[PEN-L:5890] (Fwd) STATEMENT OF CONCERNED SERBIAN ANTI-NATIONALIST CITIZENS

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------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
Date sent:              Fri, 23 Apr 1999 17:04:58 -0700
To:                     [EMAIL PROTECTED]
From:                   Sid Shniad <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject:                STATEMENT OF CONCERNED SERBIAN ANTI-NATIONALIST CITIZENS

TO ALL CONCERNED

This is a statement of the leading liberal (anti-nationalist) voices of
Serbia concerning NATO aggression on Yugoslavia.

You are free to translate it, publish it, post it on your Web site or
circulate providing that it is in integrate form followed by all
signatures.

We need your help. Thank you.

Concerned Yugoslav Liberals


A STATEMENT OF CONCERNED SERBIAN CITIZENS

As long time proponents of and activists for a democratic and
anti-nationalist Serbia, who have chosen to remain in Yugoslavia during
this moment of crisis and who want to see our country reintegrated into
the community of world nations, we state the following:

1.      We strongly condemn the NATO bombings which have hugely
exacerbated violence in Kosovo and have caused the displacement of people
outside and throughout Yugoslavia. We strongly condemn the ethnic
cleansing of the Albanian population perpetrated by any Yugoslav forces.
We strongly condemn the Kosovo Liberation Army's (KLA) violence targeted
against Serbs, moderate Albanians and other ethnic communities in Kosovo.
The humanitarian catastrophe in Kosovo — death, grief and extreme suffering
for hundreds of thousands of Albanians, Serbs and members of other ethnic
communities — has to be ended now. All refugees from Yugoslavia must
immediately and unconditionally be allowed to return to their homes, their
security and human rights guaranteed, and aid for reconstruction provided.
Perpetrators of crimes against humanity whoever they are must be brought
to justice.

2.      The fighting between Serbian forces and the KLA has to be stopped
immediately in order to start a new round of negotiations. All sides must
put aside their maximalist demands There are (as in other numerous
similar conflicts such as in Northern Ireland) no quick and easy
solutions. We all must be prepared for a long and painstaking process of
negotiation and normalization.

3.      The bombing of Yugoslavia by NATO causes destruction and growing
numbers of civilian victims (at least several hundred, maybe a thousand by
now). The final outcome will be the destruction of the economic and
cultural foundations of Yugoslav society. It must be stopped immediately.

4.      The UN Charter, the Helsinki Final Act, the founding document of
NATO, as well as the constitutions of countries such as Germany, Italy,
Portugal, have been violated by this aggression. As individuals who have
devoted their lives to the defense of basic democratic values, who believe
in universal legal norms we are deeply concerned that NATO's violation of
these norms will incapacitate all those struggling for the rule of law and
human rights in this country and elsewhere in the world.

5.      NATO's bombings have further destabilized the southern Balkans.
If continued this conflict can escalate beyond Balkan borders and, if
turned into land military operations, thousands of NATO and Yugoslav
soldiers, as well as Albanian and Serbian civilians, will die in a futile
war as in Vietnam. Political negotiations toward a peaceful settlement
should be reopened immediately.

6.      The existing regime has only been reinforced by NATO's attacks in
Yugoslavia by way of natural reaction of people to rally around the flag
in times of foreign aggression. We continue our opposition to the present
anti-democratic and authoritarian regime, but we also emphatically oppose
NATO's aggression. The democratic forces in Serbia have been weakened and
the democratic reformist Government of Montenegro threatened by NATO's
attacks and by the regime's subsequent proclamation of the state of war
and now find themselves between NATO's hammer and the regime's anvil.

7.      In dealing with the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia the leaders
of the world community have in the past made numerous fatal errors. New
errors are leading to an aggravation of the conflict and are removing us
from the search for peaceful solutions.

We appeal to all: President Milosevic, the representatives of the Kosovo
Albanians, NATO, EU and US leaders to stop all violence and military
activities immediately and engage in the search for a political solution.


Belgrade, April 16, 1999

SIGNATURES:
(ABC order)

1. Stojan Cerovic, Vreme columnist and journalist
2. Jovan Cirilov, Belgrade International Theater Festival (BITEF)
selector and former director of the Yugoslav Drama Theater; Theater
History Center Director
3. Sima Cirkovic, Member Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts,
Professor, Belgrade University, Dept. of History
4. Mijat Damnjanovic, Former Professor, Belgrade University, Faculty of
Political Sciencs, Center for Public Administration and Local Government
(PALGO) Director
5. VojinDimitrijev, Former Head of the Department of International Law,
Belgrade Law School; The Belgrade Center for Human Rights Director; UN
Human Rights Committee former Vice Chairman
6. Dasa Duhacek, Director Women Studies Center, Board Member of
Alternative Academic Educational Network (AAEN)
7. Milutin Garasanin, Member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and
Arts; Vice President of the Association for Research of South-Eastern
Europe (UNESCO)
8. Zagorka Golubovic, Professor, Belgrade University, Department of
Sociology; Chair Social Sciences Department of AAEN
9. Dejan Janca, Professor, Novi Sad University, Law School
10. Ivan Jankovic, Belgrade lawyer, human rights activist, Board
President of Center for Anti-War Action
11. Predrag Koraksic, Belgrade cartoonist
12. Mladen Lazic, Professor, Belgrade University, Department of
Sociology, AAEN Board Member
13. Sonja Licht, President, Fund for an Open Society, Executive Board
14. Ljubomir Madzar, Professor Belgrade University, Faculty of Economy,
Member Group-17
15. Veran Matic, Editor in Chief, Belgrade Radio B92, President
Altenative Network of Electronic Media (ANEM)
16. Jelica Minic, Secretary General, European Movement in Serbia
17. Andrej Mitrovic, Professor, Belgrade University, Dept. of History
18. Radmila Nakarada, Senior Research Fellow, Belgrade Institute for
European Studies
19. Milan Nikolic, Director, Center for Policy Studies
20. Vida Ognjenovic, Theater director, playwrite
21. Borka Pavicevic, Director, Cultural Decontamination 
22. Jelena Santic, Anti-war 487 group, human rights activist
23. Nikola Tasic, Associate member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and
Arts, Member European Academy
24. Ljubinka Trgovcevic, Senior Research Fellow, Belgrade University,
Department of History
25. Srbijanka Turajlic, Professor Belgrade University, Faculty of
Electrical Engineering, Board President AAEN
26. Ivan Vejvoda, Fund for an Open Society Executive Director
27. Branko Vucicevic, translator