Informazione
1. Il G.A.MA.DI. sulla detenzione di Milosevic
2. Piotr Bein and C.A.N.A.: Appeals for Milosevic
=== 1 ===
All'attenzione del Tribunale dell'AJA
All'attenzione del Consiglio di Sicurezza dell'ONU
Questa organizzazione, fondata e composta da illustri personalità del
mondo culturale italiano ed estero, esprime seria preoccupazione e
notevole inquietudine per il trattamento riservato al già Presidente
della Serbia Slobodan Milosevic.
Non è né umanamente né civilmente accettabile che si tolga ad una
persona il diritto all'autodifesa, previsto da tutte le costituzioni e
da tutti i codici dei Paesi Europei. Ed altresì non è accettabile che
una persona malata non abbia il diritto di curarsi con il medico e nel
modo più consono alla propria persona.
Sono tuttora incomprensibili le ragioni per le quali il presidente
Milosevic sia stato trascinato all'Aja, considerando che egli non è
mai uscito dai confini del suo Stato per andare, in armi, ad aggredire
altri popoli.
Questo orribile fatto, l'aver trascinato Milosevic all'Aja, è stato
compiuto e se ne dovrà rispondere dinanzi alla Storia.
ILLUSTRI SIGNORI!
Noi cittadini della nuova Europa, una Europa nata dopo gli orrori
della seconda guerra mondiale, orrori che avevamo giurato non si
dovessero ripetere mai più, siamo offesi ed indignati perché verso la
persona del presidente Milosevic, questo Tribunale viola ogni premessa
di democrazia e di rispetto per la dignità umana, ogni impegno dalla
nuova Europa assunto.
Chiediamo che al Presidente Milosevic sia consentito di esprimere le
ragioni della sua difesa, chiediamo che gli sia consentito di curarsi
nel modo e nei tempi ritenuti idonei dal suo medico curante.
ILLUSTRE SIGNORA CARLA DEL PONTE!
Ci rivolgiamo in modo particolare alla Sua persona. Ella non ignora
certamente che la partecipazione femminile, nelle istituzioni del
mondo è stato motivo di illuminismo, di sentimenti umani che,
certamente sono indispensabili per l'umanità tutta, in quanto figlia
preziosa della Natura. Noi, Donne, dobbiamo dare all'Europa
quell'input umano negato ove le Donne mancassero. La preghiamo di non
sciupare questo nostro continente europeo, lasciando ombre terribili
sull'operato che proprio in Europa, all'Aja, è in via di compimento.
Nel ringraziare per l'attenzione e certi che questa nostra istanza non
rimarrà inevasa, in attesa, porgiamo distinti saluti.
Presidente
Miriam Pellegrini Ferri
13 novembre 2002
G.A.MA.DI.
Gruppo Atei Materialisti Dialettici
Via di Casal Bruciato, 15 Roma
Telefono 0339 3873909
a mail: gamadilavoce@...
Tutti i Martedì dalle ore 15.30-17.30
La VOCE
Mensile del G.A.MA.DI.
P.zza Leonardo da Vinci, 27
00043 Ciampino (Roma)
Telefax o6 / 7915200
Presidente: Miriam Pellegrini Ferri
=== 2 ===
Subject: fax to ICTFY
Date: Mon, 11 Nov 2002 22:42:38 -0800
From: "Piotr Bein"
Vancouver, Canada
November 11, 2002
ICTY
The Hague
The Netherlands
fax + 31 70 512 8637
Re: Conditional release of Mr. Slobodan Miloseviæ
I am respectfully demanding that the accused be conditionally
released for treatment of his health problem.
A sick and exhausted defendant is an impediment to a timely conduct
of a trial that the world is watching with expectation of justice
being done.
A defendant deceased because of maltreatment at the ICTFY would be
a shame for the justice system of the international community.
Informed observers are hoping that a shameful case like that of
General Ðorðe Ðukiæ in 1996 will not happen again.
Respectfully,
Piotr Bein, PhD, PEng
===
Subject: appeal to china re Hague & US-UK banditry
Date: Tue, 12 Nov 2002 09:59:06 -0000
From: "cana.london" <cana.london@...>
To: "United Nations Information" <info@...>,
"UN Secretary General Kofi Annan" <perry-carpenter@...>,
"Royal Norwegian Embassy" <bmi@...>,
"French Embassy" <presse.londres-embas@...>,
"Embassy of Mexico" <mexuk@...>,
"Chinese Embassy" <press@...>,
"afif safieh" <palestiniianuk@...>,
"Royal NetherlandsEmbassy" <LONDON@...>
CC: "Director Justice" <aowers@...>
Appeal to Chinese Government re President Milosevic
An appeal has been addressed to the Chinese delegate @
the United Nations Security Council, its President
H.E. Wang Yingfan, asking the Council to intervene in
respect of the trial of former Yugoslav President
Milosevic " to stop this grisly farce".
William Spring Director of an ecumenical peace group
CANA UK says President Milosevic is held in "Gestapo
conditions" & is denied proper food, exercise, fresh
air, family contacts, access to legal advisors, &
logistical support in terms of his attempts to respond
to The Tribunal.
He accuses the presiding judge of torturing the
prisoner, contrary to UK law, & the Netherlands
Government & the Security Council of running an
Inquisition.
"There has not been an Inquisition in The Netherlands
since the sixteenth century, but the current
Netherlands Government is indifferent to the profound
human rights abuses being perpetrated upon Mr
Milosevic & other political prisoners detained in The
Hague."
He accuses prosecutor Carla del Ponte of seeking to
deny to Milosevic "a basic right in natural justice,
i.e. the freedom to prepare his own defence. This
right is enshrined in all human rights documents,
emanating both from the UN & the Council of Europe.
Article Six of the European Convention of Human Rights
specifically says that one can represent oneself in
any criminal or civil proceeding."
He calls on the Court to grant Mr Milosevic immediate
bail & to rule on "the crime which has been committed
over his person". (He emphasises the criminal nature
of the process by which Mr Milosevic was transferred
to The Hague, a conspiracy to abduct in which Geoff
Hoon MP was "a prime mover").
A further appeal is made to the Chinese Government
that ".... the Peoples Republic of China fulfil its
role in terms of protecting against the banditry of
the British & American Governments international
socialism, justice, the legal order, & world peace."
Documentation attached first sent to the Chinese
Embassy in London relating to last week's UN Security
Council resolution over Iraq accuses the French of
conceding world hegemony to the Anglo-Saxons, & Russia
& China of running away from their international
obligations by failing to veto the US - UK war plan.
"The failure to cast a veto has destroyed the United
Nations" comments William Spring. "The UN should
respect the national sovereignty of its members & not
conduct negotiations under the threat of force. This
is illegal in international law. Tony Blair is
fanning the flames of terrorism. The UK-US response to
terrorism is to make more terrorists.The planned
attack on Iraq is a criminal enterprise which will do
nothing to reduce international tension."
Text of appeal to the Chinese delegate @ the Security
Council is pasted below.
ends
information telephone 0044208 376 1454
By e mail, also by fax & post
To the President of The United Nations Security
Council
Permanent Representative and Ambassador of The Peoples
Republic of China
The Honourable Comrade His Excellency Wang Yingfan
UN Security Council
New York
USA
November 12th 2002
Your Excellency
This e mail is to express to Your Excellency & to your
Government our profound concern that the Peoples
Republic of China fulfil its role in terms of
protecting against the banditry of the British &
American Governments international socialism, justice,
the legal order, & world peace.
We refer to two items:
1. The role of the Security Council in maintaining &
sustaining the International Criminal Tribunal for the
Former Yugoslavia.
2. The unanimous vote of the Security Council this
week regarding Iraq.
Re (1) we are particularly concerned about the
conditions in which the UN is holding one of its high
profile political prisoners, Mr Slobodan Milosevic,
who the Tribunal, i.e. the prosecutor & presiding
judge, appear anxious to murder, by virtue of denying
him adequate medical attention, proper meals, respite
care, exercise etc, or any facilities to assist him in
conducting his defence.
I paste below this communication a letter I have e
mailed & faxed & posted to presiding Judge May.
I have had no acknowledgement from The Court so far.
Although on assignment to The Hague Judge May remains
as one of Her Majesty's judges & consequently as an
official of the United Kingdom Government can be
indicted ( subject to the approval of the Attorney
General) for the crime of torture in the English
Courts & my application is precisely this.
The Security Council has set up what is an
inquisition.
There has not been an Inquisition in The Netherlands
since the sixteenth century, but the current
Netherlands Government is indifferent to the profound
human rights abuses being perpetrated upon Mr
Milosevic & other political prisoners detained in The
Hague.
Therefore it is for The Security Council to intervene
to stop this grisly farce.
Carla del Ponte must be prevailed upon to withdraw her
motion that the prisoner be denied a basic right in
natural justice, i.e. the freedom to prepare his own
defence.
This right is enshrined in all human rights
documents, emanating both from the UN & the Council of
Europe.
Article Six of the European Convention of Human Rights
specifically says that one can represent oneself in
any criminal or civil proceeding.
It is not Mr Milosevic's decision to represent himself
which is aggravating his illness, but the inhumane &
Gestapo conditions in which he is held.
One solution is to grant him immediate bail.
The prisoner has no wish to abscond. He simply wishes
to answer his accusers - to press The Tribunal to rule
on the crime which has been committed over his person.
(You are aware how he was abducted illegally,
kidnapped, from Yugoslavia, by criminal elements, a
conspiracy against Yugoslav & international law in
which a prime mover & accomplice was a Mr Geoff Hoon,
UK Defence Secretary).
I attach as appendices in reference to point (1) a
copy of the letter I have sent to Judge May
I attach as appendices in reference to point (2) a
copy of an appeal sent to your Embassy here in London
on November 8th + a copy of the statement issued to
the press later that day following the adoption of the
Security Council resolution on Iraq.
Yours truly
William Spring
Director CANA Christians Against Nato Aggression UK.
Tel 0044 208 376 1454
1 Scales Road London N17 9HB England
Appendices:
Re point 1 -
To the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former
Yugoslavia
for the attention of Judge May
From William Spring 1 Scales Road London N17 9HB
6th November 2002
also by fax & post
Dear Judge May,
As you probably don't know, as your officials haven't
told you, I have sent various e mails to you in the
past relating to your role in the trial of Mr
Milosevic.
I am concerned not only @ the indignities you & your
fellow judges routinely inflict upon the accused, but
at indications you consistently interfere with his
defence, limiting his time, while seeking to protect
dubious witnesses, (as for example when the well known
war manufacturer /CIA agent/ & Jesuit massacre
defender William Walker appeared before you).
I have looked @ the transcripts, although I was not in
Court myself.
But you should have known & did know how important the
evidence of Walker was, & in fact you gave him two
days to present his evidence.
But Mr Milosevic you only allowed him 3 hours to cross
examine & in the middle of that cross examination you
cut Mr Milosevic off, as you have done so many times
in the past, @ the very point when Mr Milosevic was
asking questions relating to Walker's role in his
cover up of the murder of six Jesuit priests in El
Salvador in the 1980's.
At that time Walker was employed as a CIA agent (using
US diplomatic cover), running the contras, useful
experience for him prior to taking over a similar role
in Kosovo.
Walker told your tribunal "I made an inaccurate
statement, in hindsight".
Mr Milosevic then pointed out how, when the KLA was
blamed for the killing of the Serb teenagers in Pec,
he had said, " when you don't know what has happened,
it's a lot more difficult to sort of pronounce
yourself ... to this day we do not know who committed
that act."
But Walker did not exercise the same degree of caution
regarding Racak.
At that point you intervened to stop the cross
examination by saying: "your attempt to discredit
this witness with events so long ago the Trial Chamber
has ruled as irrelevant. "
And later:
"This is an absurd question, absolutely absurd. Now
you're wasting everybody's time."
But the time spent cross examining the initiator of
the Kosovo War was not wasted.
It is vital to get to the truth about the 1999 NATO
war on Yugoslavia.
It may be that as a lawyer you don't have any regard
for the truth, by which I mean you don't regard its
pursuit as a priority.
But as a contemporary historian, & as a concerned
citizen, worried @ the waste of UK taxpayers' money
spent funding your illicit judicial forum, I do.
My point is you have disqualified yourself by
prejudice & bias from any further conduct of this
case.
I have made a formal complaint to the Lord Chancellor
about your conduct of the trial
I refer as well to the failure of The Tribunal to
provide medical facilities for the prisoner, nor
access to family, nor access to lawyers, nor access to
potential witnesses, such as myself, nor access to
advisers, nor access to telephones & fax machines, nor
access to the Internet, nor even access to a computer.
You give him inedible meals & you deny him exercise.
You are engaged in torture.
You sneer @ the prisoner - you generally seek to
demean him, you inflict indignities & gratuitous
humiliation upon him.
I believe you & the other UK officials @ the Court,
including Steven Kay, the MI6 agent drafted in so the
prosecution can also take over the defence, all of
you have systematically conspired to deny the prisoner
a fair trial, both on account of the numerous rulings
you have made against him, & those you have not,
particularly in respect to the conditions of his
unlawful detention.
You are aware how he is being unlawfully detained,
having been kidnapped, i.e. illegally abducted,
(through the complicity of agents of the British
Government, & the RAF) from the sovereign territory of
Yugoslavia.
These agents & the RAF personnel were acting upon the
instructions of Geoff Hoon MP.
Yet the crime committed over his person you refuse to
rule on.
You have refused to consider the circumstances by
which Mr Milosevic arrived @ your Court.
You & Stephen Kay are no better than the Japs,
(who were probably quite humane gaolers of our men on
the Burma Road, compared to the insidious protracted
long term psychological torture you inflict on Mr
Milosevic).
Nothing is worse than the turning of the planetary
moral & legal order upside down, the bringing of
international law into disrepute, so that those who
are actually criminals, (such as Walker, & NATO satrap
Paddy Ashdown, + the German NATO air commander, I
think his name is Nauman or something like that, but
all of whom were responsible for the aggression
against Yugoslavia), they are allowed accuse
Milosevic, but they are not held responsible for their
own crimes.
This is absurd.
Now we hear the Americans are planning another set of
show trials, this time for Iraq.
Corrupt Courts, staffed by corrupt judges, & corrupt
prosecutors, travel in the baggage of the Allies, as
the Bourbons travelled in their baggage in 1815.
Section 134 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 prevents
any official of the UK Govt engaging in torture in
any capacity, for which reason I am sending a copy to
this letter to the Lord Chancellor & to the A-G.
Yours sincerely
William Spring
Re point 2
To the Ambassador of the Republic of China in London
His Excellency Mr Zha Peixin
From the Director of Christians Against Nato
Aggression CANA UK
1 Scales Road London N17 9HB
Tel: 0208 376 1454
www.canauk.human-rights.org
canauk@...
Your Excellency,
CANA UK is an ecumenical peace group established in
1999 @ the time of the NATO aggression against the
Republic of Yugoslavia.
CANA UK engages in an ongoing programme of research,
press releases & political lobbying, + organising
seminars & conferences on international relations.
This is a request that your Government vote against
the joint US-UK war plan now tabled @ the UN Security
Council in New York.
The demands that the so called 'inspectors' be allowed
to abduct Iraqi citizens from Iraqi territory, + many
other requirements concerning the immunity of these so
called inspectors from Iraqi law, + the vesting in
them of colonial privileges & immunities, all these &
many other aspects of the resolution make it
unacceptable, either to Iraq or to any state valuing
its national sovereignty.
If Iraq is forced to agree to any aspect of such a
resolution, (assuming it is passed, which we hope it
isn't) it will only be under the threat of massive
bombing.
Any negotiation conducted under the threat of force,
as you well know, is outlawed in international law.
We specifically ask the Chinese Government (as it
currently occupies the Presidency of the Security
Council) to rule as inadmissible the UK & US tabling
the resolution in the first place.
Neither the US nor the UK should be allowed either to
table or to vote on any resolution relating to Iraq as
both states are already in a state of war with Iraq,
as neither have accepted the terms of the Gulf War
cease fire, which they themselves negotiated.
While saying Iraq threatens them, both the UK & USA
have, already, & over a number of years, engaged in
hostile acts contrary to international law against the
Republic of Iraq.
The no fly zones & the continued US-UK bombing raids
on Iraq are entirely illegal.
Article 27 of the UN Charter says 'a party to a
dispute shall abstain from voting.'
The US-UK draft resolution, if endorsed by the
Security Council today will represent the final
triumph of US militarism over considerations of
international law: the final subversion the UN Charter
by one heavily armed rogue state, perhaps even the
final collapse of civilisation on this planet.
We have addressed similar appeals in recent days to
the Governments of Norway, France, Mauritius, Mexico &
Ireland.
For your information I paste below a copy of the
statement sent to the French Embassy on October 18th &
a copy of the similar statement sent to the Norwegian
Government.
With best wishes
William J Spring
Statement from CANA Christians Against Nato Aggression
UK re the Security Council decision in respect to Iraq
Today's decision by the Security Council November 8th
2002 marks the end of the UN organisation as a body
committed to the peaceful resolution of
disputes formally predicated upon respect for state
sovereignty, including respect for the territorial
integrity of member states.
As the old League of Nations was destroyed by the
fascist regimes walking out of it, so its successor is
now defunct on the basis of the US & UK staying in it.
The diktat now inflicted upon Iraq will probably not
be resisted.
Iraq has no choice other than to accept what is a new
form of colonialism.
But acceptance of the diktat is very unlikely to save
Iraq from massive bombing.
Bombing is what the Americans like to do.
The Amerians have become the enemies of world peace.
In a unipolar world their notion of diplomacy is
merely to bully & bribe.
America now has no friends & consists of a public
ignorant of foreign affairs & kept in ignorance by a
US media which consciously & consistently
misrepresents the facts in respect to international
situations.
Curses against America are not loud, but deep, & they
are also universal.
There is a long list of countries which have been
forced to capitulate before US power, including Haiti
& Yugoslavia.
Today's decision of the Security Council will not add
to US security.
During the past few days various appeals have been
addressed by NGO's, including CANA UK, to the
Governments of the members of the UN Security Council,
asking them to resist US pressure.
We regret these appeals have been ignored - that
countries like Norway & Ireland have chosen to vote
against the rights of small countries & for the
destruction of the ideals of the UN.
We regret that France has chosen to concede world
hegemony to the Anglo-Saxons, & that Russia & China
have once again run away from their international
obligations.
Today marks the formal end of the United Nations & of
the system of international law enshrined in its now
defunct Charter.
ends
Intellectual property rights asserted. The above may
be reproduced on the Internet, or in any other media,
subject to acknowledgement as to source. CANA UK
engages in an ongoing programme of research, press
releases & political lobbying, organising seminars +
conferences on international relations, the next
scheduled for Spring 2003 (in Islington). Copies of
videos & a text version of proceedings of previous
Conferences are obtainable from CANA UK 1 Scales Road
London N17 9HB Telephone 0044(0)208 376 1454.
Donations/gifts/legacies, & voluntary help, are
welcome. The CANA UK account is held @ Lloyds Bank,
539 High Rd, London N17 6SD (account number 0094920
sort code 30 98 70)
2. Piotr Bein and C.A.N.A.: Appeals for Milosevic
=== 1 ===
All'attenzione del Tribunale dell'AJA
All'attenzione del Consiglio di Sicurezza dell'ONU
Questa organizzazione, fondata e composta da illustri personalità del
mondo culturale italiano ed estero, esprime seria preoccupazione e
notevole inquietudine per il trattamento riservato al già Presidente
della Serbia Slobodan Milosevic.
Non è né umanamente né civilmente accettabile che si tolga ad una
persona il diritto all'autodifesa, previsto da tutte le costituzioni e
da tutti i codici dei Paesi Europei. Ed altresì non è accettabile che
una persona malata non abbia il diritto di curarsi con il medico e nel
modo più consono alla propria persona.
Sono tuttora incomprensibili le ragioni per le quali il presidente
Milosevic sia stato trascinato all'Aja, considerando che egli non è
mai uscito dai confini del suo Stato per andare, in armi, ad aggredire
altri popoli.
Questo orribile fatto, l'aver trascinato Milosevic all'Aja, è stato
compiuto e se ne dovrà rispondere dinanzi alla Storia.
ILLUSTRI SIGNORI!
Noi cittadini della nuova Europa, una Europa nata dopo gli orrori
della seconda guerra mondiale, orrori che avevamo giurato non si
dovessero ripetere mai più, siamo offesi ed indignati perché verso la
persona del presidente Milosevic, questo Tribunale viola ogni premessa
di democrazia e di rispetto per la dignità umana, ogni impegno dalla
nuova Europa assunto.
Chiediamo che al Presidente Milosevic sia consentito di esprimere le
ragioni della sua difesa, chiediamo che gli sia consentito di curarsi
nel modo e nei tempi ritenuti idonei dal suo medico curante.
ILLUSTRE SIGNORA CARLA DEL PONTE!
Ci rivolgiamo in modo particolare alla Sua persona. Ella non ignora
certamente che la partecipazione femminile, nelle istituzioni del
mondo è stato motivo di illuminismo, di sentimenti umani che,
certamente sono indispensabili per l'umanità tutta, in quanto figlia
preziosa della Natura. Noi, Donne, dobbiamo dare all'Europa
quell'input umano negato ove le Donne mancassero. La preghiamo di non
sciupare questo nostro continente europeo, lasciando ombre terribili
sull'operato che proprio in Europa, all'Aja, è in via di compimento.
Nel ringraziare per l'attenzione e certi che questa nostra istanza non
rimarrà inevasa, in attesa, porgiamo distinti saluti.
Presidente
Miriam Pellegrini Ferri
13 novembre 2002
G.A.MA.DI.
Gruppo Atei Materialisti Dialettici
Via di Casal Bruciato, 15 Roma
Telefono 0339 3873909
a mail: gamadilavoce@...
Tutti i Martedì dalle ore 15.30-17.30
La VOCE
Mensile del G.A.MA.DI.
P.zza Leonardo da Vinci, 27
00043 Ciampino (Roma)
Telefax o6 / 7915200
Presidente: Miriam Pellegrini Ferri
=== 2 ===
Subject: fax to ICTFY
Date: Mon, 11 Nov 2002 22:42:38 -0800
From: "Piotr Bein"
Vancouver, Canada
November 11, 2002
ICTY
The Hague
The Netherlands
fax + 31 70 512 8637
Re: Conditional release of Mr. Slobodan Miloseviæ
I am respectfully demanding that the accused be conditionally
released for treatment of his health problem.
A sick and exhausted defendant is an impediment to a timely conduct
of a trial that the world is watching with expectation of justice
being done.
A defendant deceased because of maltreatment at the ICTFY would be
a shame for the justice system of the international community.
Informed observers are hoping that a shameful case like that of
General Ðorðe Ðukiæ in 1996 will not happen again.
Respectfully,
Piotr Bein, PhD, PEng
===
Subject: appeal to china re Hague & US-UK banditry
Date: Tue, 12 Nov 2002 09:59:06 -0000
From: "cana.london" <cana.london@...>
To: "United Nations Information" <info@...>,
"UN Secretary General Kofi Annan" <perry-carpenter@...>,
"Royal Norwegian Embassy" <bmi@...>,
"French Embassy" <presse.londres-embas@...>,
"Embassy of Mexico" <mexuk@...>,
"Chinese Embassy" <press@...>,
"afif safieh" <palestiniianuk@...>,
"Royal NetherlandsEmbassy" <LONDON@...>
CC: "Director Justice" <aowers@...>
Appeal to Chinese Government re President Milosevic
An appeal has been addressed to the Chinese delegate @
the United Nations Security Council, its President
H.E. Wang Yingfan, asking the Council to intervene in
respect of the trial of former Yugoslav President
Milosevic " to stop this grisly farce".
William Spring Director of an ecumenical peace group
CANA UK says President Milosevic is held in "Gestapo
conditions" & is denied proper food, exercise, fresh
air, family contacts, access to legal advisors, &
logistical support in terms of his attempts to respond
to The Tribunal.
He accuses the presiding judge of torturing the
prisoner, contrary to UK law, & the Netherlands
Government & the Security Council of running an
Inquisition.
"There has not been an Inquisition in The Netherlands
since the sixteenth century, but the current
Netherlands Government is indifferent to the profound
human rights abuses being perpetrated upon Mr
Milosevic & other political prisoners detained in The
Hague."
He accuses prosecutor Carla del Ponte of seeking to
deny to Milosevic "a basic right in natural justice,
i.e. the freedom to prepare his own defence. This
right is enshrined in all human rights documents,
emanating both from the UN & the Council of Europe.
Article Six of the European Convention of Human Rights
specifically says that one can represent oneself in
any criminal or civil proceeding."
He calls on the Court to grant Mr Milosevic immediate
bail & to rule on "the crime which has been committed
over his person". (He emphasises the criminal nature
of the process by which Mr Milosevic was transferred
to The Hague, a conspiracy to abduct in which Geoff
Hoon MP was "a prime mover").
A further appeal is made to the Chinese Government
that ".... the Peoples Republic of China fulfil its
role in terms of protecting against the banditry of
the British & American Governments international
socialism, justice, the legal order, & world peace."
Documentation attached first sent to the Chinese
Embassy in London relating to last week's UN Security
Council resolution over Iraq accuses the French of
conceding world hegemony to the Anglo-Saxons, & Russia
& China of running away from their international
obligations by failing to veto the US - UK war plan.
"The failure to cast a veto has destroyed the United
Nations" comments William Spring. "The UN should
respect the national sovereignty of its members & not
conduct negotiations under the threat of force. This
is illegal in international law. Tony Blair is
fanning the flames of terrorism. The UK-US response to
terrorism is to make more terrorists.The planned
attack on Iraq is a criminal enterprise which will do
nothing to reduce international tension."
Text of appeal to the Chinese delegate @ the Security
Council is pasted below.
ends
information telephone 0044208 376 1454
By e mail, also by fax & post
To the President of The United Nations Security
Council
Permanent Representative and Ambassador of The Peoples
Republic of China
The Honourable Comrade His Excellency Wang Yingfan
UN Security Council
New York
USA
November 12th 2002
Your Excellency
This e mail is to express to Your Excellency & to your
Government our profound concern that the Peoples
Republic of China fulfil its role in terms of
protecting against the banditry of the British &
American Governments international socialism, justice,
the legal order, & world peace.
We refer to two items:
1. The role of the Security Council in maintaining &
sustaining the International Criminal Tribunal for the
Former Yugoslavia.
2. The unanimous vote of the Security Council this
week regarding Iraq.
Re (1) we are particularly concerned about the
conditions in which the UN is holding one of its high
profile political prisoners, Mr Slobodan Milosevic,
who the Tribunal, i.e. the prosecutor & presiding
judge, appear anxious to murder, by virtue of denying
him adequate medical attention, proper meals, respite
care, exercise etc, or any facilities to assist him in
conducting his defence.
I paste below this communication a letter I have e
mailed & faxed & posted to presiding Judge May.
I have had no acknowledgement from The Court so far.
Although on assignment to The Hague Judge May remains
as one of Her Majesty's judges & consequently as an
official of the United Kingdom Government can be
indicted ( subject to the approval of the Attorney
General) for the crime of torture in the English
Courts & my application is precisely this.
The Security Council has set up what is an
inquisition.
There has not been an Inquisition in The Netherlands
since the sixteenth century, but the current
Netherlands Government is indifferent to the profound
human rights abuses being perpetrated upon Mr
Milosevic & other political prisoners detained in The
Hague.
Therefore it is for The Security Council to intervene
to stop this grisly farce.
Carla del Ponte must be prevailed upon to withdraw her
motion that the prisoner be denied a basic right in
natural justice, i.e. the freedom to prepare his own
defence.
This right is enshrined in all human rights
documents, emanating both from the UN & the Council of
Europe.
Article Six of the European Convention of Human Rights
specifically says that one can represent oneself in
any criminal or civil proceeding.
It is not Mr Milosevic's decision to represent himself
which is aggravating his illness, but the inhumane &
Gestapo conditions in which he is held.
One solution is to grant him immediate bail.
The prisoner has no wish to abscond. He simply wishes
to answer his accusers - to press The Tribunal to rule
on the crime which has been committed over his person.
(You are aware how he was abducted illegally,
kidnapped, from Yugoslavia, by criminal elements, a
conspiracy against Yugoslav & international law in
which a prime mover & accomplice was a Mr Geoff Hoon,
UK Defence Secretary).
I attach as appendices in reference to point (1) a
copy of the letter I have sent to Judge May
I attach as appendices in reference to point (2) a
copy of an appeal sent to your Embassy here in London
on November 8th + a copy of the statement issued to
the press later that day following the adoption of the
Security Council resolution on Iraq.
Yours truly
William Spring
Director CANA Christians Against Nato Aggression UK.
Tel 0044 208 376 1454
1 Scales Road London N17 9HB England
Appendices:
Re point 1 -
To the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former
Yugoslavia
for the attention of Judge May
From William Spring 1 Scales Road London N17 9HB
6th November 2002
also by fax & post
Dear Judge May,
As you probably don't know, as your officials haven't
told you, I have sent various e mails to you in the
past relating to your role in the trial of Mr
Milosevic.
I am concerned not only @ the indignities you & your
fellow judges routinely inflict upon the accused, but
at indications you consistently interfere with his
defence, limiting his time, while seeking to protect
dubious witnesses, (as for example when the well known
war manufacturer /CIA agent/ & Jesuit massacre
defender William Walker appeared before you).
I have looked @ the transcripts, although I was not in
Court myself.
But you should have known & did know how important the
evidence of Walker was, & in fact you gave him two
days to present his evidence.
But Mr Milosevic you only allowed him 3 hours to cross
examine & in the middle of that cross examination you
cut Mr Milosevic off, as you have done so many times
in the past, @ the very point when Mr Milosevic was
asking questions relating to Walker's role in his
cover up of the murder of six Jesuit priests in El
Salvador in the 1980's.
At that time Walker was employed as a CIA agent (using
US diplomatic cover), running the contras, useful
experience for him prior to taking over a similar role
in Kosovo.
Walker told your tribunal "I made an inaccurate
statement, in hindsight".
Mr Milosevic then pointed out how, when the KLA was
blamed for the killing of the Serb teenagers in Pec,
he had said, " when you don't know what has happened,
it's a lot more difficult to sort of pronounce
yourself ... to this day we do not know who committed
that act."
But Walker did not exercise the same degree of caution
regarding Racak.
At that point you intervened to stop the cross
examination by saying: "your attempt to discredit
this witness with events so long ago the Trial Chamber
has ruled as irrelevant. "
And later:
"This is an absurd question, absolutely absurd. Now
you're wasting everybody's time."
But the time spent cross examining the initiator of
the Kosovo War was not wasted.
It is vital to get to the truth about the 1999 NATO
war on Yugoslavia.
It may be that as a lawyer you don't have any regard
for the truth, by which I mean you don't regard its
pursuit as a priority.
But as a contemporary historian, & as a concerned
citizen, worried @ the waste of UK taxpayers' money
spent funding your illicit judicial forum, I do.
My point is you have disqualified yourself by
prejudice & bias from any further conduct of this
case.
I have made a formal complaint to the Lord Chancellor
about your conduct of the trial
I refer as well to the failure of The Tribunal to
provide medical facilities for the prisoner, nor
access to family, nor access to lawyers, nor access to
potential witnesses, such as myself, nor access to
advisers, nor access to telephones & fax machines, nor
access to the Internet, nor even access to a computer.
You give him inedible meals & you deny him exercise.
You are engaged in torture.
You sneer @ the prisoner - you generally seek to
demean him, you inflict indignities & gratuitous
humiliation upon him.
I believe you & the other UK officials @ the Court,
including Steven Kay, the MI6 agent drafted in so the
prosecution can also take over the defence, all of
you have systematically conspired to deny the prisoner
a fair trial, both on account of the numerous rulings
you have made against him, & those you have not,
particularly in respect to the conditions of his
unlawful detention.
You are aware how he is being unlawfully detained,
having been kidnapped, i.e. illegally abducted,
(through the complicity of agents of the British
Government, & the RAF) from the sovereign territory of
Yugoslavia.
These agents & the RAF personnel were acting upon the
instructions of Geoff Hoon MP.
Yet the crime committed over his person you refuse to
rule on.
You have refused to consider the circumstances by
which Mr Milosevic arrived @ your Court.
You & Stephen Kay are no better than the Japs,
(who were probably quite humane gaolers of our men on
the Burma Road, compared to the insidious protracted
long term psychological torture you inflict on Mr
Milosevic).
Nothing is worse than the turning of the planetary
moral & legal order upside down, the bringing of
international law into disrepute, so that those who
are actually criminals, (such as Walker, & NATO satrap
Paddy Ashdown, + the German NATO air commander, I
think his name is Nauman or something like that, but
all of whom were responsible for the aggression
against Yugoslavia), they are allowed accuse
Milosevic, but they are not held responsible for their
own crimes.
This is absurd.
Now we hear the Americans are planning another set of
show trials, this time for Iraq.
Corrupt Courts, staffed by corrupt judges, & corrupt
prosecutors, travel in the baggage of the Allies, as
the Bourbons travelled in their baggage in 1815.
Section 134 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 prevents
any official of the UK Govt engaging in torture in
any capacity, for which reason I am sending a copy to
this letter to the Lord Chancellor & to the A-G.
Yours sincerely
William Spring
Re point 2
To the Ambassador of the Republic of China in London
His Excellency Mr Zha Peixin
From the Director of Christians Against Nato
Aggression CANA UK
1 Scales Road London N17 9HB
Tel: 0208 376 1454
www.canauk.human-rights.org
canauk@...
Your Excellency,
CANA UK is an ecumenical peace group established in
1999 @ the time of the NATO aggression against the
Republic of Yugoslavia.
CANA UK engages in an ongoing programme of research,
press releases & political lobbying, + organising
seminars & conferences on international relations.
This is a request that your Government vote against
the joint US-UK war plan now tabled @ the UN Security
Council in New York.
The demands that the so called 'inspectors' be allowed
to abduct Iraqi citizens from Iraqi territory, + many
other requirements concerning the immunity of these so
called inspectors from Iraqi law, + the vesting in
them of colonial privileges & immunities, all these &
many other aspects of the resolution make it
unacceptable, either to Iraq or to any state valuing
its national sovereignty.
If Iraq is forced to agree to any aspect of such a
resolution, (assuming it is passed, which we hope it
isn't) it will only be under the threat of massive
bombing.
Any negotiation conducted under the threat of force,
as you well know, is outlawed in international law.
We specifically ask the Chinese Government (as it
currently occupies the Presidency of the Security
Council) to rule as inadmissible the UK & US tabling
the resolution in the first place.
Neither the US nor the UK should be allowed either to
table or to vote on any resolution relating to Iraq as
both states are already in a state of war with Iraq,
as neither have accepted the terms of the Gulf War
cease fire, which they themselves negotiated.
While saying Iraq threatens them, both the UK & USA
have, already, & over a number of years, engaged in
hostile acts contrary to international law against the
Republic of Iraq.
The no fly zones & the continued US-UK bombing raids
on Iraq are entirely illegal.
Article 27 of the UN Charter says 'a party to a
dispute shall abstain from voting.'
The US-UK draft resolution, if endorsed by the
Security Council today will represent the final
triumph of US militarism over considerations of
international law: the final subversion the UN Charter
by one heavily armed rogue state, perhaps even the
final collapse of civilisation on this planet.
We have addressed similar appeals in recent days to
the Governments of Norway, France, Mauritius, Mexico &
Ireland.
For your information I paste below a copy of the
statement sent to the French Embassy on October 18th &
a copy of the similar statement sent to the Norwegian
Government.
With best wishes
William J Spring
Statement from CANA Christians Against Nato Aggression
UK re the Security Council decision in respect to Iraq
Today's decision by the Security Council November 8th
2002 marks the end of the UN organisation as a body
committed to the peaceful resolution of
disputes formally predicated upon respect for state
sovereignty, including respect for the territorial
integrity of member states.
As the old League of Nations was destroyed by the
fascist regimes walking out of it, so its successor is
now defunct on the basis of the US & UK staying in it.
The diktat now inflicted upon Iraq will probably not
be resisted.
Iraq has no choice other than to accept what is a new
form of colonialism.
But acceptance of the diktat is very unlikely to save
Iraq from massive bombing.
Bombing is what the Americans like to do.
The Amerians have become the enemies of world peace.
In a unipolar world their notion of diplomacy is
merely to bully & bribe.
America now has no friends & consists of a public
ignorant of foreign affairs & kept in ignorance by a
US media which consciously & consistently
misrepresents the facts in respect to international
situations.
Curses against America are not loud, but deep, & they
are also universal.
There is a long list of countries which have been
forced to capitulate before US power, including Haiti
& Yugoslavia.
Today's decision of the Security Council will not add
to US security.
During the past few days various appeals have been
addressed by NGO's, including CANA UK, to the
Governments of the members of the UN Security Council,
asking them to resist US pressure.
We regret these appeals have been ignored - that
countries like Norway & Ireland have chosen to vote
against the rights of small countries & for the
destruction of the ideals of the UN.
We regret that France has chosen to concede world
hegemony to the Anglo-Saxons, & that Russia & China
have once again run away from their international
obligations.
Today marks the formal end of the United Nations & of
the system of international law enshrined in its now
defunct Charter.
ends
Intellectual property rights asserted. The above may
be reproduced on the Internet, or in any other media,
subject to acknowledgement as to source. CANA UK
engages in an ongoing programme of research, press
releases & political lobbying, organising seminars +
conferences on international relations, the next
scheduled for Spring 2003 (in Islington). Copies of
videos & a text version of proceedings of previous
Conferences are obtainable from CANA UK 1 Scales Road
London N17 9HB Telephone 0044(0)208 376 1454.
Donations/gifts/legacies, & voluntary help, are
welcome. The CANA UK account is held @ Lloyds Bank,
539 High Rd, London N17 6SD (account number 0094920
sort code 30 98 70)
For more information about the anti-NATO Summit in Prague, November
19-20 2002, please refer to:
> http://www.solidnet.org/
Per informazioni in lingua italiana sull'incontro internazionale
anti-NATO, che si terra' a Praga nei giorni 19 e 20 novembre, si veda:
> http://it.groups.yahoo.com/group/crj-mailinglist/message/2043
For the following document in Word format:
> http://it.groups.yahoo.com/group/crj-mailinglist/files/Slovenia.doc
----- Original Message -----
From: JOSIP RASTKO MOÈNIK
Sent: Sunday, November 03, 2002 12:44 PM
Subject: Anti-Nato Resistance in Slovenia
Dear Friends,
please find attached some information on the resistance against an
eventual Nato-membership of Slovenia. You are welcome to use the
attached material for further dissemination, as an intellectual
stimulant, as a debate-topic etc.
With friendly regards,
Rastko Mocnik
=== * ===
Resistance against NATO in Slovenia
On November 21 and 22, the NATO-summit will take place in Prague. As
the preparation and mobilisation for the protests and actions in
Prague are in full swing, active resistance is growing also in
Slovenia, one of the candidate states for NATO membership. From 7th to
10th November demonstrations and actions against NATO and for peace
will take place in Ljubljana. Some background information, description
of resistance activities, and a call for support.
BACKGROUND: SLOVENIA ON THE WAY TO BECOMING A NATO STATE?
The main topics of the Prague NATO-summit will be the so-called "war
on terorrism" and expansion of NATO. Seven Central and East European
states, including Slovenia, are expected (and expecting) to be invited
to become members of NATO. NATO membership is a favoured project of
Slovenia's political elite who have invested much energy and money
into its accomplishment. Almost the entire class of contemporary
Slovene politicians, regardless of their various positions in the
ruling coalition or its opposition, has joined forces to accomplish
the "mission" of NATO accession. NATO membership is presented as an
integral part of the "democratisation" and (re)integration with
"Western civilisation".
For a year or so the pro-NATO propaganda machine has been working full
blast, abundantly backed by government financing. It has produced
piles of lies, it has manipulated and concealed data, and it has tried
to silence and discredit critical voices by accusing them of nostalgia
for communism and Yugoslavia, or of right-wing extremism. Two
especially infamous moves were the newsletter Natopis and the
blacklist of NATO critics. The propaganda newsleter was sent by the
government to every household enlightening citizens about the
unquestionably magnificent advantages of NATO membership. The
blacklist, drawn up by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, contained the
names of journalists and other people (mostly dissident intellectuals)
who had written critically of NATO and Slovenia's plans to join it.
Pro-NATO propaganda has increasingly been invading the autonomy of the
university as well: various faculties have hosted lectures by NATO
representatives and domestic NATO advocates with a clearly
propagandistic purpose. Recently we were shocked to see how low NATO
propaganda can go - in some primary schools we discovered an
invitation for an art competition for children aged 6-15 on the theme
of "a safer world". In the little story accompanying this invitation
the children are talking about NATO as of a hero which would act
against any one that would dare to throw a bomb on any one of the
states joined in it and as we (Slovenia) will become its friends it
will build a safer world for all of us.
Along with this aggressive propaganda campaign, the ruling class also
made some legislative changes which removed the "obstacles" to NATO
membership. For example, the Defence Law was changed so that it now
makes possible the involvement of the Slovene Army in military
operations outside of Slovenia. This corresponds to the duty of NATO
members to contribute to all its activities, including military
operations out-of-area, which lately seem to have become NATO's main
purpose. In addition, the Maritime Code was changed as to abolish a
ban on nuclear-powered ships and ships carrying nuclear weapons in the
territorial waters of Slovenia. This is perceived by many as a first
step towards the establishment of military bases and the siting of
nuclear weapons in Slovenia, which the public vehemently opposes.
However, the (not very sophisticated) government propaganda has not
succeeded in convincing the public to support NATO membership. On the
contrary, public support has been falling steadily while resistance is
growing. The latest opinion poll (September 27) showed only 38.5% of
the population is in favour and 39.4% against, with 22% undecided. The
most important reasons for this reluctance are probably the lack of
clear answers from the government on what exactly the responsibilities
of Slovenia as a NATO member will be (costs, co-operation in military
actions around the world, military bases, nuclear weapons stationing),
as well as increasing disagreement with the foreign policy of NATO's
dominant member, the USA. Recently an article on the lack of public
support for the government NATO project with views of government
representatives and critical intellectuals was published in the
Washington Times, available at
http://www.geocities.com/recinenato/wary.html.
Some journalists and prominent intellectuals have also expressed their
wariness of NATO in critical articles published in the mainstream
media. They publicly voice their doubts or openly oppose the
government's NATO project, and highlight the totalitarian character of
the government's pro-NATO campaign. Two important books also marked
the public debates: Ne NATO - mir nam dajte ("Not NATO - give us peace
/ give us a break"), a collection of essays and analyses by twelve
well-known Slovene intellectuals critical of NATO, and the civic
handbook NATO - pro and con, an exhaustive presentation of supporting
and opposing arguments.
RESISTANCE GROUPS AND THEIR ACTIONS
This is an outline of the situation in which the topic of NATO and
militarisation was taken on by some existing activist networks, and in
which new groups and networks were formed. The common starting point
is the rejection of NATO on an ethical basis: we see existence,
functioning and expansion of NATO as a part of the logic of war that
underlies the system of globalised capitalism and ensures the
maintenance of a gravely unjust world order. We regard NATO as one of
the instruments of the global neoliberal politics of coercion and
exploitation of human beings and the natural environment in the
interests of the global ruling class. We believe that this kind of
globalisation and the world order it is producing are extemely unjust
and destructive and we try to contribute to the global resistance to
this process, and to creating alternatives. Our struggles are at this
moment centred around the topic of NATO and militarism in general.
Among many other things we find it especially appaling that in its new
strategic concept (1999) NATO ascribed to itself the "right" to
intervene militarily in conflicts outside the territories of its
members, according to its own judgement as to which crisis could
"affect the security" of its members, even without a UN mandate. In
practice this means arbitrary military interventions throughout the
whole world where NATO members, and especially the USA as the dominant
power in NATO, want to protect or assert their interests. Furthermore,
NATO's new military doctrine approved in 2000 allowes for the possible
use of nuclear weapons in attacks. We believe that such an
organisation is a permanent obstacle to peace and a permanent threat
to the environment and the existence of the planet as a whole. It
should be dissolved and not expanded!
To express our opposition to NATO and to further encourage the evident
growth of critical stance to the NATO membership in the population, we
have carried out many actions and we are planning some more. Here is
an outline of some actions:
Organised resistance began in October 2001 with placard posting and
letter and e-mail sending actions expressing the opposition to war in
Afganistan and to NATO, and specifically Slovenia's membership in
NATO. As the placards were available on an internet page, many people
around Slovenia posted them on their own initiative in their home
towns. These actions found some resonance in the mainstream media and
also at the top of the political class: Minister of Foreign Affairs
Rupel expressed his indignation over the anti-NATO campaign at several
press conferences, especially stressing he "has never polished Bush's
shoes", referring to one of the slogans saying: Slovene politicians
are ecstatic over polishing Bush's bloody cowboy boots.
In March 2002, an action was carried out at the Faculty of Social
Sciences (Ljubljana) on the night before the visit of Cristopher
Bennett, the editor of NATO Review, who was to hold a lecture about
the NATO to the students. Activists wrote graffiti on the walls all
around the faculty and hung three banners with strong anti-NATO
messages on the glass tower of the faculty (pictures at
http://www.geocities.com/recinenato/recinenatonafdv.html). The action
was accompanied by a public statement and a letter to Bennett which
can be read at http://www.geocities.com/recinenato/bennet.html.
On the evening of the celebration of the people's uprising against
Nazi occupation (April 27, 1941), 40 people with a banner indicating a
parallel between an infamous Slovene Nazi collabolator and the present
minister of foreign affairs, managed to get inside the hall of the
cultural centre where the observance was held and protested against
the way Minister of Foreign Affairs Rupel imposed himself as the
official speaker and abused the celebration by propagandising for
NATO, stating among other things that NATO had grown out of the
antifascist struggle.
An anarchist group organised the first Maydays in Slovenia which had
its height on May 1 with demonstrations in front of American Embassy
and the Governmental building where NATO and domestic political
oligarchy were strongly condemned.
In May a pamphlet called Let's recycle Natopiss - parodying Natopis
("Natopaper"), a newsletter sent by the government to every household
- was published and distributed. It exposed government's lies about
the costs of Slovenia's membership in NATO and other disputable
claims.
In June about 140 banners with anti-NATO slogans were displayed on all
major road bridges over the highways. Some banners with local content
(for example: Maribor won't join NATO!) were hung over local roads.
Shortly after the Slovenia's Independence Day in June a huge banner
(15,5m x 4,5m) was hung out from the tower of the Ljubljana castle, a
very visible central point in the city. For some three hours the
message Ne NATO - mir nam dajte (double meaning: Not NATO - give us
peace / Not NATO - give us a break) could be seen from the city in a
delightful summer day (pictures and an e-postcard at
http://www.geocities.com/recinenato/nenatonagradu.html). Recently this
banner has been hung in two other towns, Koper and Velenje.
In July a group of young anarhists living and creating their political
resistance in the squat Molotov, which also offered a space for many
other activists and groups, experienced a violent repression. Thanks
to determined resistance by the squaters and the mobilisation of a
solidarity network the squat still exists today. Most probably the
reason for this repression action was the central role of the squat in
the resistance against NATO (more at http://www.acmolotov.org).
The hot and active summer was concluded with the NoBorderCamp in the
last days of August. The main topics were migration, ecology, civil
disobedience, but there was also an anti-NATO component including
planning of further resistance and carrying out some actions
(materials distribution, anti-NATO concert).
In autumn the materials presenting the arguments against NATO and
Slovenia's membership (the English version of one leaflet with these
arguments can be read at
http://www.geocities.com/recinenato/nonatoleaflet.html) are being
distributed in major towns with the accompainment of street theatre,
drummers and jugglers. A recent visit of NATO lecturers at the Faculty
of Social Sciences was interrupted by singing, drumming and a speech
denouncing this kind of misuse of the university facilities for
purposes that have nothing to do with higher education and the
development of knowledge. Several protest letters were sent out,
condemning breaches of university autonomy by military propaganda,
expressing opposition to militarisation of the university in general,
and protesting against the militarisation of the Port of Koper
("visits" of NATO military ships - also nuclear-powered ones - in the
port are getting more and more frequent). When the state president
hosted a NATO delegation in the beginning of October, the Network of
Associations, Groups and Individuals for Peace sent him a public
letter asking for a meeting with the NATO delegation in order to
present views opposed to NATO - held by a significant segment of the
Slovene population - and the alternative of neutrality. There was no
reaction to this request, but later a letter from the president's
office suggested that the claims of the Network for Peace about the
prevalence of support for neutrality of Slovenia were misleading and
that the President has always pleaded for a discussion on the basis of
arguments.
The activism has also an internet component: numerous webpages have
been created. The central information point about activities against
NATO, and including many political analyses and commentaries is
http://www.geocities.com/recinenato/.
Other important pages (unfortunately most of them are only in
Slovene):
http://www.acmolotov.org/noborder
http//www.dostje.org
http://exeat.com/politics/andrej1971
http://kreativni_upor.tripod.com
http://members.fortunecity.com/nato5/
http://www.ruleless.com/portal/nato/nato.php
At present the energies of active and critical people are concentrated
in the preparation and mobilisation for demonstrations against NATO
and for peace that will take place in Ljubljana between the 7th and
10th of November. They will be created and carried out by many groups
and individuals from different spheres of society so that they will be
a very colourful and widely dispersed event. They will include street
parties, political-artistic spectacles, concerts, street theatre and
performances, direct actions and a march for peace on November 9.
A clear NO! from the people of Slovenia to the invitation to join NATO
would demonstrate to NATO and its dominant member the USA that they
are not irresistible, that there actually exist people who do not want
their country to be incorporated into their global military machine
and do not want to bend to their economic, political and military
dominance. Additionally, this NO! would show people in other countries
endangered by NATO's expansion plans that it is possible to say NO and
that there do exist alternatives outside of NATO. This could encourage
them to refuse the invitation themselves as well.
CALL FOR SUPPORT
We believe that our struggle against the NATO is a small but
nevertheless important contribution to the struggles against the
militarisation of world politics and the logic of war.
We are asking you, resistant people all around the world, to support
our struggle! You can do this by
· sending us a statement of support and expressing your comments and
opinions at http://www.acmolotov.org/nonato/
· spreading our message into your activist network and if possible to
local and alternative media.
· joining us November 7-10 in Ljubljana at the demonstrations against
NATO and for peace.
Thank you for your solidarity!
Acitivist network of resistance against NATO and militarism
www.acmolotov.org/nonato
Letter of support
The existence, functioning and expansion of NATO are a constituent
part of the logic of war and efforts to fortify an extremely unjust
world order based on domination, coercion, exploitation, and a
division into servants and enemies of the powerful. NATO's
self-assignment of the right to carry out military interventions all
around the world according to its own arbitrary judgement and its
nuclear weapons policy which foresees the use of nuclear weapons in
military attacs against the non-compliant, make NATO an obstacle to
establishing peace in the world and a permanent threat to human beings
and natural environment.
In Slovenia a struggle against the NATO and against NATO's annexation
of the country is going on. There is a resistance to the looming
possibility of the country becoming a part of the global military
machine and thus taking part in the destruction of human lives and
environment for the interests of the masters of the globalised
capitalism. There is a resistance to the existence of NATO calling for
its dissolution.
Here are some of the most important arguments against joining the NATO
that we think the people in Slovenia should have the knowledge of. We
are spreading them among the people in a form of a leaflet. So far the
people to whom the leaflet has been handed out have for the greatest
part accepted it with interest and supportive attitude.
WHAT IS NATO?
· NATO is a military alliance of USA, Canada and 17 European
states. It was founded in 1949 with the purpose of defence of the
capitalist West against the socialist East.
· As the socialist regimes crumbled in 1989 the NATO lost its
adversary and the sense of its further existence. Instead of
dissolving it assigned itself new competences and tasks.
· In the new Strategic concept approved in 1999 the NATO assigned
itself the "right" to intervene militarilly in conflicts outside of
the teritorries of its members, according to its own judgement as to
which crisis could "affect the security" of its members and also
without the mandate of the UN. This means arbitrary military
interventions in the whole world where the NATO members want to
protect or enforce their interests.
· In the NATO's new doctrine, approved in 2000, the possibility
of the use of nuclear weapons in attacks and not only as a means of
deterrence as in the Cold War period is writen down. NATO has already
used radioactive depleted uranium in the Kosovo war. Now the USA are
planning the prodution of mini atomic bombs.
· Today the security problem cannot be solved by military means.
Its roots are namely in the unjust distribution of the world's wealth,
exploitation, dominance of the powerful countries of the West over the
majority of the world's inhabitants, environment destruction and
excessive exploitation of the natural resources.
· NATO's existence and activities aggravate these reasons for
insecurity and represent a major obstacle to the peace in the world,
for it has become a military organisation with the purpose of ensuring
the dominance of the West, especially the USA, over the world.
· USA are increasingly undermining the international law and on
the basis of their power, especially military, usurping the right to
judge and decide about the whole world. Among other things they are
trying by all means to weaken the International Crime Court for the
crimes against humanity and achieve superiority of its citizens in
regard of the law.
· NATO's goal is not the ensurance of the values such as
democracy, human rights a freedom but brutal enforcement of its member
states' interests, with the predominance of the far most powerful
member, the USA.
· The purpose of NATO expansion, thus the incorporation of the
transition countries, is above all to expand the political and
economic influence of the USA over these countries. The USA are namely
losing influence over the Western Europe.
· The binding of the transition countries on the USA through NATO
is increasingly in contradiction with their efforts to join the EU,
because the disagreements betwen the Usa and EU are rising (trade
wars, steel wars, disagreements on the genetically modified food...).
· NATO expansion is a very profitable business for its members -
their military industry produces 80% of the world's military products.
The demand to fulfil "NATO's standards" regarding the weapons and
military equipment means nothing else but securing the sales of the
military products to the new members.
SLOVENIA AND NATO
Security??
· NATO is supossed to guarantee security to Slovenia. But there
exists almost no military threat to Slovenia. Even if Slovenia would
in some time in the future experience military threat, the membership
in the NATO does not provide firm guarantees: if a member state is
attacked, the NATO does not authomatically respond with military means
- the states decide if they will offer help and what kind of help this
will be - it can be only economic or humanitarian help.
· It is not very likely that NATO would defend small states such
as Slovenia by military means. In the case of the attack from a
neighbouring country the NATO would most probably react only by
offering observers and advisors. If the attack would come from Italy,
Slovenia as a NATO member could not count on the help of NATO at all,
because NATO does not take actions in cases of conflicts between
member countries.
· NATO would not contribute to resolution of conflicts between
Slovenia and Croatia. Conflicts such as the one about the border
between those two countries are of no importance from the viewpoint of
the NATO. Not long ago the armed forces of Marocco occupied a part of
Spanish teritorry. Spain is a NATO member, but NATO did not care at
all. Slovenia and Croatia cannot afford to resolve conflicts by
military means because that would show them as incapable of resolving
problems by diplomatic means and would discredit their efforts to join
the EU.
Costs!!!
· NATO membership is very expensive. Due to the pressures from
the USA the government plans a 50-percent increase of funds for
military purposes - from 1,46% GDP in the year 2001 to 2,3% for the
year 2010.
· Costs of NATO membership do not include only membership fee as
the government propaganda claims, but comprise a lot more: costs of
army reorganisation, purchase of weapons and military equipment
according to the "NATO-standards", costs of participation of
Slovenia's military forces in interventions abroad, costs of adapting
communication systems, roads, railways, airports and ports to the
demands of the NATO. These huge investments for military purposes
would reduce investment into social welfare, health, education,
culture, environment... This would impede and not enhance Slovenia's
development.
Environment?!!
· Military bases which NATO sets in its member countries
represent a huge burden. These military bases are strictly protected
and are not subjected to the law of the host country. NATO's soldiers
are untouchable; if they commit a criminal offence they are processed
in their home country.
· In the military bases different dangerous weapons and poisons
are deposited, including nuclear weapons, therefore the bases are a
permanent threat to the environment and health of the people.
· It is true that the member states themselves decide about
placement of military bases and nuclear weapons on their teritorry,
but considering the servileness of Slovenian politicians towards the
NATO and the USA it cannot be expected that they would reject such a
demand of the NATO. An example of this servileness is the change of
the Maritime code in February 2002 with which it is now allowed that
nuclear ships and ships with nuclaer weapons enter Slovenian sea.
The armed forces?
· One of the NATO's demands is the profesionalisation of the
Slovenian Army which actually means a transformation from defensive
forces to forces for interventions abroad, according to the needs of
the NATO.
· NATO membership requires the participation of soldiers in
interventions in crises abroad. Recently the Defense Law has been
changed so that it is now possible to use the Slovenian Army for
military operations outside of Slovenia.
· Entering NATO means a commitment to participation in military
attacks against other countries on the demand and under the leadership
of the most powerful countries (above all USA). Slovenia would also
have to bear all the costs of participating in such operations.
Good reputation and influence???
· Claims about the rise of international reputation and influence
of Slovenia due to the admission into the NATO are despicable lies!
Slovenian politicians are already acting shamefully fawning which
causes Slovenia to lose any reputation and influence that it ever had.
In November 1998 Slovenia withdrew ist signature to the Initiative of
the UNO for a world without nuclear weapons, because it was in direct
contrast to the nuclear policies of the NATO. With this contemptible
act Slovenia diplomatically discredited itself.
THERE ARE ALTERNATIVES!
· It is not true that there is no other alternative for Slovenia
than joining the NATO. There is another possibility: active
neutrality. Europe's neutral countries are Austria, Switzerland,
Finnland, Sweden and Ireland. All are very successful without any
"help" from the NATO.
· Joining the NATO would mean giving away a part of the
sovereignty because Slovenia's politics would become dependent on the
politics of NATO and USA. With active neutrality a state can act more
independently.
· Neutrality does not mean selfish isolation but taking
responsibility for the world peace by striving for non-military
conflict resolution and political mediation between the conflicting
parties. Neutrality does not hinder taking part in peace-keeping
operations.
· Neutrality is cheaper than NATO membership: NATO members'
budget for military purposes is on average 2,5% GDP, that of the
European neutral countries 1% GDP.
THE INHABITANTS OF SLOVENIA SHOULD DECIDE THEMSELVES ABOUT THEIR
FUTURE!
· Joining the NATO is a project of the ruling elite, a handful
of politicians that impose on the inhabitants of Slovenia a huge
burden which would not be possible to get rid of by means of lying,
concealing information and propaganda of the primitivest kind. The
success of their intentions depends on the inhabitants of Slovenia.
· It is not true that joining the NATO is inevitable! It is not
true that everything has already been decided!
· Such an important decision about the future of all people
living in Slovenia cannot be left to the self-interested servile
handful of the rulers that are increasingly resigning the protection
of the rights of the inhabitants of Slovenia in order to be admitted
to NATO. It is the right and responsibility of the inhabitants to
decide by themselves.
· The finding that joining the NATO is unacceptable and harmful
should be told loudly. It should not happen any more that this
statement is overheard or silenced.
· Because of the loudness and persistence of the critical
voices the government will not succeed to avoid a referendum.
· If the people will decide against joining the NATO at the
referendum, the government will be compelled to refuse an eventual
invitation from the NATO in Prague in November 2002.
Internet pages and books critical of the NATO and Slovenia's joining
the NATO:
http://www.geocities.com/recinenato/
http://kreativni_upor.tripod.com
http://members.fortunecity.com/nato5/
http://neutro.k2.net/
http://www.ruleless.com/portal/nato/nato.php
http://www.belokranjskadeklaracija.org/
http://www.ljudmila.org/globala/
Ne NATO - mir nam dajte! (Not NATO - give us peace! / Give us a
break!), Ljubljana, Mirovni institut, 2002.
Nato - za in proti: dr?avljanski prirocnik, (NATO - for and against: a
civic handbook), Ljubljana, Mirovni institut, 2002.
Slovenians wary of joining NATO
Nicholas Kralev
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Published 10/22/2002
This is the third in an occasional series of reports from seven NATO
aspirants in Central and Eastern Europe before the alliance's summit
in Prague next month, where they are expected to receive membersip
invitations.
LJUBLJANA, Slovenia - Just when it seemed they had convinced NATO that
their 11-year-old state of 2 million deserves a membership invitation
next month, the Slovenian authorities discovered that they have some
more convincing to do, this time among their own people. For several
years, NATO officials have done little to hide their assessment that,
when it comes to taking in new members, Slovenia is the easiest case.
It is politically stable, and its economy is the envy of the former
communist bloc.
But an unusually vocal outcry against joining the Western alliance has
come as a slap in the face for the country's government, prompting
NATO to make an addition to its list of accession requirements -
public support for membership.
"We want to see public support of well over 50 percent," one senior
NATO official said. "As a member, a country incurs serious
common-defense responsibilities under Article 5, and the government
should have the full backing of its people." The alliance invoked
Article 5, which says that an attack on one member is an attack on
all, for the first time a day after the September 11 attacks last
year.
Although the official said that he and his colleagues "have been
pleased" by the Slovenian government's campaign to raise public
support for membership, recent polls reveal that a slow and painful
effort to boost support ratings, which fell to their lowest level - 39
percent - in early summer, has failed.
"We are cautious of a full-blown campaign and concerned about negative
reactions," said Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, referring to charges
that the government is wasting taxpayers' money.
Anton Bebler, president of the Atlantic Council of Slovenia, a group
of intellectuals advocating NATO membership, said there is a
perception among Slovenians that if the authorities need to wage a
campaign on a certain policy issue, arguments based solely on its
merits are not enough.
The government of Prime Minister Janez Drnovsek has published various
materials, such as books and manuals with facts and frequently asked
questions about NATO, and a newsletter, which it sent to 683,000
households. It is also operating a toll-free phone service where
anyone can address inquiries and concerns, said Nada Serajnik Sraka,
state undersecretary for public relations.
But Ali Zerdin, a reporter for Mladina (Youth), a weekly newsmagazine,
said that most people think the newsletter is a "joke" and instead are
seeking "clear answers from the government what exactly our
responsibilities as a NATO member will be."
According to a survey by the University of Ljubljana's faculty of
social sciences, used by the government and considered by many the
most accurate polling data available, public support for membership
has been lingering below 50 percent for the past two years.
It reached its highest level - 62 percent - in the spring of 1997,
just before the first round of expansion at the alliance's Madrid
summit, where Slovenia's bid failed. It fluctuated between 50 percent
and 60 percent the next four years but dropped to 48 percent late last
year, falling further to 39 percent this summer.
The latest results showed that things remained unchanged in September,
even though all major political parties, except the National Party,
support membership. More significantly, opposition to joining NATO
also was at 39 percent. About 22 percent were undecided.
"As reasons for their support, the respondents state that NATO
provides the best form of collective security, that they consider
collective security cheaper and that membership would have positive
economic implications for Slovenia," the team that conducted the
survey said in an analysis accompanying the results.
"The reasons against entry given by the respondents are high expenses,
disagreement with the participation of Slovenian soldiers in military
operations abroad and the fact that the state is not under threat," it
said. The survey also found that of those participants who said they
would take part in a referendum on NATO membership, 55 percent would
vote for and 45 percent against it.
Unlike in any other aspirant country, a referendum seems all but
certain in Slovenia, most probably in the period after the Prague
invitation and before ratification of enlargement begins in the
parliaments of NATO's 19 member states.
"Some want a referendum before Prague, but you can't decline a dinner
invitation before you receive it," Mr. Rupel said.
Officials blame the skeptical public opinion on what it calls an
"anti-campaign" in the press that, it says, has been undermining the
government's effort for more than a year. The foreign minister was the
only Cabinet member to respond to the negative press and, according to
some officials, was reprimanded in private by his boss, Mr. Drnovsek.
Defense Minister Anton Grizold attributes the strong opposition to
NATO membership to a practice reminiscent of the Yugoslav era,
although Slovenia has been independent since 1991. "Journalists were
considered political workers in former Yugoslavia, and some still
are," he said. "We are still discovering our statehood
responsibilities."
Blaz Zgaga, a national security reporter for Vecer (Evening) daily,
disagreed, but he acknowledged that "many journalists don't have
college education."
He also dismissed the government's contention that the media are
conducting a "systematic campaign or conspiracy." But he conceded that
his editor "refused to publish an opinion piece I had written
advocating NATO membership because she didn't want to go against
public opinion."
In Slovenia, unlike in the United States, news reporters also write
editorials and other opinion articles, which can be published on both
the op-ed and news pages.
Some political observers credit the press with opening a debate that
otherwise would never have been initiated.
"The government didn't feel that discussion was necessary, and it
didn't listen to those against membership," said Vlado Miheljak, a
professor of social sciences and columnist for the daily Delo. "The
debate was more about
democratic procedure, and it was forced by the media."
The military, which is the most trusted Slovenian institution and has
an approval rating of more than 70 percent, has not been affected by
the public debate, said Lt. Col. Dobran Bozic, commander of the army's
10th Motorized Battalion.
"We are preparing to work in an international environment," he said.
"We have troops in Bosnia and Kosovo, and we'd like to send special
forces to Afghanistan, but the politicians don't want to risk public
opinion."
In nearly two dozen interviews, political and military leaders, civil
servants, analysts and journalists said that the public outcry was in
large part a result of disapproval of the Bush administration's
foreign policy.
"People here have a weird way of connecting things," Mr. Bebler said.
"There is a correlation in their minds between NATO and the United
States. They think the Bush administration will force NATO to march in
places like Iraq, so why be tricked into far-away wars by reckless
unilateralists?"
Mr. Grizold and Janez Jansa, president of the Social Democratic Party,
said that people do not understand U.S. policy because no one explains
it to them.
"Every event linked to the United States and NATO is shown negatively
in the media," Mr. Jansa said. "The Washington correspondent of the
national TV reports as if from an enemy country."
Mr. Rupel expressed some frustration with a few of the
administration's policies that are often at odds with those of
Washington's European allies.
"I've met Bush, and he is a good and straightforward man," Mr. Rupel
said. "Slovenia would love to stay in the group of American friends,
but some statements from Washington are not helpful in making our
policies popular."
Mr. Grizold, however, said that "as a true partner," Slovenia will
support the United States. "Otherwise, how can we be a credible
partner? We have to stick together and express solidarity."
He also said his country would fulfill NATO's requirement that 2
percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) be spent on defense by
2008, in spite of strong objections by some.
But Mr. Miheljak said that many people doubt the government's
assertion that building a defense system outside NATO would be much
more expensive and that they feel that "we can defend ourselves with
less than 2 percent of GDP."
"We are economically stable, and we don't need NATO like some other
candidates," he said, referring to Bulgaria and Romania, whose
economies have not done as well. "We can survive without NATO."
Article was originally published in Washington times.
spectacle in the city
en la próxima estación: entrada liberta(d)
7 November 2002 at 12.30 at Bavarski dvor
spectacle with the moving caravan
street performance, free style, juggling, singing shelters, League of
improvisers, pressing theatre, jackson's Elvises, graffiti, c3, young
and happy, food without bombs, masters of fire, DJs, banners of great
sizes, masks and dancing, abstract films, lighting contours, United
drums, pupetteers, interpretation of feelings and improvisation ...
spectacle in the city
bring drums, pot-lids, laddles, colourful strips and everything with
which you can
enter for free and freely at the next station - en la próxima
estación: entrada liberta(d)
- - - - - - - -
On 7 November 2002
there will be a spectacle in the city
en la próxima estación: entrada liberta(d)
The main roads of the city will be overflown by manifold groups that
will be drawn in a colourful caravan by a spaceship on four wheels.
The spaceship will begin to gather the caravan around 12.30 at
Bavarski dvor and will take it towards the sun. New stations, new
ships, flying and multi-storied will join. The space will be permeated
by the spectacle of the moving caravan
street performance, free style, juggling, singing shelters, League of
improvisers, pressing theatre, jackson's Elvises, graffiti, c3, young
and happy, food without bombs, masters of fire, DJs, banners of great
sizes, masks and dancing, abstract films, lighting contours, United
drums, pupetteers, interpretation of feelings and improvisation ...
Even though the spectacle will be an artistic, cultural, estetical
one, it will be damned political...
It will be created in an unorganised way - everybody will be able to
enter for free and freely at the next station en la próxima estación:
entrada liberta(d) ... The spectacle will narrate about a station that
is not NATO, that is free, movable and open, that has no aim but still
is flowing in a positive way into a certain direction, that can freely
and flexibly choose further stations, that breathes and permeates with
feelings, that is accessible to children and adults, that is common,
that is being built by imagination and bodies, outside of
institutions, accompanied by the sounds of drums and guitars...
The spectacle will be now and then interrupted for three minutes by
the intellectuals who won't be collecting cultural-political points
but sharing the feeling of the day - en la próxima estación entrada
liberta(d)!
The spectacle will be eyed by television cameras, radios will be
sending the sounds into the world, photographs will be trying to steel
a moment of the entrada liberta(d) and enthusiasm will flow into the
microphones: en la próxima estación: entrada liberta(d)!
PRESEREN'S - NO NATO - CORNER
speakers corner
at Preseren square
Every citizen can PUBLICLY express their opinions and demands in
regard to Slovenia's memberhip in NATO, war against Iraq, violence of
capitalism...
On November 8 the Preseren's speakers corner will give you the
opportunity to appeal to Slovenia and the world for solidarity,
tolerance, justice, peace and nonviolence. Individuals, (in)formal
organisations, associations, groups etc. are invited to participate
actively.
The speakers' Friday afternoon will be accompanied by numerous DJs,
drummers and other performers.
19-20 2002, please refer to:
> http://www.solidnet.org/
Per informazioni in lingua italiana sull'incontro internazionale
anti-NATO, che si terra' a Praga nei giorni 19 e 20 novembre, si veda:
> http://it.groups.yahoo.com/group/crj-mailinglist/message/2043
For the following document in Word format:
> http://it.groups.yahoo.com/group/crj-mailinglist/files/Slovenia.doc
----- Original Message -----
From: JOSIP RASTKO MOÈNIK
Sent: Sunday, November 03, 2002 12:44 PM
Subject: Anti-Nato Resistance in Slovenia
Dear Friends,
please find attached some information on the resistance against an
eventual Nato-membership of Slovenia. You are welcome to use the
attached material for further dissemination, as an intellectual
stimulant, as a debate-topic etc.
With friendly regards,
Rastko Mocnik
=== * ===
Resistance against NATO in Slovenia
On November 21 and 22, the NATO-summit will take place in Prague. As
the preparation and mobilisation for the protests and actions in
Prague are in full swing, active resistance is growing also in
Slovenia, one of the candidate states for NATO membership. From 7th to
10th November demonstrations and actions against NATO and for peace
will take place in Ljubljana. Some background information, description
of resistance activities, and a call for support.
BACKGROUND: SLOVENIA ON THE WAY TO BECOMING A NATO STATE?
The main topics of the Prague NATO-summit will be the so-called "war
on terorrism" and expansion of NATO. Seven Central and East European
states, including Slovenia, are expected (and expecting) to be invited
to become members of NATO. NATO membership is a favoured project of
Slovenia's political elite who have invested much energy and money
into its accomplishment. Almost the entire class of contemporary
Slovene politicians, regardless of their various positions in the
ruling coalition or its opposition, has joined forces to accomplish
the "mission" of NATO accession. NATO membership is presented as an
integral part of the "democratisation" and (re)integration with
"Western civilisation".
For a year or so the pro-NATO propaganda machine has been working full
blast, abundantly backed by government financing. It has produced
piles of lies, it has manipulated and concealed data, and it has tried
to silence and discredit critical voices by accusing them of nostalgia
for communism and Yugoslavia, or of right-wing extremism. Two
especially infamous moves were the newsletter Natopis and the
blacklist of NATO critics. The propaganda newsleter was sent by the
government to every household enlightening citizens about the
unquestionably magnificent advantages of NATO membership. The
blacklist, drawn up by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, contained the
names of journalists and other people (mostly dissident intellectuals)
who had written critically of NATO and Slovenia's plans to join it.
Pro-NATO propaganda has increasingly been invading the autonomy of the
university as well: various faculties have hosted lectures by NATO
representatives and domestic NATO advocates with a clearly
propagandistic purpose. Recently we were shocked to see how low NATO
propaganda can go - in some primary schools we discovered an
invitation for an art competition for children aged 6-15 on the theme
of "a safer world". In the little story accompanying this invitation
the children are talking about NATO as of a hero which would act
against any one that would dare to throw a bomb on any one of the
states joined in it and as we (Slovenia) will become its friends it
will build a safer world for all of us.
Along with this aggressive propaganda campaign, the ruling class also
made some legislative changes which removed the "obstacles" to NATO
membership. For example, the Defence Law was changed so that it now
makes possible the involvement of the Slovene Army in military
operations outside of Slovenia. This corresponds to the duty of NATO
members to contribute to all its activities, including military
operations out-of-area, which lately seem to have become NATO's main
purpose. In addition, the Maritime Code was changed as to abolish a
ban on nuclear-powered ships and ships carrying nuclear weapons in the
territorial waters of Slovenia. This is perceived by many as a first
step towards the establishment of military bases and the siting of
nuclear weapons in Slovenia, which the public vehemently opposes.
However, the (not very sophisticated) government propaganda has not
succeeded in convincing the public to support NATO membership. On the
contrary, public support has been falling steadily while resistance is
growing. The latest opinion poll (September 27) showed only 38.5% of
the population is in favour and 39.4% against, with 22% undecided. The
most important reasons for this reluctance are probably the lack of
clear answers from the government on what exactly the responsibilities
of Slovenia as a NATO member will be (costs, co-operation in military
actions around the world, military bases, nuclear weapons stationing),
as well as increasing disagreement with the foreign policy of NATO's
dominant member, the USA. Recently an article on the lack of public
support for the government NATO project with views of government
representatives and critical intellectuals was published in the
Washington Times, available at
http://www.geocities.com/recinenato/wary.html.
Some journalists and prominent intellectuals have also expressed their
wariness of NATO in critical articles published in the mainstream
media. They publicly voice their doubts or openly oppose the
government's NATO project, and highlight the totalitarian character of
the government's pro-NATO campaign. Two important books also marked
the public debates: Ne NATO - mir nam dajte ("Not NATO - give us peace
/ give us a break"), a collection of essays and analyses by twelve
well-known Slovene intellectuals critical of NATO, and the civic
handbook NATO - pro and con, an exhaustive presentation of supporting
and opposing arguments.
RESISTANCE GROUPS AND THEIR ACTIONS
This is an outline of the situation in which the topic of NATO and
militarisation was taken on by some existing activist networks, and in
which new groups and networks were formed. The common starting point
is the rejection of NATO on an ethical basis: we see existence,
functioning and expansion of NATO as a part of the logic of war that
underlies the system of globalised capitalism and ensures the
maintenance of a gravely unjust world order. We regard NATO as one of
the instruments of the global neoliberal politics of coercion and
exploitation of human beings and the natural environment in the
interests of the global ruling class. We believe that this kind of
globalisation and the world order it is producing are extemely unjust
and destructive and we try to contribute to the global resistance to
this process, and to creating alternatives. Our struggles are at this
moment centred around the topic of NATO and militarism in general.
Among many other things we find it especially appaling that in its new
strategic concept (1999) NATO ascribed to itself the "right" to
intervene militarily in conflicts outside the territories of its
members, according to its own judgement as to which crisis could
"affect the security" of its members, even without a UN mandate. In
practice this means arbitrary military interventions throughout the
whole world where NATO members, and especially the USA as the dominant
power in NATO, want to protect or assert their interests. Furthermore,
NATO's new military doctrine approved in 2000 allowes for the possible
use of nuclear weapons in attacks. We believe that such an
organisation is a permanent obstacle to peace and a permanent threat
to the environment and the existence of the planet as a whole. It
should be dissolved and not expanded!
To express our opposition to NATO and to further encourage the evident
growth of critical stance to the NATO membership in the population, we
have carried out many actions and we are planning some more. Here is
an outline of some actions:
Organised resistance began in October 2001 with placard posting and
letter and e-mail sending actions expressing the opposition to war in
Afganistan and to NATO, and specifically Slovenia's membership in
NATO. As the placards were available on an internet page, many people
around Slovenia posted them on their own initiative in their home
towns. These actions found some resonance in the mainstream media and
also at the top of the political class: Minister of Foreign Affairs
Rupel expressed his indignation over the anti-NATO campaign at several
press conferences, especially stressing he "has never polished Bush's
shoes", referring to one of the slogans saying: Slovene politicians
are ecstatic over polishing Bush's bloody cowboy boots.
In March 2002, an action was carried out at the Faculty of Social
Sciences (Ljubljana) on the night before the visit of Cristopher
Bennett, the editor of NATO Review, who was to hold a lecture about
the NATO to the students. Activists wrote graffiti on the walls all
around the faculty and hung three banners with strong anti-NATO
messages on the glass tower of the faculty (pictures at
http://www.geocities.com/recinenato/recinenatonafdv.html). The action
was accompanied by a public statement and a letter to Bennett which
can be read at http://www.geocities.com/recinenato/bennet.html.
On the evening of the celebration of the people's uprising against
Nazi occupation (April 27, 1941), 40 people with a banner indicating a
parallel between an infamous Slovene Nazi collabolator and the present
minister of foreign affairs, managed to get inside the hall of the
cultural centre where the observance was held and protested against
the way Minister of Foreign Affairs Rupel imposed himself as the
official speaker and abused the celebration by propagandising for
NATO, stating among other things that NATO had grown out of the
antifascist struggle.
An anarchist group organised the first Maydays in Slovenia which had
its height on May 1 with demonstrations in front of American Embassy
and the Governmental building where NATO and domestic political
oligarchy were strongly condemned.
In May a pamphlet called Let's recycle Natopiss - parodying Natopis
("Natopaper"), a newsletter sent by the government to every household
- was published and distributed. It exposed government's lies about
the costs of Slovenia's membership in NATO and other disputable
claims.
In June about 140 banners with anti-NATO slogans were displayed on all
major road bridges over the highways. Some banners with local content
(for example: Maribor won't join NATO!) were hung over local roads.
Shortly after the Slovenia's Independence Day in June a huge banner
(15,5m x 4,5m) was hung out from the tower of the Ljubljana castle, a
very visible central point in the city. For some three hours the
message Ne NATO - mir nam dajte (double meaning: Not NATO - give us
peace / Not NATO - give us a break) could be seen from the city in a
delightful summer day (pictures and an e-postcard at
http://www.geocities.com/recinenato/nenatonagradu.html). Recently this
banner has been hung in two other towns, Koper and Velenje.
In July a group of young anarhists living and creating their political
resistance in the squat Molotov, which also offered a space for many
other activists and groups, experienced a violent repression. Thanks
to determined resistance by the squaters and the mobilisation of a
solidarity network the squat still exists today. Most probably the
reason for this repression action was the central role of the squat in
the resistance against NATO (more at http://www.acmolotov.org).
The hot and active summer was concluded with the NoBorderCamp in the
last days of August. The main topics were migration, ecology, civil
disobedience, but there was also an anti-NATO component including
planning of further resistance and carrying out some actions
(materials distribution, anti-NATO concert).
In autumn the materials presenting the arguments against NATO and
Slovenia's membership (the English version of one leaflet with these
arguments can be read at
http://www.geocities.com/recinenato/nonatoleaflet.html) are being
distributed in major towns with the accompainment of street theatre,
drummers and jugglers. A recent visit of NATO lecturers at the Faculty
of Social Sciences was interrupted by singing, drumming and a speech
denouncing this kind of misuse of the university facilities for
purposes that have nothing to do with higher education and the
development of knowledge. Several protest letters were sent out,
condemning breaches of university autonomy by military propaganda,
expressing opposition to militarisation of the university in general,
and protesting against the militarisation of the Port of Koper
("visits" of NATO military ships - also nuclear-powered ones - in the
port are getting more and more frequent). When the state president
hosted a NATO delegation in the beginning of October, the Network of
Associations, Groups and Individuals for Peace sent him a public
letter asking for a meeting with the NATO delegation in order to
present views opposed to NATO - held by a significant segment of the
Slovene population - and the alternative of neutrality. There was no
reaction to this request, but later a letter from the president's
office suggested that the claims of the Network for Peace about the
prevalence of support for neutrality of Slovenia were misleading and
that the President has always pleaded for a discussion on the basis of
arguments.
The activism has also an internet component: numerous webpages have
been created. The central information point about activities against
NATO, and including many political analyses and commentaries is
http://www.geocities.com/recinenato/.
Other important pages (unfortunately most of them are only in
Slovene):
http://www.acmolotov.org/noborder
http//www.dostje.org
http://exeat.com/politics/andrej1971
http://kreativni_upor.tripod.com
http://members.fortunecity.com/nato5/
http://www.ruleless.com/portal/nato/nato.php
At present the energies of active and critical people are concentrated
in the preparation and mobilisation for demonstrations against NATO
and for peace that will take place in Ljubljana between the 7th and
10th of November. They will be created and carried out by many groups
and individuals from different spheres of society so that they will be
a very colourful and widely dispersed event. They will include street
parties, political-artistic spectacles, concerts, street theatre and
performances, direct actions and a march for peace on November 9.
A clear NO! from the people of Slovenia to the invitation to join NATO
would demonstrate to NATO and its dominant member the USA that they
are not irresistible, that there actually exist people who do not want
their country to be incorporated into their global military machine
and do not want to bend to their economic, political and military
dominance. Additionally, this NO! would show people in other countries
endangered by NATO's expansion plans that it is possible to say NO and
that there do exist alternatives outside of NATO. This could encourage
them to refuse the invitation themselves as well.
CALL FOR SUPPORT
We believe that our struggle against the NATO is a small but
nevertheless important contribution to the struggles against the
militarisation of world politics and the logic of war.
We are asking you, resistant people all around the world, to support
our struggle! You can do this by
· sending us a statement of support and expressing your comments and
opinions at http://www.acmolotov.org/nonato/
· spreading our message into your activist network and if possible to
local and alternative media.
· joining us November 7-10 in Ljubljana at the demonstrations against
NATO and for peace.
Thank you for your solidarity!
Acitivist network of resistance against NATO and militarism
www.acmolotov.org/nonato
Letter of support
The existence, functioning and expansion of NATO are a constituent
part of the logic of war and efforts to fortify an extremely unjust
world order based on domination, coercion, exploitation, and a
division into servants and enemies of the powerful. NATO's
self-assignment of the right to carry out military interventions all
around the world according to its own arbitrary judgement and its
nuclear weapons policy which foresees the use of nuclear weapons in
military attacs against the non-compliant, make NATO an obstacle to
establishing peace in the world and a permanent threat to human beings
and natural environment.
In Slovenia a struggle against the NATO and against NATO's annexation
of the country is going on. There is a resistance to the looming
possibility of the country becoming a part of the global military
machine and thus taking part in the destruction of human lives and
environment for the interests of the masters of the globalised
capitalism. There is a resistance to the existence of NATO calling for
its dissolution.
Here are some of the most important arguments against joining the NATO
that we think the people in Slovenia should have the knowledge of. We
are spreading them among the people in a form of a leaflet. So far the
people to whom the leaflet has been handed out have for the greatest
part accepted it with interest and supportive attitude.
WHAT IS NATO?
· NATO is a military alliance of USA, Canada and 17 European
states. It was founded in 1949 with the purpose of defence of the
capitalist West against the socialist East.
· As the socialist regimes crumbled in 1989 the NATO lost its
adversary and the sense of its further existence. Instead of
dissolving it assigned itself new competences and tasks.
· In the new Strategic concept approved in 1999 the NATO assigned
itself the "right" to intervene militarilly in conflicts outside of
the teritorries of its members, according to its own judgement as to
which crisis could "affect the security" of its members and also
without the mandate of the UN. This means arbitrary military
interventions in the whole world where the NATO members want to
protect or enforce their interests.
· In the NATO's new doctrine, approved in 2000, the possibility
of the use of nuclear weapons in attacks and not only as a means of
deterrence as in the Cold War period is writen down. NATO has already
used radioactive depleted uranium in the Kosovo war. Now the USA are
planning the prodution of mini atomic bombs.
· Today the security problem cannot be solved by military means.
Its roots are namely in the unjust distribution of the world's wealth,
exploitation, dominance of the powerful countries of the West over the
majority of the world's inhabitants, environment destruction and
excessive exploitation of the natural resources.
· NATO's existence and activities aggravate these reasons for
insecurity and represent a major obstacle to the peace in the world,
for it has become a military organisation with the purpose of ensuring
the dominance of the West, especially the USA, over the world.
· USA are increasingly undermining the international law and on
the basis of their power, especially military, usurping the right to
judge and decide about the whole world. Among other things they are
trying by all means to weaken the International Crime Court for the
crimes against humanity and achieve superiority of its citizens in
regard of the law.
· NATO's goal is not the ensurance of the values such as
democracy, human rights a freedom but brutal enforcement of its member
states' interests, with the predominance of the far most powerful
member, the USA.
· The purpose of NATO expansion, thus the incorporation of the
transition countries, is above all to expand the political and
economic influence of the USA over these countries. The USA are namely
losing influence over the Western Europe.
· The binding of the transition countries on the USA through NATO
is increasingly in contradiction with their efforts to join the EU,
because the disagreements betwen the Usa and EU are rising (trade
wars, steel wars, disagreements on the genetically modified food...).
· NATO expansion is a very profitable business for its members -
their military industry produces 80% of the world's military products.
The demand to fulfil "NATO's standards" regarding the weapons and
military equipment means nothing else but securing the sales of the
military products to the new members.
SLOVENIA AND NATO
Security??
· NATO is supossed to guarantee security to Slovenia. But there
exists almost no military threat to Slovenia. Even if Slovenia would
in some time in the future experience military threat, the membership
in the NATO does not provide firm guarantees: if a member state is
attacked, the NATO does not authomatically respond with military means
- the states decide if they will offer help and what kind of help this
will be - it can be only economic or humanitarian help.
· It is not very likely that NATO would defend small states such
as Slovenia by military means. In the case of the attack from a
neighbouring country the NATO would most probably react only by
offering observers and advisors. If the attack would come from Italy,
Slovenia as a NATO member could not count on the help of NATO at all,
because NATO does not take actions in cases of conflicts between
member countries.
· NATO would not contribute to resolution of conflicts between
Slovenia and Croatia. Conflicts such as the one about the border
between those two countries are of no importance from the viewpoint of
the NATO. Not long ago the armed forces of Marocco occupied a part of
Spanish teritorry. Spain is a NATO member, but NATO did not care at
all. Slovenia and Croatia cannot afford to resolve conflicts by
military means because that would show them as incapable of resolving
problems by diplomatic means and would discredit their efforts to join
the EU.
Costs!!!
· NATO membership is very expensive. Due to the pressures from
the USA the government plans a 50-percent increase of funds for
military purposes - from 1,46% GDP in the year 2001 to 2,3% for the
year 2010.
· Costs of NATO membership do not include only membership fee as
the government propaganda claims, but comprise a lot more: costs of
army reorganisation, purchase of weapons and military equipment
according to the "NATO-standards", costs of participation of
Slovenia's military forces in interventions abroad, costs of adapting
communication systems, roads, railways, airports and ports to the
demands of the NATO. These huge investments for military purposes
would reduce investment into social welfare, health, education,
culture, environment... This would impede and not enhance Slovenia's
development.
Environment?!!
· Military bases which NATO sets in its member countries
represent a huge burden. These military bases are strictly protected
and are not subjected to the law of the host country. NATO's soldiers
are untouchable; if they commit a criminal offence they are processed
in their home country.
· In the military bases different dangerous weapons and poisons
are deposited, including nuclear weapons, therefore the bases are a
permanent threat to the environment and health of the people.
· It is true that the member states themselves decide about
placement of military bases and nuclear weapons on their teritorry,
but considering the servileness of Slovenian politicians towards the
NATO and the USA it cannot be expected that they would reject such a
demand of the NATO. An example of this servileness is the change of
the Maritime code in February 2002 with which it is now allowed that
nuclear ships and ships with nuclaer weapons enter Slovenian sea.
The armed forces?
· One of the NATO's demands is the profesionalisation of the
Slovenian Army which actually means a transformation from defensive
forces to forces for interventions abroad, according to the needs of
the NATO.
· NATO membership requires the participation of soldiers in
interventions in crises abroad. Recently the Defense Law has been
changed so that it is now possible to use the Slovenian Army for
military operations outside of Slovenia.
· Entering NATO means a commitment to participation in military
attacks against other countries on the demand and under the leadership
of the most powerful countries (above all USA). Slovenia would also
have to bear all the costs of participating in such operations.
Good reputation and influence???
· Claims about the rise of international reputation and influence
of Slovenia due to the admission into the NATO are despicable lies!
Slovenian politicians are already acting shamefully fawning which
causes Slovenia to lose any reputation and influence that it ever had.
In November 1998 Slovenia withdrew ist signature to the Initiative of
the UNO for a world without nuclear weapons, because it was in direct
contrast to the nuclear policies of the NATO. With this contemptible
act Slovenia diplomatically discredited itself.
THERE ARE ALTERNATIVES!
· It is not true that there is no other alternative for Slovenia
than joining the NATO. There is another possibility: active
neutrality. Europe's neutral countries are Austria, Switzerland,
Finnland, Sweden and Ireland. All are very successful without any
"help" from the NATO.
· Joining the NATO would mean giving away a part of the
sovereignty because Slovenia's politics would become dependent on the
politics of NATO and USA. With active neutrality a state can act more
independently.
· Neutrality does not mean selfish isolation but taking
responsibility for the world peace by striving for non-military
conflict resolution and political mediation between the conflicting
parties. Neutrality does not hinder taking part in peace-keeping
operations.
· Neutrality is cheaper than NATO membership: NATO members'
budget for military purposes is on average 2,5% GDP, that of the
European neutral countries 1% GDP.
THE INHABITANTS OF SLOVENIA SHOULD DECIDE THEMSELVES ABOUT THEIR
FUTURE!
· Joining the NATO is a project of the ruling elite, a handful
of politicians that impose on the inhabitants of Slovenia a huge
burden which would not be possible to get rid of by means of lying,
concealing information and propaganda of the primitivest kind. The
success of their intentions depends on the inhabitants of Slovenia.
· It is not true that joining the NATO is inevitable! It is not
true that everything has already been decided!
· Such an important decision about the future of all people
living in Slovenia cannot be left to the self-interested servile
handful of the rulers that are increasingly resigning the protection
of the rights of the inhabitants of Slovenia in order to be admitted
to NATO. It is the right and responsibility of the inhabitants to
decide by themselves.
· The finding that joining the NATO is unacceptable and harmful
should be told loudly. It should not happen any more that this
statement is overheard or silenced.
· Because of the loudness and persistence of the critical
voices the government will not succeed to avoid a referendum.
· If the people will decide against joining the NATO at the
referendum, the government will be compelled to refuse an eventual
invitation from the NATO in Prague in November 2002.
Internet pages and books critical of the NATO and Slovenia's joining
the NATO:
http://www.geocities.com/recinenato/
http://kreativni_upor.tripod.com
http://members.fortunecity.com/nato5/
http://neutro.k2.net/
http://www.ruleless.com/portal/nato/nato.php
http://www.belokranjskadeklaracija.org/
http://www.ljudmila.org/globala/
Ne NATO - mir nam dajte! (Not NATO - give us peace! / Give us a
break!), Ljubljana, Mirovni institut, 2002.
Nato - za in proti: dr?avljanski prirocnik, (NATO - for and against: a
civic handbook), Ljubljana, Mirovni institut, 2002.
Slovenians wary of joining NATO
Nicholas Kralev
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Published 10/22/2002
This is the third in an occasional series of reports from seven NATO
aspirants in Central and Eastern Europe before the alliance's summit
in Prague next month, where they are expected to receive membersip
invitations.
LJUBLJANA, Slovenia - Just when it seemed they had convinced NATO that
their 11-year-old state of 2 million deserves a membership invitation
next month, the Slovenian authorities discovered that they have some
more convincing to do, this time among their own people. For several
years, NATO officials have done little to hide their assessment that,
when it comes to taking in new members, Slovenia is the easiest case.
It is politically stable, and its economy is the envy of the former
communist bloc.
But an unusually vocal outcry against joining the Western alliance has
come as a slap in the face for the country's government, prompting
NATO to make an addition to its list of accession requirements -
public support for membership.
"We want to see public support of well over 50 percent," one senior
NATO official said. "As a member, a country incurs serious
common-defense responsibilities under Article 5, and the government
should have the full backing of its people." The alliance invoked
Article 5, which says that an attack on one member is an attack on
all, for the first time a day after the September 11 attacks last
year.
Although the official said that he and his colleagues "have been
pleased" by the Slovenian government's campaign to raise public
support for membership, recent polls reveal that a slow and painful
effort to boost support ratings, which fell to their lowest level - 39
percent - in early summer, has failed.
"We are cautious of a full-blown campaign and concerned about negative
reactions," said Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, referring to charges
that the government is wasting taxpayers' money.
Anton Bebler, president of the Atlantic Council of Slovenia, a group
of intellectuals advocating NATO membership, said there is a
perception among Slovenians that if the authorities need to wage a
campaign on a certain policy issue, arguments based solely on its
merits are not enough.
The government of Prime Minister Janez Drnovsek has published various
materials, such as books and manuals with facts and frequently asked
questions about NATO, and a newsletter, which it sent to 683,000
households. It is also operating a toll-free phone service where
anyone can address inquiries and concerns, said Nada Serajnik Sraka,
state undersecretary for public relations.
But Ali Zerdin, a reporter for Mladina (Youth), a weekly newsmagazine,
said that most people think the newsletter is a "joke" and instead are
seeking "clear answers from the government what exactly our
responsibilities as a NATO member will be."
According to a survey by the University of Ljubljana's faculty of
social sciences, used by the government and considered by many the
most accurate polling data available, public support for membership
has been lingering below 50 percent for the past two years.
It reached its highest level - 62 percent - in the spring of 1997,
just before the first round of expansion at the alliance's Madrid
summit, where Slovenia's bid failed. It fluctuated between 50 percent
and 60 percent the next four years but dropped to 48 percent late last
year, falling further to 39 percent this summer.
The latest results showed that things remained unchanged in September,
even though all major political parties, except the National Party,
support membership. More significantly, opposition to joining NATO
also was at 39 percent. About 22 percent were undecided.
"As reasons for their support, the respondents state that NATO
provides the best form of collective security, that they consider
collective security cheaper and that membership would have positive
economic implications for Slovenia," the team that conducted the
survey said in an analysis accompanying the results.
"The reasons against entry given by the respondents are high expenses,
disagreement with the participation of Slovenian soldiers in military
operations abroad and the fact that the state is not under threat," it
said. The survey also found that of those participants who said they
would take part in a referendum on NATO membership, 55 percent would
vote for and 45 percent against it.
Unlike in any other aspirant country, a referendum seems all but
certain in Slovenia, most probably in the period after the Prague
invitation and before ratification of enlargement begins in the
parliaments of NATO's 19 member states.
"Some want a referendum before Prague, but you can't decline a dinner
invitation before you receive it," Mr. Rupel said.
Officials blame the skeptical public opinion on what it calls an
"anti-campaign" in the press that, it says, has been undermining the
government's effort for more than a year. The foreign minister was the
only Cabinet member to respond to the negative press and, according to
some officials, was reprimanded in private by his boss, Mr. Drnovsek.
Defense Minister Anton Grizold attributes the strong opposition to
NATO membership to a practice reminiscent of the Yugoslav era,
although Slovenia has been independent since 1991. "Journalists were
considered political workers in former Yugoslavia, and some still
are," he said. "We are still discovering our statehood
responsibilities."
Blaz Zgaga, a national security reporter for Vecer (Evening) daily,
disagreed, but he acknowledged that "many journalists don't have
college education."
He also dismissed the government's contention that the media are
conducting a "systematic campaign or conspiracy." But he conceded that
his editor "refused to publish an opinion piece I had written
advocating NATO membership because she didn't want to go against
public opinion."
In Slovenia, unlike in the United States, news reporters also write
editorials and other opinion articles, which can be published on both
the op-ed and news pages.
Some political observers credit the press with opening a debate that
otherwise would never have been initiated.
"The government didn't feel that discussion was necessary, and it
didn't listen to those against membership," said Vlado Miheljak, a
professor of social sciences and columnist for the daily Delo. "The
debate was more about
democratic procedure, and it was forced by the media."
The military, which is the most trusted Slovenian institution and has
an approval rating of more than 70 percent, has not been affected by
the public debate, said Lt. Col. Dobran Bozic, commander of the army's
10th Motorized Battalion.
"We are preparing to work in an international environment," he said.
"We have troops in Bosnia and Kosovo, and we'd like to send special
forces to Afghanistan, but the politicians don't want to risk public
opinion."
In nearly two dozen interviews, political and military leaders, civil
servants, analysts and journalists said that the public outcry was in
large part a result of disapproval of the Bush administration's
foreign policy.
"People here have a weird way of connecting things," Mr. Bebler said.
"There is a correlation in their minds between NATO and the United
States. They think the Bush administration will force NATO to march in
places like Iraq, so why be tricked into far-away wars by reckless
unilateralists?"
Mr. Grizold and Janez Jansa, president of the Social Democratic Party,
said that people do not understand U.S. policy because no one explains
it to them.
"Every event linked to the United States and NATO is shown negatively
in the media," Mr. Jansa said. "The Washington correspondent of the
national TV reports as if from an enemy country."
Mr. Rupel expressed some frustration with a few of the
administration's policies that are often at odds with those of
Washington's European allies.
"I've met Bush, and he is a good and straightforward man," Mr. Rupel
said. "Slovenia would love to stay in the group of American friends,
but some statements from Washington are not helpful in making our
policies popular."
Mr. Grizold, however, said that "as a true partner," Slovenia will
support the United States. "Otherwise, how can we be a credible
partner? We have to stick together and express solidarity."
He also said his country would fulfill NATO's requirement that 2
percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) be spent on defense by
2008, in spite of strong objections by some.
But Mr. Miheljak said that many people doubt the government's
assertion that building a defense system outside NATO would be much
more expensive and that they feel that "we can defend ourselves with
less than 2 percent of GDP."
"We are economically stable, and we don't need NATO like some other
candidates," he said, referring to Bulgaria and Romania, whose
economies have not done as well. "We can survive without NATO."
Article was originally published in Washington times.
spectacle in the city
en la próxima estación: entrada liberta(d)
7 November 2002 at 12.30 at Bavarski dvor
spectacle with the moving caravan
street performance, free style, juggling, singing shelters, League of
improvisers, pressing theatre, jackson's Elvises, graffiti, c3, young
and happy, food without bombs, masters of fire, DJs, banners of great
sizes, masks and dancing, abstract films, lighting contours, United
drums, pupetteers, interpretation of feelings and improvisation ...
spectacle in the city
bring drums, pot-lids, laddles, colourful strips and everything with
which you can
enter for free and freely at the next station - en la próxima
estación: entrada liberta(d)
- - - - - - - -
On 7 November 2002
there will be a spectacle in the city
en la próxima estación: entrada liberta(d)
The main roads of the city will be overflown by manifold groups that
will be drawn in a colourful caravan by a spaceship on four wheels.
The spaceship will begin to gather the caravan around 12.30 at
Bavarski dvor and will take it towards the sun. New stations, new
ships, flying and multi-storied will join. The space will be permeated
by the spectacle of the moving caravan
street performance, free style, juggling, singing shelters, League of
improvisers, pressing theatre, jackson's Elvises, graffiti, c3, young
and happy, food without bombs, masters of fire, DJs, banners of great
sizes, masks and dancing, abstract films, lighting contours, United
drums, pupetteers, interpretation of feelings and improvisation ...
Even though the spectacle will be an artistic, cultural, estetical
one, it will be damned political...
It will be created in an unorganised way - everybody will be able to
enter for free and freely at the next station en la próxima estación:
entrada liberta(d) ... The spectacle will narrate about a station that
is not NATO, that is free, movable and open, that has no aim but still
is flowing in a positive way into a certain direction, that can freely
and flexibly choose further stations, that breathes and permeates with
feelings, that is accessible to children and adults, that is common,
that is being built by imagination and bodies, outside of
institutions, accompanied by the sounds of drums and guitars...
The spectacle will be now and then interrupted for three minutes by
the intellectuals who won't be collecting cultural-political points
but sharing the feeling of the day - en la próxima estación entrada
liberta(d)!
The spectacle will be eyed by television cameras, radios will be
sending the sounds into the world, photographs will be trying to steel
a moment of the entrada liberta(d) and enthusiasm will flow into the
microphones: en la próxima estación: entrada liberta(d)!
PRESEREN'S - NO NATO - CORNER
speakers corner
at Preseren square
Every citizen can PUBLICLY express their opinions and demands in
regard to Slovenia's memberhip in NATO, war against Iraq, violence of
capitalism...
On November 8 the Preseren's speakers corner will give you the
opportunity to appeal to Slovenia and the world for solidarity,
tolerance, justice, peace and nonviolence. Individuals, (in)formal
organisations, associations, groups etc. are invited to participate
actively.
The speakers' Friday afternoon will be accompanied by numerous DJs,
drummers and other performers.
1. TRIESTE 16/11: "...passando sempre per la Jugoslavia..."
2. TRIESTE 23/11: "Non pugnalate la pace": poesie, solidarieta', cena
e concerto!
=== 1 === TRIESTE/TRST 16/11 ===
Ovaj tekst na SRPSKOHRVATSKOM:
https://www.cnj.it/sh/inicijative.htm
ili
http://it.groups.yahoo.com/group/crj-mailinglist/files/sh_16_11.html
Questo testo in FORMATO HTML:
http://it.groups.yahoo.com/group/crj-mailinglist/files/vola_16_11.html
Questo testo in FORMATO WORD (volantino):
http://it.groups.yahoo.com/group/crj-mailinglist/files/vola_16_11.doc
--- CONVEGNO ---
Coordinamento Nazionale per la Jugoslavia
Italijanska Koordinacija za Jugoslaviju
Trieste 16 novembre 2002 ore 10.30
(Trattoria sociale di Contovello-Trieste, Contovello 152)
Convegno
Sulle macerie del Muro di Berlino parlavano di pace e di progresso.
In tutti questi anni abbiamo visto invece solamente un crescendo di
guerre e di miserie: dall'Iraq all'Afghanistan alla Palestina, per
ritornare di nuovo all'Iraq
... PASSANDO SEMPRE PER LA JUGOSLAVIA...
In Jugoslavia, al centro dell'Europa, l'aggressione e' stata
inininterrotta e la spoliazione procede oggi a gonfie vele. Quale e'
la vera situazione economica e sociale sul terreno, al di la' della
disinformazione o dell'omerta' dei mass-media? Come far procedere le
tante iniziative di solidarieta' verso la popolazione bombardata?
Interventi programmati:
* Igor Canciani (PRC Trieste): Introduzione al convegno
* Andrea Catone (CNJ / Most za Beograd, Bari): "Imperialismo e
guerre: l'aggressione alla RFJ"
* Gordana Pavlovic (Ass. Decja Istina, Belgrado): "La situazione
sociale nella RFJ due anni dopo il 5-10-2000"
* Vladimir Kapuralin (Partito Socialista Operaio, Pola): "La
situazione economica e sociale nelle repubbliche ex-jugoslave oggi. Il
caso croato"
* Lino Anelli (CGIL Lombardia): "Il caso Zastava"
* Fabio Sebastiani (Liberazione, Roma): "Le iniziative di
solidarieta'"
* Renato Kneipp (CGIL Trieste): "L'immigrazione jugoslava a Trieste"
* Ivan Pavicevac (CNJ / "Voce Jugoslava" su Radio Citta' Aperta,
Roma): "La disinformazione di guerra: il caso jugoslavo"
Presiede: Gilberto Vlaic (CNJ / ZASTAVA Trieste)
Organizzano:
Coordinamento Nazionale per Jugoslavia, Gruppo ZASTAVA Trieste
Partecipa:
PRC - Federazione di Trieste
L'iniziativa durera' tutta la giornata.
C'e' la possibilita' di pranzare in loco a prezzi modici (si prega di
prenotare al numero: 040-225168)
Per ulteriori informazioni:
338-9116688 - 339-6587490 - <jugocoord@l...>
Coordinamento Nazionale per la Jugoslavia - https://www.cnj.it/
Gruppo ZASTAVA Trieste - http://digilander.libero.it/zastavatrieste/
--- INFORMAZIONI LOGISTICHE ---
Coordinamento Nazionale per la Jugoslavia
Italijanska Koordinacija za Jugoslaviju
Trieste 16 novembre 2002 ore 10.30
(Trattoria sociale di Contovello-Trieste, Contovello 152)
Convegno: "... PASSANDO SEMPRE PER LA JUGOSLAVIA..."
INFORMAZIONI LOGISTICHE
Per chi arriva in macchina:
Dall'autostrada, passato il casello di Monfalcone, si percorrono altri
6-7 Km circa di superstrada verso Trieste. Si esce allo svincolo di
Sgonico.
Prendere a sinistra in direzione Trieste; dopo un chilometro circa si
entra a Prosecco; in centro paese girare a destra per Trieste e dopo
500 metri si e' a Contovello, di fronte alla Trattoria Sociale /
Drustvena Gostilna di Contovello / Kontovel. Chiunque sia del posto sa
indicarla.
Per chi viene da Fernetti: uscire a Prosecco e seguire le indicazioni
Prosecco/Contovello, poi come sopra.
Per chi arriva in treno:
Gli autobus urbani per arrivare a Contovello sono il 42 e il 44 con
capolinea in piazza Oberdan, a circa 300 metri dalla stazione
ferroviaria. Il tragitto dura circa 15 minuti. Chiedere all'autista di
scendere alla Trattoria Sociale di Contovello.
Partenze autobus n. 42 da Piazza Oberdan:
8.25 8.40 9.05 9.50 10.30 11.10 11.50
Partenze autobus n. 44 da Piazza Oberdan:
8.45 9.25 10.05 10.45 11.25
Per chi dovesse pernottare:
Di seguito riportiamo la lista delle pensioni economiche con qualche
disponibilita' di posti per la notte del 15 e/o per la notte del 16;
chi dovesse prenotare deve farlo con urgenza. Le pensioni sono tutte
vicinissime alla stazione e a Piazza Oberdan.
Nuovo Albergo Centro
Via Roma 11, tel. 040-3478790
(solo camere doppie: 42 euro senza bagno, 62 con bagno)
Rittmeyer
Via de Rittmeyer 2, tel. 040-762233
(24 euro singola senza bagno, 40 doppia senza bagno, 55 doppia con
bagno)
Affittacamere
Via Roma 13, tel. 040-636249
(26 euro singola senza bagno, 40 doppia senza bagno)
C'e' poi l'Ostello della Gioventu', a circa mezzora di autobus dalla
Stazione Centrale. Attenzione! L'Ostello chiude alle 23:30, l'ultimo
autobus che lo collega alla citta' termina il servizio attorno alle
21:00.
Ostello Tergeste
Viale Miramare 331, tel. 040-567722.
Costo 12 euro + 5.5 euro (tessera)
=== 2 === TRIESTE/TRST 23/11 ===
Contro le guerre imperialiste
Sulle macerie del muro di Berlino si parlava di pace e di progresso.
Invece in tutti questi anni abbiamo visto solamente un crescendo di
guerre e di miserie: dall'Iraq all'Afghanistan alla Palestina per
tornare all'Iraq... passando sempre per la Jugoslavia...
LETTURE di poesie contro la guerra con
FERRUCCIO BRUGNARO
poeta-operaio di Porto Marghera
"Non pugnalate la pace"
Casa del Popolo di Via Ponziana 14 Trieste
Sabato 23 novembre 2002 ore 18.30
A seguire, alle ore 20.30
Cena di solidarieta'
per la raccolta dei fondi a favore dell'adozione a distanza di
Bojana Lazarevic
figlia di un lavoratore della ZASTAVA di Kragujevac
*** e musica con Gino D'Eliso ***
Per la cena (16 euro) prenotare ai numeri:
Tel. 040-364922 oppure 040-764047 Cell. 339-6587490
Organizzano:
PRC Circolo Gramsci Gruppo ZASTAVA Trieste
2. TRIESTE 23/11: "Non pugnalate la pace": poesie, solidarieta', cena
e concerto!
=== 1 === TRIESTE/TRST 16/11 ===
Ovaj tekst na SRPSKOHRVATSKOM:
https://www.cnj.it/sh/inicijative.htm
ili
http://it.groups.yahoo.com/group/crj-mailinglist/files/sh_16_11.html
Questo testo in FORMATO HTML:
http://it.groups.yahoo.com/group/crj-mailinglist/files/vola_16_11.html
Questo testo in FORMATO WORD (volantino):
http://it.groups.yahoo.com/group/crj-mailinglist/files/vola_16_11.doc
--- CONVEGNO ---
Coordinamento Nazionale per la Jugoslavia
Italijanska Koordinacija za Jugoslaviju
Trieste 16 novembre 2002 ore 10.30
(Trattoria sociale di Contovello-Trieste, Contovello 152)
Convegno
Sulle macerie del Muro di Berlino parlavano di pace e di progresso.
In tutti questi anni abbiamo visto invece solamente un crescendo di
guerre e di miserie: dall'Iraq all'Afghanistan alla Palestina, per
ritornare di nuovo all'Iraq
... PASSANDO SEMPRE PER LA JUGOSLAVIA...
In Jugoslavia, al centro dell'Europa, l'aggressione e' stata
inininterrotta e la spoliazione procede oggi a gonfie vele. Quale e'
la vera situazione economica e sociale sul terreno, al di la' della
disinformazione o dell'omerta' dei mass-media? Come far procedere le
tante iniziative di solidarieta' verso la popolazione bombardata?
Interventi programmati:
* Igor Canciani (PRC Trieste): Introduzione al convegno
* Andrea Catone (CNJ / Most za Beograd, Bari): "Imperialismo e
guerre: l'aggressione alla RFJ"
* Gordana Pavlovic (Ass. Decja Istina, Belgrado): "La situazione
sociale nella RFJ due anni dopo il 5-10-2000"
* Vladimir Kapuralin (Partito Socialista Operaio, Pola): "La
situazione economica e sociale nelle repubbliche ex-jugoslave oggi. Il
caso croato"
* Lino Anelli (CGIL Lombardia): "Il caso Zastava"
* Fabio Sebastiani (Liberazione, Roma): "Le iniziative di
solidarieta'"
* Renato Kneipp (CGIL Trieste): "L'immigrazione jugoslava a Trieste"
* Ivan Pavicevac (CNJ / "Voce Jugoslava" su Radio Citta' Aperta,
Roma): "La disinformazione di guerra: il caso jugoslavo"
Presiede: Gilberto Vlaic (CNJ / ZASTAVA Trieste)
Organizzano:
Coordinamento Nazionale per Jugoslavia, Gruppo ZASTAVA Trieste
Partecipa:
PRC - Federazione di Trieste
L'iniziativa durera' tutta la giornata.
C'e' la possibilita' di pranzare in loco a prezzi modici (si prega di
prenotare al numero: 040-225168)
Per ulteriori informazioni:
338-9116688 - 339-6587490 - <jugocoord@l...>
Coordinamento Nazionale per la Jugoslavia - https://www.cnj.it/
Gruppo ZASTAVA Trieste - http://digilander.libero.it/zastavatrieste/
--- INFORMAZIONI LOGISTICHE ---
Coordinamento Nazionale per la Jugoslavia
Italijanska Koordinacija za Jugoslaviju
Trieste 16 novembre 2002 ore 10.30
(Trattoria sociale di Contovello-Trieste, Contovello 152)
Convegno: "... PASSANDO SEMPRE PER LA JUGOSLAVIA..."
INFORMAZIONI LOGISTICHE
Per chi arriva in macchina:
Dall'autostrada, passato il casello di Monfalcone, si percorrono altri
6-7 Km circa di superstrada verso Trieste. Si esce allo svincolo di
Sgonico.
Prendere a sinistra in direzione Trieste; dopo un chilometro circa si
entra a Prosecco; in centro paese girare a destra per Trieste e dopo
500 metri si e' a Contovello, di fronte alla Trattoria Sociale /
Drustvena Gostilna di Contovello / Kontovel. Chiunque sia del posto sa
indicarla.
Per chi viene da Fernetti: uscire a Prosecco e seguire le indicazioni
Prosecco/Contovello, poi come sopra.
Per chi arriva in treno:
Gli autobus urbani per arrivare a Contovello sono il 42 e il 44 con
capolinea in piazza Oberdan, a circa 300 metri dalla stazione
ferroviaria. Il tragitto dura circa 15 minuti. Chiedere all'autista di
scendere alla Trattoria Sociale di Contovello.
Partenze autobus n. 42 da Piazza Oberdan:
8.25 8.40 9.05 9.50 10.30 11.10 11.50
Partenze autobus n. 44 da Piazza Oberdan:
8.45 9.25 10.05 10.45 11.25
Per chi dovesse pernottare:
Di seguito riportiamo la lista delle pensioni economiche con qualche
disponibilita' di posti per la notte del 15 e/o per la notte del 16;
chi dovesse prenotare deve farlo con urgenza. Le pensioni sono tutte
vicinissime alla stazione e a Piazza Oberdan.
Nuovo Albergo Centro
Via Roma 11, tel. 040-3478790
(solo camere doppie: 42 euro senza bagno, 62 con bagno)
Rittmeyer
Via de Rittmeyer 2, tel. 040-762233
(24 euro singola senza bagno, 40 doppia senza bagno, 55 doppia con
bagno)
Affittacamere
Via Roma 13, tel. 040-636249
(26 euro singola senza bagno, 40 doppia senza bagno)
C'e' poi l'Ostello della Gioventu', a circa mezzora di autobus dalla
Stazione Centrale. Attenzione! L'Ostello chiude alle 23:30, l'ultimo
autobus che lo collega alla citta' termina il servizio attorno alle
21:00.
Ostello Tergeste
Viale Miramare 331, tel. 040-567722.
Costo 12 euro + 5.5 euro (tessera)
=== 2 === TRIESTE/TRST 23/11 ===
Contro le guerre imperialiste
Sulle macerie del muro di Berlino si parlava di pace e di progresso.
Invece in tutti questi anni abbiamo visto solamente un crescendo di
guerre e di miserie: dall'Iraq all'Afghanistan alla Palestina per
tornare all'Iraq... passando sempre per la Jugoslavia...
LETTURE di poesie contro la guerra con
FERRUCCIO BRUGNARO
poeta-operaio di Porto Marghera
"Non pugnalate la pace"
Casa del Popolo di Via Ponziana 14 Trieste
Sabato 23 novembre 2002 ore 18.30
A seguire, alle ore 20.30
Cena di solidarieta'
per la raccolta dei fondi a favore dell'adozione a distanza di
Bojana Lazarevic
figlia di un lavoratore della ZASTAVA di Kragujevac
*** e musica con Gino D'Eliso ***
Per la cena (16 euro) prenotare ai numeri:
Tel. 040-364922 oppure 040-764047 Cell. 339-6587490
Organizzano:
PRC Circolo Gramsci Gruppo ZASTAVA Trieste
BELGRADO: STUDENTI IN SCIOPERO DELLA FAME
Avevamo saputo che gli studenti della facolta' di legge di Belgrado
hanno tenuto "sequestrato" per alcune ore in facolta' il ministro
della pubblica istruzione Gaso Knezevic (ANSA 08/11/2002). Ci giunge
oggi pero' la notizia di fonte TANJUG in base alla quale un centinaio
di quegli studenti ha scelto lo sciopero della fame come forma ben
piu' estrema di protesta contro il livello esorbitante raggiunto dalle
tasse universitarie.
Queste ultime a partire dalla fine del 2000 - dopo l'insediamento del
nuovo regime iper-liberista - hanno raggiunto cifre inaudite,
dell'ordine delle centinaia di euro, assolutamente proibitive per le
famiglie serbe.
Il movimento degli studenti di Belgrado viene ignorato dalla
"sinistra" italiana, che attraverso i suoi organi di stampa ha
appoggiato la "svolta" filo-occidentale dell'ottobre 2000 in Serbia ed
e' ora costretta a tacere omertosamente sulle attuali condizioni di
vita in quel paese.
(A cura di I.S.)
+++ BELGRAD: STUDENTEN IM HUNGESTREIK
BELGRAD. Mehr als 100 Studenten der
Juristischen Fakultät der Universität
Belgrad befinden sich derzeit im
Hungerstreik. Damit protestieren sie
gegen die horrenden Studiengebühren und
die drastische Streichung der Anzahl
von Studienplätzen, die an den
serbischen Hochschulen von der
ultraliberalen DOS-Regierung
eingeführt wurden. TANJUG +++
(Balkan-Telegramm, 10. November 2002 - http://www.amselfeld.com)
Avevamo saputo che gli studenti della facolta' di legge di Belgrado
hanno tenuto "sequestrato" per alcune ore in facolta' il ministro
della pubblica istruzione Gaso Knezevic (ANSA 08/11/2002). Ci giunge
oggi pero' la notizia di fonte TANJUG in base alla quale un centinaio
di quegli studenti ha scelto lo sciopero della fame come forma ben
piu' estrema di protesta contro il livello esorbitante raggiunto dalle
tasse universitarie.
Queste ultime a partire dalla fine del 2000 - dopo l'insediamento del
nuovo regime iper-liberista - hanno raggiunto cifre inaudite,
dell'ordine delle centinaia di euro, assolutamente proibitive per le
famiglie serbe.
Il movimento degli studenti di Belgrado viene ignorato dalla
"sinistra" italiana, che attraverso i suoi organi di stampa ha
appoggiato la "svolta" filo-occidentale dell'ottobre 2000 in Serbia ed
e' ora costretta a tacere omertosamente sulle attuali condizioni di
vita in quel paese.
(A cura di I.S.)
+++ BELGRAD: STUDENTEN IM HUNGESTREIK
BELGRAD. Mehr als 100 Studenten der
Juristischen Fakultät der Universität
Belgrad befinden sich derzeit im
Hungerstreik. Damit protestieren sie
gegen die horrenden Studiengebühren und
die drastische Streichung der Anzahl
von Studienplätzen, die an den
serbischen Hochschulen von der
ultraliberalen DOS-Regierung
eingeführt wurden. TANJUG +++
(Balkan-Telegramm, 10. November 2002 - http://www.amselfeld.com)
