Topic: Zagreb Diary 
** Written  5:25 AM  Jul 14, 1992 by wam@zamir-zg.comlink.apc.org in gn:yugo.antiwar **

Zagreb Diary
13-07-1992

Dobar Dan,

"Just another day in...."

Attacks continue on Dubrovnik, the citizens are now already for three days in their shelters, also Slavonski Brod was under heavy artillery. A bomb crater near Slavonski Brod was over 5 meters deep and about 15 meter wide, to give an impression. And again fragmentation bombs were mentioned.

At the same point yesterday 20.000 refugees came into the country, today over 18.000 (that is in total nearly as much as in my home town Sittard), some of them had the swim over the river Sava to get out of the heavy fighting in the northern part of Bosnia. Were the Serbian extremist forces (according to HTV) are now closed in and exchanging POW (Prisoners Of War) for food. In that area also an outburst of Hypotitus B is reported.

The government of Croatia announced today that Croatia is becoming a camping ground of Refugees and that the humanitarian add from abroad for the almost 800.000 registrated refugees and displaced people is by far not enough to cover the cost. Most of the cost for the displaced people is paid by the big cities, who haven't received yet any Dinar repayment.

Together with the 21 billion US$ big war damages, 10.000 war invalids already only in the East Slavonia and Baranja area and 1/5 of the country still "occupied" the government has decided not to close their borders, but try to send refugees from BiH further to Slovenia, Hungary, Austria and Italy. especially now the Social and economical structures in this country seems to crack down.

The war in Croatia still goes on, but the real ultimate war goes on in BiH. The JNA troops who were fighting in East Slavonia, brought most of there materials into BiH (according again to HTV) , where big battles in northern Bosnia and around Gorazde are been fought. In the last town the wounded and dead under children is very high. Also the shooting and shelling of Sarajevo continues. After yesterday positive message that after weeks of peacetalks there was a 6 hours cease fire for Dobrinja, to deliver humanitarian aid there, the fights went on in all there killing destruction. 

The six hours of relative peace was however a blessing for all the people in that part of the town, who have been in their shelters for so long. The Croatian television broadcasted pictures of playing children (war of course, but nobody wanted to play Chetniks), old drinking men (Serb and Muslim according the reporter) in the sun on a terras under nice grapes plants, pool playing soldiers and Catholic service in the Church.

Today only already in Sarajevo at least 12 people were killed  and at least 28 civilians in the rest of BiH. The amount of dead soldiers on all sides were reported to be much higher. Also from Sarajevo it was reported that a French plane carrying aid for Sarajevo was shoot at when landing on Sarajevo airport, but nobody was hurt and the flights will go on.

The French by the way are now slowly going into the direction of a military intervention, according to a poll of the reporter of HTV in Paris, most of the civilians think that there is no other solution. Especially after the new attacks on Dubrovnik, but also because of the destruction of Vukovar. They are sure, according the interviewer, that Milosevic only wants a big Serbia and no peace. Tudjman, however is absolute clear about it, he wrote a letter to the UN today again, stating that military intervention is the only solution for the problems in BiH.

Colleges of us ((ARK) the Anti War Campaign is meant with us) of the Croatian League for Peace (Za Mir Hrvatska something), a group of "important" and influential people, which is not that active by the way, also (like Tudjman I mean, not like ARK) came to the conclusion that a peaceful solution for the fights in BiH is not possible any longer. 

The peacetalks, however, between Croats, Muslims and Serbs from BiH will continue on Saturday, under the leading of Lord Carrington. So you never know. His country, GB, has also announced that they are willing to take 60 of the wounded children out Sarajevo's hospitals and bring them for treatment to GB, if UNPROFOR can organise their transportation. That is maybe a bit easier since the UNPROFOR bataljon of French and Canadian in Sarajevo will get help from Egyptians.

And for the lighter news a scandal of the Croatian People Party, who broke as I noticed yesterday (remember the only party from which I saw posters) the gentlemen agreement between all the parties not to start their poster campaign until 10 days before the elections. Savka's (a figure head from the early seventies) party was with other words not so gentlemen, but is I believe the only party with a women in top of the list ;-). 

"where the story never stops"

And on the background of that all ET (a Croatian Rap band) with a "Prayer for peace"

With Love from ZA-mir-GREB,

Wam:-)

P.S. The workcamps in the refugeescamps will start this weekend and I have still not found the financial resources to make it work.

Ben's Department for the research of social structures of the institute of social studies has to close this month, they  didn't got any funding for their projects anymore. We hope to open our Centre for Peace, Nonviolence and Human Rights soon, with a department for Peace studies.

ZaMir-BG is close to get on the net, Eric has as you can see already mailed his first reports from Beograd. And whenever it is possible we will get also ZaMir-SA (if that is Sarajevo) on the net, today I have received an E-mail letter asking for it. ZaMir-ZG is working as you can see, mail us under user@zamir-zg.comlink.apc.org and found out what happens. We are looking forwards to receive your mail.



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