<nettime> ANEM CALLS ON INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO ABANDON PLANS TO BOMB

[Veran Matic <matic@b92.opennet.org>]

[urgent - please forward to others]

ANEM CALLS ON INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO ABANDON PLANS TO BOMB

Belgrade--October 4, 1998

Threats from the international community with military intervention
because of the situation in Kosovo have generated a trully dramatical
political and social situation in Serbia. For some time now, state media
and the extremist nationalist parties have waged an intensive campaign
against all who held different political views. The most direct threats
have gone to the independent media.

Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Vojislav Seselj openly threatens all who
cooperate with foreign media, such as Voice of America, Deutsche Welle,
Free Europe, Radio France International, the BBC, with punishment (one
possibilty is their being taken hostage). In his announcement of a linch
(phrased "not even the Geneva Convention protects these [journalists]"),
Serbian deputy prime minister is preparing the public for a mass physical
showdown with independent journalists. A large number of politicians of
the ruling coalition has joined in with his threats.

Radio B92 and all members of the ANEM Radio Network (currently 33 of them
in Serbia and Montenegro), which jointly cover some 80% of the Yugoslav
population, carry Voice of America's, BBC's and Radio Free Europe's
programs. A great number of Radio B92's and ANEM's journalists also work
as correspondents of a number of international media. There is no doubt
that the official threats are sent exactly to Radio B92 and ANEM.

Why have these media, rather than an opposition party, become the greatest
enemy of the Serbian regime? The answer is very simple: the independent
media, especially electronic, are in fact the greatest obstacle to the
creation of a mass nationalist and war hysteria. These media's advocacy of
anti-war position presented a great hindrance to the regime during the
wars in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Daily professional and objective
reports on what is going on in Kosovo are now creating suspicion and
resistance to the idea that state military force and large scale
repression can effect peace, stability and territorial wholeness of the
country.

The independent media in Yugoslavia will probably soon face pressure and
challenge characteristic of totalitarian regimes in war situations. Apart
from the daily threats and calls to physical showdowns with journalists,
the state will most probably undertake a mass closure and ban action
against the independent media, and introduce censorship over those outlets
which are allowed to continue broadcasts.

ANEM members and Radio B92 are carrying out serious preparations to face
such developments. Our main goal is on no account to give up our basic
work and to continue to supply professional and objective information to
the local and international public on everything that is going on in the
country and the world.

In the dramatic days that lie ahead we must once again reiterate our
position that international military intervention would be a wrong and
harmful political move, an indication of political and statesmen's
incapabilty and of a lack of a true strategy and vision of a long-term
solution for the years-long drama of the Balkans. The possible air raids
against Yugoslavia will put a powerful weapon into the hands of all
conservative and nationalist forces here, and cause desperation and loss
of direction to all who have for years now stood up to the policy of
hatred and violence. The general popular feeling of the Serb nation as a
victim and the international conspiracy against it that would arise would
generate a spirit of revenge and isolationism, which is one of the key
goals the Milosevic regime has had since his taking the helm of Serbia.

Due to all this, we must all create an atmosphere of opposition and
prepare concrete actions to protect all values we have been fighting for.
The survival of the independent media is crucial for the outlook of this
part of the world not only in half a year but also in ten years. Those who
refuse to think about that now will have to pay an enormously higher price
in the near future.

Veran Matic
(ANEM Chairman)


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