Nachricht Nummer : 93 Übertragungszeit : 3 min 57 sec Nachricht von : WAM@ZAMIR-ZG.ZER.sub.org Betrifft : Zagreb Diary 14 May, 1993 Erstellungsdatum : 15.05.1993 14:39:00 S+2 Realname: Wam Kat Zagreb Diary 14 May, 1993 Dobar Dan, In the afternoon I visit the ICVA (coordination agency of NGO (Non Governmental Organisations) aid activities) office in the UNHCR office in Zagreb. Vincent the sysop of the ICVAGE bulletin board in Geneva came back to Zagreb to help the different NGO's to hook on to ZaMir-Zg in order to cooperate and exchange their information a little quicker. UNHCR themselves have a nice internal network, mostly by satalite connection and radio (linked to computer), but that is only for UNHCR and UNPROFOR, the NGO's can't use it (UN policy). Being in the UNHCR building is always something special, it is a kind of international island (like Hotel Intercontinental, were most of the foreigner working for the "official" aid organisations are staying) in the middle of Croatia, you have to imagine that at least a hundred or more foreigners are working there, only some of the administration staff is Croatian, and of cause the security staff at the gate (always nicely asking for some kind of "indentification", but by the time you have your passport out the let you through, nema problema). If you are used to Geneva, I spend some months working in the palace there, the working atmosphere in the Zagreb building is rather informal. It has some kind of burocraty, but a lot less then I am normally used to in UN bodies. I was surprised to see Army uniforms in the building, even more surprised to see that the soldier who wear it was Dutch, he was from the battalion which is stationed in Kiseljak, but works in Zagreb as information dispatcher. I wanted to ask him why he had his uniform on being all the time in Zagreb, but I forgot since I was to surprised to suddenly hear people talking Dutch with each other. The situation with "free" media is improving a lot in the last weeks, after getting more and more used that one "free" newspaper after another was taken over by the government suddenly in one month three news ones came up or are coming on the market. Besides "Vesna's" ARKzin, which since it is printed on A3 format is looking real professional (it has also a real editorial team now of full-timers, the new issue will come new week) and will be coming out (if they found the money) every month and hopefully from September as week or biweekly, there is now also a new weekly starting called START, I only heard that it is coming, haven't seen it yet. Further more the makers of "Feral Tribune", a weekly satirical newspaper inside SD before SD was taken over by the government are also starting again with their own newspaper and there is the bi-monthly political magazine Erazmus. All of them heavily subsidised from abroad of course, otherwise it would be impossible to produce anything, since the newspapers prices in Croatia are far below the actual production costs. This weekend is going to be important, of course I wish all the best to the people which will go to the rally in Washington, but more important for us here is the referendum which will take place in the Serbian part of BiH. On HTV they showed part from Beograd and Banja Luka television (by the way it is remarkable to see how close Serbian and Croatian are to each other, if we get material from Slovenia they always translate it, not the Serbian stuff) with street and front-line interviews about the referendum. If this was the average opinion in that part of BiH the answer will be No on the Vance Owen proposal. A soldier at the front said that if he would votes yes he as well could go home immediately and that to support his friends and comrades who died he anyway couldn't vote yes, since than they would have died for nothing. Also during the rally which Sesejl organised and which was attended by a couple of thousand people and the remembering day yesterday of the (Chetnik) general Mihaljovac (lot's of red-blue-white flags with the four C's on) the atmosphere wasn't really in fever of the peace plan. Draskovic, better known as the leader of the opposition in Serbia last summer, was also at this manifestation at Mihaljovac monument. Police in Beograd, by the way, started to make house and body searches for weapons, according to an Italian report. Joseph and Elu have safely arrived in Tuzla, they were able to get the word through by radio, although it is at this moment often possible to reach Tuzla by telephone during the night from Zagreb. On the way back however they can take to road over Konijc as I asked them to see the Mennonites there, since the bridge between Mostar and Jablanica has been blown up by Moslem (BiH Armija) according to HTV news. The women for peace from the UK who were with them couldn't go to Tuzla, their trucks weren't strong enough, they leave their material in the Stobrac camp and returned back to the UK. On the way they had some problems on a Toll tunnel, but after blocking the road with their trucks they could pass without paying the toll. He came in August, let's say he didn't came, he just passed by Zagreb hitch hiking through Europe, and somebody showed him the Peace centre, he didn't left since then, I talking about Jason. For all that time he was one of our major drivers and jack of more than all trades. The last week he decided that it was time to literally take a hike again, and this evening we will have his good-bye party. But I think after a while he will pop up again as he came the first time, since it will be a little empty without him and more over if you ones get hooked to this place it is hard to leave. I even didn't try up to now. Last but not least I just heard that Zagreb is elected to become the central command place for the planned NATO actions in BiH, than we will have green army vehicles driving around the city, instead of the white ones from UNPROFOR. Bok I Mir from Zagreb, Wam P.S. by an average of 45 personal messages a day I hope that people who didn't got an answer yet are not angry and can understand that I have a lot to write. ------------------------------------------------------ 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 ##