Agence France-Presse
March 17, 2006
THOUSANDS IN HOMAGE TO MILOSEVIC'S BODY
Thousands of supporters paid their final respects to Slobodan Milosevic as
the coffin of the former Yugoslav leader went on show before his burial in
the grounds of his family home.
By the end of the first of two days of Belgrade tributes, however, the
turnout was a far cry from the tens of thousands that used to gather at
Milosevic rallies during his heyday in the 1990s.
Queuing in silence, there were still about 200 Milosevic supporters on hand
at around 9:30 pm (2030 GMT) outside the communist-era Revolution Museum,
waiting to spend a few seconds to pay respects to their former leader.
Milosevic "deserved more than this," said a woman in her 50s, who only
identified herself as a former bank clerk, expressing a strain of
disappointment about the low-key, but solemn send-off.
"Everybody in this country should mourn him and respect what he has done for
us and our country. During his time, we were treated as humans, and now, we
are nothing but servants of rich countries."
Milosevic is due to be buried on Saturday in his birthplace of Pozarevac, a
town 70 kilometres (45 miles) southeast of Belgrade, a week after dying of a
heart attack in a cell of the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague.
He had been on trial for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity
over his role in the 1990s Balkans wars which killed up to 200,000 people.
Eight hours earlier, up to 1,000 people converged at the museum before the
wooden casket containing Milosevic's body was carried into the red-carpeted
but bare room that was once used to honour the dictator Josip Broz Tito.
Transported in a grey van, his coffin arrived at the museum, situated in the
upscale suburb of Dedinje a few blocks from Milosevic's former villa, where
he was arrested before being handed over to the UN war crimes court in 2001.
Draped in a Serbian flag, once it was put on display with bouquets of roses
on either side, people filed past. Most crossed themselves, bowed or simply
touched his coffin. Some wiped tears away.
Near the end of the first day of tributes, at least 3,500 supporters of
Milosevic were estimated to have paid homage to the late Yugoslav president.
There were signs in the Serbian capital though of growing discontent about
the commemoration, with more than 20 cultural institutions showing their
support for the director of the museum, who earlier protested that the
building was being used for a political stunt.
"I strongly protest as a director, person and citizen of this country, and
call on the public and the Serbian government to react against a violation
of cultural autonomy and the political use of a cultural institution," said
the director, Ljiljana Cetinic, adding the decision was not her's.
Separately, many people in Belgrade reportedly received a mobile text
message urging them to stage a mass anti-Milosevic rally in the city's main
square at the same time as his funeral in his home town of Pozarevac at the
weekend.
After another day of being put on display here on Friday, the body of the
man who was revered by some as a great Serb, but despised by others as a
bloodthirsty ruler, will begin its final journey Saturday to the town.
Local authorities there gave the go-ahead for a 3:00 pm (1400 GMT) Saturday
burial in the grounds of the family's walled compound.
His coffin is expected to be laid to rest under a century-old linden tree
where he first kissed his wife, Mira Markovic.
It is still unclear which family members will attend the burial, with the
only confirmations being members of his SPS party and a delegation of
Russian lawmakers.
Senior party official Milorad Vucelic said Milosevic's widow and son Marko
were due to fly in Friday ahead of the funeral.
A Belgrade court earlier this week revoked an arrest warrant for Markovic,
who is widely believed to have been living in Russia where Marko, 33, fled
in 2000 after his father was ousted.
Daughter Marija, who lives in Montenegro, the state federated with Serbia,
will make a final decision on Friday evening, a source close to her told
AFP.
Borislav, the elder brother of the former president who is also based in
Russia, underwent a heart operation on Wednesday and will be unable to go to
the funeral, doctors said.
Serbian News Network - SNN
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http://www.antic.org/
