Tanjug Daily News Review, 96-05-27

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From: Tanjug, Yugoslavia, via Serbian Unity Congress <http://www.suc.org/>

May 27, 1996
NEWS AGENCY - TANJUG
DAILY NEWS REVIEW

CONTENTS

[01] TUDJMAN SAYS WORLD WANTS ZAGREB, BELGRADE TO NORMALISE RELATIONS

[02] JAMES BROWN GIVES SPECTACULAR CONCERT IN BELGRADE

[03] PILLAR OF FRIENDSHIP DONORED BY JAPAN MOUNTED IN BELGRADE PARK

[04] THE HAGUE TRIBUNAL MAY BECOME STAIN IN MODERN WORLD'S HISTORY

[05] MINISTERIAL MEETING ON MUSLIM-CROAT FEDERATION IN BOSNIA

[06] REGISTRATION OF REFUGEES BEGINS IN MONTENEGRO

[07] KOLJEVIC: KRADZIC WILL NO LONGER APPEAR IN PUBLIC

[08] WASHINGTON POST URGES CLINTON TO PUT OFF ELECTIONS IN BOSNIA

[09] PERSONS INDICTED FOR WAR CRIMES CANNOT RUN IN ELECTIONS IN BOSNIA

[10] RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER TO VISIT YUGOSLAVIA ON MAY 29-30

[11] CROATS, MOSLEMS CLASH OVER ISSUE OF FEDERATION ARMY

[12] RANKING GERMAN DIPLOMAT TO VISIT REPUBLIKA SRPSKA FIRST TIME EVER

[13] SERB POLICEMEN TRAINED BY U.S. EXPERTS

[14] CSCE: HOLDING OF ELECTIONS IN BOSNIA DIFFICULT, BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE

[15] BRITISH SOLDIERS TO REMAIN IN BOSNIA

[16] CROATIAN PRESIDENT DENOUNCES EUROPE

[17] SUICIDE OF JOURNALIST DOUBTED

[01] TUDJMAN SAYS WORLD WANTS ZAGREB, BELGRADE TO NORMALISE RELATIONS

speaking in a two-day session of the presidential council that dealt with croatia's international status, tudjman said, 'the world counts on serbia as a factor in this part of the balkans and southeastern europe.'

consequently, the international community is interested in the normalisation of relations between croatia and serbia, he said.

tudjman said 90 percent of serbs had left croatia, which he said was not what zagreb had wanted. he said, 'we want serbs in croatia to have all civil rights as well as the rights they are entitled to as members of an ethnic community.'

he also said croatia would neither accept nor meet more conditions for its membership in the council of europe where he said it had been put on the waiting list because of european countries' different interests.

the council of europe recently postponed croatia's membership in the organisation, explaining its decision by non-democratic moves of the tudjman government regarding both the status of serb refugees in croatia and the stifling of the freedom of press.

[02] JAMES BROWN GIVES SPECTACULAR CONCERT IN BELGRADE

in a nearly two-hour programme, the living legend of blues, rhithm and soul fired up the audience that filled the belgrade fair hall to the last seat.

cars and buses from all parts of yugoslavia bore witness to the huge interest for the concert.

brown appeared on the stage after a 20-minute show of a group of excellent musicians, in which particularly inspired were the wind and guitar sections, as well as the four excellent female vocals.

the repertoire included brown's greatest hits, from his first major sucess 'try me' in 1956 to the famous numbers 'i'm a soul man,' 'i feel nice,' 'it's a man's world' and his latest 1985 hit 'livin' in america.'

vital and tireless as ever, brown sang his mega hit 'sex machine' at the very end.

brown had started his nearly four-decades-long career as a singer in gospel choirs and his songs had been included 98 times on top lists of the prominent music magazine billboard, 17 times as number one hits. in 1992, he received a grammy award for life achievement.

[03] PILLAR OF FRIENDSHIP DONORED BY JAPAN MOUNTED IN BELGRADE PARK

the inscription was written in three languages -- english, japanese and serbian.

kumiko moriya of the world peace association, a non-governmental u.n. organisation, was present when the two-metre high pillar was mounted.

several thousand pillars of friendship have been mounted throughout the world, one of them being placed in front of the u.n. building in new york.

[04] THE HAGUE TRIBUNAL MAY BECOME STAIN IN MODERN WORLD'S HISTORY

for the first time in the history of humanity more or less only leaders and representatives of one side in the the civil war, the serb side, are being put on trial by the hague war crimes tribunal, which is this way putting an entire nation on trial, the synod said in its statement.

if justice and international law continue being used in the service of politics the tribunal will become a lasting stain in the history of the modern world, the synod said.

the international war crimes tribunal for the former yugoslavia was set up under a u.n. security council resolution in may 1993.

by early may this year the tribunal issued 57 indictments against 46 serbs, eight croats and three muslims.

during its session which ended on saturday the holy synod said the past six years had been years of hope in the possibility of radical changes in our society which turned out to be years of huge misfortune and disappointment.

the statement from the closed-door synod session condemns the 'former atheist totaliarian system becuase it had spiritually and morally jeopardised the people more than was believed.'

'it is in that respect that the responsibility of the church is greater today', the synod said.

expressing concern over the increasing social rifts, the synod said that not only the thousands of displaced persons but also the rest of the population was becoming increasingly impoverished in relation to the nouveau riche who gain their riches virtually overnight, most often by pillage of property so painstaikingly earned by others.

'the former advocates of the forcible 'nationalisation' of goods are today appropriating public property which neither belonged to them nor to their fathers. they are turning from big communists into big capitalists,' the statement said.

[05] MINISTERIAL MEETING ON MUSLIM-CROAT FEDERATION IN BOSNIA

the three ministers will focus attention on problems which are obstructing the functioning of the muslim-croat federation at the current sensitive stage of the peace process, according to ankara sources.

turkey initiated together with the u.s. in 1994 the creation of the artificial federation, which brought to an end year-long fighting between muslims and croats and led to their union against bosnian serbs.

according to official turkish sources, bosnia-herzegovina as a union of the muslim-croat federation and the bosnian serb entity republika srpska, as defined in dayton, has no prospects without a stable federation.

the greatest challenges to the federation's stability are neighbouring croatia, with its hegemonic aspirations towards the federation's predominantly croat populated parts, and elements in the muslim government in sarajevo rallied around alija izetbegovic who wants to 'islamize' the bosnian state.

contrary to official sources, some turkish newspapers do not conceal that the muslim-croat federation is mired in difficulties without having jumped even the first hurdles.

[06] REGISTRATION OF REFUGEES BEGINS IN MONTENEGRO

official figures put the number of refugees sheltering in montenegro at 45,000, which is nearly 10 percent of its population.

head of the podgorica-based office of the u.n. high commissioner for refugees (unchr) francesco nata said the registration would in no way result in settling the status of refugees against their will.

nata said refugees should respond to the registration without any reserve or fears, because in that way they would help humanitarian organisations to solve their problems.

registration expenses will be for the largest part covered by unhcr that has already earmarked 130,000 dollars for the purpose.

the registration of refugees sheltering in serbia began on april 15 and will end on may 31.

serbian refugee commissioner bratislava morina said saturday that nearly 400,000 refugees had been registered so far.

it is believed that about 700,000 refugees have found shelter in serbia. of this figure about 130,000 are non-serbs.

[07] KOLJEVIC: KRADZIC WILL NO LONGER APPEAR IN PUBLIC

koljevic told radio kragujevac on sunday that rs had fulfilled all the international community's demands, including the latest ones, and expressed the hope there would be no reintroduction of sanctions against yugoslavia and republika srpska.

a week ago karadzic transferred his competencies to republika srpska vice-president biljana plavsic which was interpreted in the circles of international mediators in bosnia as the beginning of his withdrawal from the public.

koljevic said the most important preparations for the forthcoming elections in bosnia had already been completed and that lists of all election commissions had been sent to the transitional election commission and that all election lists would be ready by the june 3 deadline, including lists of voters abroad.

the upcoming elections are expected to fully legitimise the republika srpska bodies of power within the future bosnia-herzegovina, koljevic said.

the first post-war free and democratic elections in bosnia-herzegovina are to be held by the end of september according to the dayton peace accord.

koljevic assessed that the military provisions of the dayton accords were being 'implemented best'.

he added the implementation of article 4 of the military provisions of the peace agreement, which calls for regional stabilisation as the final guarantee that there would be no more war, would begin in oslo at the beginning of june.

[08] WASHINGTON POST URGES CLINTON TO PUT OFF ELECTIONS IN BOSNIA

the influential daily said the move would compromise the dayton peace agreement but would help avoid an election farce in bosnia-herzegovina, where it said conditions had not been created for the balloting to take place in september.

the daily joined some political circles here in cautioning clinton to behave less as a presidential candidate and more as chief executive and reconsider whether to pull out the u.s. troops from bosnia-herzegovina by the end of the year.

clinton said two days ago, during german chancellor helmut kohl's visit, that the set timetable for the implementation of the dayton agreement would not be changed, meaning that the elections would be held in september and the u.s. troops withdrawn by december.

u.n. peace envoy for the balkans john kornblum was even more decisive in his statement to the washington post that the elections will be held as scheduled.

kornblum, back from a mission in the balkans, said everything would fall in place in time and it would be posisble to hold the elections.

he said nobody would let the elections depend on whether bosnian serb president karadzic would step down or not.

the organization for security and cooperation in europe, charged to organize the elections, is expected here soon to confirm that preparations are going well and that the elections could take place on sept. 14.

the stepping up of preparations for the elections and in general of the implementation of the peace agreement's civilian provisions will be on the agenda of a meeting between u.s. secretary of state christopher warren and representatives of the signatory-countries in geneva on june 2.

[09] PERSONS INDICTED FOR WAR CRIMES CANNOT RUN IN ELECTIONS IN BOSNIA

the osce official said in an exclusive interview published in the belgrade daily vecernje novosti monday that persons indicted for war crimes must withdraw from public office and cannot run in the elections.

under the dayton peace agreement, the first post-war free and democratic elections in bosnia-herzegovina are to be held by the end of september.

the organization for security and cooperation in europe is in charge of preparing and monitoring the balloting.

the hague war-crimes tribunal has indicted 57 persons since may 1993, of whom as many as 46 serbs, including republika srpska president radovan karadzic.

karadzic recently transferred his powers to vice president biljana plavsic, which has been taken as his withdrawal from the political stage.

the osce official said election preparations in the muslim-croat federation proceeded at a slower pace than in the bosian serb republika srspka.

asked were there obstructions and doubts that the elections could be misused, dreier said doubts were always present but the osce guaranteed that there would be no misuse of the balloting.

[10] RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER TO VISIT YUGOSLAVIA ON MAY 29-30

primakov will visit yugoslavia at the invitation of yugoslav foreign minister milan milutinovic.

[11] CROATS, MOSLEMS CLASH OVER ISSUE OF FEDERATION ARMY

moslem radio sarajevo quoted monday cengic as saying the point was that the federation would not even start functioning in the next three years.

the radio also said the federation government had failed to reach agreement on the defence bill in a session on friday.

placing under single command the moslem and the croat army that throughout 1993 fought fierce battles for control of territories with mixed population in central bosnia is said to be the most sensitive federation issue.

the foreign ministers of turkey, croatia and the moslem-croat federation are to discuss in ankara on monday ways of invigorating the federation that has largely remained a dead letter.

radio sarajevo reported monday that croat extremists had beaten up a moslem trade union leader in mostar, a divided town in herzegovina, on friday.

the radio also said croats were refusing to allow moslems to return to jajce, a town in central bosnia.

[12] RANKING GERMAN DIPLOMAT TO VISIT REPUBLIKA SRPSKA FIRST TIME EVER

schaefer will meet in banja luka, the biggest town in the republika srpska, with representatives of ethnic groups and leaders of political parties, the german foreign ministry said monday.

during his may 28-31 tour of the region, schaefer will first visit mostar and sarajevo.

in mostar, he will meet with e.u. administrator in the town, divided between croats and moslems, ricardo perez casado of spain, while in sarajevo he will hold talks with officials of the sarajevo moslem government and high representative for bosnia carl bildt.

[13] SERB POLICEMEN TRAINED BY U.S. EXPERTS

the training has been organized by the untaes committee for the transitional police force.

experts from u.s. police academies are training in budapest the joint serb-croat police which will also be part of the untaes transitional police force.

so far, 140 serbs and croats have received training in budapest and untaes administrator jacques klein said that another 300 men should be trained for the transitonal police which will be under his direct command.

only serbs will be trained in erdut. the untaes said that several hundred policemen from eastern slavonia, baranja and western srem would be trained for one month.

under a demilitarization plan, which started on may 21 and should end within 30 days, all serb army and police forces should be disbanded. paragraph 18 of the plan stipulates that a certain number the untaes will keep a certain number of serb policemen as part of its transitional police force.

the area is the only part of the republic of serb krajina which has not been seized by the croatian army. local and croatian officials reached agreement in erdut last november on a peaceful resolution of their dispute and a one-year international transitional administration whose mandate may be extended for another year.

[14] CSCE: HOLDING OF ELECTIONS IN BOSNIA DIFFICULT, BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE

the osce is in charge of preparing and monitoring elections in bosnia planned for september 15 this year.

arbenz last week visited bosnia-herzegovina and took part in a seminar in wiener neustadt near vienna over the weekend.

he said the biggest problem was that there was very little time as certain preconditions had to be fulfilled by july 15.

arbenz said preparations for organizing the handing in of ballots posed a major problem since seven different votes are to be cast in one day.

[15] BRITISH SOLDIERS TO REMAIN IN BOSNIA

british troops will be part of an international mission and, as the daily says, the fundamental question arises as to how many foreign and british troops will remain in bosnia and in which political arrangement.

according to british military circles quoted by guardian it is certain that the further international military presence in bosnia will not be identical with the current mandate and will include a far smaller force.

there are currently about 60,000 nato-led troops from 34 countries serving in ifor in bosnia and herzegovina.

according to british estimates, great britain would have about 6,000 troops in the new mandate, and the international force would not be stronger than 15,000.

more reliable estimates or even a decision might be expected as early as next week at a nato meeting in berlin.

the main problem is how to organize the new international force in bosnia and which countries will contribute troops to it, london sources said.

guardian observed that a question of the u.s. contribution to the new force had not yet been resolved.

british appraisals show that washington may be expected to make final decisions only in october, after elections in bosnia, when quite different conditions will be created for defining a new phase of foreign presence in this former yugoslav republic.

[16] CROATIAN PRESIDENT DENOUNCES EUROPE

zagreb, may 27 (tanjug) - following a decision by european ministers to indefinitely postpone croatia's admission to the council of europe, croatian authorities are nervously trying to minimize the diplomatic shock in the public and find a way out of the country's awkward international position.

croatian president franjo tudjman convened a meeting of the presidential council on saturday. the two-day meeting was attended by 150 top-level state and party officials and representatives of opposition parties.

at the meeting, tudjman rejected the objections made by the european ministers to undemocratic behaviour and totalitarian system in croatia. tudjman even accused the international community, particularly europe, of doing everything to 'weaken' croatia so as to 'influence its internal and foreign state policy.'

tudjman insisted that croatia had been exposed to pressure having no precedent in the history of diplomacy and warned opposition leaders that inter-party rivalry should be abandoned and more national conscience shown instead.

opposition leaders, however, clearly stated that the ruling party could not endlessly evade its responsibility and that it should consider its own blunders.

moreover, opposition officials said that europe could not be blamed for the crisis in zagreb over the election of the mayor, unparalleled pressure exerted on the media and human rights abuses.

in first reactions to the meeting, the independent rijeka paper novi list said that tudjman was creating an atmosphere of national and state endangerment and that he was seeking and offering national unity on the basis of that fear.

political analysts also pointed to tudjman's attempt to make use of 'u.s.-european rivalry'. he denounced europe for its stand towards croatia and stressed that zagreb's top priority was to establish close partnership with the united states.

tudjman said that the principal conclusion after the two-day meeting was that croatia would not accept or sign any conditions for its admission to the council of europe.

the meeting was held ahead of a meeting of the group for relations with central and eastern european countries in strasbourg on may 30. the group is expected, among other things, to discuss croatia's admission to the council of europe. in early june, the issue will be discussed by other higher bodies of the council of europe.

after everything that could be heard at the presidential council, there remains to be seen whether zagreb's stand will be accepted by europe because it had been expected that the meeting would focus on adherence to european standards and commitment to obligations assumed for admission to the important european institution.

[17] SUICIDE OF JOURNALIST DOUBTED

rome, may 27 (tanjug) - doubts are rising that french journaist xavier gautier did commit suicide as originally believed.

gautier presumably investigated private trade in human organs that was going on between bosnia and italy.

gautier, french le figaro staff reporter on the civil war in bosnia for two years, was found dead in spain on may 19. his arms bound together, the noose was tightened around his neck. his family now demands additional investigation into his death.

the 'italian connection' is believed to be involved in the whole affair, because on the wall of the house where his body had been found, one could read the words written in italian 'traitors' and 'red devils.'

several italian papers recalled on monday that gautier had busied himself as of late 1994 also with secret arms supplies to muslims and croats, which involved austrians and italians.

to all appearances, the main role was played by an italian mercenary, the italian corriere della sera paper wrote in recalling that a detailed article on this matter was carried by le figaro on january 6, 1995.

the italian paper added that the british journalist jonathan moyle also was found hanged by the neck. this journalist had also investigated the problem of illicit arms sales to muslims and croats.

the rome il messaggero paper said that an unpublished account by gautier dealt with the largescale trade in human organs unfolding between bosnia and italy. this account, il messaggero said, was retold by gautier to one of his colleagues, not mentioned by name.

the same paper believed that an italian mercenary, most probably the mysterious 'red devil,' was involved in this trade. connected with the mafia, he had been 'working between (croatian adriatic town of) rijeka and sarajevo.'

'they were slaughtering people like cattle, beating men, women and children down to complete exhaustion so that they would not let a drop of blood. then they would extract their organs as if from pigs,' said gautier who was reporting from the part of bosnia under muslim and croat control. he said he knew the names of five people thus beaten to death.

among the suspects there was also the itailan physician from trieste, marino andolina, who had been to bosnia more than once as member of different humanitarian missions. he, however, denied that hospitals in trieste had anything to do with this savagery.

Copyright © Tanjug, Yugoslavia, 1996

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