War on the Balkans

The NATO aggression and continuous attacks against the FR of Yugoslavia have been going on for 44 days now. Hundreds of thousands of Kosovo Albanians have been forced to leave their homes. Under the tonnes of high-tech bombs and missiles the land is being converted to cinders, and the losses of human life grow daily.

(most recent first)

April 16, Budapest

Here are some more news about the situation in Serbia, where the bombings and massacres intensify. The death toll of passanger train hit rose to 55, of refugee convoy to 80 and the bridge over Danube in Belgrade is the only one still standing. The flames of oil rafinery and chemical plant in Pancevo are threatening in a very serious way.

Several thousand people gathered at the funeral of Slavko Curuvija, a prominent independent journalist, assassinated earlier this week.

This is the eight consecutive wartime May 1. In this century, no other European state has had such a long war. It is true though that Serbia was not in war, at least not in the same sense that it has ever declared war. But for eight years war has been the main element of our lives and our fate. For eight years workers 1 May is bloodstained, both stained with our blood and with blood of those who were until recently our fellow citizens.

Ever since 1991 Women in Black against War from Belgrade have been actively working for peace and non violence. The policy which characterizes Women in Black against War begins with confronting with every form of violence, war, militarism, nationalism. Since 1991 the biggest casualty on the territory of Former Yugoslavia has been the civilian population. It is happening again now.

Values which we are supporting are life, solidarity, respecting of differences.

On 15th April 1999 at 22:40 NATO forces heavily bombarded the plants of the Petrochemical Complex in Pancevo which were in regular operation. Installations and equipment of the Vinyl Chloride Monomer plant and Ethylene plant were directly hit.

As long time proponents of and activists for a democratic and anti-nationalist Serbia, who have chosen to remain in Yugoslavia during this moment of crisis and who want to see our country reintegrated into the community of world nations, we state the following:

We strongly condemn the NATO bombings which have hugely exacerbated violence in Kosovo and have caused the displacement of people outside and throughout Yugoslavia. We strongly condemn the ethnic cleansing of the Albanian population perpetrated by any Yugoslav forces.

There are moments when the military manage to put a nonviolent solution beyond immediate reach. The cycle of provocation-reaction between the Kosova Liberation Army and various Serbian forces has combined with the bullying of NATO to make this one of those times.

NATO bombardment and armed conflicts in Kosovo must stop. The only way out of the crisis is an unconditional restoration of the peace process.

Since the effects of erratic 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.

Vesna Terselic

Deeply shocked by NATO strikes devastation of our country and the plight of Kosovo Albanians, we, the representatives of non-governmental organizations and the Nezavisnost Trade Union Confederation, energetically demand from those who have created this tragedy to immediately take all necessary steps to create conditions for the resumption of peace process.

I reached Pristina before nightfall. I could not get to the HLC office. The building is opposite the Police Department and prison and the front entrance was locked. Someone inside said, "We don't know you and we won't open the door." By his accent, I knew the man was Serb and he must have known by mine that I was Serb too. I knew that the residents were Serb and Albanian and I saw their determination to allow no strangers into the building as the good side of Pristina. I went round the back and saw guards at the entrance of the neighboring building.

War Resisters' International is in contact with women peace activists in the former Yugoslavia, who are feminist, pacifist and anti-nationalist in ideology. They have been campaigning against war and ethnic cleansing throughout the decade, at great personal risk and sacrifice. We preserve their anonymity.

March 28, 1999