbia Today, 1997-04-22 ; Politika, 1997-04-22
[09] CHINA INTERESTED IN INVESTMENT DEALS IN YUGOSLAVIA
In the Chamber of Economy of Yugoslavia, there was a meeting yesterday
between our businessmen and the delegation of the Economic and Technical
Development Zone of Shanhajguan in the Chinese province of Habei, which is
populated with some 60 million inhabitants. "The purpose of our visit is to
acquaint Yugoslav businessmen with the projects in which economic
cooperation could be established in the field of infrastructural industrial
design in electronics, machine building, petrochemistry, services and
tourism", said Chen Juchin, director of the Bureau for Economic and
Technical Development. Svetozar Krasin, secretary of the Board for Foreign
Economic Cooperation of the Yugoslav chamber, stated that during last year,
goods were exported to China in the value of 10.7 million US dollars, while
at the same time from this country Yugoslavia has imported products in the
value of 48.6 million US dollars. Chinese delegation over the next three
days will visit the firms with which economic cooperation is the most
certain, such as "Prva Petoletka" in Trstenik, Belgrade "Borac", Zemun
"Teleoptik", Mladenovac "Petar Drapsin" and Novi Sad "HINS".
Serbia Today, 1997-04-22 ; Borba, 1997-04-22
[10] KLEIN: SERBS HAVE A FUTURE IN THE SREM AND BARANJA REGION
The UN Administrator for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Srem,
Jacques Klein, stated yesterday after his meeting with the President of
Serbia Slobodan Milosevic, that Serbs after the elections in the Srem and
Baranja Region are having a future and that they shall not abandon it.
"Over there 70,000 persons have voted. Serbs now have a future, their own
political party and legally elected representatives which Zagreb must take
seriously", underlined Klein. He expressed the belief that until this
evening he will be able to confirm the election results. "The most
important thing is to solve the questions which are related to the people
living there, and they are : dual citizenship, de-militarization of the
region up to 15 kilometers from both sides of the border and the concept of
the regime of the so-called soft frontiers", said Klein.
Serbia Today, 1997-04-22 ; Politika, 1997-04-22
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