Slobodan Markovic on Mon, 26 Apr 1999 06:45:17 +0200 |
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Syndicate: Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia |
[forwarded from <nettime> --sloba] ----- Original Message ----- From: Mirko S. Mandrino <mandrino@panet.bits.net> Sent: Sunday, 24. January 1999 03:19 Dear friends, Several of you have sent me in past few weeks the express of your appreciation and mention something about my strength. It might be that you overestimated me -- last night even I was not able to work at all. Firstly we heard in Pancevo already well known but ominous roar of airplanes. And than -- you already know. The missile with -- how many, 2000 kg of explosive, directly into the building full of people. Center of Belgrade center. The rest you were able to see on your TV screens. I am witness, reliable witness, how we all, and particularly the members of the Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia were fighting against propaganda created from radio television Serbia. We started in 1991, at the time of Vukovar. We did the same during the suffering of people in Sarajevo. In the winter 1996/1997 we used eggs "against" this building. With some support and within some time period, the building, equipment and working people would be "on our side". Instead of that, cold blood murder has been committed. I wonder how the pilots, missile operators and commanders were able to sleep after killing. Do they have dreams? I wonder would the children of murdered women and men be able to take the bottle of US made coca cola in their hands. To remind you -- even the formal declaration of war was not announce, so we don't know with whom and why we are in the war. War? War has something to do with fighting, attack and defence. Even the "war offices" of USA, Great Britain and Germany have the names regarding "defence" -- not war. Dropping missiles from 15 000 feet is not the war. It is cold blood murder. Furthermore, I wonder are NATO "strategists" and their media lackeys at CNN, Sky and other companies aware whom they murdered? NOT the creators of "pro-Milosevic propaganda" (who also do not deserve death, but fair trials) but apprentices, clerks, doormen... A friend of mine, good radio-amateur, is a doorman their. Branko is a very fine young man, but he has to live -- and that is why he accepted miserably paid job at RTS. He was not at duty that fatal night, but his friends were. Instead of offering jobs (e.g. Branko's English is very good, and he is not so bad in electronics) the "democratic West" is offering death. Further down you will find the statement of the President of Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia, my good friend Milosh Vasic. He is, among another things, war reporter. He was in Vietnam, Cambodia, he was in Bosnia during the war. He has vast experience in media, and speak several languages. He might be anything else but the "pro Milosevic propagandist". Read his opinion. No, better -- read the expresion of his pain which we all share. Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia President The Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia is profoundly outraged by NATO bombing of Radio Television of Serbia Belgrade Center, Friday early morning. NATO planners should and must have known that innocent civilians, duty journalists, producers, editors and technicians were at work around the clock, seven days a week, in that building, like in any TV station worldwide - and they knew! It was a premeditated criminal attack against an utterly civilian target and we cannot accept any excuses, even less hypocritical and cynical apologies by NATO officials about "collateral damage". We are deeply concerned about the lack of courage and military honour of NATO Allies, who keep playing their Nintendo games attacking civilian targets from 15 000 feet. It is a lamentable display of arrogance and cowardice. At least ten dead and a score of wounded media professionals have been at their everyday jobs that night; and everybody knew that. During the bloody wars in Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia since 1991, 76 journalists of all nationalities were killed in action, but they have never been targeted as journalists; they just happened to be in harm's way doing their job. Only two journalists were targeted deliberately during the Kosovo conflict by the KLA and are still missing, believed dead. NATO bombing of Serbian Radio Television building in Belgrade deliberately targeted journalists and media professionals at work, fully aware of consequences. It was a deliberate murder in cold blood. Our outrage and desperation are overwhelming. Milos Vasic, President Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia He has grown up in a country run by politicians who sent the pilots to man the bombers to kill the babies to make the world safe for children to grow up in. Ursula LeGuin ******************** Mirko S. Mandrino, peace activist P O Box 14, 26000 Pancevo, Vojvodina Yugoslavia tel/fax +381 13 346 444 ICQ 35713954 ------Syndicate mailinglist-------------------- Syndicate network for media culture and media art information and archive: http://www.v2.nl/east/ to unsubscribe, write to <syndicate-request@aec.at> in the body of the msg: unsubscribe your@email.adress