<nettime> geertogram 041899: paintings, visas, drawings, mail

["nettime's_indigestive_system" <nettime@Desk.nl>]

Geert Lovink <geert@xs4all.nl>
          (fwd) Milovan Djilas se pita u vezi ludila
          EU visas 'postponed' to FYU citizens
          LL:URL:Anti-Nato drawings and cartoons
          Suspension of Mail Service to Yugoslavia 

Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 16:08:16 +0200 (CEST)
From: Geert Lovink <geert@xs4all.nl>
Subject: geert 1

From: Cillena <kirkaart@bart.nl>
Subject: Milovan Djilas se pita u vezi ludila

Michael Ignatieff( Time) talk with Beograd. Aleksa Djilas( historian,
writer, son of the famous Yugoslav dissident Milovan Djilas) picks up
the phone, his first words are: "I understand the mechanism of madness on
my side. But do you understand the mechanism of madness on your side?"

Time article: "We abstain from bombing Milosevic palace on the grounds
that it is a national historical site AND that there is a Rembrandt on
the first floor. That is one measure of our  madness - that we allow a
Rembrandt to save a criminal."

"The madness of both sides is set to continue." M.Ignatieff

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Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 16:20:59 +0200 (CEST)
From: Geert Lovink <geert@xs4all.nl>
Subject: geert 2

From: Andras Riedlmayer <riedlmay@FAS.HARVARD.EDU>
Reposted from: JUSTWATCH-L@LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU
Subject: Lessons from an empty lot in Zvornik

On my desk is a recent photo of that empty lot, marking the site where the
largest mosque in Zvornik stood until 1992, when it was "erased" from the
center of Zvornik along with the town's Muslim inhabitants. In the 1991
census, 60 percent of the people in Zvornik had identified themselves as
Muslims.  After the town was "cleansed" in a murderous rampage launched
from across the Drina River - which marks the border with Serbia - all
mosques in town were ordered demolished by the new Serb nationalist
administration.  By the following spring Zvornik's new mayor was telling
visiting journalists that the pre-war census figures were mistaken and
that in fact, "There never were any mosques in Zvornik."

Next to that photo from Zvornik, I have a stack of other photos of such
empty lots -- from Srebrenica (two sites of mosques:  on one the marks
left by the bulldozer that cleared away the last traces were still fresh
in Sept. 1998), from Foca, Banja Luka, Prijedor, and dozens of other
places where entire communities have been erased, the survivors driven
into exile.

More such empty spaces are being created in Kosovo by the day, and
Milosevic, Seselj, Draskovic & Co. are counting on being able to tell
reporters in a year or two that the census figures were wrong -- there
never had been any Albanians in Kosovo (or if there were any, they were
just interlopers from Albania, with no historical roots in Kosovo). The
destruction of human lives is only the first part of the crime; the
destruction of memory completes it.

Andras Riedlmayer

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Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 16:29:18 +0200 (CEST)
From: Geert Lovink <geert@xs4all.nl>
Subject: geert 3

From: ZAMIR-CHAT-L@LISTS.IGC.ORG <ZAMIR-CHAT-L@LISTS.IGC.ORG>
Date: Sun 18 april 1999 10:12
Subject: Serious Threats to NGO's in RS -- An Appeal

This item was distributed by the Greek Helsinki mail list on 14 Apr:
Submitted by Nalini Lasiewicz

Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in RS

Esteemed,

We are very much worried because of the dramatic destabilization of the
situation in Republic of Srpska and in the whole region. In the past month
three important events (the announcement of the arbitrage decision over
Brcko, the deposition of president Poplasen and occurrences in
SRYugoslavia) contributed to this kind of situation.

In the past three years Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in RS
constantly pointed the need for line of significant reforms in Bosnia and
Herzegovina and Republic of Srpska, and that reforms were not or were
partially realized.

Before all, we were thinking of police and judiciary reform and the
present occurrences showed in full that these two very important state
segments are not capable of responding to the challenges they were facing
with. In the line of protest meetings, attacks on international community
representatives, terrorism and violence case, the members of police and
judiciary showed their incapability of functioning in complex situations.

Naturally, every discussion about the situation in B&H opens one of the
key questions, and that question is: Is it possible to build democratic
society in B&H with the political leaders mainly from the time of the war
who are representing ultra nationalistic attitudes?

The situation in which RS is right now to a large extension is produced in
Belgrade. In RS Belgrade regime always supported those political parties
they could directly and strongly influence. Situation was highly
complicated with the connections ultra nationalists from Belgrade and from
RS. In this moment there is a very objective possibility that Belgrade can
cause incidents in RS and in B&H so that present conflict in the territory
of SR Yugoslavia escalates. Ultra nationalists used all three
above-mentioned events to recuperate nationalistic feeling among the
citizens, and with a view to direct political promotion on meetings and
public gatherings. From those meetings and gatherings very serious threats
were said to the international community representatives in B&H, bearers
of democratic changes in RS, some NGOS and to the individuals. Ultra
nationalists have strengthened their activities after withdrawal of almost
all international community representatives in RS.

Additional complexity brings six months crises in RS over the election of
the new Government. The two political blocks are nonplacable confronted
without visible perspective of solving the problem over the election of
the new Government? That is greatly affecting the blockade of a line of
state agencies and institutions. The special problem is the lack of the
communication between local and republic agencies.

Crime and corruption are every day bigger and they are becoming the  models
for functioning of the line of institutions and agencies.

The media are taking the side of the momentary prevailing political state
of mind in RS and extremely they are performing propaganda by taking
information from the state media in SR Yugoslavia. A small number of
independent journalists and media are exposed to violence and threats. The
process of economical reforms, reconstruction and privatization are slowed
down or completely stopped.

The return of displaced persons and refugees is not realizing and is
almost completely stopped. In the territory of B&H new refugees are coming
from SR Yugoslavia and all objective forecasts over the solution of the
problem of refugees and displaced persons are pessimistic. There is very
little talk about the need of taking the suspects in war crimes to the
international tribune in Hague.

The incidents on the line of entity segregation are announcing the
possibility of escalation of all kinds of violence and terrorism, and
deliberately to cause chaos and fire.

The thing we are worried about is that the utmost number of political
representatives, terrorism and violence case, the members of police and
parties in RS, on the excuse of recruiting of the voters do not want to
say publicly anything about above mentioned issues, instead of that they
are indirectly supporting nationalistic attitudes. What can we expect
in the following period? In the coming period we can expect further
deterioration of the situation. What do we have to do to prevent that?
We find as a [priority] the election of new Government in RS. We find
very important to accentuate individual responsibility of political
leaders who are calling for hatred, violence and terrorism. We find as a
very important that the representatives of international organizations
return to RS and continue with their activities on the implementation of
Dejton Agreement. It is necessary to continue the started reconstruction
process and maintain the continuous of international support to RS.

It is necessary to maintain with encouraging and supporting of political
parties, NGOs, associations and individuals, who are pledging for the
development of democratic society in B&H. 

It is very important that the representatives of international community
present in B&H, and before everyone else SFOR, distance as much as it is
possible from the happenings in SR Yugoslavia. It is a very big mistake
that we do not have in B&H high representatives of international community
with the clear and open messages to the citizens through media, and
especially TV. It is necessary for the citizens of RS to be objectively
informed. According to our analyzes, one of the basic reasons for such an
easy manipulating the citizens by extreme nationalists is the lack of
qualitative information over the engagement of international community in
B&H and the perspectives of development. At the end we would like to
expose our notice over the role of the part of NGOs in RS in the past
month events. The utmost of the NGOs which are gathered in so called
Forums of the Regions were manipulated by the ultra nationalists, so that
some NGO Forums took active part in destructive demonstrations and in
violence. That confirms the allegation that great deals of NGOs are under
the direct control of ultra nationalists. It is very worrying the
manipulations with high school and student youth, were we have the
principles of secondary schools and faculties forcing professors and
students within the classes, the most often under the influence of
alcohol, which was given freely, to come out on the streets and >perform
violence and chaos.

The best illustration of the situations on the public gatherings and
tribunes will be that on those gatherings illegal courts of ultra
nationalists publicly announce death sentences to the individuals.
Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in RS works in the hardest conditions
from its foundation. We are facing the line of serious threats to the
organization and to our members and activists personally. We are working
in very bad and risky environment. Our work, our attitudes and our public
announcements are public and open and this way we are trying to create the
space for the idees of tolerance and understanding. We are willing to do
everything that is in our power to prevent bad condition of human rights
from becoming worse. Moreover, we are asking you that within your
possibilities and activities do everything to improve situation in RS and
B&H. Your small contribution together with ours can make sure that the
citizens of B&H have better future.

Branko Todorovic, President of Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in RS 
Bijeljina, April 02, 1999

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Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 16:32:32 +0200 (CEST)
From: Geert Lovink <geert@xs4all.nl>
Subject: geert 4 (maybe first message)

Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 08:54:45 +0200
From: (removed)
To: geert@xs4all.nl
Subject: in BGD again

Dear Geert,

unfortunately I didn't have any luck with visa. friends helped as much as
possible but decision has been delayed. as I heard EU countries made the
agreement on Wednesday that YU citizens are not welcome any more - and I
believe that is the reason for postponing the visas (I am still in process). 
sorry.

(name removed)

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Date: Sat, 17 Apr 1999 07:44:15 +1000
From: David Muller <davemull@alphalink.com.au>
To: Leftlink <leftlink@vicnet.net.au>
Subject: LL:URL:Anti-Nato drawings and cartoons

A mesage to all the friends of Yugoslavia
and all the people of good will

Send your drawings and cartoons and join the action designed to stop the
agression of NATO forces on Yugoslavia.

                                                 Send your works to:
dux@gal.bits.net

  Your drawings will be displayed on the internet at
   http://www.beograd.com/nato/antiwar/index.html

  We will send those drawings every day to all the people and all the
organizations that can influence that this agression of NATO be stopped.

                                                 Thankful in advance,

Dusan Pavlic


          Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List
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Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 16:35:31 +0200 (CEST)
From: Geert Lovink <geert@xs4all.nl>
Subject: Suspension of Mail Service to Yugoslavia 


---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 13:01:08 +0300
From: Alain Kessi <kessi@bitex.com>
To: postmaster@ucsd.edu
Subject: Suspension of Mail Service to Yugoslavia

Dear postmaster,

I just received notice that UCSD Mail Services had suspended all
international mail services to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia
and Montenegro). I am a journalist working for international media,
covering the Balkan region from Sofia, Bulgaria. I am very concerned by
the grave breach of the freedom of expression that this policy of the U.S.
Postal Service constitutes, if the message that was forwarded to me turns
out to be authentic.

May I get confirmation that this is not a hoax? Were any arguments given
by the U.S. Postal Service for this measure of censorship? What would
happen if the UCSD Mail Services did not accept this measure, stood up for
the freedom of expression and continued to distribute e-mails from
Yugoslavia?

Looking forward to your answer. With best regards,

Alain Kessi
Journalist, Sofia and Zurich

===================

>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>Date: Thu, 15 Apr 1999 10:50:26 -0700 (PDT)
>From: all-at-ucsd-relay@ucsd.edu
>To: all-at-ucsd-dist@ucsd.edu
>Subject: Suspension of Mail Service to Yugoslavia
>
>UCSD
>CAMPUS NOTICE
>University of California, San Diego
>
>           OFFICE OF THE CONTROLLER
>               BUSINESS & FINANCIAL SERVICES
>           Mail Services Division
>
>        April 14,1999
>
>ALL AT UCSD (CAMPUS)
>
>SUBJECT: Suspension of Mail Service to Yugoslavia
>
>Mail Services was just notified by the U.S. Postal Service that
>effective immediately, all international mail service to the Federal
>Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) has been suspended due
>to the armed conflict in that country.  Any mail received by Mail
>Services will be returned to sender until we are notified that the
>suspension has been lifted.
>
>The suspension will remain in effect until further notice.  As soon as
>we hear any change on this situation from the U.S. Postal Service, we
>will pass the information on to you.
>
>We regret any hardship that this suspension of service may cause.  The
>Mail Services staff is available to answer any questions you may have
>regarding this suspension.  Please call us at x-41164.
>
>
> Pat Procopio
> Mail Services Manager

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