Nachricht Nummer : 592
Übertragungszeit : 4 min 15 sec
Nachricht von    : WAM@ZAMIR-ZG.ztn.apc.org (Wam)
Antworten an     : WAM@ZAMIR-ZG.ztn.apc.org (Wam)
Betrifft         : Zagreb Diary 10 May 1995
Erstellungsdatum : 11.05.1995 22:20:00 S+2

Zagreb Diary 10 May 1995

Dobar dan,

I was just reading some articles from Dutch journalist. He was in a
randsack house in Okucani and Croatian soldiers passed, he told him that
that was nothing special there is a war going on and soldiers are soldiers
you know. They behave like soldiers. And that is not only the case with
soldiers from Croatia, Serbia and Bosnia. Yesterday in Dutch newspapers
(from which I get bits and pieces by email) stood a story about Dutch
soldiers who seem to have misbehaved themselves in Srebenica, in the
south of BiH.

This soldier has been accused to have throw candies in a field, which
was reported to be a minefield, in order that some children went in to
pick up the candies. Furtheron the normal stories about commit of rape
by the Dutch and sexual harresments. Yes soldiers are soldiers. I must
say I was shocked when I got that news. It is never nice to hear that
country men of you have done something like that, you always hope a bit
that your soldiers behave better. But this must be a bit the same for
all my Croatian friends, who now slowly here the news of what really has
happened in Sector West.

More and more people start to discuss that the official number of 450
deads on Serbian side is high, and it is clear that the statement that
it were only soldiers, no civilians can't held any longer. Or 14 years
old and even younger must been seen as soldiers as well. Everybody with
a little military knowledge and in a country of war almost everybody has
such knowledge says that it is strange that the different been deads on
the Croatian side and the Serbian side is so high. In most cases the
attackers have higher dead rates than the defenders. And in some
situation it was clearly up hill fighting for Croatia Government. Almost
with the same amount of men, and probably even worst armament the people
of Vukavar held the town for almost 7 months.

I knew that the motivation among the Serbs in Sector West was never
really high. Dzakula always talked about re-intregration and that he was
the driving spirit behind the Daruvar agreement in the beginning of 1993
shows that his links with Knin weren't so strong. Also it is clear know
that the major of Okucani and hard-liner Vites, was already released
from duty a few weeks before the action started. Dzakula told that to
people from UNOV some weeks ago, they could now easily come with the
building material, Vites was gone and that meant that the main obstacle
on the Serbian side was removed.

Furtheron just a few days before the action, Martic visit Okucani and
held some secret meetiongs there, as he did in the days before that in
Beograd, with Milosevic. Maybe this all sounds paraniod to you. It maybe
is. But the counter reaction, as was shown yesterday again on Slikom na
Sliku on Croatian television is rather low. Almost no reaction  what so
ever. It starts to look that there was really a deal made, a bit
frustrating for some people, since it is some of the big glory of
Croatian Army seem to be not such a big glory afterall. You never know,
maybe it is just rumours.

Soldiers behave as soldiers do. That is also a bit the story out of the
experiences from Igor, activist from green Action and Journalist from
ARKzin. He got his draft last week, went to the barracks, and decided
after a few hours of none-information, just sitting around telling each
other strong stories to escape out of the barracks over the fence. He
went to the psycholigist the next day, got a paper that he was a bit of
a psycho patient, went back to the army docter to show it and got the
message "that the army just need people as him". Now he is in back in
army barracks. Believe or not but I got a whole bunch of those stories
from other as well, mostly still from Yugoslavian times, but never the
less.

Tomorrow a women action will start in the south side of Pakrac, some
women from Zagreb will go to be with the women there and give them some
moral support. Other women will go the day later to the women group,
which was started by the Pakrac project in the nothern part, to balance
it a bit. I am happy that such initiatives are taking place, a bit
surprised that now all groups in Zagreb are interested, but yes that is
reality.

Almost all the long term volunteer who still where in Zagreb have
returned today to Pakrac. Although today shooting could be heard again
nearby, somewhere in the forest south of the town. There must be groups
of soldiers still in the forest who don't want to give up resistance,
but not much is was said. The bigger explosion were explained to the
people who asked about it as demining activities from Croatian army.
Mostly people report that more or less the situation on the north side
is back to normal, most of the army have left now, and the local police,
together with police from Rijeka and Nasice have taken over the safity
of the region.

Dzakula lost his daily UN protection it seems, but when he was asked
about he siad that he tought it was not necesarry anymore. Also the
foreigners who stayed in his place the last days and nights have left.
He told them that it was better that the women and children in the
village would be getting this type of protection during the night. You
never know with so many drunken soldiers around it seems to have said.

Also Croatian authorities have made a start in Pakrac to organise the
pensions for the elderly people. I remember when I came to Croatia, how
former JNA officer didn't get pension for years, but that were other
days it seems. The authorities really seem to do there best at the
moment to get everything organised. The radio station in Daruvar was
broadcasting the whole day that the Serbs in Pakrac was asked not to
leave but that they get all the rights of the Croatian citizins. People
who listen to it said that it sounded honest, but they wonder if people
will believe Croatian radio.

The idea is growning in my head that rather emergency actions at the
moment we should gather all human right and peace groups in Zagreb a nd
maybe Beograd to make a special newspaper for all this new citizins of
Croatia, informing them about their rights and what it is to live in
Croatia now, or so. I think it will be hard to convince them, but we can
try.

I myself had a bit of a break down in the late evening, all the emotions
and all the rush of the last days is not always the best. Especially
when you are working almost alone at the moment. Everybody is now busy,
but knowing myself it would be so long I think. I also like to go back,
but am afraid that the email system will break down now it is needed the
most. It is hard to find out these days want is the most important
thing to be done.

At the same moment I notice that the changing situation in Croatia at
least for me makes it hard to follow the situation in BiH, also there is
a lot going on. I feel a bit ashamed not reporting about it. Sorry we
are here now, and the stories about mobilasation in the Osijek region
are giving me and others some worries, over 20.000 soldiers seems to
have been mobilised there at the time. I hope and maybe even pray that
the so-called limited action in West Slavonia will stay limited. The
news especially in newspapers abroad however are not given you the best
thoughts. For almost 3 years things we getting slowly more and more
normal and suddenly you are back in the war.

Love from Zagreb,

                 Wam

PS Rik, Tyche and Pjort don't worry your father is doing well.
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