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Syndicate: ZAGINFLATCH #33, 18th April 1999. |
ZAGINFLATCH #33, 18th April 1999. a newsletter published by Zagreb Anarchist Movement ZAP / ARK GAJEVA 55 10 000 ZAGREB CROATIA zap_zg@geocities.com http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Senate/3707/ *************************************** from: Student Union of Yugoslavia "He dropped his bomb in good faith, as you would expect of a trained pilot from a democratic country." NEWS: NATO has admitted that it bombed a refugee convoy on Wednesday, leaving Kosovo refugees dead after a pilot mistook the civilian vehicles for Yugoslav military units. Nato's admission came a day after more than 70 refugees were reported to have been killed in at least two attacks in the south of the province. At first the Pentagon suggested that Serb forces had attacked convoys of refugees - it later withdrew the statement. A NATO officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there were two convoys on the same road. Two NATO planes attacked - one hit the military convoy, the other struck at what he called a ``mixed convoy.'' After this incident all NATO planes returned to the base safely, he said. According to Serbian Media Centre in Pristina the convoy of refugees was returning to their homes when NATO planes attacked it. They say there were no military vehicles nearby. The prodemocratic forces in Serbia hope that all of those who are responsible for ethnical cleansing in Kosovo will be convicted. However, we wonder if the same will happen to NATO officers responsible for civilian casualties (regardless of nationality) during the 'bombing campaign'. *************************************** Q: Why did I receive this mail? A: Because your e-mail address is displayed on the list of media, student and Non Governmental organizations, as well as on lists of some influential people, who have shown some interest for the conflict in Kosovo recently. Q: Who are you? A: We are a group of young prodemocratily oriented people (students mostly) who have spent the best years of their lives trying to change some things in Serbia, to create a more democratic society were people would be able to have freedom of speech without being afraid of getting arrested, beaten, tortured, etc. In the last ten years of bloodshed on Balkan, we've condemned and protested against any form of violence, ethnical cleansing and crimes against humanity, no matter which side is responsible for it. We were under constant repression and were brutally molested by the regime during the Student Protest 96/97. Although we failed in trying to change the Milosevic`s regime (which did not happen because the West did not help us in time), we achieved a lot. Many people in Serbia opened their eyes and started using their heads instead of being hypnotized by propaganda. We are aware of the fact that our attitude - against NATO intervention and Milosevic's regime as well - is not popular among the sides taking part in this conflict, but that is exactly why we think our side is the right one and therefore it is the only one that can contribute to the stopping of bloodshed. Q: What do you want? A: Our aim is to offer you an independent view of all the aspects of this crisis, at the peak of the propaganda of the media on both sides. Since the true victims of this conflict are innocent civilians (regardless of nationality), and all the aspects of the crisis (because of which this NATO intervention started (the humanitarian aspect, the diplomatic one, and that of democracy)), are getting worse terribly every day, we want the conflict and bombing to stop NOW, and the finding of a peaceful solution to start. We think the possibilities for a political solution are numerous and it is still not too late to reach them. *************************************** PANCEVO PEACE MOVEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT Dear European citizens Dear friends Current situation in Yugoslavia and at the Balkans is against wishes and interests of the citizens of Yugoslavia, the Balkans and Europe. After the NATO attack on Yugoslavia, we are getting further and further from peace, stability and long-term democratic and fair solution of the problem in relations between Serbs and Albanians, as well as all other interstate and international problems on the territory. The interest and wish of the great majority of people in Yugoslavia and at the Balkans are the long-term stability and development. With its activities, both peaceful and military ones, NATO has moved away this whole territory from the ideals and values common to the European Union citizens. During all war years on the territory of former Yugoslavia, Slobodan Milosevic, the president of Yugoslavia, followed only the logic of the strongest armed force at the Balkans, which gave him a right to perform a mass military attack against the citizens of Bosnia, Croatia. He justified his acts as the fight for freedom and equality of one nation in these countries, and the aim of his military attacks with the fight for the long-term peace and stability. Today we are in a situation to see the same logic followed by the president of the USA, Bill Clinton. Acting out of control of wider international community, as commander supreme of the NATO forces, Clinton has equalled himself with Mr Milosevic. What Milosevic has represented for the Balkans, Clinton now represents for Europe and the world. Citizens of Europe and America should know that at the multiparty elections in Yugoslavia and Serbia since 1990, Milosevic has not won trust of the majority of voters, that the basic civil rights have been abolished for the citizens of Serbia, that during the last decade independent media have been systematically destroyed by the Slobodan Milosevic's authorities, that the total production potential of the country is in his hands and that the independence of the administration of justice has been completely suspended. but the constructive resistance to president Milosevic's regime has been growing stronger and stronger and street demonstrations more and more massive. However, after the NATO forces attack on Yugoslavia, all citizens have become both Mr Milosevic and Mr Clinton's military and economic hostages. We understand and accept Mr Clinton's explanation that the president of Yugoslavia, Slobodan Milosevic, is most responsible for violence and destruction on the former and present Yugoslavia's territory, but why then destruction and punishment by the NATO forces are not directed towards Slobodan Milosevic, instead of being directed to the citizens of Yugoslavia? Help in preventing humanitarian catastrophe in Kosovo cannot be done by creating humanitarian catastrophe in Yugoslavia. The situation we are experiencing now irresistibly reminds of the situation when two tough guys are slapping someone else's children in order to see who will longer endure. Long-term peace and stability on this territory mostly depend on the development of democracy in Serbia but, in this situation, while the NATO attacks are in progress, Serbia is getting further and further from political, economic and other democratic changes. The results of scientific and cultural institutions, democratic political parties, non-governmental organizations, independent media houses. and other forces for development of peace and tolerance, are gradually diminishing, and by that the possibilities for the development of peace and democracy as well. We hope that we will not have to, because of the consequences of the NATO military policy, do what we, as a peace movement, have been doing since 1991, because of the consequences of the military policy in Yugoslavia. Please reconsider your participation in the NATO forces, think and act positively and support democratic changes in Serbia and Yugoslavia to the maximum potential. Pancevo, March 26, 1999 In the name of Pancevo Peace Movement Aleksandar Weisner Fax 381 13 513857 e-mail ppm@bozic.co.yu *************************************** From: "grupa484" <grupa484@beotel.yu> Serbian NGO Demand for Restoration of the Peace Process NATO bombardment and armed conflicts in Kosovo must stop. The only way out of the crisis is an unconditioned reactivation of the peace process. Since the effects of crooked policies are mass destruction of human life and devastation of the land, restoration of the peace process shall be a difficult task which will require participation of everyone who is able to make contributions to development and implementation of suitable solutions. If this issue continues to be resolved only by the people who have caused the explosion of the Kosovo crisis and the whole Yugoslav tragedy, an effective, just and rational solution to the Balkan crisis will not be achieved. In the past ten years, embracing the principles of human rights, democratic transition, dialog and compromise, a compact network of civic organisations has been established that articulates the interests of a large number of citizens from the troubled region. These organisations had both Serbs and Albanians active in their membership working on projects together. This is why these organisations, including the Nezavisnost Trade Union Confederation can contribute to a successful course of the peace process, to initiation of a dialog between appropriate segments of the Serbian and Albanian societies that could lead to reconciliation and solutions acceptable to the conflicted parties. In all previous attempts to solve the Yugoslav crisis, international representatives have approached government representatives and social structures in Serbia and Kosovo which they considered influential. Unfortunately, these structures mostly had radical views and nationalist policies, considering that even the KLA was approached. At the same time, initiatives and opinions of democratic structures in the civil society that eventually turned out to be correct and well grounded, were not taken into account. After contemplating all this, the civic organisations in Serbia that have signed this document and UBS Nezavisnost demand: 1. Representatives of these organisations to be allowed to actively participate in solving the Kosovo crisis and other problems generated by the disintegration of Yugoslavia. 2. A permanent International Conference of civic organisations from the Balkans, South-east Europe and, finally, the whole of Europe, to be established which would participate in this process and take part in finding ways to politically, economically and socially stabilise this region. We believe that you shall consider our arguments and support our initiative. Belgrade, April 13th 1999. Association of Citizens for Democracy, Social Justice and Support for Trade Unions Belgrade Circle Center for Democracy and Free Elections Center for Transition to Democracy Civic Initiatives EKO Center Belgrade Women Studies Center European Movement in Serbia Forum for Ethnic Relations and Foundation for Peace and Crisis Management Group 484 Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia The Student Union of Yugoslavia Union for Truth About Anti-Fascist Resistance VIN's Weekly Video News Women in Black YU Lawyers' Committee for Human Rights District 0230 Kikinda > Urban – in Novi Pazar, and NEZAVISNOST Trade UnionConfederation *************************************** Dear friends, Info about Zaginflatch is available on request. Basically, with this newsletter we want to inform the international community (this is you) on how antiauthoritarians in Yugoslavia and ex-Yugoslavia feel in these moments. Also, as people who have experienced air raids and general alerts, we want to support our friends in Yugoslavia who are experiencing this today. We don't want to prejudice any political solutions to Kosovo and other ex-yu problems, we just want to help our friends, and support them in this way. All opinions published in Zaginflatch will be just personal ones. There is no joint platform. Zaginflatch will bring you hardly any news in the way mainstream media does it. For this kind of info we suggest you try cnn, bbc or some other services. They are available to you anyway.. This is meant to come from inside... Also, if you're into alternative news sources, we suggest you try at www.b92.net ... Zagreb Anarchist Movement (ZAP) *************************************** the end *** pseudoastronaut klase D *** -- Break the logic of war! Desert! 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