* La Jugoslavia deve vivere (L'avamposto degli incompatibili)
* SOS Zastava (Torino)
* Edizione greca per "L'arcivescovo del genocidio"
* Manifestazioni e processi contro i pacifisti (Olanda)
* Stop alle sanzioni! (Svezia)
* Sotto processo militanti dell'IAC (USA)
---
http://digilander.iol.it/CONTROAPPUNTO1/
LA JUGOSLAVIA DEVE VIVERE
E' da un po' di tempo che circola nel "movimento antagonista" una
posizione sulla guerra
degna di un pacifismo acritico e di fatto complice della NATO. Si dice:
guerra inutile e
dannosa perché senza risolvere i problemi che l'hanno scatenata, ha
portato morti e
distruzione, soprattutto fra i civili e alle fabbriche.
Ciò, secondo noi, oltre ad essere falso, tende a spostare la discussione
su un terreno
lacrimoso e di fatto equidistante fra le parti in causa.
Di questa guerra tutto si può dire eccetto che sia stata inutile,ammesso
che una guerra sia
mai stata inutile. Fare questa affermazione significa accettare
l'assioma della NATO,
secondo cui questa guerra è stata condotta per porre fine alla
cosiddetta "pulizia etnica" e
per portare a convivere le varie etnie in un Kosovo democratizzato. Solo
accettando tale
assioma, si può definire questa guerra inutile oltre che dannosa.
Ma come tutti sanno questo assioma è falso!
Falso, non solo perché la "pulizia etnica" è stata strombazzata ad arte:
tanto è vero che le
fosse comuni non sono mai state trovate, nonostante l'invio di
specialisti NATO, ma anche
perché i veri motivi di questa guerra erano geo-politici ed economici,
come la realtà ha
ampiamente dimostrato.
Se questi sono i fatti, la guerra nei Balcani, per i paesi NATO non è
stata nè dannosa nè
tantomeno inutile.
Vediamo i fatti
I paesi NATO, che sono stati i più convinti fautori della
disintegrazione Jugoslava, sono:
Germania (e il satellite Austria);
Italia
Turchia (e la sua longa manus albanese);
USA (e Inghilterra di contorno).
E' STATA INUTILE LA GUERRA PER QUESTI PAESI? NO!
Dalla disintegrazione Jugoslava la Germania guadagna la conquista
economica di Slovenia e
Croazia (dove ormai la moneta dominante è il marco tedesco) oltre che di
parte della
Bosnia: vale a dire le zone più ricche dell' ex Jugoslavia. Nell'ultimo
periodo, poi, l'influenza
economica sta acquistando sempre più le caratteristiche di influenza
politica, anche grazie al
cavallo di Troia austriaco. Basti pensare ai rapporti fra Carinzia,
Friuli e Slovenia, con la
tacita benedizione dei demo-reazionari bavaresi. Tenendo presente che è
forte la spinta
verso l'Europa a due velocità e la presenza dell'asse franco-tedesco,
secondo noi, la
conquista tedesca dello sbocco sull'Adriatico è stato un fenomeno
cruciale nell'assetto
geo-politico dell'Europa del futuro.
Altro che guerra inutile per la Germania!
Le ambizioni Italiane erano più limitate, come sempre daltronde. Come ai
tempi del fascismo
ci si è accontentati di stabilire una specie di protettorato in Albania
(in comproprietà coi
turchi) magari allargabile domani al Montenegro. Questo obiettivo è
stato raggiunto, e molte
"imprese" italiane si sono spostate da quelle parti per "diventare
competitive".
Poca cosa , naturalmente, ma da questa guerra qualche briciola l'ha
guadagnata anche
l'Italia.
Veniamo alla Turchia. Con gli accordi di Helsinki dei mesi scorsi si è
assicurata la
commercializzazione del petrolio del Caucaso, con un'opzione sul gas
Turkmeno. Con
questa guerra si è assicurata, grazie ad Albania, Kosovo, Bosnia il
passaggio dei futuri
oleodotti e gasdotti verso la destinazione Europea. Se avranno successo
le spinte
panalbanesi anche in Macedonia il passaggio sarà lineare. Non è un caso
che pochi mesi fa,
l'Italia ha deciso di liberalizzare l'approvvigionamento di gas
proveniente dai paesi europei,
e solo da quelli.
E, naturalmente, sono aumentate le chances turche di entrare nell'UE.
Altro che guerra inutile per la Turchia!
E gli USA? E' risaputo che gli USA non sono mai stati entusiasti
dell'Europa "dall'Atlantico
agli Urali", cosa che alla lunga potrebbe risultare pericolosa per il
proprio dominio sul
pianeta. Piazzare nel sud-Europa il cavallo di Troia del fedele alleato
turco da affiancare
all'altro cavallo di Troia inglese significa indebolire politicamente e
condizionare
economicamente l'Unione Europea. Se poi dovesse prendere corpo il
progetto di Europa a
due velocità gli USA si assicurerebbero il dominio economico in tutto il
sud-Europa, Italia
compresa.
Se così stanno le cose, il movimento antimperialista, invece di
piagnucolare sulla guerra inutile e
dannosa, dovrebbe demistificare e denunciare l'ideologia guerrafondaia
imperialista che contagia tutti, in
primis i sinistri di governo, e mettere in risalto quali danni questa
guerra ha prodotto sia in Jugoslavia sia sui
popoli che in questa guerra sono stati catapultati. In Italia, per
esempio, nessuno ha mai spiegato ai proletari che,
a fronte dei vantaggi per le imprese, questa guerra ha portato
incremento della disoccupazione al sud, visto che le
imprese trasferite in Albania, per i bassi costi del lavoro, hanno
licenziato in Italia, specialmente in Puglia.
Inoltre questa guerra ha portato ad aumenti vertiginosi del prezzo dei
prodotti petroliferi e derivati, sia a causa
dell'apprezzamento del dollaro dopo la guerra del Kosovo, sia grazie ai
già citati accordi di Helsinki e alla,
anch'essa già citata, liberalizzazione dell'approvvigionamento del gas
turco.
Se non ci si muove in questa direzione, ci si ritroverà a breve
scadenza, catapultati in
un'altra guerra: quella del Montenegro. Già i preparativi sono in atto e
di nuovo si stanno
strombazzando proclami di "liberazione del Montenegro dal dittatore
Milosevic", reo di aver
modificato la costituzione "per garantirsi con l'elezione diretta la
rielezione a presidente
Jugoslavo". Strano a dirsi, la stessa cosa che molti vogliono fare in
Italia. Ma si sa, una
legge fatta in Italia è profondamente democratica. La stessa legge fatta
in Jugoslavia, vuol
dire dittatura.
E allora basta piagnucolare e muoviamoci per demistificare e contrastare
questo spirito
guerrafondaio. Altrimenti non hanno senso incontri con operai della
Zastava o contromarce
della pace. Noi ci siamo opposti alla guerra e all'embargo, non perché
inutili e dannosi, ma
perché vogliamo combattere contro l'imperialismo occidentale e il
dominio imperiale
amerikano.
SMRT FASIZMU - SLOBODA NARODU!
morte al fascismo - libertà al popolo",
L'Avamposto degli Incompatibili
http://digilander.iol.it/CONTROAPPUNTO1/
---
Informazione sul viaggio del 15 e 16 giugno a Kragujevak
Nei giorni 15 e 16 giugno 2000, una delegazione di lavoratori e
militanti
sindacali di Torino si è recata a Kragujevac per portare gli aiuti ai
156
ragazzi, figli dei lavoratori della Zastava, adottati a distanza dopo la
guerra del 1999 ed i bombardamenti subiti dal più grande stabilimento
jugoslavo.
La delegazione ha portato 27 milioni di lire da distribuire ai ragazzi.
Ha
visitato 6 famiglie dei ragazzi adottati. Ha visitato la fabbrica
accompagnata dal sindacato aziendale.
Il complesso industriale Zastava era composto da tre stabilimenti: la
fabbrica di automobili, la fabbrica di camion chiamata "Iveco -
Zastava", ed
uno stabilimento di armi da caccia e sportive. In tutto lavoravano
36.000
lavoratori: 2.500 alla Iveco, 2.000 alla fabbrica d'armi, oltre 30.000
in
quella delle auto. Il complesso è stato bombardato due volte con 36
missili
o bombe laser di precisione. Sono stati colpiti e distrutti in modo tale
da
rendere irricostruibili: il centro informatico, gli impianti
automatizzati
di verniciatura, lo stabilimento di meccanica dell'Iveco. Sono stati
distrutti, ma si è iniziato per il recupero della centrale termica,
degli
impianti di lastroferratura e del montaggio delle automobili e dei
trattamenti termici dell'Iveco (usiamo il termine "Iveco" perché usato
dai
lavoratori interessati, la partecipazione della Fiat Iveco è al 40%). La
fabbrica di armi è stata bombardata per ultima con un solo missile sui
36
lanciati, ha distrutto i capannoni, ma non gli impianti perché questi
erano
già stati trasferiti in quanto ritenuti obiettivo militare,
contrariamente
alla produzione di automobili e di camion.
Il risultato è che oggi lavorano poco più di 10.000 lavoratori, per
produrre
automobili e camion quando si può (durante la visita, un impianto era
fermo
in per mancanza di energia) e come si può (nei box di verniciatura si
lavora
a mano, le fucine sono come erano le nostre alla Fiat negli anni '60).
Nelle
famiglie che abbiamo incontrato le lavoratrici o i lavoratori della
Zastava
lavorano, quando va bene, una settimana al mese.
Il secondo risultato ottenuto con bombardamenti è che la famiglia di chi
non
lavora nel mese ha un reddito di 15.000 lire, di chi lavora 1 settimana
al
mese di 37.000 lire, di chi lavora tutto il mese davanti ad una forgia
ne
guadagna 100.000. Gli operai però sono particolarmente dinamici, quando
abbiamo visitato la famiglia di un ragazzo adottato da lavoratori della
Fiat
Iveco, il padre, vedovo con quattro figli, ci ha raccontato che per
arrotondare lo stipendio riempie vecchi accendini e li va vendere lungo
la
strada. Alcune settimane or sono ha incontrato sulla strada un cinese e
gli
ha detto: "hai visto? Sono messo peggio di te…".
Un terzo aspetto è quello sanitario: nelle sei famiglie che abbiamo
visitato
2 piccoli ragazzi hanno l'asma ma non hanno i farmaci per curarsi; una
mamma, lavoratrice Zastava, è mentalmente malata; un'altra mamma soffre
di
sclerosi multipla ma non si riesce a lenire con cure farmacologiche
questa
grave malattia progressiva.
Nessuno di coloro che abbiamo incontrato, nella fabbrica, nelle case o
per
strada ha espresso sentimenti di rancore nei nostri confronti. Prima
abbiamo
concorso a distruggere le fonti della loro esistenza (e, per alcuni di
loro;
delle possibilità di vivere almeno dignitosamente) ed oggi ci
ringraziano
perché li aiutiamo.
Per le prime sottoscrizioni fatte a dicembre 1999 ed a febbraio 2000,
siamo
in possesso degli elenchi firmati da chi ha ricevuto i soldi. Per la
prossima volta ci chiedono di incontrare tutti i bambini e di consegnare
direttamente a loro le sottoscrizioni: si dovrà organizzare una
delegazione
da Torino.
per il
Comitato Piemontese SOS Zastava
Perini Fulvio
---
IL GENOCIDIO DIMENTICATO
Il giorno 28 giugno 2000 alle ore 20:30 ad Atene – Grecia
Un anno dopo la fine dei bombardamenti NATO e l’ occupazione del Kosovo
(teritorio della Jugoslavia) L’ Associazione di amicizia tra Grecia e
Serbia insieme alla casa editrice Proskinio, presentano ad Atene il
libro del prof. Marco Aurelio Rivelli, studioso della realt? balcanica,
“L'arcivescovo del genocidio” in lingua greca su licenza della Kaos
Edizioni Milano. Il libro a curato lo storico Nikos Klitsikas ed a
tradotto la dottoressa Margherita Salvato.
All dibatito che si terra’ all amfiteatro dell museo della guera di
Atene, interverrano:
Marco Aurelio Rivelli, scrittore
Nikos Klitsikas, storico
Panagiotis Kritikos, deputato socialista
Stelios Papathemelis, deputato socialista
Alexandros Likourezos, deputato dela nuova Democrazia
Maria Mantuvalou, proffesoressa al Universita’ di Atene
Vasilis Rafailidis, giornalista
Giorgos Anastopoulos, presidente del Associazione di Amicizia
Grecia-Serbia
Saranno presenti ed interverano:
Il vescovo di Tebe Ieronimos (il qualle ha fatto la prefazione del libro
nella edizione in lingua greca
L’ ambasciatore della Jugoslavia in grecia Dragomir Vucicevic.
La guerra contro la Jugoslavia non e’ finita, ma la resistenza contro
NATO continua
Una riflessione dedicata all'argomento sollecita ad esaminare, tra
l'altro, gli eventi che nel corso del II conflitto mondiale sfociarono
nella costituzione dello Stato Croato Indipendente, uno Stato che fu
servitore fedele del III Reich, che nacque connotato da un'ideologia
apertamente razzista, che venne difeso dalle gerarchie vaticane, nel
quale venne perpetrato il genocidio delle popolazioni serbe ortodosse.
La riflessione sulle vicende legate alla storia dello Stato guidato da
Ante Pavelic rappresenta oggi, dopo il crollo dell'unit? Jugoslava e la
nascita della Repubblica di Croazia, un'occasione preziosa per
comprendere le radici di questo presente, con la consapevolezza che i
progetti egemonici del Nuovo Ordine Mondiale non si fermeranno alle
frontiere dei Balcani.
---
Date: Sun, 09 Jul 2000 20:35:36 +0200
From: Herman de Tollenaere
Subject: Peace demonstrations Utrecht, The Netherlands
On Saturday 8 July, people gathered near the Central Station in Utrecht,
to
oppose the military propaganda at the "Megafestatie". The "Megafestatie"
is
a trade fair/exhibition in the Jaarbeurs hall, aimed at young people.
Main
exhibitors, besides, eg, MTV, are the Dutch military, aiming to get
teenagers into the Dutch army, military police, and Marines. Not many
young
people want to join the Dutch [professional] armed forces; they have
trouble with finding people for vacancies. To counter that, lots of tax
money go to expensive propaganda. The slogan of the armed forces is:
"[Like] a nanny; but differently." People killed or wounded by Dutch or
other NATO armed forces in the Balkans and elsewhere might differ. So,
during the whole Megafestatie, until 16 July, visitors will get counter
information to the official propaganda. Starting every day at 12
o'clock.
In the night of Friday 7 to Saturday 8 July, two activists wanted to tie
a
banner to a big building crane near the entrance of the Jaarbeurs. The
banner challenged the army's claim of being a "peace army." However,
police
arrested them.
Later on Saturday, the demonstrators gathered at Smakkelaarsveld
[Central
Station side, opposite to Jaarbeurs] for a street rave/march. The
leaflet
of the organizers, "Onkruit vergaat niet", said the army propaganda
stimulated violence, also in foreign countries. "Violence there [by
Dutch
and coalition armed forces] also does not bring communication between
parties in conflicts, but impedes it. We have seen this during the war
in
Kosovo and elsewhere." Other leaflets passed around told what
demonstrators
could do if arrested; and on the "humanitarian" 1999 Balkans war,
including
many deaths like of the fifteen years old Yugoslav schoolgirl and
mathematics champion, Sanja Milenkovic.
Behind a big banner, opposing militarist propaganda, gathered drummers;
people with signs of Crass and other punk rock bands on their clothes;
people with T shirts of Rood [Red], youth branch of the Socialist Party,
and against the witch hunt against "illegal" immigrants; people with
anarchist symbols on. Average age not much over twenty, though there
were
also some elderly people.
The marchers passed the army recruiting center in the inner city of
Utrecht
[closed for the weekend]. With chalk, people drew slogans on the
pavement
close to it, like "Stop recruiting child soldiers", and "Stop NATO."
The demonstration continued to the police station, where the arrested
activists were still being held. The demonstrators made very much noise
to
enable the people in the cells to hear that outside, there were people
in
solidarity with them.
Standing in front of a worker's house, a mother rocked her toddler to
the
rhythm of the music of the sound system in the demonstrators' van, as
her
husband waved to the demonstrators.
During the whole march, new people joined, so that at the Jaarbeurs, the
end, there were many more people then at the beginning. At the
"Megafestatie" entrance, many leaflets were passed to the visitors.
Demonstrators juggled with balls, to show a fun alternative to going
abroad
to shoot people.
Next day, Sunday 9 July, demonstrators gathered at the eastern entrance
of
the Jaarbeurs.
Three banners were taped to the Jaarbeurs entrance: "Onkruit vergaat
niet"
[the organizers]; "Stop military violence"; and "NATO out of the
Balkans"
[thanks, Utrecht friend, for improving the banner's letters!]
Repeatedly, there was street theater: a 'die in' with people being
'killed', falling to the ground, splattered with red 'blood' [paint]. A
more realist approximation of real war then the armed forces propaganda
inside the hall.
As the 'die in' went on, Yvonne shouted through her megaphone: "The
Dutch
army is not a peace army. The Netherlands is a member of NATO. NATO does
not bring peace. NATO kills innocent people!"
Some reactions from the audience were reserved. One boy asked: "You say
the
Dutch army is bad. But how about national defence?" However, he had to
concur that the practice of the Dutch army was *not* 'national defence.'
In
1945-1949, the Dutch army attacked Indonesia. Indonesians wanted
independence from colonialism; they did *not* invade The Netherlands.
Later, Dutch Marines ended a strike, broken by deaths, by workers in
Curacao [Antilles]. Defense? In 1999, the Dutch Air Force helped bomb
Yugoslavia. Defense? Dutch Prime Minister Kok was not even notified by
NATO
that the war begun, let alone the people in The Netherlands. "No" the
questioner had to concede,"that was not really democracy ... or
defence."
A woman, claiming to be married to a Dutch soldier of the NATO forces in
Kosovo, reacted emotionally to the 'die in.' However, it was not
possible
to understand more of her inarticulate words than "my husband did a good
job in Kosovo." A friend of hers dragged her away to prevent her from
making more of a spectacle of herself. If, indeed, as she claims, her
husband was a soldier in Kosovo, I hope it will be possible to explain
to
people like her how people like her husband are used for the dirty work,
while people like NATO General Secretary Lord George Robertson and the
management of cruise missile factory Raytheon, who would not dream of
doing
the dangerous dirty work themselves, make millions of dollars.
A skinhead angrily refused to accept a leaflet against the Balkan war,
bringing the Nazi salute. The Hitler greeting is illegal in The
Netherlands
[so are Hitler posters; still, as TV journalists found out in July 2000,
one may find them on Dutch military barracks' walls]. Nevertheless,
police
standing 10 meters away did not react.
However, reactions by the Megafestatie visitors were generally
favorable.
If you passed, eg, one leaflet on Sanja Milenkovic to one boy or girl,
then
ten of their friends might gather around you asking for more leaflets.
Met vriendelijke groet/Best wishes,
Herman de Tollenaere
-
Date sent: Wed, 12 Jul 2000 23:15:25 +0200
From: Herman de Tollenaere
Subject: Peace activists on trial, Den Bosch, The Netherlands
Peace activists on trial, Den Bosch, The Netherlands
In 1981, half a million people demonstrated at the Museumplein [Museum
Square] in Amsterdam, to get nuclear weapons out of The Netherlands. To
commemorate that demonstration, a sculpture of a stone "cruise missile"
arose on the Museumplein. The maker of that "missile" was Yugoslav born
Miletic, one of the best known sculptors of Amsterdam.
In 1999, as NATO cruise missiles, not of stone, and bombs rained on
Miletic's native country, authorities had his monument for the 1981
peace
demonstration ripped out from the Museumplein. That demonstration had
helped to prevent even more nuclear weapons in The Netherlands. However,
Volkel air base in the Southern Netherlands still has not only the F16
aircraft of the Balkan war; but also nuclear weapons. Well ... they are
very, very, probably there; officially, the government refuses to
confirm
or deny their presence. Even though the International Court of Justice
[older than, and not to be confused with, the NATO countries-financed
Yugoslavia Tribunal, also in The Hague] practically outlawed nuclear
weapons in 1996. The presence of NATO nuclear weapons in The Netherlands
is
also against the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty.
Already before the Balkans war, peace activists planned to go to Volkel
on
2 April 1999. They wanted to inspect the presence of nuclear weapons as
"civilian inspectors". According to the rules of the 1945 Nuremberg
trial,
every human is obliged to prevent war crimes. They unfastened a metal
thread of the fence, making it possible to enter the base. However, fife
of
them were arrested and faced a trial.
On Tuesday 11 July 2000, people gathered near the court house in Den
Bosch,
The Netherlands, to support the activists. They had banners with them,
and
photos of victims of the nuclear bomb on Hiroshima. Yugoslav women said
why
they had come: "We know everything about war. However, we are waging
action, not just for the victims in Yugoslavia, but also for the
children
of Iraq, people in Colombia, and people all over the world at risk by
nuclear bombs. War, and capitalism, are world wide problems."
The lawyer of the accused, Mr Eric Hummels, had called for an expert
witness on international law: Nico Steijnen, who had often written on
nuclear weapons cases. However, the public prosecutor objected to
hearing
Mr Steijnen's testimony. The court went along with this, as, according
to
them, Mr Steijnen had often been the lawyer of private persons against
the
Dutch state in international law cases [like of civilian victims of the
NATO bombing in Yugoslavia], and, supposedly, as a consequence, was not
"independent." The accused protested against the exclusion of Mr
Steijnen.
"Not *we* should be in the dock here", one of the accused said, "but
Government Ministers Kok and Van Aartsen."
The accused stated there was a case of emergency. That emergency only
existed in the heads of the accused, the public prosecutor said. Really?
one of them replied. Are these outlawed nuclear weapons not an
emergency?
Also, we went there as civilian inspectors when NATO bombed Yugoslavia.
Not
an emergency? As one of the many terrible consequences, relationships
between the nuclear powers of NATO, Russia, and China worsened,
increasing
the danger of the war crime of use of nuclear weapons.
When the public prosecutor said there was complete opportunity for
democratic ways to express opposition to military policy, she caused
immediate bitter ironic laughter from the whole audience. Whether they
were
older people remembering police attacks on demonstrators against the
Vietnam war, or people so young that the Balkans 1999 war was the only
war
they remembered, they all had personal experience with free speech, or
lack
of it, on war in The Netherlands, belying the prosecutor's rosy colored
image.
Yvonne, one of the people in the dock, told how she had wanted to
distribute flyers: they had been torn from her hands. She had held a
banner: police tore it from her hands. Only yesterday, in Utrecht at the
Jaarbeurs, when she wanted to protest military propaganda at the
"Megafestatie", first private "police" had physically attacked the
demonstrators [which they have no right to]. Some were wounded. Then,
real
police came and arrested four demonstrators, including Yvonne. Some
demonstrators were wounded.
In the night of Friday 7 to Saturday 8 July, two activists wanted to tie
a
banner to a big building crane near the entrance of the Jaarbeurs. The
banner challenged the army's claim of being a "peace army." However,
police
arrested them.
On 25 July at 9.30, the court will announce its decision. If necessary,
the
activists will appeal this decision at a higher level court.
After the court case, peace activists met to discuss future activities:
- on 6 and 9 August, they will remember the nuclear bombs on Hiroshima
and
Nagasaki
- on 2 September, they will try to find the nuclear bombs on Volkel air
base
- during the Peace Week [17-24 September], activists will go to police
stations all over The Netherlands, and ask police to take action against
Prime Minister Wim Kok, for making the country and the world unsafe by
having NATO nuclear weapons at Volkel
- Sunday 1 October people will try to find the nuclear bombs on Volkel
air
base. This is world wide nuclear weapons abolition day. See:
http://www.napf.org/abolition2000
Met vriendelijke groet/Best wishes,
Herman de Tollenaere
---
Subject: Sanctions Against Yugoslavia - a Continuation of
NATO Aggression
The following report and appeal by a Swedish Member of
Parliament from the
Social Democratic Pary is very important. We urge that his
be used to
mobilize people in the U.S. to end the sanctions against
Yugoslavia and to
raise humanitarian aid.
International Center for Peace and Justice (ICPJ)
---------
Sanctions against Yugoslavia - a continuation of NATO
aggression
By Karin Wegestal MP, on behalf of the Swedish Committee
for Solidarity
with the Yugoslav People
During the last decade, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
has received
more than 500,000 refugees from Croatia and Bosnia, and
another 300,000
internally displaced persons, mainly from the province
Kosovo and Metohia.
For a country with about ten million inhabitants, such an
influx of
homeless people is obviously a very heavy burden - even
under peaceful
conditions.
But in addition to that, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
has been the
subject to sanctions from the western powers for close to
ten years and its
infrastructure was badly hurt through Nato's intense
bombardment during 78
days in 1999. The result of all this is that Yugoslavia,
once the most
developed industrial country in Eastern Europe, is today
the poorest
country in Europe. In Serbia excluding Kosovo, with about
ten million
inhabitants and close to a million refugees and displaced
persons, about 30
international aid organisations operate. This should be
compared to the
Kosovo province, with about one million inhabitants, where
no less than 400
aid organisations operate. There, one could talk about
overheated aid
activity. A delegation from the Swedish Committee in
support of the
Yugoslav people, the Yugoslavia Committee, visited the
country during one
week in January, on the invitation of the International Red
Cross and
Crescent Society. We saw with our own eyes the great relief
efforts made
for suffering people. We visited refugee camps, soup
kitchens and
warehouses for humanitarian relief in Uzice, Pozega, Cacak,
Novi Sad and
other places. We met representatives of the Roma people
(gypsies) and saw
the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia's Minister for refugees,
displaced
persons and humanitarian aid, Mrs Bratislava Morina.
This visit gave us a strong impression of the very
difficult situation of
the Yugoslav people, but also of the great efforts done to
relieve the
situation for the refugees and displaced persons and other
people driven
into misery, and to repair the damage done by Nato's bombs.
All the refugees and displaced persons must be given
lodging, food,
clothes, school and if possible also a new job. In the
beginning, many
families opened up their homes for refugees. Through great
personal
sacrifice, most could be taken care of in that way. But we
also met
refugees who have lived for nine years in provisional
refugee camps with
all their personal possessions squeezed into a few square
metres. Many have
to suffice with food rations containing only 20 grams of
meat a day.
The refugee situation is made worse by the country's
stagnating economy.
Many companies have been deprived, through the sanctions,
of their
possibilities to import raw material, to re-invest and to
export their
products. Therefore they have been forced to stop
production or to
continue working on a low level. The result is falling
salaries and
excessive unemployment. 1.2 million people are totally
jobless. The figures
have increased gradually, but took a great leap through the
bombardment in
March-May 1999, when many factories were destroyed. Over
two million people
- one out of five citizens - are under the line of poverty.
Except for the
refugee problem, there are 300,000
social cases.
Many people who have volunteered to take care of
refugees, have
themselves become dependent of social assistance. About one
million people
get assistance through the Red Cross, which has a well
functioning
organisation with offices in 180 places - a fantastic
structure and an
impressive work both from the employees and from many
unpaid volunteers.
For those people who are lucky enough to have a job, the
average salary
is about 82 D-marks (equivalent to some 40 British pounds)
a month. A
well-educated university graduate can have 150-300 D-marks
(75-150 GBP),
which is regarded as a very good salary. Many young people
- the best
educated and most productive ones - leave the country to
find jobs abroad
if given a chance.
The medical situation is all but catastrophic, with acute
lack of medicine
and spare parts. The insulin was almost used up. At our
visit at Bezanijska
Kosa Medical Center in Belgrade, we learnt that X-ray
equipment stood idle
because X-ray tubes are regarded as "strategic spare parts"
and therefore
cannot be imported - even with hard currency!
We can now see the paradoxical result of the Yugoslav
wars during the 90s.
Several ethnically cleaned states and areas have been
established and
today receive extensive international assistance, while
Serbia, the most
multinational society with 26 nationalities living
peacefully together, are
exposed to the punishment of the western world.
The sanctions against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
were not imposed
by the United Nations but single-handedly by the USA and
EU. Officially
they are not intended as a punishment against Yugoslavia or
its population,
but as a pressure to make the government "co-operate with
the world
society" and "respect human rights for all citizens of the
country".
In reality, however, they are a continuation of Nato's
war of aggression.
Their intention is to achieve what Nato could not achieve
at Rambouillet,
i.e. total political, economic and military control of the
whole country.
It is blatant big power aggression against a sovereign
country and gross
interference in its internal affairs.
The sanctions hit hard against the people. They are
obviously intended as
one of several means to force the people to overthrow their
government and
replace it with an administration which can be manipulated
and dominated
from abroad. That is a travesty of democracy; in fact its
very opposite.
What is now required is common action to force the EU
countries to stop
its hostilities. The sanctions and interference in
Yugoslavia's internal
affairs must come to an end and normal inter-state
relations be
established. Relief assistance must be increased to
alleviate the human
suffering.
International assistance must be given unconditionally to
help repair the
damages after Nato's bombing.
In Sweden, an appeal against the sanctions was published
in connection
with the anniversary of the start of Nato's bombing of
Yugoslavia. It was
signed by representatives of various political parties,
former government
members, bishops and priests, scholars and writers,
athletics, and many
other well-known people representing a broad political and
social opinion
among the Swedish people. The appeal was published in a
number of papers,
including the dominating dailies Aftonbladet and Dagens
Nyheter, and on
international
web-pages including www.antiwar.com and
www.transnational.org. That appeal
shows that there is a broad support in the Swedish society
for a
normalisation of relations.
It would be very useful if a similar initiative could be
carried out in
all EU countries, to mobilise broad strata of the people.
Such an appeal,
of course, must be supplemented with other forms of
mobilisation of public
opinion and mass actions to increase the pressure on our
governments to
stop their hostile actions and change their present hostile
policy against
Yugoslavia.
Karin Wegestal is a Member of the Swedish Parliament for
the Social
Democratic Party. She is a member of the Defense Committee
and of the
Swedish Parliamentary Delegation of the OSCE. She is one of
two
spokespeople of the Committee for solidarity with the
Yugoslav people,
which started in April 1999, as the Stop the bombings now!
Committee.
NOTE : URGENT : cette traduction est libre pour toute reproduction avec
mention du traducteur. La traduction été faite un jour férié, sans
possibilité de vérifier la valeur du Franc français par rapport au DM.
Prière de corriger le § 10 avant toute publication ou retransmission
(ÉMV)
SANCTIONS CONTRE LA YOUGOSLAVIE :
IL FAUT UNE ACTION COMMUNE CONTRE LE CHANTAGE DES PAYS AGRESSEURS
De Karin Wegestal, membre du Parlement Suédois, porte-parole du Comité
Suédois de Solidarité avec le Peuple Yougoslave (transmis le 15 juillet
2000
par Internet).
En dix ans, la République Fédérale de Yougoslavie a reçu plus de 500 000
réfugiés de Croatie et de Bosnie, et 300 000 autres de l'intérieur,
c'est à
dire essentiellement des provinces du Kosovo et de Métochia. Pour un
pays
d'environ dix millions d'habitants, une pareille marée de personnes
déportées, sans domicile fixe, serait de toute évidence un fardeau
insupportable même en temps de paix.
Mais de surcroît, la République Fédérale de Yougoslavie a été soumise à
des
sanctions par les puissances occidentales depuis presque dix ans et son
infrastructure a été gravement détruite par les bombardements intenses
de
l'OTAN, pendant 78 jours de 1999. Le résultat de tout ceci est que la
Yougoslavie, qui était l'un des pays les plus industriellement
développés
d'Europe de l'Est , est devenu le pays le plus pauvre d'Europe.
30 organisations d'aide internationale environ opèrent en Serbie (Kosovo
exclus), pour une population d'environ dix millions d'habitants et un
million de réfugiés et déportés. Il faut comparer ces chiffres aux 400
organisations d'aide internationale qui opèrent dans la seule province
du
Kosovo, peuplée d'un million d'habitants. Là, on pourrait parler d'une
surchauffe de l'aide humanitaire.
Une délégation du Comité Suédois de Solidarité avec le Peuple
Yougoslave, le
"Comité Yougoslavie", a visité ce pays pendant une semaine en janvier
2000,
à l'invitation de la Croix Rouge Internationale et du Croissant Rouge.
Nous
avons vu de nos propres yeux les grands efforts qui sont faits pour
soulager
ces souffrances. Nous avons visité des camps de réfugiés, des soupes
populaires et des lieux de distribution de produits d'aide humanitaire à
Uzice, Pozega, Cacak, Novi Sad et autres. Nous avons rencontré des
représentants du peuple Rom (les gitans) et rencontré la Ministre de la
République Fédérale pour les Réfugiés, les Déportés et l'Aide
Humanitaire,
Madame Bratislava Morina.
Cette visite nous a permis d'avoir une vue impressionnante de la
situation
très difficile du peuple yougoslave, mais aussi du grand effort qui est
fait
pour soulager la détresse des réfugiés et déportés, et des autres
personnes
réduites à la misère par les bombes de l'OTAN, ainsi que pour réparer
les
dégâts qu'elles ont causé.
Il faut procurer à tous les réfugiés et les personnes déplacées un abri,
de
la nourriture, des vêtements, une solarisation et si possible également
un
emploi. Au début, beaucoup de familles ont ouvert leurs portes aux
réfugiés.
Grâce à de grands sacrifices individuels, beaucoup ont pu être pris en
charge de cette manière. Mais nous avons aussi rencontré des réfugiés
qui
vivent depuis neuf ans dans des camps de réfugiés provisoires, toutes
leurs
affaires personnelles entassées dans quelques mètres carrés. La plupart
doivent se contenter d'une ration de viande de 20 grammes par jour.
La situation des réfugiés est encore aggravée par la stagnation de
l'économie du pays. Beaucoup de sociétés ont été privées par les
sanctions
du droit d'importer des matières premières, de réinvestir et d'exporter
leurs produits. Elles ont dû en conséquence arrêter toute production ou
ne
continuer à travailler qu'au rythme le plus bas. Le résultat est une
chute
des salaires et un chômage excessif. Un million et demi de personnes est
totalement privé d'emploi. Les chiffres ont augmenté graduellement, mais
ont
fait un bond quantitatif avec les bombardements de mars à mai 1999, avec
la
destruction de nombreuses usines. Plus de deux millions (un citoyen sur
cinq) vivent au-dessous du seuil de pauvreté. Sans compter les réfugiés,
on
recense 300 000 cas sociaux.
Nombre de ceux qui s'étaient portés volontaires pour secourir les
réfugiés
sont devenus eux-mêmes dépendants de l'assistance sociale. Plus d'un
million
de personnes sont assistés par la Croix Rouge, qui a une bonne
organisation
locale, avec des bureaux dans 180 communes - une structure fantastique
et
des résultats impressionnants, tant de la part des employés que de
nombreux
volontaires bénévoles.
Pour ceux qui ont la chance d'avoir un emploi, le salaire moyen est
d'environ 82 deutschemark 'l'équivalent de quelquesXXXXXXXXXXfrancs
français) par mois. Un diplômé d'université de haut niveau peut gagner
entre
150 et 300 DM par mois, ce qui est considéré comme un très bon salaire.
De
nombreux jeunes gens - les plus instruits et les plus productifs -
quittent
le pays pour chercher un travail à l'étranger, dès qu'ils le peuvent.
La situation médicale est catastrophique, avec un manque aigu de
médicaments
et de matériel de rechange. Les stocks d'insuline sont pratiquement
épuisés.
A notre visite au Centre Médical Bezanijska Kosa de Belgrade, nous avons
découvert que le département de radiologie n'était plus en état de
service,
parce que les tubes pour les rayons X sont considérés comme "matériel
stratégique" et sont de ce fait interdits à l'importation - même contre
paiement en monnaies fortes.
Maintenant, nous pouvons faire le bilan des résultats paradoxaux des
guerres
qui se sont succédées sans interruption contre la Yougoslavie au cours
de
ces dix dernières années.
Plusieurs états et zones "ethniquement purifiés" ont été créés et
reçoivent
aujourd'hui une assistance internationale extensive, tandis que la
Serbie,
qui jouit de la société multiethnique la plus large, avec plus de 26
nationalités vivant paisiblement ensemble, est l'objet de la "punition"
décrétée par le monde occidental.
Les sanctions contre la République Fédérale de Yougoslavie n'ont pas été
imposées par les Nations Unies mais décidées unilatéralement par les USA
et
l'Union Européenne. Officiellement, elles n'ont pas pour but de punir la
Yougoslavie ou sa population, mais constituent un moyen de pression pour
obliger le gouvernement à "coopérer avec la société mondiale" et à
"respecter les Droits de l'Homme pour tous les citoyens du pays". En
réalité, cependant, elles sont la poursuite de la guerre d'agression de
l'OTAN - par d'autres moyens.
Leur but est d'achever ce que l'OTAN n'a pas réussi à obtenir à
Rambouillet,
c'est à dire un contrôle politique, économique et militaire total sur le
pays tout entier. C'est une agression patente de grandes puissances
contre
une nation souveraine, et une intervention grossière dans ses affaires
internes.
Les sanctions frappent lourdement le peuple. Elles sont visiblement l'un
des
divers moyens utilisés pour obliger ce peuple à renverser son propre
gouvernement et à le remplacer par une administration qui puisse être
manipulée et dirigée de l'étranger. C'est une parodie de démocratie; en
fait
c'est exactement le contraire.
Ce qu'il est urgent d'entreprendre aujourd'hui est une action commune
pour
obliger les nations qui composent l'Union Européenne à mettre fin aux
hostilités. Les sanctions et l'intervention dans les affaires
intérieures de
la Yougoslavie doivent cesser, et des relations internationales normales
doivent être rétablies. L'assistance humanitaire doit être augmentée
pour
soulager les souffrances humaines. Une aide internationale doit être
accordée inconditionnellement pour permettre de réparer les dommages
causés
par les bombardements de l'OTAN.
En Suède, un appel contre les sanctions a été publié à l'occasion de
l'anniversaire du début des bombardements de l'OTAN. Il a été signé par
des
représentants des différents partis politiques, d'anciens membres du
gouvernement, des évêques et des prêtres, des savants et des écrivains,
des
athlètes, et de nombreuses autres célébrités représentant un large
éventail
d'opinions sociales et politiques au sein du peuple suédois. Cet appel a
été
reproduit par de nombreux journaux, comprenant les quotidiens majeurs
que
sont le Aftonbladet et le Dagens Nyheter, ainsi que par plusieurs
"pages" du
Web international, dont www.antiwar.com et www.transnational.org.
Cet appel montre qu'il y a un large support dans la société suédoise
pour
une normalisation des relations. Il serait très utile qu'une initiative
similaire soit entreprise dans tous les pays de l'Union Européenne pour
mobiliser de larges couches du peuple. Un appel de ce genre doit
naturellement être accompagné d'autres formes de mobilisation de
l'opinion
publique et d'actions de masse pour augmenter la pression sur nos
gouvernants afin qu'ils arrêtent leur politique hostile actuelle contre
la
Yougoslavie.
K.W.
Karin Wegestal est membre du Parlement Suédois (Parti Social Démocrate).
Elle est membre du Comité de la Défense et de la Délégation
Parlementaire
Suédoise auprès de l'OSCE. Elle est l'un des deux porte-parole du Comité
pour la Solidarité avec le Peuple Yougoslave, créé en avril 1999 sous le
nom
de Comité "Arrêtez les Bombardements Maintenant"
Traduction Éliazar MARIO-VINCENT
pour le FORUM EUROPÉEN DES ORTHODOXES
---
INTERNATIONAL ACTION CENTER
For Immediate Release
Attention: Assignment Editor
Press contact: Sarah Sloan (212) 633-6646
July 17, 2000
VICTIMS OF POLICE PREVENTIVE DETENTION ACTION
STAND TRIAL IN WASHINGTON D.C. -
TUESDAY, JULY 18
This Tuesday, July 18, victims of the mass arrest of 678 people on
April 15 in Washington D.C. will stand trial. The defendants include
Brian Becker, Co-Director of the International Action Center,
George Vavatsikos, a Greek American activist and others.
The defendants face 90 days in jail and fines if convicted of
disorderly conduct.
They were arrested last April 15 at a demonstration held in
conjunction with the week of protests against meetings of the
International Monetary Fund and World Bank in Washington D.C.
The April 15 protest demanded "Shut down the Prison-Industrial
Complex" and "New Trial for Mumia Abu-Jamal."
A class action law suit alleging a police-government conspiracy to
deny the First Amendment rights of demonstrators will be filed in the
coming weeks.
"This trial is itself a brazen miscarriage of justice," said Brian
Becker.
"The police violated our constitutional rights to assemble and
protest and exercise our First Amendment guarantee of free speech.
All 678 arrested people were protesting against the Prison-
Industrial Complex, racism and to demand a new trial for Mumia
Abu-Jamal. We broke no laws and yet we were illegally detained,
handcuffed hand to foot and held for 24 to 36 hours in school
buses, basements and remote ad-hoc detention centers in the
Washington DC area," Becker asserted. For a detailed description
of events, see http://www.iacenter.org/rept415.htm.
"The outcome of this trial is important and must be put into the
context of a new, aggressive and we believe unconstitutional policing
strategy directed at denying the constitutional rights of those
engaged in protest," said Larry Holmes, a leader of the IAC and
one of the 678 arrested on April 15. "This is the post-Seattle
backlash by the police. They want to intimidate and prevent mass
protests at the Republican Convention in Philadelphia and the
Democratic Convention in Los Angeles. These efforts by the state
will fail. Our movement against the death penalty, against racist
police brutality and the Prison-Industrial Complex is getting
stronger, not weaker. We will fight in the memory of Shaka
Sankofa (aka Gary Graham) and all those freedom fighters who
have struggled against a system that breeds racism, repression and
death."
--30--
International Action Center
39 West 14th Street, Room 206
New York, NY 10011
email: iacenter@...
web: www.iacenter.org
CHECK OUT THE NEW SITE www.mumia2000.org
phone: 212 633-6646
fax: 212 633-2889
--------- COORDINAMENTO ROMANO PER LA JUGOSLAVIA -----------
RIMSKI SAVEZ ZA JUGOSLAVIJU
e-mail: crj@... - URL: http://marx2001.org/crj
http://www.egroups.com/group/crj-mailinglist/
------------------------------------------------------------
* SOS Zastava (Torino)
* Edizione greca per "L'arcivescovo del genocidio"
* Manifestazioni e processi contro i pacifisti (Olanda)
* Stop alle sanzioni! (Svezia)
* Sotto processo militanti dell'IAC (USA)
---
http://digilander.iol.it/CONTROAPPUNTO1/
LA JUGOSLAVIA DEVE VIVERE
E' da un po' di tempo che circola nel "movimento antagonista" una
posizione sulla guerra
degna di un pacifismo acritico e di fatto complice della NATO. Si dice:
guerra inutile e
dannosa perché senza risolvere i problemi che l'hanno scatenata, ha
portato morti e
distruzione, soprattutto fra i civili e alle fabbriche.
Ciò, secondo noi, oltre ad essere falso, tende a spostare la discussione
su un terreno
lacrimoso e di fatto equidistante fra le parti in causa.
Di questa guerra tutto si può dire eccetto che sia stata inutile,ammesso
che una guerra sia
mai stata inutile. Fare questa affermazione significa accettare
l'assioma della NATO,
secondo cui questa guerra è stata condotta per porre fine alla
cosiddetta "pulizia etnica" e
per portare a convivere le varie etnie in un Kosovo democratizzato. Solo
accettando tale
assioma, si può definire questa guerra inutile oltre che dannosa.
Ma come tutti sanno questo assioma è falso!
Falso, non solo perché la "pulizia etnica" è stata strombazzata ad arte:
tanto è vero che le
fosse comuni non sono mai state trovate, nonostante l'invio di
specialisti NATO, ma anche
perché i veri motivi di questa guerra erano geo-politici ed economici,
come la realtà ha
ampiamente dimostrato.
Se questi sono i fatti, la guerra nei Balcani, per i paesi NATO non è
stata nè dannosa nè
tantomeno inutile.
Vediamo i fatti
I paesi NATO, che sono stati i più convinti fautori della
disintegrazione Jugoslava, sono:
Germania (e il satellite Austria);
Italia
Turchia (e la sua longa manus albanese);
USA (e Inghilterra di contorno).
E' STATA INUTILE LA GUERRA PER QUESTI PAESI? NO!
Dalla disintegrazione Jugoslava la Germania guadagna la conquista
economica di Slovenia e
Croazia (dove ormai la moneta dominante è il marco tedesco) oltre che di
parte della
Bosnia: vale a dire le zone più ricche dell' ex Jugoslavia. Nell'ultimo
periodo, poi, l'influenza
economica sta acquistando sempre più le caratteristiche di influenza
politica, anche grazie al
cavallo di Troia austriaco. Basti pensare ai rapporti fra Carinzia,
Friuli e Slovenia, con la
tacita benedizione dei demo-reazionari bavaresi. Tenendo presente che è
forte la spinta
verso l'Europa a due velocità e la presenza dell'asse franco-tedesco,
secondo noi, la
conquista tedesca dello sbocco sull'Adriatico è stato un fenomeno
cruciale nell'assetto
geo-politico dell'Europa del futuro.
Altro che guerra inutile per la Germania!
Le ambizioni Italiane erano più limitate, come sempre daltronde. Come ai
tempi del fascismo
ci si è accontentati di stabilire una specie di protettorato in Albania
(in comproprietà coi
turchi) magari allargabile domani al Montenegro. Questo obiettivo è
stato raggiunto, e molte
"imprese" italiane si sono spostate da quelle parti per "diventare
competitive".
Poca cosa , naturalmente, ma da questa guerra qualche briciola l'ha
guadagnata anche
l'Italia.
Veniamo alla Turchia. Con gli accordi di Helsinki dei mesi scorsi si è
assicurata la
commercializzazione del petrolio del Caucaso, con un'opzione sul gas
Turkmeno. Con
questa guerra si è assicurata, grazie ad Albania, Kosovo, Bosnia il
passaggio dei futuri
oleodotti e gasdotti verso la destinazione Europea. Se avranno successo
le spinte
panalbanesi anche in Macedonia il passaggio sarà lineare. Non è un caso
che pochi mesi fa,
l'Italia ha deciso di liberalizzare l'approvvigionamento di gas
proveniente dai paesi europei,
e solo da quelli.
E, naturalmente, sono aumentate le chances turche di entrare nell'UE.
Altro che guerra inutile per la Turchia!
E gli USA? E' risaputo che gli USA non sono mai stati entusiasti
dell'Europa "dall'Atlantico
agli Urali", cosa che alla lunga potrebbe risultare pericolosa per il
proprio dominio sul
pianeta. Piazzare nel sud-Europa il cavallo di Troia del fedele alleato
turco da affiancare
all'altro cavallo di Troia inglese significa indebolire politicamente e
condizionare
economicamente l'Unione Europea. Se poi dovesse prendere corpo il
progetto di Europa a
due velocità gli USA si assicurerebbero il dominio economico in tutto il
sud-Europa, Italia
compresa.
Se così stanno le cose, il movimento antimperialista, invece di
piagnucolare sulla guerra inutile e
dannosa, dovrebbe demistificare e denunciare l'ideologia guerrafondaia
imperialista che contagia tutti, in
primis i sinistri di governo, e mettere in risalto quali danni questa
guerra ha prodotto sia in Jugoslavia sia sui
popoli che in questa guerra sono stati catapultati. In Italia, per
esempio, nessuno ha mai spiegato ai proletari che,
a fronte dei vantaggi per le imprese, questa guerra ha portato
incremento della disoccupazione al sud, visto che le
imprese trasferite in Albania, per i bassi costi del lavoro, hanno
licenziato in Italia, specialmente in Puglia.
Inoltre questa guerra ha portato ad aumenti vertiginosi del prezzo dei
prodotti petroliferi e derivati, sia a causa
dell'apprezzamento del dollaro dopo la guerra del Kosovo, sia grazie ai
già citati accordi di Helsinki e alla,
anch'essa già citata, liberalizzazione dell'approvvigionamento del gas
turco.
Se non ci si muove in questa direzione, ci si ritroverà a breve
scadenza, catapultati in
un'altra guerra: quella del Montenegro. Già i preparativi sono in atto e
di nuovo si stanno
strombazzando proclami di "liberazione del Montenegro dal dittatore
Milosevic", reo di aver
modificato la costituzione "per garantirsi con l'elezione diretta la
rielezione a presidente
Jugoslavo". Strano a dirsi, la stessa cosa che molti vogliono fare in
Italia. Ma si sa, una
legge fatta in Italia è profondamente democratica. La stessa legge fatta
in Jugoslavia, vuol
dire dittatura.
E allora basta piagnucolare e muoviamoci per demistificare e contrastare
questo spirito
guerrafondaio. Altrimenti non hanno senso incontri con operai della
Zastava o contromarce
della pace. Noi ci siamo opposti alla guerra e all'embargo, non perché
inutili e dannosi, ma
perché vogliamo combattere contro l'imperialismo occidentale e il
dominio imperiale
amerikano.
SMRT FASIZMU - SLOBODA NARODU!
morte al fascismo - libertà al popolo",
L'Avamposto degli Incompatibili
http://digilander.iol.it/CONTROAPPUNTO1/
---
Informazione sul viaggio del 15 e 16 giugno a Kragujevak
Nei giorni 15 e 16 giugno 2000, una delegazione di lavoratori e
militanti
sindacali di Torino si è recata a Kragujevac per portare gli aiuti ai
156
ragazzi, figli dei lavoratori della Zastava, adottati a distanza dopo la
guerra del 1999 ed i bombardamenti subiti dal più grande stabilimento
jugoslavo.
La delegazione ha portato 27 milioni di lire da distribuire ai ragazzi.
Ha
visitato 6 famiglie dei ragazzi adottati. Ha visitato la fabbrica
accompagnata dal sindacato aziendale.
Il complesso industriale Zastava era composto da tre stabilimenti: la
fabbrica di automobili, la fabbrica di camion chiamata "Iveco -
Zastava", ed
uno stabilimento di armi da caccia e sportive. In tutto lavoravano
36.000
lavoratori: 2.500 alla Iveco, 2.000 alla fabbrica d'armi, oltre 30.000
in
quella delle auto. Il complesso è stato bombardato due volte con 36
missili
o bombe laser di precisione. Sono stati colpiti e distrutti in modo tale
da
rendere irricostruibili: il centro informatico, gli impianti
automatizzati
di verniciatura, lo stabilimento di meccanica dell'Iveco. Sono stati
distrutti, ma si è iniziato per il recupero della centrale termica,
degli
impianti di lastroferratura e del montaggio delle automobili e dei
trattamenti termici dell'Iveco (usiamo il termine "Iveco" perché usato
dai
lavoratori interessati, la partecipazione della Fiat Iveco è al 40%). La
fabbrica di armi è stata bombardata per ultima con un solo missile sui
36
lanciati, ha distrutto i capannoni, ma non gli impianti perché questi
erano
già stati trasferiti in quanto ritenuti obiettivo militare,
contrariamente
alla produzione di automobili e di camion.
Il risultato è che oggi lavorano poco più di 10.000 lavoratori, per
produrre
automobili e camion quando si può (durante la visita, un impianto era
fermo
in per mancanza di energia) e come si può (nei box di verniciatura si
lavora
a mano, le fucine sono come erano le nostre alla Fiat negli anni '60).
Nelle
famiglie che abbiamo incontrato le lavoratrici o i lavoratori della
Zastava
lavorano, quando va bene, una settimana al mese.
Il secondo risultato ottenuto con bombardamenti è che la famiglia di chi
non
lavora nel mese ha un reddito di 15.000 lire, di chi lavora 1 settimana
al
mese di 37.000 lire, di chi lavora tutto il mese davanti ad una forgia
ne
guadagna 100.000. Gli operai però sono particolarmente dinamici, quando
abbiamo visitato la famiglia di un ragazzo adottato da lavoratori della
Fiat
Iveco, il padre, vedovo con quattro figli, ci ha raccontato che per
arrotondare lo stipendio riempie vecchi accendini e li va vendere lungo
la
strada. Alcune settimane or sono ha incontrato sulla strada un cinese e
gli
ha detto: "hai visto? Sono messo peggio di te…".
Un terzo aspetto è quello sanitario: nelle sei famiglie che abbiamo
visitato
2 piccoli ragazzi hanno l'asma ma non hanno i farmaci per curarsi; una
mamma, lavoratrice Zastava, è mentalmente malata; un'altra mamma soffre
di
sclerosi multipla ma non si riesce a lenire con cure farmacologiche
questa
grave malattia progressiva.
Nessuno di coloro che abbiamo incontrato, nella fabbrica, nelle case o
per
strada ha espresso sentimenti di rancore nei nostri confronti. Prima
abbiamo
concorso a distruggere le fonti della loro esistenza (e, per alcuni di
loro;
delle possibilità di vivere almeno dignitosamente) ed oggi ci
ringraziano
perché li aiutiamo.
Per le prime sottoscrizioni fatte a dicembre 1999 ed a febbraio 2000,
siamo
in possesso degli elenchi firmati da chi ha ricevuto i soldi. Per la
prossima volta ci chiedono di incontrare tutti i bambini e di consegnare
direttamente a loro le sottoscrizioni: si dovrà organizzare una
delegazione
da Torino.
per il
Comitato Piemontese SOS Zastava
Perini Fulvio
---
IL GENOCIDIO DIMENTICATO
Il giorno 28 giugno 2000 alle ore 20:30 ad Atene – Grecia
Un anno dopo la fine dei bombardamenti NATO e l’ occupazione del Kosovo
(teritorio della Jugoslavia) L’ Associazione di amicizia tra Grecia e
Serbia insieme alla casa editrice Proskinio, presentano ad Atene il
libro del prof. Marco Aurelio Rivelli, studioso della realt? balcanica,
“L'arcivescovo del genocidio” in lingua greca su licenza della Kaos
Edizioni Milano. Il libro a curato lo storico Nikos Klitsikas ed a
tradotto la dottoressa Margherita Salvato.
All dibatito che si terra’ all amfiteatro dell museo della guera di
Atene, interverrano:
Marco Aurelio Rivelli, scrittore
Nikos Klitsikas, storico
Panagiotis Kritikos, deputato socialista
Stelios Papathemelis, deputato socialista
Alexandros Likourezos, deputato dela nuova Democrazia
Maria Mantuvalou, proffesoressa al Universita’ di Atene
Vasilis Rafailidis, giornalista
Giorgos Anastopoulos, presidente del Associazione di Amicizia
Grecia-Serbia
Saranno presenti ed interverano:
Il vescovo di Tebe Ieronimos (il qualle ha fatto la prefazione del libro
nella edizione in lingua greca
L’ ambasciatore della Jugoslavia in grecia Dragomir Vucicevic.
La guerra contro la Jugoslavia non e’ finita, ma la resistenza contro
NATO continua
Una riflessione dedicata all'argomento sollecita ad esaminare, tra
l'altro, gli eventi che nel corso del II conflitto mondiale sfociarono
nella costituzione dello Stato Croato Indipendente, uno Stato che fu
servitore fedele del III Reich, che nacque connotato da un'ideologia
apertamente razzista, che venne difeso dalle gerarchie vaticane, nel
quale venne perpetrato il genocidio delle popolazioni serbe ortodosse.
La riflessione sulle vicende legate alla storia dello Stato guidato da
Ante Pavelic rappresenta oggi, dopo il crollo dell'unit? Jugoslava e la
nascita della Repubblica di Croazia, un'occasione preziosa per
comprendere le radici di questo presente, con la consapevolezza che i
progetti egemonici del Nuovo Ordine Mondiale non si fermeranno alle
frontiere dei Balcani.
---
Date: Sun, 09 Jul 2000 20:35:36 +0200
From: Herman de Tollenaere
Subject: Peace demonstrations Utrecht, The Netherlands
On Saturday 8 July, people gathered near the Central Station in Utrecht,
to
oppose the military propaganda at the "Megafestatie". The "Megafestatie"
is
a trade fair/exhibition in the Jaarbeurs hall, aimed at young people.
Main
exhibitors, besides, eg, MTV, are the Dutch military, aiming to get
teenagers into the Dutch army, military police, and Marines. Not many
young
people want to join the Dutch [professional] armed forces; they have
trouble with finding people for vacancies. To counter that, lots of tax
money go to expensive propaganda. The slogan of the armed forces is:
"[Like] a nanny; but differently." People killed or wounded by Dutch or
other NATO armed forces in the Balkans and elsewhere might differ. So,
during the whole Megafestatie, until 16 July, visitors will get counter
information to the official propaganda. Starting every day at 12
o'clock.
In the night of Friday 7 to Saturday 8 July, two activists wanted to tie
a
banner to a big building crane near the entrance of the Jaarbeurs. The
banner challenged the army's claim of being a "peace army." However,
police
arrested them.
Later on Saturday, the demonstrators gathered at Smakkelaarsveld
[Central
Station side, opposite to Jaarbeurs] for a street rave/march. The
leaflet
of the organizers, "Onkruit vergaat niet", said the army propaganda
stimulated violence, also in foreign countries. "Violence there [by
Dutch
and coalition armed forces] also does not bring communication between
parties in conflicts, but impedes it. We have seen this during the war
in
Kosovo and elsewhere." Other leaflets passed around told what
demonstrators
could do if arrested; and on the "humanitarian" 1999 Balkans war,
including
many deaths like of the fifteen years old Yugoslav schoolgirl and
mathematics champion, Sanja Milenkovic.
Behind a big banner, opposing militarist propaganda, gathered drummers;
people with signs of Crass and other punk rock bands on their clothes;
people with T shirts of Rood [Red], youth branch of the Socialist Party,
and against the witch hunt against "illegal" immigrants; people with
anarchist symbols on. Average age not much over twenty, though there
were
also some elderly people.
The marchers passed the army recruiting center in the inner city of
Utrecht
[closed for the weekend]. With chalk, people drew slogans on the
pavement
close to it, like "Stop recruiting child soldiers", and "Stop NATO."
The demonstration continued to the police station, where the arrested
activists were still being held. The demonstrators made very much noise
to
enable the people in the cells to hear that outside, there were people
in
solidarity with them.
Standing in front of a worker's house, a mother rocked her toddler to
the
rhythm of the music of the sound system in the demonstrators' van, as
her
husband waved to the demonstrators.
During the whole march, new people joined, so that at the Jaarbeurs, the
end, there were many more people then at the beginning. At the
"Megafestatie" entrance, many leaflets were passed to the visitors.
Demonstrators juggled with balls, to show a fun alternative to going
abroad
to shoot people.
Next day, Sunday 9 July, demonstrators gathered at the eastern entrance
of
the Jaarbeurs.
Three banners were taped to the Jaarbeurs entrance: "Onkruit vergaat
niet"
[the organizers]; "Stop military violence"; and "NATO out of the
Balkans"
[thanks, Utrecht friend, for improving the banner's letters!]
Repeatedly, there was street theater: a 'die in' with people being
'killed', falling to the ground, splattered with red 'blood' [paint]. A
more realist approximation of real war then the armed forces propaganda
inside the hall.
As the 'die in' went on, Yvonne shouted through her megaphone: "The
Dutch
army is not a peace army. The Netherlands is a member of NATO. NATO does
not bring peace. NATO kills innocent people!"
Some reactions from the audience were reserved. One boy asked: "You say
the
Dutch army is bad. But how about national defence?" However, he had to
concur that the practice of the Dutch army was *not* 'national defence.'
In
1945-1949, the Dutch army attacked Indonesia. Indonesians wanted
independence from colonialism; they did *not* invade The Netherlands.
Later, Dutch Marines ended a strike, broken by deaths, by workers in
Curacao [Antilles]. Defense? In 1999, the Dutch Air Force helped bomb
Yugoslavia. Defense? Dutch Prime Minister Kok was not even notified by
NATO
that the war begun, let alone the people in The Netherlands. "No" the
questioner had to concede,"that was not really democracy ... or
defence."
A woman, claiming to be married to a Dutch soldier of the NATO forces in
Kosovo, reacted emotionally to the 'die in.' However, it was not
possible
to understand more of her inarticulate words than "my husband did a good
job in Kosovo." A friend of hers dragged her away to prevent her from
making more of a spectacle of herself. If, indeed, as she claims, her
husband was a soldier in Kosovo, I hope it will be possible to explain
to
people like her how people like her husband are used for the dirty work,
while people like NATO General Secretary Lord George Robertson and the
management of cruise missile factory Raytheon, who would not dream of
doing
the dangerous dirty work themselves, make millions of dollars.
A skinhead angrily refused to accept a leaflet against the Balkan war,
bringing the Nazi salute. The Hitler greeting is illegal in The
Netherlands
[so are Hitler posters; still, as TV journalists found out in July 2000,
one may find them on Dutch military barracks' walls]. Nevertheless,
police
standing 10 meters away did not react.
However, reactions by the Megafestatie visitors were generally
favorable.
If you passed, eg, one leaflet on Sanja Milenkovic to one boy or girl,
then
ten of their friends might gather around you asking for more leaflets.
Met vriendelijke groet/Best wishes,
Herman de Tollenaere
-
Date sent: Wed, 12 Jul 2000 23:15:25 +0200
From: Herman de Tollenaere
Subject: Peace activists on trial, Den Bosch, The Netherlands
Peace activists on trial, Den Bosch, The Netherlands
In 1981, half a million people demonstrated at the Museumplein [Museum
Square] in Amsterdam, to get nuclear weapons out of The Netherlands. To
commemorate that demonstration, a sculpture of a stone "cruise missile"
arose on the Museumplein. The maker of that "missile" was Yugoslav born
Miletic, one of the best known sculptors of Amsterdam.
In 1999, as NATO cruise missiles, not of stone, and bombs rained on
Miletic's native country, authorities had his monument for the 1981
peace
demonstration ripped out from the Museumplein. That demonstration had
helped to prevent even more nuclear weapons in The Netherlands. However,
Volkel air base in the Southern Netherlands still has not only the F16
aircraft of the Balkan war; but also nuclear weapons. Well ... they are
very, very, probably there; officially, the government refuses to
confirm
or deny their presence. Even though the International Court of Justice
[older than, and not to be confused with, the NATO countries-financed
Yugoslavia Tribunal, also in The Hague] practically outlawed nuclear
weapons in 1996. The presence of NATO nuclear weapons in The Netherlands
is
also against the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty.
Already before the Balkans war, peace activists planned to go to Volkel
on
2 April 1999. They wanted to inspect the presence of nuclear weapons as
"civilian inspectors". According to the rules of the 1945 Nuremberg
trial,
every human is obliged to prevent war crimes. They unfastened a metal
thread of the fence, making it possible to enter the base. However, fife
of
them were arrested and faced a trial.
On Tuesday 11 July 2000, people gathered near the court house in Den
Bosch,
The Netherlands, to support the activists. They had banners with them,
and
photos of victims of the nuclear bomb on Hiroshima. Yugoslav women said
why
they had come: "We know everything about war. However, we are waging
action, not just for the victims in Yugoslavia, but also for the
children
of Iraq, people in Colombia, and people all over the world at risk by
nuclear bombs. War, and capitalism, are world wide problems."
The lawyer of the accused, Mr Eric Hummels, had called for an expert
witness on international law: Nico Steijnen, who had often written on
nuclear weapons cases. However, the public prosecutor objected to
hearing
Mr Steijnen's testimony. The court went along with this, as, according
to
them, Mr Steijnen had often been the lawyer of private persons against
the
Dutch state in international law cases [like of civilian victims of the
NATO bombing in Yugoslavia], and, supposedly, as a consequence, was not
"independent." The accused protested against the exclusion of Mr
Steijnen.
"Not *we* should be in the dock here", one of the accused said, "but
Government Ministers Kok and Van Aartsen."
The accused stated there was a case of emergency. That emergency only
existed in the heads of the accused, the public prosecutor said. Really?
one of them replied. Are these outlawed nuclear weapons not an
emergency?
Also, we went there as civilian inspectors when NATO bombed Yugoslavia.
Not
an emergency? As one of the many terrible consequences, relationships
between the nuclear powers of NATO, Russia, and China worsened,
increasing
the danger of the war crime of use of nuclear weapons.
When the public prosecutor said there was complete opportunity for
democratic ways to express opposition to military policy, she caused
immediate bitter ironic laughter from the whole audience. Whether they
were
older people remembering police attacks on demonstrators against the
Vietnam war, or people so young that the Balkans 1999 war was the only
war
they remembered, they all had personal experience with free speech, or
lack
of it, on war in The Netherlands, belying the prosecutor's rosy colored
image.
Yvonne, one of the people in the dock, told how she had wanted to
distribute flyers: they had been torn from her hands. She had held a
banner: police tore it from her hands. Only yesterday, in Utrecht at the
Jaarbeurs, when she wanted to protest military propaganda at the
"Megafestatie", first private "police" had physically attacked the
demonstrators [which they have no right to]. Some were wounded. Then,
real
police came and arrested four demonstrators, including Yvonne. Some
demonstrators were wounded.
In the night of Friday 7 to Saturday 8 July, two activists wanted to tie
a
banner to a big building crane near the entrance of the Jaarbeurs. The
banner challenged the army's claim of being a "peace army." However,
police
arrested them.
On 25 July at 9.30, the court will announce its decision. If necessary,
the
activists will appeal this decision at a higher level court.
After the court case, peace activists met to discuss future activities:
- on 6 and 9 August, they will remember the nuclear bombs on Hiroshima
and
Nagasaki
- on 2 September, they will try to find the nuclear bombs on Volkel air
base
- during the Peace Week [17-24 September], activists will go to police
stations all over The Netherlands, and ask police to take action against
Prime Minister Wim Kok, for making the country and the world unsafe by
having NATO nuclear weapons at Volkel
- Sunday 1 October people will try to find the nuclear bombs on Volkel
air
base. This is world wide nuclear weapons abolition day. See:
http://www.napf.org/abolition2000
Met vriendelijke groet/Best wishes,
Herman de Tollenaere
---
Subject: Sanctions Against Yugoslavia - a Continuation of
NATO Aggression
The following report and appeal by a Swedish Member of
Parliament from the
Social Democratic Pary is very important. We urge that his
be used to
mobilize people in the U.S. to end the sanctions against
Yugoslavia and to
raise humanitarian aid.
International Center for Peace and Justice (ICPJ)
---------
Sanctions against Yugoslavia - a continuation of NATO
aggression
By Karin Wegestal MP, on behalf of the Swedish Committee
for Solidarity
with the Yugoslav People
During the last decade, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
has received
more than 500,000 refugees from Croatia and Bosnia, and
another 300,000
internally displaced persons, mainly from the province
Kosovo and Metohia.
For a country with about ten million inhabitants, such an
influx of
homeless people is obviously a very heavy burden - even
under peaceful
conditions.
But in addition to that, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
has been the
subject to sanctions from the western powers for close to
ten years and its
infrastructure was badly hurt through Nato's intense
bombardment during 78
days in 1999. The result of all this is that Yugoslavia,
once the most
developed industrial country in Eastern Europe, is today
the poorest
country in Europe. In Serbia excluding Kosovo, with about
ten million
inhabitants and close to a million refugees and displaced
persons, about 30
international aid organisations operate. This should be
compared to the
Kosovo province, with about one million inhabitants, where
no less than 400
aid organisations operate. There, one could talk about
overheated aid
activity. A delegation from the Swedish Committee in
support of the
Yugoslav people, the Yugoslavia Committee, visited the
country during one
week in January, on the invitation of the International Red
Cross and
Crescent Society. We saw with our own eyes the great relief
efforts made
for suffering people. We visited refugee camps, soup
kitchens and
warehouses for humanitarian relief in Uzice, Pozega, Cacak,
Novi Sad and
other places. We met representatives of the Roma people
(gypsies) and saw
the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia's Minister for refugees,
displaced
persons and humanitarian aid, Mrs Bratislava Morina.
This visit gave us a strong impression of the very
difficult situation of
the Yugoslav people, but also of the great efforts done to
relieve the
situation for the refugees and displaced persons and other
people driven
into misery, and to repair the damage done by Nato's bombs.
All the refugees and displaced persons must be given
lodging, food,
clothes, school and if possible also a new job. In the
beginning, many
families opened up their homes for refugees. Through great
personal
sacrifice, most could be taken care of in that way. But we
also met
refugees who have lived for nine years in provisional
refugee camps with
all their personal possessions squeezed into a few square
metres. Many have
to suffice with food rations containing only 20 grams of
meat a day.
The refugee situation is made worse by the country's
stagnating economy.
Many companies have been deprived, through the sanctions,
of their
possibilities to import raw material, to re-invest and to
export their
products. Therefore they have been forced to stop
production or to
continue working on a low level. The result is falling
salaries and
excessive unemployment. 1.2 million people are totally
jobless. The figures
have increased gradually, but took a great leap through the
bombardment in
March-May 1999, when many factories were destroyed. Over
two million people
- one out of five citizens - are under the line of poverty.
Except for the
refugee problem, there are 300,000
social cases.
Many people who have volunteered to take care of
refugees, have
themselves become dependent of social assistance. About one
million people
get assistance through the Red Cross, which has a well
functioning
organisation with offices in 180 places - a fantastic
structure and an
impressive work both from the employees and from many
unpaid volunteers.
For those people who are lucky enough to have a job, the
average salary
is about 82 D-marks (equivalent to some 40 British pounds)
a month. A
well-educated university graduate can have 150-300 D-marks
(75-150 GBP),
which is regarded as a very good salary. Many young people
- the best
educated and most productive ones - leave the country to
find jobs abroad
if given a chance.
The medical situation is all but catastrophic, with acute
lack of medicine
and spare parts. The insulin was almost used up. At our
visit at Bezanijska
Kosa Medical Center in Belgrade, we learnt that X-ray
equipment stood idle
because X-ray tubes are regarded as "strategic spare parts"
and therefore
cannot be imported - even with hard currency!
We can now see the paradoxical result of the Yugoslav
wars during the 90s.
Several ethnically cleaned states and areas have been
established and
today receive extensive international assistance, while
Serbia, the most
multinational society with 26 nationalities living
peacefully together, are
exposed to the punishment of the western world.
The sanctions against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
were not imposed
by the United Nations but single-handedly by the USA and
EU. Officially
they are not intended as a punishment against Yugoslavia or
its population,
but as a pressure to make the government "co-operate with
the world
society" and "respect human rights for all citizens of the
country".
In reality, however, they are a continuation of Nato's
war of aggression.
Their intention is to achieve what Nato could not achieve
at Rambouillet,
i.e. total political, economic and military control of the
whole country.
It is blatant big power aggression against a sovereign
country and gross
interference in its internal affairs.
The sanctions hit hard against the people. They are
obviously intended as
one of several means to force the people to overthrow their
government and
replace it with an administration which can be manipulated
and dominated
from abroad. That is a travesty of democracy; in fact its
very opposite.
What is now required is common action to force the EU
countries to stop
its hostilities. The sanctions and interference in
Yugoslavia's internal
affairs must come to an end and normal inter-state
relations be
established. Relief assistance must be increased to
alleviate the human
suffering.
International assistance must be given unconditionally to
help repair the
damages after Nato's bombing.
In Sweden, an appeal against the sanctions was published
in connection
with the anniversary of the start of Nato's bombing of
Yugoslavia. It was
signed by representatives of various political parties,
former government
members, bishops and priests, scholars and writers,
athletics, and many
other well-known people representing a broad political and
social opinion
among the Swedish people. The appeal was published in a
number of papers,
including the dominating dailies Aftonbladet and Dagens
Nyheter, and on
international
web-pages including www.antiwar.com and
www.transnational.org. That appeal
shows that there is a broad support in the Swedish society
for a
normalisation of relations.
It would be very useful if a similar initiative could be
carried out in
all EU countries, to mobilise broad strata of the people.
Such an appeal,
of course, must be supplemented with other forms of
mobilisation of public
opinion and mass actions to increase the pressure on our
governments to
stop their hostile actions and change their present hostile
policy against
Yugoslavia.
Karin Wegestal is a Member of the Swedish Parliament for
the Social
Democratic Party. She is a member of the Defense Committee
and of the
Swedish Parliamentary Delegation of the OSCE. She is one of
two
spokespeople of the Committee for solidarity with the
Yugoslav people,
which started in April 1999, as the Stop the bombings now!
Committee.
NOTE : URGENT : cette traduction est libre pour toute reproduction avec
mention du traducteur. La traduction été faite un jour férié, sans
possibilité de vérifier la valeur du Franc français par rapport au DM.
Prière de corriger le § 10 avant toute publication ou retransmission
(ÉMV)
SANCTIONS CONTRE LA YOUGOSLAVIE :
IL FAUT UNE ACTION COMMUNE CONTRE LE CHANTAGE DES PAYS AGRESSEURS
De Karin Wegestal, membre du Parlement Suédois, porte-parole du Comité
Suédois de Solidarité avec le Peuple Yougoslave (transmis le 15 juillet
2000
par Internet).
En dix ans, la République Fédérale de Yougoslavie a reçu plus de 500 000
réfugiés de Croatie et de Bosnie, et 300 000 autres de l'intérieur,
c'est à
dire essentiellement des provinces du Kosovo et de Métochia. Pour un
pays
d'environ dix millions d'habitants, une pareille marée de personnes
déportées, sans domicile fixe, serait de toute évidence un fardeau
insupportable même en temps de paix.
Mais de surcroît, la République Fédérale de Yougoslavie a été soumise à
des
sanctions par les puissances occidentales depuis presque dix ans et son
infrastructure a été gravement détruite par les bombardements intenses
de
l'OTAN, pendant 78 jours de 1999. Le résultat de tout ceci est que la
Yougoslavie, qui était l'un des pays les plus industriellement
développés
d'Europe de l'Est , est devenu le pays le plus pauvre d'Europe.
30 organisations d'aide internationale environ opèrent en Serbie (Kosovo
exclus), pour une population d'environ dix millions d'habitants et un
million de réfugiés et déportés. Il faut comparer ces chiffres aux 400
organisations d'aide internationale qui opèrent dans la seule province
du
Kosovo, peuplée d'un million d'habitants. Là, on pourrait parler d'une
surchauffe de l'aide humanitaire.
Une délégation du Comité Suédois de Solidarité avec le Peuple
Yougoslave, le
"Comité Yougoslavie", a visité ce pays pendant une semaine en janvier
2000,
à l'invitation de la Croix Rouge Internationale et du Croissant Rouge.
Nous
avons vu de nos propres yeux les grands efforts qui sont faits pour
soulager
ces souffrances. Nous avons visité des camps de réfugiés, des soupes
populaires et des lieux de distribution de produits d'aide humanitaire à
Uzice, Pozega, Cacak, Novi Sad et autres. Nous avons rencontré des
représentants du peuple Rom (les gitans) et rencontré la Ministre de la
République Fédérale pour les Réfugiés, les Déportés et l'Aide
Humanitaire,
Madame Bratislava Morina.
Cette visite nous a permis d'avoir une vue impressionnante de la
situation
très difficile du peuple yougoslave, mais aussi du grand effort qui est
fait
pour soulager la détresse des réfugiés et déportés, et des autres
personnes
réduites à la misère par les bombes de l'OTAN, ainsi que pour réparer
les
dégâts qu'elles ont causé.
Il faut procurer à tous les réfugiés et les personnes déplacées un abri,
de
la nourriture, des vêtements, une solarisation et si possible également
un
emploi. Au début, beaucoup de familles ont ouvert leurs portes aux
réfugiés.
Grâce à de grands sacrifices individuels, beaucoup ont pu être pris en
charge de cette manière. Mais nous avons aussi rencontré des réfugiés
qui
vivent depuis neuf ans dans des camps de réfugiés provisoires, toutes
leurs
affaires personnelles entassées dans quelques mètres carrés. La plupart
doivent se contenter d'une ration de viande de 20 grammes par jour.
La situation des réfugiés est encore aggravée par la stagnation de
l'économie du pays. Beaucoup de sociétés ont été privées par les
sanctions
du droit d'importer des matières premières, de réinvestir et d'exporter
leurs produits. Elles ont dû en conséquence arrêter toute production ou
ne
continuer à travailler qu'au rythme le plus bas. Le résultat est une
chute
des salaires et un chômage excessif. Un million et demi de personnes est
totalement privé d'emploi. Les chiffres ont augmenté graduellement, mais
ont
fait un bond quantitatif avec les bombardements de mars à mai 1999, avec
la
destruction de nombreuses usines. Plus de deux millions (un citoyen sur
cinq) vivent au-dessous du seuil de pauvreté. Sans compter les réfugiés,
on
recense 300 000 cas sociaux.
Nombre de ceux qui s'étaient portés volontaires pour secourir les
réfugiés
sont devenus eux-mêmes dépendants de l'assistance sociale. Plus d'un
million
de personnes sont assistés par la Croix Rouge, qui a une bonne
organisation
locale, avec des bureaux dans 180 communes - une structure fantastique
et
des résultats impressionnants, tant de la part des employés que de
nombreux
volontaires bénévoles.
Pour ceux qui ont la chance d'avoir un emploi, le salaire moyen est
d'environ 82 deutschemark 'l'équivalent de quelquesXXXXXXXXXXfrancs
français) par mois. Un diplômé d'université de haut niveau peut gagner
entre
150 et 300 DM par mois, ce qui est considéré comme un très bon salaire.
De
nombreux jeunes gens - les plus instruits et les plus productifs -
quittent
le pays pour chercher un travail à l'étranger, dès qu'ils le peuvent.
La situation médicale est catastrophique, avec un manque aigu de
médicaments
et de matériel de rechange. Les stocks d'insuline sont pratiquement
épuisés.
A notre visite au Centre Médical Bezanijska Kosa de Belgrade, nous avons
découvert que le département de radiologie n'était plus en état de
service,
parce que les tubes pour les rayons X sont considérés comme "matériel
stratégique" et sont de ce fait interdits à l'importation - même contre
paiement en monnaies fortes.
Maintenant, nous pouvons faire le bilan des résultats paradoxaux des
guerres
qui se sont succédées sans interruption contre la Yougoslavie au cours
de
ces dix dernières années.
Plusieurs états et zones "ethniquement purifiés" ont été créés et
reçoivent
aujourd'hui une assistance internationale extensive, tandis que la
Serbie,
qui jouit de la société multiethnique la plus large, avec plus de 26
nationalités vivant paisiblement ensemble, est l'objet de la "punition"
décrétée par le monde occidental.
Les sanctions contre la République Fédérale de Yougoslavie n'ont pas été
imposées par les Nations Unies mais décidées unilatéralement par les USA
et
l'Union Européenne. Officiellement, elles n'ont pas pour but de punir la
Yougoslavie ou sa population, mais constituent un moyen de pression pour
obliger le gouvernement à "coopérer avec la société mondiale" et à
"respecter les Droits de l'Homme pour tous les citoyens du pays". En
réalité, cependant, elles sont la poursuite de la guerre d'agression de
l'OTAN - par d'autres moyens.
Leur but est d'achever ce que l'OTAN n'a pas réussi à obtenir à
Rambouillet,
c'est à dire un contrôle politique, économique et militaire total sur le
pays tout entier. C'est une agression patente de grandes puissances
contre
une nation souveraine, et une intervention grossière dans ses affaires
internes.
Les sanctions frappent lourdement le peuple. Elles sont visiblement l'un
des
divers moyens utilisés pour obliger ce peuple à renverser son propre
gouvernement et à le remplacer par une administration qui puisse être
manipulée et dirigée de l'étranger. C'est une parodie de démocratie; en
fait
c'est exactement le contraire.
Ce qu'il est urgent d'entreprendre aujourd'hui est une action commune
pour
obliger les nations qui composent l'Union Européenne à mettre fin aux
hostilités. Les sanctions et l'intervention dans les affaires
intérieures de
la Yougoslavie doivent cesser, et des relations internationales normales
doivent être rétablies. L'assistance humanitaire doit être augmentée
pour
soulager les souffrances humaines. Une aide internationale doit être
accordée inconditionnellement pour permettre de réparer les dommages
causés
par les bombardements de l'OTAN.
En Suède, un appel contre les sanctions a été publié à l'occasion de
l'anniversaire du début des bombardements de l'OTAN. Il a été signé par
des
représentants des différents partis politiques, d'anciens membres du
gouvernement, des évêques et des prêtres, des savants et des écrivains,
des
athlètes, et de nombreuses autres célébrités représentant un large
éventail
d'opinions sociales et politiques au sein du peuple suédois. Cet appel a
été
reproduit par de nombreux journaux, comprenant les quotidiens majeurs
que
sont le Aftonbladet et le Dagens Nyheter, ainsi que par plusieurs
"pages" du
Web international, dont www.antiwar.com et www.transnational.org.
Cet appel montre qu'il y a un large support dans la société suédoise
pour
une normalisation des relations. Il serait très utile qu'une initiative
similaire soit entreprise dans tous les pays de l'Union Européenne pour
mobiliser de larges couches du peuple. Un appel de ce genre doit
naturellement être accompagné d'autres formes de mobilisation de
l'opinion
publique et d'actions de masse pour augmenter la pression sur nos
gouvernants afin qu'ils arrêtent leur politique hostile actuelle contre
la
Yougoslavie.
K.W.
Karin Wegestal est membre du Parlement Suédois (Parti Social Démocrate).
Elle est membre du Comité de la Défense et de la Délégation
Parlementaire
Suédoise auprès de l'OSCE. Elle est l'un des deux porte-parole du Comité
pour la Solidarité avec le Peuple Yougoslave, créé en avril 1999 sous le
nom
de Comité "Arrêtez les Bombardements Maintenant"
Traduction Éliazar MARIO-VINCENT
pour le FORUM EUROPÉEN DES ORTHODOXES
---
INTERNATIONAL ACTION CENTER
For Immediate Release
Attention: Assignment Editor
Press contact: Sarah Sloan (212) 633-6646
July 17, 2000
VICTIMS OF POLICE PREVENTIVE DETENTION ACTION
STAND TRIAL IN WASHINGTON D.C. -
TUESDAY, JULY 18
This Tuesday, July 18, victims of the mass arrest of 678 people on
April 15 in Washington D.C. will stand trial. The defendants include
Brian Becker, Co-Director of the International Action Center,
George Vavatsikos, a Greek American activist and others.
The defendants face 90 days in jail and fines if convicted of
disorderly conduct.
They were arrested last April 15 at a demonstration held in
conjunction with the week of protests against meetings of the
International Monetary Fund and World Bank in Washington D.C.
The April 15 protest demanded "Shut down the Prison-Industrial
Complex" and "New Trial for Mumia Abu-Jamal."
A class action law suit alleging a police-government conspiracy to
deny the First Amendment rights of demonstrators will be filed in the
coming weeks.
"This trial is itself a brazen miscarriage of justice," said Brian
Becker.
"The police violated our constitutional rights to assemble and
protest and exercise our First Amendment guarantee of free speech.
All 678 arrested people were protesting against the Prison-
Industrial Complex, racism and to demand a new trial for Mumia
Abu-Jamal. We broke no laws and yet we were illegally detained,
handcuffed hand to foot and held for 24 to 36 hours in school
buses, basements and remote ad-hoc detention centers in the
Washington DC area," Becker asserted. For a detailed description
of events, see http://www.iacenter.org/rept415.htm.
"The outcome of this trial is important and must be put into the
context of a new, aggressive and we believe unconstitutional policing
strategy directed at denying the constitutional rights of those
engaged in protest," said Larry Holmes, a leader of the IAC and
one of the 678 arrested on April 15. "This is the post-Seattle
backlash by the police. They want to intimidate and prevent mass
protests at the Republican Convention in Philadelphia and the
Democratic Convention in Los Angeles. These efforts by the state
will fail. Our movement against the death penalty, against racist
police brutality and the Prison-Industrial Complex is getting
stronger, not weaker. We will fight in the memory of Shaka
Sankofa (aka Gary Graham) and all those freedom fighters who
have struggled against a system that breeds racism, repression and
death."
--30--
International Action Center
39 West 14th Street, Room 206
New York, NY 10011
email: iacenter@...
web: www.iacenter.org
CHECK OUT THE NEW SITE www.mumia2000.org
phone: 212 633-6646
fax: 212 633-2889
--------- COORDINAMENTO ROMANO PER LA JUGOSLAVIA -----------
RIMSKI SAVEZ ZA JUGOSLAVIJU
e-mail: crj@... - URL: http://marx2001.org/crj
http://www.egroups.com/group/crj-mailinglist/
------------------------------------------------------------