Croatia

Public statement

These days, it will be six years since another tragedy and another organized crime against civil population happened.

(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.

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

War Resisters' International, an international pacifist network with affiliates in over 30 countries, discussed the war and humanitarian crisis in Kosovo/a at its Triennial conference in Porec, Croatia, 20-26 September 1998.

Antiwar Campaign Croatia (ARK) is happy to host the 22nd Triennial Conference of War Resisters' International (WRI) at a crucial time for reconstruction of society and possible rebuilding of multicultural and multinational community in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. The frightening question remains: Will there be a way to establish communication and guarantee the return of people to war destroyed areas? Will the destroyed villages and towns whose inhabitants have been killed or had to take refuge in other countries remain ethnically cleansed?.

Visas

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.

ARK activist nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

Vesna Terselic of the Anti-War Campaign of Croatia has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. She has been proposed by the International Peace Bureau along with Selim Beslagic, former Mayor of Tuzla, and Vesna Pesic, leader of the Civic Alliance in FRY. Already this has catapulted Vesna T. (an individual member of the WRI, as well as coordinator of ARK) into public prominence.

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.

(Editor’s note—the following article was written before the scheduled October 3 eviction. On October 3, many prominent people, including Members of Parliament, showed up and the authorities postponed the eviction.)

by Kathryn Turnipseed and Vesna Kesic