Nachricht Nummer : 222
Übertragungszeit : 4 min 4 sec
Nachricht von    : WAM@ZAMIR-ZG.ZER.sub.org
Betrifft         : Zagreb Diary 8 August, 1993
Erstellungsdatum : 10.08.1993 08:22:00 S+2

Realname: Wam Kat

Zagreb Diary 8 August, 1993

Dobar dan,

The last week I talked a lot with Biljana, who is active in all the women 
movements in Zagreb since about a decade or so, she was involved in most 
of the feminist groups before and during the war. And just before we met 
her in Split she returned from a meeting of women on Malta. Anyway we 
talked a lot about this whole wave in December and January about all those 
rape centres in BiH. What has happened since than. We are nearly a 
month further and what are the results of all that noise in the winter.

The most obvious conclusion is that the whole problem was over estimated 
in the beginning, the numbers of 50.000 organised raped women was an 
airballon. Six months later it is nearly clear that there was hardly any rape 
center as such, only one couldn't be located up to now. Most women who 
have been raped were rape at their homes, on the road, maybe in some 
improvised prisoner camps, but hard anybody in a way as been described in 
the beginning. Which of course makes it not much better for the women.

Also the number of 50.000 was far over the hill, maybe 20.000 or maybe 
even less, no body really know. But what most organisations surprises is 
that they have a hard time locating this women. Al together all different 
organisations and projects which were erected during December and 
January could only find about a few hundred raped women. Also from the 
women project in Zenica they have heard to same things.

This of course don't change anything of the work of the Zagreb centre of 
women victim of the war, since from the beginning they said that they 
wanted to help all women victims. And more over that they didn't trust the 
figures which were given and thought more or less that the raped women 
were ones more "raped" by the media to serve war propaganda.

The media, also I made it again into Danas the last two weeks, both times 
without my knowledge, by the way. Last week a reporter of Danas who 
interviewed me more than two months ago used some quotes from me as 
introduction for an article about weapon production in BiH. He said that a 
Dutch peace worker told him that people abroad didn't believe that BiH was 
armed. He continued saying that the fights in the last months between HVO 
and BiH armija has shown how strong BiH armija is. HVO has indeed lost a 
huge area in the last fights. In the article they showed how BiH armija 
produces their own ammunition, most of the ammunition is for weapon 
systems, which can be considered as "personal weapons" and most of it is 
produced in weapon factories, which were already there before the war and 
are now in Sarajevo government controlled territory.

This week a photo was published on which I stand together with the major 
of the "other side" of Pakrac, which had as subtitle something more or less 
that he and I were good friends from eachother. This was an illustration 
near an article which was describing the position of the major and his 
wishes for co-operation with Croatia, but according to the writer the position 
from even this one of the most moderate Serbs was too strong for Croatia to 
except. I know when the photo is taken, but calling him my friend is maybe a 
little bit to hard, he is just as much friend of me as all those friends I had 
here before in the time of "Unity, Brotherhood and International friendship". I 
surely like to help the guy, since he sticks out his neck and for something 
like that I have sympathy. In another way I have also sympathy for Tudjman, 
to name another person.

Friendship like this in war time have their own political dimension, maybe 
Milosovic and Tudjman are also friends of eachother in that way, they see 
eachother also about every two weeks and shake hands ones and a while. 
That the major and I are friends don't mean that we fully agree with 
eachother ideas and deeds, it is pure a pragmatic friendship to help a third 
group, namely the victims of the war. And who are victims and who aren't is 
indeed a political debate. I know for sure that their were no children who 
started the political debates who lead to this war and that no children fired 
the guns (maybe I must say most of the children didn't fire a gun, some did, 
to defend their own house), they are without any question that they are 
victims of these wars. If I have to sit up, smile, give hands and be "friend" 
with somebody than maybe so be it. It don't mean however that I give up my 
own political views or become co-responsible for the deeds of my "friends".   

Living in one of the area's involved in a war and not living as most of the 
foreigners in international aid and military organisations life here totally 
isolated from the local live, means also that you can become a direct part of 
the reality here or even change it a bit. When some weeks ago an eviction of 
a house took place (about which Roland Brunner wrote a nice report in 
German) in the group who tried to resist the eviction non-violently were 
some foreigners, among them an observer from the EEC, who left the place 
not earlier than he was specifically order by the local police to do so, the rest 
of the foreigners stayed. The group was not arrested. 

It is a thin line you have to balance on, a line between what is good and what 
is bad on what moment in time. A lot of the black and white simplisity from 
the west politics are not working in these area. You have to feel the wind of 
the public opinion and try to find out what it says. And than you have to try to 
bring that some how in relationship with your own thoughts, and than, 
maybe you can do a step. But you have to be aware of teh possible political 
implecations of your step. Three weeks ago in Vecernji List I was 
"honoured" of being a friend of Croatia, this week I am "honoured" of being 
a friend of Krajina Serbs. It is the same person, sorry I can't help it.

Maybe it is because of the fact that I am afraid  that I will be throw out of the 
country on a certain moment, which makes me reply like this. I have 
discussed that with a lot of people, I can't imagine it, I still believe that not 
one it self democratic calling country can remove people because of a 
political different of views. 

Bok I Mir from Zagreb,

							Wam
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