Nachricht Nummer : 596
Übertragungszeit : 5 min 15 sec
Nachricht von    : WAM@ZAMIR-ZG.ztn.apc.org (Wam)
Antworten an     : WAM@ZAMIR-ZG.ztn.apc.org (Wam)
Betrifft         : Zagreb Diary 15 May 1995
Erstellungsdatum : 16.05.1995 08:51:00 S+2

Zagreb Diary 15 May 1995

Dobar Dan,

As you see I have skipped a few days again, but the last days I was
really not feeling that well, a kind of break down, I am by far not the
only one who has this problem at this moment the situation is tensed the
last days in Croatia. Reports of troops in the both sectors North and
South, and near Osijek in East Slavonia. It not really makes you feel
nice. Suddenly we are back in the type of situation and rumours as must
have been in 1991 or even in early 1992 when I arrived here.

Strange to be in such situation, some times were were talking about but
most of us believed it wouldn't happened again in Croatia. For 3 years
the situation was cooling down and more or less everybody was sure that
it was all over.

Yesterday I arrived in Pakrac. Drove down with one of the persons from
UNOV, driving over the highway she asked me if I would like to drive
over Kutina, the normal way as we took always, or over Okucani, which
was not really possible before, only with UN number plates at the car
(by the way all UNPROFOR vehicles use to have UNPF as registration on
their plates, since UNPROFOR became UNCRO (although everybody inclusive
the Croatia Army commanders is still saying UNPROFOR), the Croatia
didn't respected the UNPF number plates anymore, so over the PF part of
the registration everybody had to put a piece of white paint)). I choose
to drive over Kutina, since I can imagen what will happen when I drive
in an UN vehicle down into the north part of Pakrac coming from what
used to be the Serbian side. I tried always to stay a bit away from the
UN and have heard enough stories the last days from the North Side
(Croatian Side we called it before) that they are a bit tensed by all
the sudden attention for the south side.

Anyway beside some artillery pieces a bit east from Kutina, directed at
the sector, not working UN checkpoints (they say that next week all the
checkpoints will be gone) and a lot of soldiers in Lipik nothing seems
to have changed, at least as long as you stay on the side which always
was under Zagreb control. Maybe what is strange is to recognise some
people in uniform who you never show wearing it. Also in Pakrac the
situation looks rather normal. Even less soldiers here than in Lipik and
the life seems to have taken up it's normal routines again. The army is
gone and the police have taken over, although police, for somebody from
abroad it is hard to see the difference between army and police, their
uniforms and equipment is almost the same, but the police seems to
behave themselves better.

I visit the Pakrac volunteers house but the people are all out, on
community visits it seems. The daily routines are starting to come back,
at least on the north side. I wonder when the new short terms volunteers
can come. I stay in Daruvar at the moment. Manfred who was working for
CARE Austria before involved in the project to rebuild a hunderd house,
damamged in the war in 1991, on both side and starting small compagnies,
by giving out credits, has start a new operation, Humanitarian
Assistance for West Slavonia. The aim of the project is to gather all
kind of small initiatives (humanitarian, peace, etc) in order to
normalise life again.

It is a bit of an emergency operation, since it seems that the Serbs in
the south part, who haven't fleed yet, for a big number like to go out
immediatly. The UN has a special operation as well, special assintance
has been brought in from the HQ in Zagreb, NATO soldiers in charge there
to plan when needed evacuation plans for UNPROFOR and UNCRO troops,
together with UNHCR are taking care of the transportation of the people
who like to leave.

When I visit Camp Polom, the UNCRO main barracks in the sector, in order
to find Simo, the UNOV translator from Okucani, who is brought there in
safety on the first of May, I notice that everything inside the UN is
somehow in a chaos. Nobody is really happy with the orders they got.
UNHCR people even more or less hate what they have to do now. In there
talks they state clearly that they are doing now the ethnical cleansing
of the area. Some Croatian translators I meet more or less convince me
that they have heard so many stories in the last days that they are
wondering if what is printed in the newspapers in Zagreb is the true.

More than 60% of the population of the southern part of the sector
already left. And today another transport of 46 persons went out, a
small transport if you compare it with them of the last days, where 100
or even 200 where a more regular number. The whole operation is going
with an efficiency which we haven't seen before from the UN. Most
surprising however is that the slowing down part of this operation is
not coming as normal from the UN, but from the Croatian authorities it
seems. Today it was decided that the UN wasn't allowed anymore to
transport the people from the villages in the hills down to Gavrinica in
order to registrate themselves and take the decision to stay or leave,
but that people have to use their own transports, tractors, or by foot.

I also heard the story for the time that one of the first Suncokret
operations in refugeecamp Gasinci in East Slavonia, this camp is part of
a Croatian military base, was closed down by the local authorities 3
weeks ago. On the military camp suddenly a lot of tank and helicopter
movements took place, after what happened now it is almost clear that
the Croatian Army was practicing the operation they pulled of 2 weeks
ago. The international volunteers, who already stayed in Gasinci for
almost 3 years weren't really the type of eyes they would have like to
have hanging around at such a moment, the person who was there told me.
And so is all what you hear here pointing out that the operation was
planned in beforehand and even the Croats I talked to in Pakrac have to
admit that the effenciency of the operation was so high that it couldn't
be done in the short preperation time as was told on the 1st of May.

I hope that Manfred get his operation from the ground. At the moment it
looks very hopeless, but West Slavonia without Serbs is not West
Slavonia. The only way for Croatia to proof that what they are promising
all the time, namely not the ethnical cleans the area and give Serbs the
same rights and so, only can be proofed if the Serbs stay or come back.
But the last two weeks were for the women and children not particular
the period in their life that they felt safe. The reports from people
who almost have lost everything in the last days are numerous, the
looting or just ordering (coming in a house and confescating the car,
television set and most of all thye rakija) may not been done
systematically, but the effect from the small incidents is almost the
same by now. Especially in the southern part, around Okucani, where the
population almost leave immediatly to Bosnia after the first attacks
started. In Gavrinica and the surrounding areas the International
presence was almost immediatly are the first day.

Sitting at Skorpija in the spring sun, looking at what use to be the
checkpoint I see that almost a traffic jam is going up the hill. Trucks,
probably with humanitarian aid, I hope, UN cars with high officials,
some Croatia cars (to visit relatives, but also just to do site seeing),
UNCIVPOL, International Red Cross, journalist, etc. etc. I can imagine
that the people in Pakrac have a bit of a problem with this. Almost
nobody is visiting them, but those, who use to be the enemies are now
overfloaded with attention. I am happy to hear that the Pakrac
Volunteers mainly work on the north side, at least somebody is doing
something there.

For myself I have decided, althought everybody around me is pushing to
do differently, to wait a few days before I go down. I think that I will
stay in Daruvar for a while and trying to help Manfred with realising
his ideas, which are almost the same ones as I had in the last weeks.
Important is that the Serbs stay, or return, that contacts are build up
between them who left or are leaving and those who stay. That the
economical situation in the whole region is getting better. Lot's of
people explain to me, that we are here now agian the the so-called
Balkan circle. Maybe the region will change from Serbian majority to
Croatian majority, but those who now leave, especially the young ones
will grow up and probably want to go back to what was theirs. Maybe not
in the coming year, maybe this generation things will stay calm, but...
Refugees are mostly leaving without anything, no papers, no documents, a
little bit of materials, not knowing what will happen with their houses
after they left. And they are going to Bosnia, not particular a better
place, most of them hope that they can reach Serbia, one way or another,
but the fightings in Brco valley are so heavy that the road is closed.
When that link with Serbian will be broken by the armies of HVO and
BiHarmija that whole area is lost, and again the people have to move.

Love from Daruvar,

Wam

p.s. Rik, Tyche and Pjort I ws thinking of you today when I saw the
only Muslim children who lived in the south part of the sector and who
are now given shelter by some UN personal in Daruvar, hopefully this
never will happen to you.
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