Macedonia

Statement

Women Solidarity against War

Unfortunately, war tension in the Balkans have not become a part of the past, yet.

The peace agreement in Macedonia is still very fragile. Each side should put more efforts as to stop the violence. The international community is obliged to stop the renewal of violence and to disarm all sides, that do not behave in accordance with the signed peace agreement.

The civilians are, as in all previous wars, the most tragic victims of armed conflicts. The number of displaced persons has already gone beyond 115 000.

Dear friends,

It is with the utmost pleasure that we acknowledge the news that the man who brought us so much evil is finally in the Hague. The fact that Slobodan Milosevic will have to answer for wars which he started and lead, and for ethnic cleansing which he ordered, will not be much consolation to the victims of his crime and madness. But for those who have survived we are awarded a certain satisfaction and all that remains is for us to congratulate the governement of the Republic of Serbia for its responsible and courageous move in extraditing Milosevic to the Hague.

For ten years already, the area of the former Yugoslavia has been a theatre of war and conflict.

For as long as ten years, we have witnessed the same or similar scenes of suffering of the civilian population, regardless of their ethnicity.

It has been ten years that the ideologists of blood and territory, the creators of ethnically clean states and advocates of ethnic homogenization have been thriving on the civilian's discontent and suffering in order to survive on the political scene, amass wealth and share the spoils.

Amnesty International today welcomed the provisions of the Amnesty bill - approved yesterday by the parliament of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia - which include an amnesty for conscientious objectors to military service in the Yugoslav Army.

The main provisions of the law apply to an estimated 24,000 men, including conscientious objectors and deserters who refused to take part in the conflicts in former Yugoslavia. The bill covers those who refused to take up arms, those who avoided military service or registration for service and those who deserted from the Yugoslav Army.

(This report is compiled of excerpts from talks that Bojan Toncic, a journalist of Belgrade daily "Danas" conducted with various experts and concerned persons in Belgrade.)

Yugoslav public was recently shocked with the information that father of the soldier who died in the war, killed the man who brought to his son a draft call. That is how the duty of people who were delivering draft calls during the war, with more or less responsibility, got another dimension.

This is a preliminary report compiled on the facts gathered at the "Safe house" project. Further reports and comments will be distributed upon collection of more data. Therefore, we would appreciate any contribution in this direction.

Feminists in the refugee camps 3rd June

On the road to Skopje, in front of the border people are standing and waiting to cross. There are 15-20 of them, apparently from the near by town, maybe from Gnjilane. I am wondering when have Belgrade citizens seen citizens from Gnjilane, or have they ever? Serbian or Albanian nationality? Anyway I see them for the first time in my life. They must be Albanians. They are standing in the darkness and waiting to cross the border. On foot. They are silent and I can only hear baby voices.

Letter to the International Helsinki Federation of Human Rights

Dear Friends and Esteemed Colleagues,

This letter is an answer to a "request" made by our associates and friends of long standing, with whom we cooperated for a number of years on the long-term and far-reaching programme of building a civic society in the FR of Yugoslavia.

The Congress of the Center for the Dissemination of Information and Democracy (CeRID) and "Serbia Together" in joint session held on May 19 1999 in Nis, presents the following DECLARATION

As we remember imprisoned peacemakers, Xabi Agirre Aranburu argues the case for imprisoning those responsible for war crimes as a necessary step in preventing war.

The town of Stolac's position on the front-line had made it an obvious target of Serbian artillery ever since the war In Bosnia begun. One particular morning In the summer of 1992 began with the usual Serbian bombardment. This time, the shells landed, but did not explode.

While the powers sees former-Yugoslavia at peace, the Balkan Peace Teams in both Croatia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia have been witnessing the tensions. Otvorene Oci ("Open Eyes" - the team in Croatia) still has an office in Split and has moved the other office from Zagreb to Karlovac. The Karlovac office has reported three explosions aimed against Serbs: on 24 February (this only made page 4 of the local newspaper!), and two others on 28 February and 2 March after a demonstration against Serbs returning from FRY to Vojnic.