DATE=10/14/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-240187
TITLE=YUGO-MEDIA (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=ART CHIMES
DATELINE=BELGRADE
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: IN THE OVERNIGHT PERIOD BETWEEN TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY IN
BELGRADE, OFFICIALS CLOSED DOWN TWO OF THE THREE MAIN INDEPENDENT
(DAILY) NEWSPAPERS IN WHAT MANY ARE VIEWING AS A CONTINUING
CRACKDOWN ON UNOFFICIAL SOURCES OF INFORMATION. V-O-A
CORRESPONDENT ART CHIMES REPORTS FROM THE YUGOSLAV CAPITAL.
TEXT: BOTH UNIFORMED AND PLAIN-CLOTHES POLICE MOVED INTO THE
OFFICES OF "DANAS" AND "DNEVNI TELEGRAF" BETWEEN LATE TUESDAY AND
INTO THE EARLY HOURS OF WEDNESDAY MORNING, THEN SEALED THE
OFFICES OF BOTH PAPERS AND POSTED PRIVATE SECURITY GUARDS FROM A
COMPANY (ED: STANKOM) WITH CLOSE TIES TO THE GOVERNMENT.
IN EACH CASE, AUTHORITIES SAID THEY WERE ENFORCING A GOVERNMENT
DECREE PLACING RESTRICTIONS ON WHAT CAN BE PUBLISHED HERE.
SERBIAN INFORMATION MINISTER ALEKSANDER VUCIC SENT LETTERS TO
BOTH PAPERS WARNING THEY WERE VIOLATING THE DECREE, AND
FORBIDDING THEM TO PUBLISH THE LETTER. ONE OF THE PAPERS,
"DANAS," PUBLISHED THE FULL TEXT OF THE WARNING IN ITS TUESDAY
EDITION. THE LETTER CHARGED THE PAPERS ARE SPREADING "FEAR,
PANIC AND DEFEATISM."
THE OTHER PAPER, "DNEVNI TELEGRAF," HAS BEEN FEATURING A DAILY
BOX AT THE TOP OF PAGE ONE HEADLINING PROHIBITED STORIES IT SAID
IT WAS NOT PUBLISHING, BUT GIVING JUST ENOUGH INFORMATION TO
SUGGEST WHAT WAS BEING CENSORED.
THE MANAGING DIRECTOR OF "DANAS," DUSAN SIMIC, SAYS HIS PAPER WAS
SHUT DOWN FOR WHAT HE CALLED THE OFFENSE OF "BEING JOURNALISTS
AND PUBLISHING NEWS."
// SIMIC ACTUALITY //
AFTER THE NEWS ABOUT THE DEAL BETWEEN (YUGOSLAV
PRESIDENT SLOBODAN) MILOSEVIC AND (U-S BALKAN ENVOY
RICHARD) HOLBROOKE WAS PUBLISHED, I THOUGHT THEY MAY
FORGET ABOUT US, BUT THEY DIDN'T. THEY JUST WANT TO USE
THIS SITUATION TO GET RID OF THE INDEPENDENT PRESS,
WHICH IS PRACTICALLY THE ONLY REAL OPPOSITION IN THIS
COUNTRY, BECAUSE OPPOSITION PARTIES REALLY
DISINTEGRATED, AND THE ONLY REAL VOICE OF OPPOSITION IS
THE INDEPENDENT PRESS.
// END ACTUALITY //
WHILE BELGRADE'S THIRD INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER, "NASA BORBA,"
CONTINUES TO PUBLISH, LOCAL JOURNALISTS ARE WORRIED IT COULD BE
THE NEXT VICTIM OF WHAT THEY SEE AS AN OFFICIAL CAMPAIGN AGAINST
THE INDEPENDENT MEDIA.
THE INFORMATION MINISTRY DID NOT RESPOND TO A VOA REQUEST FOR AN
INTERVIEW.
A REPORTER FOR INDEPENDENT RADIO STATION "B-92" REACHED MINISTER
ALEKSANDER VUCIC BY PHONE TUESDAY EVENING, WHEN HE DENIED ANY
KNOWLEDGE OF THE CLOSURE.
//OPT// THE UNITED NATIONS CRITICIZED THE GOVERNMENT ACTION. THE
TOP U-N HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICIAL IN BELGRADE POINTED OUT THAT UNTIL
RECENTLY, BELGRADE ENJOYED A FREE NEWSPAPER PRESS, WITH MORE
DAILIES THAN NEW YORK CITY. BUT BARBARA DAVIS SHE SAYS THE LOSS
OF THE TWO NEWSPAPERS IS NOT AS BAD AS THE EROSION OF THE RULE OF
LAW.
// DAVIS ACTUALITY //
FAR MORE PERNICIOUS ... IS THE GOVERNMENT'S DECISION,
WHICH PRESENTS BROAD AND AS YET UNDEFINED POWERS TO
ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANS WHO THEMSELVES BECOME THE ARBITER
OF WHAT IS OR IS NOT ACCEPTABLE EXPRESSION.
// END ACTUALITY //
THE ORDER CLOSING THE NEWSPAPERS DID NOT CLEARLY INDICATE THE
LEGAL BASIS FOR THE CLOSURE. LAWYERS FOR THE PAPERS ARE
REVIEWING POSSIBLE LEGAL ACTION, AND 15 INDEPENDENT MEDIA
ORGANIZATIONS HAVE ASKED THE SUPREME COURT TO INTERVENE. //END
OPT//
//REST OPT// LEADING THE CHARGE AGAINST THE MEDIA IS DEPUTY PRIME
MINISTER VOJISLAV SESELJ, WHO HEADS THE SERBIAN RADICAL PARTY.
MR. SESELJ HAS BEEN PARTICULARLY CRITICAL OF INTERNATIONAL
BROADCASTERS INCLUDING V-O-A, DEUTSCHE WELLE, AND B-B-C. LOCAL
MEDIA HAVE BEEN ORDERED TO STOP REBROADCASTING PROGRAMS FROM THE
FOREIGN STATIONS. (SIGNED)
NEB/ART/PCF
14-Oct-98 12:03 PM EDT (1603 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
