IN THIS MESSAGE: STATEMENT OF CONCERNED SERBIAN ANTI-NATIONALIST CITIZENS; Winnipeg & Ottawa Labor Councils on Balkans 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 ========================================== Date: Fri, 23 Apr 1999 17:05:24 -0700 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] From: Sid Shniad <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: WINNIPEG LABOUR COUNCIL RESOLUTION ON YUGOSLAVIA WINNIPEG LABOUR COUNCIL RESOLUTION ON YUGOSLAVIA At the April 20 meeting of the Winnipeg Labour Council the following motion was passed: Be it resolved that the Winnipeg Labour Council refer the following emergency resolution to the Canadian Labour Congress convention in May 1999: Whereas the attack by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is not a humanitarian solution to the conflict within Yugoslavia; it will only deepen the conflict and suffering in the Balkans, with uncontrolled and dangerous consequences for the entire world; Whereas NATO's attack on Yugoslavia violates the fundamental principles of the United Nations Organization and the Helsinki Final Act that guarantees the borders of Europe following the Second World War; Whereas NATO's demand to place a NATO occupying force in Yugoslavia was made without any legal basis; Whereas the corporate agenda has always relied on dividing workers and making them fight each other; Whereas it is never too late to negotiate a just peace; Be it resolved that the Canadian Labour Congress call on the Government of Canada to withdraw its support for the war against Yugoslavia and to support immediate peace negotiations. =========================================== Date: Fri, 23 Apr 1999 17:05:32 -0700 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] From: Sid Shniad <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: OTTAWA LABOUR COUNCIL SAYS NO TO U.S./NATO BOMBINGS OF YUGOSLAVIA Friday, 23 Apr 1999 OTTAWA LABOUR COUNCIL SAYS NO TO U.S./NATO BOMBINGS OF YUGOSLAVIA Last night at its regular meeting the delegates of the Ottawa and District Labour Council passed a motion to send to the Canadian Labour Congress the following emergency resolution on the War in Yogoslovia: Stop the bombing of Yugoslavia! Negotiate Now! Whereas: the attack by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization on Yugoslavia is not a humanitarian solution to the conflict within Yugoslavia; it will only deepen the conflict and suffering in the Balkans, with uncontrolled and dangerous consequences for the entire world; Whereas: NATO's attack on Yugoslavia violates the fundamental principles of the United Nations Organization and of the Helsinki Final Act that guarantees the borders of Europe following the Second World War; Whereas: NATO's demand to place a NATO occupying force in Yugoslavia was made without any legal basis; Whereas: the corporate agenda has always relied on dividing workers, and on making them fight each other; Whereas: it is never too late to negotiate a just peace; Therefore be it resolved: that the Canadian Labour Congress call on the Government of Canada to withdraw its support for the war against Yugoslavia and to support immediate peace negotiations. The Executive had unanimously reccommended acceptance, and it passed overwhelmingly. Stuart Ryan, President CAW 567