Beijing Daily
Chinese edition
April 5, 2002
Serbia: Hand Over President for a Dollar?
Huang Qiang in Belgrade
On March 31, under US pressure, the Ministry of
Justice of the Republic of Serbia, the F.R. of
Yugoslavia, issued the order for arresting 4 senior
officials of former government of the F.R. of
Yugoslavia, present Serbian President Milutinovic
included. This decision once again shocked the
political arena of Yugoslavia.
It was at same time last year, the Serbian Government,
under US pressure, arrested Milosevic, former
President of the F.R. of Yugoslavia, and delivered him
3 months later to the Tribunal in the Hague. One year
later, the same bad luck befallen Milutinovic. The
three others are Sainovic, former Vice Prime Minister,
Stojiljkovic, Serbian Interior Minister and Ojdanic,
former army chief of staff. They are accused of being
the accomplice of Milosevic.
Although the justice ministry of Serbian has issued
the order to arrest the four persons, yet up to now,
it has not been carried out. Serbian PM Djindjic told
that in following 3 or 4 days one of them will be
delivered to the Hague.
It was under US threat to cut off economic assistance
to Yugoslavia that the Government of Serbia decided to
arrest Milutinovic and the other three.
The issue of “war criminals of former Yugoslavia” has
been something sensitive in the political arena of the
F.R. of Yugoslavia. The action taken last year by
Serbian Government in arresting Milosevic and
delivering him to the Hague had produced wide
repercussions in the political arena of Yugoslavia.
This time is not an exception, it left a deeper rift
between Yugoslav President Kostunica and the pro-west
Serbian Prime Minister Djindjic.
Djindjic played a decisive role in last year incident
of arresting Milosevic. He held the confrontation
between Kostunica and the Tribunal in the Hague will
lead to political unrest of the state, leaving the
country to face danger again of sanction and being
isolated and preventing the state from being merged
into the international community. He condemned
Kostunica for his opposition to cooperation with the
Tribunal. He told Kostunica is “timid and
overcautious, hypocritical and irresponsible”. He said
the duty of president of Yugoslavia is to safeguard
the international status of the state, obviously he is
not competent for this position.
Serbian Justice Minister Batic also criticized
Kostunica for his “erroneous patriotic remarks”,
saying the state is facing with the most serious
crisis since the new government took office in last
Oct. He demanded Kostunica to take a clear-cut stand:
To cooperate with the Hague or take the responsibility
of US sanctions.
Under inside and outside pressure, Kostunica had to
make a compromise, expressing on April 1 that the
cooperation with the Tribunal must be carried out
within framework of law.
Although the Serbian Justice Ministry has made a
decision to arrest Milutinovic and other three when
the set deadline came to an end, yet US held
Yugoslavia has not done enough. US ambassador in
charge of “war crime” affairs pointed out the present
condition of cooperation between Yugoslavia and the
Tribunal in the Hague is not appropriate for US to
continue its assistance to Yugoslavia. 1. Milutinovic
and other three have not been arrested and delivered
to the Hague; 2. US hopes to have all suspected war
criminals within Yugoslavia arrested, including
Karadzic and Mladic.
March is rightly the month to mark the 3rd anniversary
of US-led Nato bombing against Yugoslavia. At this
sensitive moment, there happened such disputes, which
reflected from one aspect that there are many
complications in Yugoslavia-US relations.
There exist delicate relations between Yugoslav new
government and the US. On one hand, Yugoslavia is
faced up with serious situation internally and
externally. It needs US support. Djindjic said,
without US support, the democratic and economic reform
in Yugoslavia will stop. The agreements Yugoslavia has
signed with IMF and World Bank and negotiation for
Yugoslavia accession to WTO will encounter obstacles.
Therefore, President Kostunica and Serbian PM
Djindjic, the two with real power, visited Washington
one after another last year seeking US support. On the
other hand, US hard position on issue of war criminal
of former Yugoslavia dissatisfied those Yugoslav who
laying emphasis on national interest. There lacks
trust in Yugoslavia-US relations. A professor working
for the institute for Europe Studies of Yugoslavia
said that the sanction started in April of 1992 has
brought a loss of USD 60 billion to Yugoslavia. Last
year US declared to lift sanctions against Yugoslavia,
but in fact the sanctions have not been
comprehensively lifted. There still exists some
“recessive sanctions”. Some bank account of Yugoslavia
are still frozen and there is also restrictions on the
flight of JAT. Moreover, the Perisic spy case further
showed the no- confidence existing between Yugoslavia
and US.
It is to serve its Balkan policy that US stirred up
trouble on war criminal issue of former Yugoslavia. US
realized its military existence through Bosnian war
and Kosovo war and established its dominant position
in Balkan Peninsula. However, US held there still
exist unstable factors in the Balkans, mainly from the
nationalism. In eyes of American, Milosevic, Karadzic
and Mladic are symbol of Serbian nationalism. To bring
them to trial is to hit “great Serbianism”. And the
pressure imposed on present Yugoslav Gov’t on issue of
war criminal of former Yugoslavia is also targeted at
the nationalism existing within the present government
of the F.R. of Yugoslavia.
Meanwhile, US efforts made at this moment on war
criminals is also aimed to get rid of the unfavorable
situation emerged on the trial of Milosevic in the
Hague. The intensified efforts on arrest and delivery
of war criminals may produce higher mental pressure on
Milosevic and provide more evidences against him.
Starting from April 1, the US promised USD 40 million
assistance to Yugoslavia in the current fiscal year
will automatically froze. It is still unknown whether
US will continue to provide economic assistance to
Yugoslavia in next fiscal year.
However, the chief of the Institute of Europe Studies
of Yugoslavia held there will not be a big problem in
Serbia-US relations. He is optimistic about the
future of the Yugoslavia-US relations.
Chinese edition
April 5, 2002
Serbia: Hand Over President for a Dollar?
Huang Qiang in Belgrade
On March 31, under US pressure, the Ministry of
Justice of the Republic of Serbia, the F.R. of
Yugoslavia, issued the order for arresting 4 senior
officials of former government of the F.R. of
Yugoslavia, present Serbian President Milutinovic
included. This decision once again shocked the
political arena of Yugoslavia.
It was at same time last year, the Serbian Government,
under US pressure, arrested Milosevic, former
President of the F.R. of Yugoslavia, and delivered him
3 months later to the Tribunal in the Hague. One year
later, the same bad luck befallen Milutinovic. The
three others are Sainovic, former Vice Prime Minister,
Stojiljkovic, Serbian Interior Minister and Ojdanic,
former army chief of staff. They are accused of being
the accomplice of Milosevic.
Although the justice ministry of Serbian has issued
the order to arrest the four persons, yet up to now,
it has not been carried out. Serbian PM Djindjic told
that in following 3 or 4 days one of them will be
delivered to the Hague.
It was under US threat to cut off economic assistance
to Yugoslavia that the Government of Serbia decided to
arrest Milutinovic and the other three.
The issue of “war criminals of former Yugoslavia” has
been something sensitive in the political arena of the
F.R. of Yugoslavia. The action taken last year by
Serbian Government in arresting Milosevic and
delivering him to the Hague had produced wide
repercussions in the political arena of Yugoslavia.
This time is not an exception, it left a deeper rift
between Yugoslav President Kostunica and the pro-west
Serbian Prime Minister Djindjic.
Djindjic played a decisive role in last year incident
of arresting Milosevic. He held the confrontation
between Kostunica and the Tribunal in the Hague will
lead to political unrest of the state, leaving the
country to face danger again of sanction and being
isolated and preventing the state from being merged
into the international community. He condemned
Kostunica for his opposition to cooperation with the
Tribunal. He told Kostunica is “timid and
overcautious, hypocritical and irresponsible”. He said
the duty of president of Yugoslavia is to safeguard
the international status of the state, obviously he is
not competent for this position.
Serbian Justice Minister Batic also criticized
Kostunica for his “erroneous patriotic remarks”,
saying the state is facing with the most serious
crisis since the new government took office in last
Oct. He demanded Kostunica to take a clear-cut stand:
To cooperate with the Hague or take the responsibility
of US sanctions.
Under inside and outside pressure, Kostunica had to
make a compromise, expressing on April 1 that the
cooperation with the Tribunal must be carried out
within framework of law.
Although the Serbian Justice Ministry has made a
decision to arrest Milutinovic and other three when
the set deadline came to an end, yet US held
Yugoslavia has not done enough. US ambassador in
charge of “war crime” affairs pointed out the present
condition of cooperation between Yugoslavia and the
Tribunal in the Hague is not appropriate for US to
continue its assistance to Yugoslavia. 1. Milutinovic
and other three have not been arrested and delivered
to the Hague; 2. US hopes to have all suspected war
criminals within Yugoslavia arrested, including
Karadzic and Mladic.
March is rightly the month to mark the 3rd anniversary
of US-led Nato bombing against Yugoslavia. At this
sensitive moment, there happened such disputes, which
reflected from one aspect that there are many
complications in Yugoslavia-US relations.
There exist delicate relations between Yugoslav new
government and the US. On one hand, Yugoslavia is
faced up with serious situation internally and
externally. It needs US support. Djindjic said,
without US support, the democratic and economic reform
in Yugoslavia will stop. The agreements Yugoslavia has
signed with IMF and World Bank and negotiation for
Yugoslavia accession to WTO will encounter obstacles.
Therefore, President Kostunica and Serbian PM
Djindjic, the two with real power, visited Washington
one after another last year seeking US support. On the
other hand, US hard position on issue of war criminal
of former Yugoslavia dissatisfied those Yugoslav who
laying emphasis on national interest. There lacks
trust in Yugoslavia-US relations. A professor working
for the institute for Europe Studies of Yugoslavia
said that the sanction started in April of 1992 has
brought a loss of USD 60 billion to Yugoslavia. Last
year US declared to lift sanctions against Yugoslavia,
but in fact the sanctions have not been
comprehensively lifted. There still exists some
“recessive sanctions”. Some bank account of Yugoslavia
are still frozen and there is also restrictions on the
flight of JAT. Moreover, the Perisic spy case further
showed the no- confidence existing between Yugoslavia
and US.
It is to serve its Balkan policy that US stirred up
trouble on war criminal issue of former Yugoslavia. US
realized its military existence through Bosnian war
and Kosovo war and established its dominant position
in Balkan Peninsula. However, US held there still
exist unstable factors in the Balkans, mainly from the
nationalism. In eyes of American, Milosevic, Karadzic
and Mladic are symbol of Serbian nationalism. To bring
them to trial is to hit “great Serbianism”. And the
pressure imposed on present Yugoslav Gov’t on issue of
war criminal of former Yugoslavia is also targeted at
the nationalism existing within the present government
of the F.R. of Yugoslavia.
Meanwhile, US efforts made at this moment on war
criminals is also aimed to get rid of the unfavorable
situation emerged on the trial of Milosevic in the
Hague. The intensified efforts on arrest and delivery
of war criminals may produce higher mental pressure on
Milosevic and provide more evidences against him.
Starting from April 1, the US promised USD 40 million
assistance to Yugoslavia in the current fiscal year
will automatically froze. It is still unknown whether
US will continue to provide economic assistance to
Yugoslavia in next fiscal year.
However, the chief of the Institute of Europe Studies
of Yugoslavia held there will not be a big problem in
Serbia-US relations. He is optimistic about the
future of the Yugoslavia-US relations.