DATE=10/20/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-240496
TITLE=SERBIA MEDIA CRACKDOWN/REACT (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=PAMELA TAYLOR
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: LAWMAKERS IN SERBIA -- YUGOSLAVIA'S DOMINANT REPUBLIC --
HAVE PASSED A NEW LAW BANNING BROADCASTS FUNDED BY FOREIGN
GOVERNMENTS -- CALLING THEM PROPAGANDA. LAST WEEK, SERBIAN
AUTHORITIES ALSO SUSPENDED PUBLICATION OF THREE INDEPENDENT
NEWSPAPERS FOR ALLEGEDLY VIOLATING A GOVERNMENT ORDER AGAINST
SPREADING 'FEAR, PANIC AND DEFEATISM.' THE OFFENDING MATERIAL
INVOLVED REPORTS ABOUT POSSIBLE NATO AIRSTRIKES IF SERBIA FAILED
TO HALT ITS CRACKDOWN AGAINST ETHNIC ALBANIANS IN KOSOVO.
V-O-A'S PAMELA TAYLOR HAS MORE.
TEXT: THE NEW LAW BANS RE-BROADCASTS IN SERBIA OF PROGRAMS
PRODUCED BY FOREIGN OUTLETS -- INCLUDING THE VOICE OF AMERICA,
DEUTSCHE WELLE AND B-B-C [THE BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION].
IT SETS FINES OF ABOUT 60-THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR VIOLATORS.
THE NEW YORK-BASED COMMITTEE TO PROTECT JOURNALISTS -- KNOWN AS
C-P-J -- HAS APPEALED TO WESTERN GOVERNMENTS AND ORGANIZATIONS TO
SUPPORT SERBIA'S BESIEGED JOURNALISTS. C-P-J DIRECTOR KATI
MARTON CALLS THE MEDIA CRACKDOWN AN ENORMOUS STEP BACKWARDS FOR
SERBIA AND FOR YUGOSLAV PRESIDENT SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC.
/// FIRST MARTON ACT ///
AND IT IS COMPLETELY AGAINST THE SPIRIT OF THE
UNDERSTANDING HE REACHED WITH AMBASSADOR HOLBROOKE AND
THE NATO ALLIES. I KNOW, BECAUSE I AM IN TOUCH WITH
PEOPLE AT THE STATE DEPARTMENT, THAT THEY ARE VERY
DISAPPOINTED AND THAT IT'S GOING TO BE A BIG SUBJECT IN
THE NEXT ROUND OF MEETINGS WITH (U-S) AMBASSADOR
(CHRISTOPHER) HILL IN BELGRADE. BECAUSE THIS IS REALLY
UNACCEPTABLE - TO HAVE THIS KIND OF A STALINIST
CRACKDOWN.
/// END ACT ///
KATI MARTON SAYS THE TIMING OF PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC'S CRACKDOWN IS
ALSO WORRYING. IT COMES AFTER SPECIAL U-S ENVOY RICHARD
HOLBROOKE REACHED AN AGREEMENT WITH PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC LAST WEEK
TO AVERT PLANNED NATO AIRSTRIKES. MS. MARTON BELIEVES THE
CRACKDOWN IS AN EFFORT TO PREVENT THE SERBIAN PEOPLE FROM HEARING
WHAT CONCESSIONS MR. MILOSEVIC MADE TO AVOID THE STRIKES --
CONCESSIONS SUCH AS AGREEING TO PULLBACK SOME OF HIS TROOPS FROM
KOSOVO.
/// SECOND MARTON ACT ///
WHAT HE AGREED TO IS NOT GOING TO PLEASE THE
EXTREMISTS IN HIS OWN PARTY, BECAUSE HE WAS FORCED TO
MAKE CONCESSIONS TO STOP THE BOMBS WHICH WERE READY AND
STILL ARE READY, IN FACT.
/// END ACT ///
NATO HAS GIVEN MR. MILOSEVIC UNTIL OCTOBER 27TH TO COMPLY WITH
THE TERMS OF HIS AGREEMENT WITH AMBASSADOR HOLBROOKE -- OR FACE
POSSIBLE AIRSTRIKES. THE AGREEMENT INCLUDES WITHDRAWING A
SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF SERBIAN TROOPS AND SPECIAL POLICE FROM
KOSOVO AND ALLOWING TWO-THOUSAND INTERNATIONAL VERIFIERS TO MOVE
ABOUT THE AREA.
MEANWHILE, THE U-S AGENCY WHICH OVERSEES AMERICA'S INTERNATIONAL
BROADCASTS -- THE BOARD FOR INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING -- HAS
CALLED THE MEDIA CRACKDOWN AN ATTEMPT TO RESTRICT THE SERBIAN
PEOPLE'S ACCESS TO UNCENSORED NEWS. AND THE ORGANIZATION FOR
SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE SAID THE ACTION WAS A
DECLARATION OF WAR AGAINST SERBIA'S STRUGGLING INDEPENDENT NEWS
MEDIA. (SIGNED)
NEB/PAM/JO/WTW
20-Oct-98 7:06 PM EDT (2306 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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