** Topic: Zgareb agreb Diary **
** Written  7:55 PM  May  8, 1992 by wamkat in gn:yugo.antiwar **
Subject: Zgareb agreb Diary

Zagreb Diary
8 May 1992

Some thing are hanging like a sword of Damocles above all the heads of all the boys here in Zagreb, that is Croatian boys, and that is the mobilization papers. After you have received them you have less than 24 hours to find a way out otherwise you have to go. If you officially refuse you anyway have to go, waiting at the front until your case get reviewed (and since there still is no fifth member in this committee, there is no change that that will be soon). Up to now the ARK members were more or less lucky, only a few had got there papers, some went, some didn't do anything (and are still waiting to get picked up the police at one of the controls), some found a doctor saying they were unable to go and some were that lucky that their work said they couldn't been missed. But now the last week all around me people are called for their tour.

During the ARK meeting yesterday Zoran (who is one of our most devoted workers) told that his mother just phoned and told him that he had to go this morning at 8.00 for his number. On such a moment your heart stops breathing for a split second. All kind of things go through your mind, what would I do ?

For the time being Zoran tries to get out via a doctor paper and for the time being he is sleeping somewhere else, so officially he don't know yet that he is called up. App. 20-30% of the people they call up are not going, we are now trying to find out how many are arrested up to now. At least in my surroundings I know about 5 persons who are living under the stress that every police agent can arrest them.

The last week I have try to live from 4000 Croatian Dinar (that is about the same as a well paid worker has), in western currency about 40 Dmark. I am lucky since I don't have to pay for my room, telephone or gas and electra, but otherwise I never would have managed. I like fresh vegetables rather then eaten from thin cans and like to go for one beer every evening after we finished work (sometimes even three). Still it is about 1 1/2 more than the average income and 2 more than the minimum income, and about 4000 Hdr. (Hvratska (Croatian) Dinara) more than an unemployed (about 1/3 of the working population).

Since the prices are not that much lower than in the west you may try it in your home town, take all your money and creditcards (if you have any) out of your pocket and put 40 dmarks (or the same in your currency) in your wallet and life with it for 7 whole days. The shops in Croatia are not empty yet, the amount of products is a little less than in most of the western supermarket, but basically life is the same. So it is comparable (you can send us the money what you saved in that week) and than try to imagine that your are privilege, since most families have only 1 income, but more than one eater.

The never ending story about making my stay legal had today another part, this morning Vladimir Lay and I met at 8 o'clock at the police station, but when we arrived the line already was about 200 persons, so after an hour, without movements we gave up and made an appointment at Monday morning 6.30, to see if then the row already has started, at 7.00 the police station gets open.

On my way to the policestation this morning, alone the HQ of the Croatian army (on which you still can see the results of the fights last year (bulletwholes everywhere)) I was thinking about on of the email messages we just received. The one about the arm and weapon industry in BiH and the rest of former Yugoslavia and at that moment I knew a sixth positive point about this war. The arm-industry from former Yugoslavia (the 11th of the world) is totally destroyed, lots of the industries are totally burned out or otherwise destroyed (one which is still intact is the electronic (radar) and other equipment plant in Banja Luka (but for how long). 

It is absurd to know that one of the best exporting industries of this country was the arm and weapon industry and at the same time it are the products of that industry, which are now totally destroying the place. If you play with fire, ....... Through my mind went a picture with Molesovic, Tudjman, Paraga, Arkan and Sjesel as little children playing with toy soldiers and the text "Take the toys away from the boys". Or Tudjman and Paraga playing chess on the Croatian flag (this chess board you really see everywhere, that and camouflage uniform are the big hit, plastic bags, on postcards, Easter eggs, little dolls, you can't think of it or you can get it with chessboard and/or in camouflage outfit).

Zagreb is cleaning up for the summer, street after street suddenly over night the sandbags are disappearing, this morning I had to find out that my little gardens in our street (about 75% of the bags already had little plants, up to 15 cm) where gone. So I have to start again somewhere else. 

The also clean up the face of the town by replacing the office where you can get your Croatian citizenship to Novi Zagreb, rather than in front of the main station, next to Paraga's main office in the former artist place (the HOS soldier just through them out with force and took the building). Beside that black spot and the refugees in the station, which also get deported to camp outside the town, hardly nothing remember anymore that there is a war going on. Or it has to be that Zagreb is an endstation for many international trains and that wasn't before.

We also got the newest WHY (peace magazine from Sarajevo) last evening via Beograd (Olinka has been there over the weekend), it is great that they are able to get it out. I was surprise to see my fax, which I had send some weeks ago as support saw between all the official support messages they have got. Nice to see my simple handwriting in between all those important stationaries, glad that they liked it.

Via MI ZA MIR from Amsterdam we have also new connection with Beograd, Nives and her boys (and girls) are doing great work, we know now that the MIRNA BOSNA concerts in Beograd also took place (about 1000 people) , Novi Grad about 400 people and in Pozarevac there were 300 people (don't feel ashamed if you don't know were all those towns are laying I also take the map 5 times a day to find out were the hack they are talking about). 

It gives me a good feeling to know that we are on the same wave again with our friends in Beograd and hope that Nevis keeps up with helping us to do things together. next thing is that both zagreb and Beograd will have a roundtable and promotion day on the 15th of May World CO day. 

The Warristers International and similar organizations in Germany, Austria and Hungary have asked us to place an advertisement to refuse the army in Danas (the most liberal weekly) and the same advertisement (in Serbian ofcourse) will be placed in Vreme in Beograd (a magazine which comes weekly on Wednesday here in Zagreb and is only for sale at ARK and some other groups in zagreb and gets here via courier from Radio 101 (former Youth Radio), who comes every week over Hungary. It is funny that since a week I already know what will be in Vreme in English (thanks to the english translation service in Beograd and Joel which takes it of Bitnet and put it on APC) and the rest can't read it before Wednesday when it comes in Serbian. There must be a way that the people from the Center for Anti War Activities can use to same connection. Maybe somebody can ask that this guys and maybe girls  from Vreme, my tries to send messages directly to Bitnet didn't work out so well.

Since we want to start an intensive campaign to promote draft refusing according to the law, to push the government to appoint that 5th person in the commission soon, this advertisement is a good start, we only need a few thousands nice stickers in Croatian to stick on all tram waiting points that we are running a weekly speaking hour for people who like to get information. We discussed about it, that it may be dangerous to come so in the open, but we know that you are looking at us, so we dare to do it know and we will tell you want happens. The only thing we have to find is an organization in the west who will finance the stickers and let them print.

I was thinking that it was a good idea if some organization contacts MI ZA MIR in Amsterdam (fax +31-(0)20-6652422) and organizing the lay-outing and lettering with them, they have good designers and speak both Serbian (if they like to have them in Beograd as well) and Croatian and know what is going on. We would be very thankful and for Nevis it would be a ground to send somebody to Zagreb to bring us the stickers (and my some coffee, menthol tobacco (with some extra cigarette papers) and dropjes).

Love and Peace from Zagreb

Wam :-)

P.s. the connection via AdriaNet needs a lot of technical updating, the line is made between GreenNet and a BBS in Ljubljana, but it is not coming to Zagreb, neither do messages from Zagreb get to Ljubljana, I can imagine, because even the normal telephone connection have very bad lines. As exchange place APC and/or Bitnet would be a lot better.

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