Topic: Zagreb Diary 
** Written 10:05 PM  Jul 19, 1992 by wam@zamir-zg.comlink.apc.org in gn:yugo.antiwar **

Zagreb Diary
16/17-07-1992

Dobar Dan,

So after Savka's party opened the front of the poster war the town is full of election posters, Tudjman smiles on a lot of wall and Paraga next to him (on his poster the words in Croatian, all Croats back to their home and in English, UNPROFOR go home !), beside Savka and all the leaders of the different parties. I must admit that Paraga's posters are more get throw off than other (just to make absolute sure to you that Paraga is not really loved by most of the Croatians, I write about him since he is the most obvious representative of fascism in this country, but not that he is representative for his country, the ideas from HSP and HOS are surely not well spread, they exist and I like to warn from them, their influence will grow, they call upon nationalistic tendencies, no help from abroad is extra seeds and fertilisers on their grounds).

Now a lot of flags turn into Dark red, grey, dark blue this new fresh flood of colours is fantastic, of course most of them use red-white-blue, but still, white is white, but for how long. This has nothing to do with war, but all with airpollution, after three months highering of prices of oil still there are enough cars to turn white flags grey in two months. HSLS is about the only party which basically use other colours, blue and yellow.

But more important for us is that the first volunteers are arriving and they bring with them often some extras they collected at home to make this camps work. And we were so afraid we couldn't get it together. Now I can tell you the Croatian volunteers have done their share, 2 tons of cookies, paper for the whole period, busses for excursions for all the three camps, balloons, toys, and whatever. The whole actions is announced on bought youth as normal HTV in special spots, made by one of the co-leaders and so on. The foreign people will be surprised how much press attention there will be for this joint initiative. 

We will play a frontline role in the person to person humanitarian add, those foreign volunteers will have overcome some prejudices against foreigners, but they will be prepared for it, I hope. The problem of the refugees will be spread over Europe afterwards and hopefully that are the seeds for grassroots humanitarian aid. When the Austrians Greens phoned today with the qeustion what I thought about the elections, should they send, monitors or not I indirectly made them 3000 Dem lighter (so we can organise at least one of the camps without worrying about money). 

Nobody of us needs to take sides as long as we take sides for those who have to suffer from this war. Hardly none of them have wanted. 3 million people in BiH are or homeless or under attack, far over 700.000 refugees and homeless are now registrated in Croatia. We are not helping anybody much by airlifting some children out of this countries, or even the  newest form of evacuating and adopting groups of children out of these countries. Like the Rumanian children two years ago, and more known the Korean babies. It is important that children, especially get safe medical treatment (as have animals in Zoo for another reason (a messages about the bad situation was posted in another conference)), and of course a lot more. 

The killing and shelling have to stop that is the only solution and not stopped by mass NATO involvement, this NATO fleet in the Adriatic scares the hell out of me. Pointed at Beograd, means also pointed at me. In this case I am solidair with my friends in Beograd and can follow caa.visitor (Center for Antiwar Activities Beograd, ported from ZaMir-BG, yes, yes) completely in her urgent appeal.

How many people have to died, why says Paraga (sorry), on a meeting in Karlovac, that all Croats have to unite and show Moscow and Beograd that they can fight. Or Seselj the same from the other side, another, a Serbian general, said yesterday evening that Serbs are not afraid for Nato and will fight when necessary the whole world to protect their freedom. 

Than I like the reaction of the Orthodox Church in Beograd better, who call upon the Muslim and Catholic church in Zagreb to have a joint meeting. In the Muslim Center of Zagreb both of the Church leaders in Croatia met each other and had the first round of talks how to react on that request, I keep you updated, but when it take place it will be world news anyway.

Another message came today (yesterday) from Slovenia, where the GB minister for foreign affairs, Hurt, had a visit (sorry I can see his face without remembering the puppet they made from him for "spitting image", how can you take him serious). Anyway he sat there and the Slovenian minister of foreign affairs gave the statement that the war in BiH was nothing else than a war between Serbia and Croatian to press the Muslims influence out. Of course Tudjman reacted straight away what they meant in Ljubljana with that statement. This can of course be a nice political conflict for the coming weeks during the elections.

For the rest the news was as always, I said to Vesna, wondering that I could say that after been drinking it in the first week like honey. I know the stories already...(words written as have heard) Hitna Pomoc (urgent help)...., purva lina...., fronta, dramateski...., houwitza..., civilni objecta...., yugo yojska...., Bosnia Herzegovini...., Mostara...., ministrovo...., pet (5) miliona dollara...., most of it need no explanation I think. The pictures come in top of it, a burning house, a grenade hitting a building, destroyed civilian houses, some desperate looking refugees, and so on and so on. You probebably make the picture up yourself already. You are no fools.

It is holiday time and the researcher and students are coming. One after another they are passing by in the Center, it cost us hours, but still it is important to get the messages across. To come back on those Greens from Austria the news they brought was something to be schock of. The Green are discussing a full economical boycot or something like that, in every case there should be a boycott of military related technology and weapons of Croatia, since Croatia is undemocratic and fighting in Bosna. Yes why not raise the tension, be stupid, create fascism you can say. 

Please people when ever one of you are involved in such discussions place your reaction on the net. We in Zagreb do not know what is going on their. We want to participate in those discussions. 


With Love from ZA-mir-GREB,

Wam:-)




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