ZAP / ARK
GAJEVA 55
10 000 ZAGREB
CROATIA
zap_zg@geocities.com
http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Senate/3707/
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)
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How you can help:
- forward this message to people who might be interested
- we need translators. especially if you speak soutslavic language(s).
- if you can, print this out and send to people who don't have access to email
- if you can, help us send Zaginflatch to people who usually receive paper
version. We presently can't afford to mail them out via snail mail, and we
have an international mailing list of people who regularly receive this
newsletter since it was founded. Write to us and ask if we have a contact in
your country. It'd be great if you could send this newsletter for us...
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what follows are translated extracts from mails posted to ex-yu-a-lista@zamir.net which is a mailing list for ex-yu anarchists, and from private emails.
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From: Mirko, Vojvodina
I 'm late. Today is the third day of the air-strikes. What air-strikes,
they're human stupidity attacks. In peaceful times, now already pre-historic
time, while I was moving around specialised conferences held in Geneva,
Birmingham, Paris and other European God forgotten places, I have learned
(from my British friends, it seems) that the third and seventh day are the
worst, a crisis. They also had a theory about it - a period of shock, a
period of adapting, a period of crisis, or something like that. I am late
with this out of justified reasons, and its time to let you know about the
core of the problem.
......
My son Miroslav is better in handling the Internet than I am. That's the way
it should be, my friend told me. And Miroslav has grown up in a peace group
and not in a (military) college. Last night he was collecting information -
there is enough on chat. His report is defeating. A friend from around
Batajnica is writing to him, and says: there was lots of bombing,
everything was shaking, and there is no more airport in Batajnica, it is not
even good enough for a field anymore. Couldn't we have turned military
instalations into firlds ourselves, rather than the bombing and millions of
dollars thrown away!
I have also gotten a report from the "kids". That is how I call a group of
smart and wonderful very young women and people, gathered around some
student unions and other organisations. We have already worked together last
year, on the "Antiwar Campaign" - posters against the war. It's not as if we
were able to prevent the war - we did not, but we have stayed in contact. I
am proud that they have excepted me - and old man compared to them - and
alongside that I am from a province. Now we are in
touch through e-mail. They have their connections in important places. They
have compiled a list of aimed and hit buildings with remarks what has been
hit for what reason. The list is dreadfully long and contains, along with a
series of air-defence military instalations and lots of factories which
manufacture (or have manufactured) one or the other part for a military
machine. "Mixed" airports were also hit (the ones that are being used for
military and civilian purposes).
.....
Everything is important to the army. Can we expect that the heroes from the
aircrafts will also aim at shoe factories, because the army is not barefoot?
And how does the army like these sides of the Teodosies line. The feeling of
revenge is not only developed with the Albanians (the law of Leka
Dukadjanin), but also with the Serbs and Balkanians in general. The
Americans, Germans, even the the French, the "traditional friends" , will be an object of hate for years, if not decades. Let's just remember what the situations is like with the Turcs - they have left almost 200 hundred years ago and the people here
still hate them and accuses them for all the evils of this world. If this
would be happening there in the "West" (Oh God, how simple geographical
concepts get reverse meanings). The British and the French would not even be
able to drink their beer together, let alone be in the same supra-state
(European Union). And in the same attacking legions. Something else that's
concretely.
Our real fear (in Pancevo) is actually coming from the south. The so-called
South industrial zone has three factories - an oil refinery and two deadly
chemical factories. The Americans and the rest of the gang were precise in
the case of Ucva. But in the next few impacts there were some failiures. In
Djakovica they have lit up the old part of town instead of the army
barracks.. There are victims, Albanians as well, of course. If someone from
a causy cabin presses the wrong button, or something from the complicated
electronics sets out - boom - Pancevo is gone. At least half of it, and that
the part were we are. Even worse than that are the poisonous gases.
Yesterday I was at the caffe "Europe" ( I have almost suggested the name to
be changed). While the owners of the private caffes have run away (later
more about social indifferences), the people in the state owned caffes have
to work. Of course I run into Pekmez (Marmelade) surprisingly sober. He
explains to Miroslav and me that this gas "falls" down, it gets into
basements, that it stays there for days. He also said the name of this weird
thing, I did not want to remember. I had an awful time of my cognac.
There is no need for me to write to you about the lies of the majority of
western media. You can see it from a plane. Of course they lie here too.
Yesterday I talked to my doctor. She came from Croatia (...) already "at the
beginning" in 1991. She is telling me an idiotic thesis about the goal of
the Americans to "help the Albanians and Muslims" to create a "muslim state
here with the help of the Croatian".What should I be explaining here, when
95% of the so-called intelectuals don't know the difference between
Iraq and Iran. Not to speak of the shiits and sunits.Yesterday there was a
statement broadcasted through all the media ( connected in a network, it is
a state of war, if you haven't forgotten) from the Belgrade muftija
Jusupspahica, of course connected with hadzien (Kurban ) bajram. The muftija
knows where and what the government is of course - he has called upon the
American, who otherwise "torture our
brothers sll over Iran, Libia, Iraq and Palestine" to calm down. He has also
called upon the "brothers from Kosovo" to become reasonable.Acerim ecendi!
Irony as it is, a day before the war started, I went to the Bajrakli mosque
, and have stood long in the empty harem (not the one woth the sultans, but
the mosque one) and observed. There are only a few people coming, they are
all old. Belgrade is becoming a pure serbian town.
.....
To those who'd like to get more deeply involved in the analysis, I can
forward one analysis who shows upon the fact that now will happen what we
have shouted - Slobo Saddam. To those who like explicit information, some
icing on the cake: The Sand (The Deliblat Sand, the only desert in Europe,
but there will be more after the NATO actions) is full. The people have
fled into their weekend houses, those who have any. Some of my "friends"
have fled to a hotel in Alibunar (village, municipality, no military
instalations nearby). The ones who have money have managed somehow, and the
ones who don't are waiting for the Tomahawks. When the smoke from the bombs
clears away, the social differences will be even bigger, the poverty even
worse, the authorities even more harsh. And the matter of Kosovo WON'T be
solved! The attacks are handy both for Him and Her ,the wolfs and dukes.
EXPLAIN THAT! The common people again are fucked. As always. Kismet.I hope I
was not too strenuous. Let me know whether I should continue.
Mirko (Peace - my name is not even adequate)
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from: marko s., zagreb, markos@zamir.net
SITUATION IN CROATIA and short analysis of what's going on
After following what's going in media and trying to catch up everything that is happening on the list, I somehow have enough "material" to write about and to do new analysis and predictions (right or wrong) about the development of current situation...
So, bombing still goes on, NATO started with a new way of bombing - main targets now are technical and human military resources of Yugoslav army - basically everything that is southern form Kragujevac (look on the map). But they still attack airports and other targets that they find important. From time to time they come out with new information about how successfull they are... Information (from different sources) about civil victims are different - Russian diplomacy claims (probably they use information coming from Yugoslav government) that there's around 1000 civil victims (that number includes just Serbs who don't live at Kosovo), but NATO claims that there are just few civilian victims. So, what is true? No matter which number(s) are true (although, middle of both might be true, but we can't know that for sure), there are civilian victims, which certainly don't represent "military machine" which is NATO trying to destroy. The whole logic of "minimal civilian victims" is morbid if you ask me. At the other hand, no one in Croatia speaks about that too much - media are talking about numbers, mentioning everything that is said, but not trying to manipulate with it. Journalists are still more or less objective. Of course, they write and talk a lot about civil victims at Kosovo, especially about murders of internationally exposed intelectuals, like one of the negotiations from Albanian side, lawyer of Albanian journal Koha Ditore and editor of same journal (I'm sorry because I didn't mention names here, but I don't have them in front of me, I'll do that tomorrow and pass it to Marko B. with my new article)... Also, there were some murders of teachers. That was the biggest news in Croatia - as well as huge number of people leaving Kosovo and looking for a safe place in Albania and Macedonia. I would say that media here are a bit less pathetic than Sky News or CNN when they talk about this, although, it's more or less same story. One of the news that is not still official, but was broadcasted (as something that said by some journalist from Finland who is in Pristina at the moment) on main news of HTV (Croatian national tv) is that Ibrahim Rugova, leader of Albanians from Kosovo is murdered too. I have to say that it was a big shock to hear something like that, because he's one of the rare people at Kosovo who saw a peaceful solution as only solution. In a way, he is "opposition" to OVK (Liberation Army of Kosovo). Anyway, that news was at HTV and some newspapers, but no one really knows is it true or not - few days ago, it was mentioned at HTV that no one knows where I. Rugova is and what is happening with him. All that can mean anything, but we'll see. And back to NATO again - after rejection of idea of sending their troops to Yugoslavia, for the first time, NATO started to consider that > option as something that might happen - Pentagon did some "home work" on the subject and they are still trying to avoid that option, but not cause they don't want to do it, but cause they think how they wouldn't be in the best starting position if situation doesn't change a bit. Mainly, it means that they need a promission of Monte Negro to use their territory to attack from. All the official resources of information, meaning anyone who can speak in the name of NATO, still reject that option as something that will happen for sure. But just the fact that they talk about it, and consider all the options of it in public means that they went few steps further from what they say. It was like that so far, so there's no reason not be like that this time. I can't really say what it would mean if it happens. Anything is possible then, although, I supose that on a long term basis, Yugoslav army wouldn't have too much chance to resist NATO troops. Of course, that action would cause NATO huge damage - meaning, losing people and technical equipment. Croatian parties and government are still silent about this subject - and I think it will stay that way until it happens or at least until it doesn't become really clear that it will happen some time soon. There's just a big concern and fear of expansion of the conflict to countries that are near Yugoslavia. So, Minister of external affairs of Croatia went to US today and I suppose that part of his visit will cover that subject too. Also, there will be a meeting on Thursday (1st of April) of all countries around Yugoslavia (Slovenia, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary). We'll see what will come out from that.
Interesting thing is that beside all the military actions and bombings happening in Yugoslavia, there's no sign of big military activity in Croatia - no mobilisation, no preparedness, nothing. At least we can't see that. Only thing that I saw yesterday was that police guarding American embassy is armed with short machine guns, which is something that you couldn't see in Zagreb since 1995. or even some time before that. Anyway, life in Croatia goes on - not too many people are concerned with situation in Yugoslavia, although it's a main news every day. So far only Anti-war Campaign Croatia and one small political party (Socialist Workers Party) sent their statements in which they disagree with NATO bombings. Everyone else, beside few individuals, doesn't really care or supports it. Well, this was more than enough for today - hope that my analysis are helping you understand situation a bit better and give you some more information apart from official media. I have to add that I still find our anarchist network really helpful in this situation. It's not that I'm or any of us in ZAP directly under attack - but everything that I see and hear, and all the involvement with this newsletter brings me so close to the events. It's hard to look at war and destruction after you had a chance to feel it yourself not that long ago. Especially because it happens to people that you know / like / care for.
markoS.
ps. also, I would like to say that markoB., who is putting all this together, did and is still doing great job! my part is small, I just write... thanks to ARK people for help in translating messages from ex-yu-a for Zaginflatch, too...
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from: ana miskovska kajevska, hannah_mk@hotmail.com, skopje
Today, it is Saturday, 27. 03. 1999. And I start this letter almost at noon. Last night I returned from Serbia and I am so full of feelings so I'll try this way to sort out toughs and to write all this feelings that hunt me. But I don't know where to start. That is why it is the best to write them down as they come...
Here, people are afraid as they wait for war to spread. I can just see it from what I hear on radio where people are calling, from bigger demand for food in stores... Strange enough, I don't feel afraid. I feel as whole fear I survived in Amsterdam, beginning of spring when this horror on Kosove began, through my returning here twice before (October and November). At October I came through Belgrade, and I spoke with some people there, and that was time when NATO has planed to attack Belgrad for the first time, so people were for the first time in panic. In December we passed through Sarajevo then through Kosovo to Skopje and all those police patrols took part of my fear away. All that made me fees calm and not afraid at all. But, I have to admit that I am amused by my calmness during this situation, especially during the night of bombing in Pancevo, during which we were at shelter, as it during the travelling from Belgrade to Skopje. Simply, I don't know if this is some kind of shock in which I don't understand what is happening, or I can keep calmness of the spirit watching people around me and their reactions to the situation. That gives me joy, because these moments are very interesting for examination of human psychology. I, optimist for life, can find something to hold me even in these bad moments. Is there going to be war in Macedonia? I believe that, especially because this what is happening at Kosovo and Macedonia, reminds me on what happened in Croatia and Bosnia (during the war in one country, tension in other country between different ethnic groups grew harder). But I decided not to let panic to overcome me. How strange it was during my travelling when I stopped in Belgrade. First part (I stopped to write here to tell my mother that there is one thing she doesn't have to worry about in case of war - at least we have enough books to keep us warm - at least for 4 winters. She answered half joking-half serious that she would kill me) in Belgrade was OK because I meet with NGOs, I saw familiar people so it was very nice. Particularly because I saw projection of new analysis on Second News on RTS (Radio-Television Serbia)-Third year, which was done by B92. I also went to see Daniela in Pancevo. That was great shock for me because in the meantime her father became head of SPS (Milosevic party) for Pancevo, and whole family was so pro-serbian and anti-everything else orientated, I felt really sick. I decided not to start any political discussions and not to point out my attitude because of this entire situation and psihoses before bombing. But it was so comic: me with my Belgrade demonstration experience (which I hid immediately when Daniela told me about her father), T-shirt, that says "Re*im na Re*im" (made in zagreb), which I couldn't hide because I had only two shirts, my materials and books in my bag which were about: antimilitarism, conscious objection, lesbian and feminist subjects... Danielas father consider women to stay and work at home and he showed great disrespect toward them. I can not believe how, her father and whole family fit in stereotype picture of brainwashed Serbs, totally backward thinking, not to think about hate towards Albanians, disrespect towards Macedonians. So, her father told me that it is not natural for black and whit to get married. Daniela was obviously scared that I am lesbian, because it was the first thing that her friends asked her when she said I was a feminist. I have to admit that Daniela was relieved when I started to talk about my boyfriends, although she claimed that she is not homfobic. Her father couldn't help not to say that we, Macedonians are half Serbs half Bulgarians. To all statements and provocation's I decided not to react. It is almost amazing how developed is hate language used by state TV and radio. All the time it is about Albanian separatists and their of warning to citizens not to believe in misinformation, BUT THEY ARE THOSE WHO SPREAD IT THE MOST!!!!
Second thing that shocked me is how fast panic is spreading, how information can be changed and how people believe in that. It was very indicative the reaction of people in the bus from Belgrade to Skopje, when we were stopped by one patrol. Someone shouted that those were Albanians and it was panic immediately. Police entered the bus it came out that they were Serbian police. So, without reason, panic arose and once more fears and hate were activated. The shelter. Going to the shelter made me think of something else. How much, unnecessary thing we store in our basements, just not to throw them away. Why you start to use your basement as a shelter then you realize how much you don't need this stuff and how you don't have those basic things you need in case of danger. I was watching people in Serbia and their panic, thinking: it is true, fear for own life and lives of close ones is something normal, but I think, how much of this panic is about some hard confrontation with reality, I mean, realization that heavenly and from god protected people was attacked represent some loose of selflikness. Or not, because although they are "chosen" they know that whole world hates them and is against them... And with people in Macedonia is panic so big, becoming (Croatia, Bosnia, unrests in Albania) still many people believed in oasis of peace, so how, suddenly they feel lost. I, personally, feel that bombs are not so scary, although I don't approve violence and fight for peace. What is ever more scary is hate and all those negative feelings which we know will stay for long time. Violence is very bad. I listen, in Skopje, demonstration which were supposed to be nonviolent, lost their peace and became violent with burned buildings and scared people that night I returned to Skopje and only empty center of Skopje told me that something had happened. As much as I am happy that finally this people started to demonstrate to publicly show their opinion, as much I am revolted that this demonstration were violent and dangerous. I am really sick of this world in which the biggest part of people accepted violence and violent methods as something normal and necessary for fulfilling (political) aims.
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from: Pop, Kraljevo
So, another one of us, Ciro, was caught and tomorow he has to go with army somewhere around Raska. Fuck it, he wasn't lucky enough - a couple of days ago he got a draft call for civil service (to work on the siren and spread drafts) but he didn't report, so they gave him a card which says "Direction Raska!". Who knows, maybe he'll be in the same unit with Sicko so they could help each other wherver they are. I guess everything will be OK...
To make war in the name of peace is the same like to make love in the name of virginity.
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from: ?!
I think that it's a good thing that people report to this list with field
information from first hand. News spread by RTS (national television,
transl.) and others who work under regime control are either untrue or to be
filtered. I just wonder what to filter.
Tonight, for example, they reported that bombing is taking place in the
wider surroundings of Belgrade. What surroundings? I haven't heard anything,
and i live by the council building in New Belgrade.
They keep people in shelters for hours and hours. Do you really think that
you're in danger for all that time?
And then once when there's no air raid the bomb falls down. Just like couple
of days before around Sremcica i Galenika. And the media newer said why didn
't the sirens go on on time but 2-3 minutes after the explosions (it is
obvious they never saw the planes). It is probably that they have decided
then that it is better to keep people in shelters and cellars then to
further expose to embarasment with late air raid alerts.
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