Tanjug Daily News Review, 96-06-07

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

Jun 7, 1996
NEWS AGENCY - TANJUG
DAILY NEWS REVIEW

CONTENTS

[01] COUNCIL OF EUROPE SETS TOUGHER CONDITIONS FOR CROATIA'S ADMISSION

[02] EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT OPPOSES CROATIA'S ADMISSION TO COUNCIL OF EUROPE

[03] KINKEL'S VISIT TO BELGRADE TURNING POINT IN YUGOSLAV-GERMAN RELATIONS

[04] RUSSIA PROPOSES LIFTING OF INTERNATIONAL SANCTIONS AGAINST YUGOSLAVIA

[05] SERBS IN EASTERN SLAVONIA MUST WIN RIGHT TO SELF-RULE, SAYS OFFICIAL

[06] SIXTY SERBS, FORMER CROATIAN PRISONERS, ARRIVE IN BELGRADE

[07] E.U. URGES COOPERATION AMONG STATES EMERGING FROM FORMER YUGOSLAVIA

[08] FIRST ORGANIZED RETURN OF REFUGEES TO CROATIA

[09] BOSNIAN SERB OFFICIAL: SEPARATE CURRENCY WAS NOT DISCUSSED WITH IMF

[10] MUSLIMS IN SARAJEVO HARASS SERBS, WRITES WASHINGTON POST

[11] SERBIAN ACADEMY DISCUSSES NATIONAL PROBLEMS

[12] BOSNIAN SERB PARLIAMENT SPEAKER RECEIVES WORLD ENVOY DE LAPRESLE

[13] SERBS SEEK EXTENSION OF UNTAES MANDATE FOR ANOTHER YEAR

[14] ADMIRAL SMITH DENIES RESIGNING AS IFOR BOSNIA COMMANDER

[15] POLITIKA: DIPLOMACY AT SERVICE OF ECONOMY

[16] SERBS IN CROAT PRISONS LEFT AT MERCY OF PRISON AUTHORITIES

[01] COUNCIL OF EUROPE SETS TOUGHER CONDITIONS FOR CROATIA'S ADMISSION

the council listed as the most important condition for croatia's membership cooperation with the hague-based international war crimes tribunal as well as in the implementation of a peace agreement for bosnia-herzegovina.

moreover, croatia's membership depends on its behaviour in eastern slavonia, barania and western srem and the respect of serbs' human rights there.

zagreb is also expected to respond to serb refugees' requests to return to their homes.

croatia launched an aggression on serb krajina in early may and august 1995, triggering an exodus of about 250,000 serbs. moreover, about 500,000 serbs have left croatia since it launched a war of secession from the former yugoslavia.

croatian foreign minister mate granic has said that zagreb authorities will respond to the council of europe, with the committee of ministers being expected to discuss croatia's membership in the council on june 24.

croatian press reported on thursday about the conditions set by the council of europe, saying the conditions mainly coincided with those already agreed to by croatian president franjo tudjman.

the zagreb daily vjesnik said the council insisted that zagreb secure a dignified return of serbs to croatia and compensate for the property they have lost.

the daily said the council insisted that a court investigation be launched into crimes against people and their property as well as into violations of human rights.

[02] EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT OPPOSES CROATIA'S ADMISSION TO COUNCIL OF EUROPE

the parliament also adopted a resolution condemning undemocratic actions of the government in zagreb, especially the stifling of the freedom of the press, including the arrest and harassment of journalists working for opposition newspapers.

the resolution criticized president franjo tudjman's ruling croatian democratic union (hdz) for preventing legally elected city authorities and officials from taking office in zagreb.

the resolution called on the croatian government to abandon its plan to turn the jasenovac memorial centre, commemorating world-war-two victims of fascism, into a war memorial in which the victims and followers of ante pavelic, head of the nazi puppet-state 'independent state of croatia,' would be reconciled.

around 700,000 people, predominantly serbs but also jews, romanies and croatian anti-fascists, were killed in the jasenovac death camp by ustasha, croatian nazi-fascist.

tudjman, who minimizes the number of victims in jasenovac and claims that about 30,000 people perished there, plans, 'as an act of the reconciliation of all croats,' to bury the remains of ustasha at the memorial complex.

the european parliament called on the european commission and the council of ministers to suspend all negotiations on croatia's wider inclusion into the phare programme of aid to countries of eastern europe and put off signing an agreement on trade and cooperation with croatia.

the talks were broken off after croatia's attacks on the western, northern and southern parts of the republic of serb krajina in the spring and summer of 1995, when more than 250,000 serbs were compelled to flee.

the council of europe parliamentary assembly took a formal decision on croatia's admission to the council last month.

the chief goal of the council, which has 39 members, is to enhance human rights and democracy in european countries.

at their meeting in may, the e.u. foreign ministers refused to make any such recommendation to the european parliament, which makes the final decision on admission to the council of europe.

[03] KINKEL'S VISIT TO BELGRADE TURNING POINT IN YUGOSLAV-GERMAN RELATIONS

at the session at which it reviewed a report on kinkel's visit by yugoslav foreign minister milan milutinovic, the government instructed its organs to initiate the restoration of dialogue with german partners in all fields of interest to yugoslavia under conditions of the normalized yugoslav-german relations.

the yugoslav information secretariat said in a statement that the government had accepted a yugoslav delegation's report from a meeting of the peace implementation council working group for humanitarian issues in geneva on may 12-15.

it was said that the meeting was an important step in the implementation of the civilian aspect of the dayton peace agreement, especially its provisions on the repatriation of refugees and protection of their rights.

the government also reviewed a report on the international cooperation in the field of environment protection with a proposal for yugoslavia's priority activities.

the competent ministry is to submit to the government a proposal on setting up a national body for coordinated development.

the government adopted a platform for the participation in the 6th conference of european ministers in charge of migrations in warsaw on june 16-18.

the yugoslav delegation to the conference will urge the elimination of causes for international migrations, primarily differences in the degree of and possibilities for economic development.

the government adopted a bill on the ratification of a yugoslav-ukrainian agreement on cooperation in education, culture and sports, which formulates basic forms of bilateral cooperation in these fields.

[04] RUSSIA PROPOSES LIFTING OF INTERNATIONAL SANCTIONS AGAINST YUGOSLAVIA

spokesman grigory karasin told a regular news briefing that russian foreign minister yevgeny primakov had proposed the lifting of the sanctions at the contact group ministerial meeting in berlin on tuesday.

karasin said russia believed that serbian president slobodan milosevic' engagement for the benefit of the bosnia peace process deserved an adequate positive reaction on the part of the international community.

'such a position should be supported by a decision to lift the sanctions against serbia,' he said.

karasin said that such international step would activate general efforts in the peace process.

karasin said nothing about the reaction to the proposal of the foreign ministers of the other four contact group members -- the united states, france, great britain and germany -- and international community's representatives.

the may 1992 u.n. security council comprehensive and mandatory sanctions against the yugoslav federation of serbia and montenegro were suspended after the initialling of the dayton peace agreement in late november 1995.

under the agreement, the sanctions against yugoslavia should be lifted after bosnia elections, which should be held by mid-september 1996.

[05] SERBS IN EASTERN SLAVONIA MUST WIN RIGHT TO SELF-RULE, SAYS OFFICIAL

speaking in a session of the region's assembly, susa said, 'all debates about the region being independent of croatia must end, because this position will win no support either in the east, or the west, or here.'

susa said a major obstacle to the serb self-rule in the region was the croatian law on territorial organisation that did not contain such provisions.

he said serbs should direct their activities towards altering this law as well as the law on partial amnesty for serbs that is contrary to the croatian-serb agreement.

serbs in the region and croatian authorities signed an agreement in november 1995 under which the region was placed under a one-year u.n. transitional administration whose mandate can be extended for another year.

the u.n. administration and administrator jacques klein have already made efforts to demilitarise the region. moreover, special police units whose members will wear u.n. symbols will soon start patrolling the region.

the region is the only part of the republic of serb krajina that has not been occupied by croatia.

serbs in croatia proclaimed their own state, the republic of serb krajina, in 1991, after croatia launched its war of secession from the former yugoslavia.

croatia occupied western parts of serb krajina in early may 1995 and northern and southern parts in august 1995. serb krajina was under u.n. protection at the time.

the assembly also stressed difficulties in oil supplies after the closing of oil fields in nearby djeletovci. serb authorities request that the oil fields remain under serb control and that crude oil be refined in croatian refineries.

croatia, however, insists that the oil fields be immediately placed under control of the central oil industry in zagreb.

[06] SIXTY SERBS, FORMER CROATIAN PRISONERS, ARRIVE IN BELGRADE

they were arrested during croatia's operation storm in august 1995, when more than 250,000 serbs fled the northern and southern parts of u.n.-protected serb krajina.

the croatian army seized western serb krajina in may 1995.

those who wanted to speak said that they had experienced worst maltreatments in the prison in karlovac, about 50 km southwest of zagreb.

the majority of the group did not wish to speak in fear of retaliation against the serbs who remained in croatian prisons.

president of the yugoslav government's commission for humanitarian issues and missing persons pavle todorovic, who welcomed the group, said he was dissatisfied because more than 250 serbs were still in croatian prisons.

the croatian side constantly politicizes the problems of prisoners and missing persons, todorovic said and added that the international community would have to put pressure on the zagreb regime to fulfil basic humanitarian law obligations, the yugoslav information secretariat said in a statement.

[07] E.U. URGES COOPERATION AMONG STATES EMERGING FROM FORMER YUGOSLAVIA

if it receives assurances to this end as well as proof of their commitment to the dayton peace accords, the union is ready to open wider possibilites for the participation of yugoslavia, croatia, bosnia-herzegovina and macedonia in european integration processes, and to establish economic cooperation with them.

these stands were voiced thursday by e.u. sources in brussels and diplomatic sources in rome ahead of a visit by president of the european commission jacques santer and italian foreign minister lamberto dini, who presides over the e.u. council of ministers, to belgrade, zagreb, sarajevo and skopje, on friday.

this is the first time that a ranking e.u. delegation is visiting belgrade following the normalisation of relations between the european union and yugoslavia two months ago.

the e.u. bodies in brussels have however expressed reserve as regards the outcome of the visit, primarily because of zagreb's signal that croatia does not want to be regarded again as part of the balkans.

moreover, macedonia takes the view that the eruopean policy of regional approach to the states emerging from the former yugoslavia constitutes an obstacle to its resumption of ties with the european union, brussels sources say.

the visit will also include talks on how to expand cooperation between each of the states emerging from the former yugoslavia and the european union.

the visit is also paid within preparations for a conference on bosnia-herzegovina in florence next week that is to review the six-month results of the dayton accords implementation and discuss preparations for bosnia's elections.

[08] FIRST ORGANIZED RETURN OF REFUGEES TO CROATIA

the group crossed the border at batrovci-lipovci on the belgrade-zagreb motorway.

the belgrade unhcr office said it was the first group of refugees allowed to return home by croatia's authorities.

the refugees will be reunited with their families in zagreb, knin, rijeka anbd vinkovci.

after croatia's aggression on the then republic of serb krajina in the summer of last year, more than 200,000 serbs fled to yugoslavia.

[09] BOSNIAN SERB OFFICIAL: SEPARATE CURRENCY WAS NOT DISCUSSED WITH IMF

the imf delegation is paying its fourth visit to the republika srpska in order to learn about the operation of the republika srpska's national bank (central bank), payment system and commercial banks and to see it should conform to imf requirements.

speaking after the closed-door talks, republika srpska central bank vice governor petra markovic said that the imf delegation was satisfied with the overall functioning of the financial system in the republika srpska.

markovic said that the institutions, corporations and citizens in the republika srpska had full confidence in the national bank and therefore would like to have their own separate currency.

she stressed, however, that this could not be considered until a monetary board had been set up, in line with the dayton accords, after september parliamentary elections in the republika srpska and the bosnian muslim-croat federation.

[10] MUSLIMS IN SARAJEVO HARASS SERBS, WRITES WASHINGTON POST

in a report from sarajevo, the newspaper said that gangs of bosnian muslims, with the tacit and active support of the local authorities, were harassing, beating up and evicting from homes the remaining serbs.

the daily said that u.n. police officials in sarajevo had received about 40 complaints of harassment and persecution of serbs, and that the majority of them were true, but that the muslim authorities had not acted on them and that no arrests had been made.

muslim police have even been involved in some of the operations of harassment and intimidation of serbs, the daily quoted foreign observers as saying.

foreign diplomats and observers condemn the muslim government's passivity and complicity in these operations, but none of the foreign guarantors of peace has done anything to put an end to this practice, the washington post said.

it quoted a european official as saying that the muslim government was in fact working to make the serbs leave sarajevo.

this, according to the official, would clear the way for the government in the next elections, as it would leave in the city only muslim voters sympathetic to the ruling party of muslim leader alija izetbegovic.

the newspaper said that about 50,000 serbs had left the sarajevo surburbs since the signing of the dayton accords late in 1995 and the unification of the city under the rule of the muslim-croat federation, and that barely 7,000 serbs remained.

the census of 1991 showed sarajevo to have more than 157,000 serbs, who accounted for 29.9 percent of the population.

[11] SERBIAN ACADEMY DISCUSSES NATIONAL PROBLEMS

belgrade, june 6 (tanjug) - the uppermost tasks of the serbian academy of science and art (sanu) are to take care about the serbian cultural integrity and the restoration of fundamental ethical principles in society, it was heard at the academy's regular annual session here on thursday.

cultural integration of a nation, in a situation when it doesn't live in a single state, takes place through spontaneous gathering around the fundamental spiritual pillars of society, such as the academy, sanu president aleksandar despic said.

sanu -- the highest serbian institution of science and art, founded in 1886 -- is one of the traditional pillars of the serbian people, along with the serbian orthodox church.

'we are leaving behind a tremendously difficult period for our people, which can be compared only to its most traumatic experiences in the past,' despic said.

he said that the citizens of the federal republic of yugoslavia were today in a special mental state and that, awakening from a coma into which they had gone a few years ago, they found themselves in 'a crushed state, from which three fifths have been torn off, with hundreds of thousands of dead and two million displaced persons.'

despic said that the task of 'soberly getting an insight into the historical wreckage that we have left behind' primarily lies with intellectuals.

he said that historical results led to the conclusion that, as of 1914, serbian officials had made a series of crucal mistakes.

'the latest mistake, made in 1990, was the resistence to the big powers' orders, i.e. the creation of the republic of serb krajina and the division of bosnia-herzegovina, which ended in a terrible war,' despic said.

the republic of serb krajina was proclaimed in 1991 in serb ethnic and historical territories after croatia's violent secession from the former yugoslav federation.

despic said that 'the development of national consciousness, including national intolerance as a complax phenomenon characteristic of primitive and dark regions of the psyche, first unfolded in intellectual circles, and then politicians took the reins of the driving force that resulted from it.'

referring to serbia's southern province of kosovo-metohija, despic described it as 'the most important strategic problem for the future of the serbian people.'

judging by the projections of demographic science and the fact that there is a population explosion of ethnic ablanians there, serbia can be expected to become a bilingual country of the serbian and albanian people in a next few decades, he said.

despic said that the problem ofkosovo must not be tackled hastily and on the basis of options lacking a good foundation, and that the acadamy had a duty to 'clearly present to our people the difficult dilemma which will be more and more evident,' particularly if and when the ethnic albanians decide to participate massively in serbia's political life.

ethnic albanians make up the majority population in kosovo and a strong separatist movement has been active there for a decade, aiming to secede the province from serbia and yugoslavia and to join it to neighbouring albania.

statistical data show that ethnic albanians in kosovo have the highest birth rate in europe.

[12] BOSNIAN SERB PARLIAMENT SPEAKER RECEIVES WORLD ENVOY DE LAPRESLE

krajisnik and de lapresle discussed international arbitration in the case of the corridor at the town of brcko in the posavina (sava river valley) region which links the east and the west of the republika srpska.

the talks, held in the republika srpska's administrative centre of pale, touched also on other questions of the peace accord for bosnia-herzegovina, according to unofficial reports.

republika srpska foreign minister aleksa buha, who attended the meeting, told reporters that the republika srpska and the bosnian muslim-croat federation could not agree on what should be the subject of international arbitration in the case of brcko.

republika srpska officials insist that, under the dayton peace accord, international arbitration can be sought only for the matter of widening the corridor at brcko.

the pale government said that the muslim-croat federation, on the other hand, was seeking arbitration for the town of brcko itself, which has been under bosnian serb control since war broke out in bosnia-herzegovina in april 1992.

the republika srpska's news agency srna quoted buha as saying that de lapresle had been asked to clarify the matters of freedom of movement and of the arming of the bosnian muslim army by the united states.

buha said it was untenable that the freedom of movement should be guaranteed while the muslim-croat federation was drawing up lists of war criminals.

it is absurd also that a bosnia disarmament conference should be in progress in vienna while at the same time international factors, led by the united states, have begun an operation for arming the bosian muslims, he added.

[13] SERBS SEEK EXTENSION OF UNTAES MANDATE FOR ANOTHER YEAR

an extension of the mandate is envisaged under the erdut agreement on peaceful settlement of the problem of the predominantly serb-populated region, which is situated between croatia and the federal republic of croatia. the agreement was singed in november last year.

about 5,000 u.n. troops will be controlling the implementation of the agreement signed between serb officials in the region and croatian authorities until january 16 next year, when the first one-year untaes mandate will expire.

regional prime minister vojislav stanimirovic, who announced the decision, told reporters that the demilitarization of the region, which began on wednesday, was proceeding according to plan and that it would be completed between june 18 and 20.

stanimirovic said that heavy arms had already been withdrawn from the region and that serb military units were now being dissolved.

joint serb and croatian police units are expected to start patrolling the section of the belgrade-zagreb highway crossing the region in seven or eight days. the units will be a part of the untaes transitional police force, stanimirovic said.

the regional assembly, meeting in mirkovci, decided to set up a 15-member council of experts to prepare a platform for talks with croatia on the future status of the region.

stanimirovic said that the serb side would consult with u.n. administrator in eastern slavonia jasques klein before adopting the platform which 'will serve as a basis for all negotiations with the croats.'

[14] ADMIRAL SMITH DENIES RESIGNING AS IFOR BOSNIA COMMANDER

'i serve at the pleasure of the president,' smith said after meeting with croatian president franjo tudjman in zagreb, denying that he has resigned, and explaining that any decision about his future will be announced either in washington or in brussels.

meanwhile, an announcement has been made in washington that u.s. president bill clinton has nominated vice admiral joseph lopez to replace admiral smith as commander of nato forces in bosnia and southern europe and of u.s. naval forces in europe.

smith said that he and tudjman had noted that the effort made in bosnia-herzegovina had been great, but that further cooperation was needed if the peace process were to be implemented in full.

the first duty is to provide freedom of movement for all citizens of bosnia-herzegovina, smith said and added that much work had to be put in for bosnian elections to be held as scheduled (in mid-september 1996).

[15] POLITIKA: DIPLOMACY AT SERVICE OF ECONOMY

the motto of many diplomacies around the globe is: above all interests and only after that friendship, the daily said, adding that bulajic attended a recent international meeting held in bratislava dubbed 'economic dimension of diplomacy.'

bulajic said that the meeting, which was attended by foreign ministry officials from 52 states, pointed to the fact that overall stability could be achieved only through developed relations between states -- within the world trade organizations and regional integrations.

transition countries which face many economic problems are particularly interested in integration, bulajic said, adding that international organizations had not sufficiently helped them.

the european union recommends to central, eastern and southeastern european countries the creation of mutual ties and cooperation in line with the standards of the world trade organization. the eu maintains that these countries should join regional and subregional integrations, the central european free trade zone, the black sea economic cooperation.

speaking about balkan economic cooperation, bulajic said that sanctions had prevented yugoslavia from taking part in regional integration but that proposals have been made for its admission to some of these associations, politika said.

[16] SERBS IN CROAT PRISONS LEFT AT MERCY OF PRISON AUTHORITIES

testimonies to this effect have been heard from recent krajina serb prisoners who arrived in the federal republic of yugoslavia on thursday following a may 30 decision by croatian president franjo tudjman to grant amnesty to 76 serbs captured during operation storm last august.

of the 60 serbs who asked to come to yugoslavia, few were willing to give their names because, as they said, they did not want their statements to harm those who remained in prison.

dragan darbuk told tanjug that the international committee of the red cross (icrc) had registered him as late as january 1996, although he had spend nine months in the prison of the croatian city of karlovac.

slavko vujaklija, registered by icrc in sept. 1995, confirmed that ahead of icrc visits, prison guards hid away all prisoners they did not want to be seen.

a former inhabitant of vrgin most, who asked not to be named, was captured on aug. 6, 1995 together with his 12-year-old son. he said that croatian troops had opened gunfire on a column of refugees from krajina, mainly made up of women and children who were moving towards yugoslavia, and run them down with tanks.

he said he had been beaten and his clothes and documents torn, while his son was threatened with a knife. they were then taken to the prison in the city of sisak where over 2,500 serbs, mainly old people, were shortly brought.

the torturers in the croatian prisons were exceptionally strong and mentally retarded, the released serbs claim. they committed brutal crimes because 'nobody normal could not do someting like that.' they stripped their prisoners, then beat them, broke their arms and inflicted almost fatal injuries.

prisoners who asked for medical treatement were tormented even more and only when the guards saw that someone was at death's door, was he sent for a brief visit to the doctor. the next day, the beatings resumed.

according to this witness, a prison guard openly said that the aim of this kind of treatment was to either kill off or at least mime for life 80 percent of serb prisoners over the next three years.

in the karlovac prison there remain about 25 prisoners and all have received lengthy sentences. the majority are old disabled persons who were inelligible for combat duties. end zn/jpe/mb

Copyright © Tanjug, Yugoslavia, 1996

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