Nachricht Nummer : 213 Übertragungszeit : 3 min 50 sec Nachricht von : WAM@ZAMIR-ZG.ZER.sub.org Betrifft : Zagreb Diary 31 July, 1993 Erstellungsdatum : 05.08.1993 09:23:00 S+2 Realname: Wam Kat Zagreb Diary 31 July, 1993 Dobar dan, Not so often, but some times you come across something rather positive which is also directly related to the war. In Split, that is the town were I am now there is no electricity from about 7 in the morning till 5 in the afternoon, only some companies get it, but the rather energy intensive ones, which are also the most polluting ones are closed since January, when as reaction on the fights around the Maslenica bridge the last power lines from Serbian Krajina to Croatia were cut, already before that there were electricity problems in Dalmatia, but this cut intensify the problem greatly. Also the are a lot less tourist coming to the coast than normal, which stopped the direct and indirect pollution (all the ferries going in and out of the harbour in Split) of the tourist industry. So in the last two years the sea water around Split had the time to recover a bit and for the first time in more than ten years the water is so clean again that it is possible to swim in it again. And at the moment that I am writing this I am sitting on a stone at the sea side watching grand mothers and fathers, with their grand children swimming in the sea just 5 minutes walking from the house in the centre of the town were I am sleeping at the moment. Of course not having electricity during the day is not particular handy in a city, especially when it is as hot as today (it must be near 35 degrees Celsius at the moment and it is just 12). You notice how about everything in a house is some how related to electricity, you can't make a cold drink, since there is no ice, you can't buy fresh fish in the morning since you can't keep it fresh to the late afternoon, you can't listen to the radio, you can't turn the light on in the toilet, you can't cook anything, since the cooking plates are electric, etc. Most shops in the town are closed during the day, those who are open have a generator standing next to their door, which gave a special atmosphere to the city, where ever you walk you hear the sound of generators. After 5 when the electricity is back on the town is starting to get alive, the pubs, without generator open their doors (during the day they are not able to serve coffee (all coffee comes out of electric expresso machines nowadays) or cold drinks (and warm beer is maybe a habit in the UK here it isn't). When I went yesterday evening with Ognjen into the town to meet some people from Dalmatian Action I was surprised how alive the town became in a few hours, literally thousands of youngster were out in the streets. This morning when we walked through the same streets there was absolute nobody, the only thing which remind you on the young people who were here yesterday evening are the injection needles in the park and between the old Roman ruins, Split is the biggest junkie city of Croatia and you really can notice that. This high hard drugs abuse is not new in Split, already 13 years ago when I lived for some time in Beograd it was known, but the war has indeed increased the amount of drug addicts and stopped most of the projects to help them, there is simply no money. But back to yesterday evening, just before we came to the building of Dalmatian Action we passed by 5 guys in the famous black uniforms, although it is forbidden here in Split you still can see the HOS soldiers in their full uniform (if this guys really have been on the front is another thing, every time I have been in Split I have got the feeling that I see the same soldiers in the evening), but when I looked carefully on the right arm to check out their insignias, I notice that at 4 of the 5 the word HOS was replace with HV, for the rest the insignia on their arm was the same as always, the HOS weapon of arms (nearly simular as the Croatian checker board, but starting with a white square in the left top corner of course) and the famous words "Ready for Home" in Croatian. We visit Dalmatian Action, a more or less left wing political party, based on the Dalmatian identity, which means in this case heavily against the centralisation of power in Zagreb and for decentralisation of the decision making bodies, not really a party of separatists, but surely some of them would love to see Dalmatian loose from Croatia. They have one representative in the parliament and some very active members, but their party office and machinery is nothing if you compare it with any other political party. In Split the main office has two rooms and an old computer, which had some crash and can only work on the lowest speed, Ognjen has given them his private modem and that is it, they can't effort anything more, even not a paid party official. A wonder that they won from HDZ, but it shows again that well organised and expensive propaganda is not always a sure guarantee for winning. We visit them to speak with some people from the Dalmatian Solidarity Council, a more or less loose from the party functioning working group for Grassroot humanitarian aid and human rights actions. This group exist now for over a year but hardly can get any support from abroad. Like most groups far away from the northern or western border foreigners nearly ever come that far south and when they come they are on their way to Bosnia or their trip is organised by groups in Zagreb. But like in all the other Croatian town the individual humanitarian needs of unemployeds and not official refugees are high. And also the human right violations in this city are extreme, that HOS still can manifestate themselves openly on the streets says enough. We talked about the idea to find a long term volunteer, who can stay for some months in their town and help them to build up their relations with groups abroad, hopefully I find one. Bok I Mir from Zagreb, Wam ------------------------------------------------------ Zagreb Diary can be found on a lot of different electronic networks, it is copyright free and can be ported to any network or other means of communication you like, but please drop my a line, you can reach by sending a message to wam@zamir-zg.comlink.de or wam@zamir-zg.comlink.apc.org. Zagreb Diary is dedicated to Tyche, Pjort and Rik, so that they found out what there father have been doing all that time in Zagreb. Financial support for Grassroot relief work in Croatia or BiH can be send to Kollektief Rampenplan (atn. Lylette, Postbox 780, 6130 AN Sittard, Netherlands, tel:. +31-46-524803 and fax: +31-46-516460 or to Zagrebacka Banka, Zagreb, accountnr.: 2440291594, to Kat, Pieter Jan Herman Fredrik, Brace Domany 6 6fl nr3, 41000 Zagreb. Please notify me if you send or have send any donations. ## CrossPoint v2.1 ##