(AMARC/IFEX) – The following is a 13 January 1999 statement by the Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) distributed in its entirety by AMARC: ANEM press release Serbian government officials renew slur campaign against independent scene Authorities attempt closure of Television Cacak Journalist Enver Maloku killed in Pristina January 13, 1999 In a news conference […]
(AMARC/IFEX) – The following is a 13 January 1999 statement by the
Association of
Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) distributed in its entirety by AMARC:
ANEM press release
Serbian government officials renew slur campaign against independent scene
Authorities attempt closure of Television Cacak
Journalist Enver Maloku killed in Pristina
January 13, 1999
In a news conference on Tuesday, January 12, Deputy Serbian Prime Ministers
Ratko Markovic, Vojislav Seselj and Milovan Bojic presented what they
claimed to be a CIA Institute for the Balkans’ classified document revealing
the US plans to “snatch” Kosovo by increasing the financial support to
opposition political parties, independent media and non-governmental groups
that aim at “toppling the allegedly authoritarian regime” from 10 to 35
million US dollars.
The Serbian governmental representatives said that by presenting this
document to the public, their aim was to put the country’s traitors in the
public pillory. Reports from this news conference were given the greatest
prominence in the state and para-state media.
Within hours of the news conference, the CIA refuted the existence of any
such document or having any such institute as it part. A document of
identical contents was found on the web site of the US Institute for Peace.
The author of the text, Daniel Serwer, one of USIP’s expert associates, told
the Belgrade media that the text had been presented to the public a month
ago and that the Yugoslav ambassador to the US had attended the event.
By equating opponents of the regime to the opponents of Serbia and its
people, the deputy Serbian prime ministers reiterated the theory of a global
conspiracy against Serbs, who can be saved only by the current regime. They
took this as a clear justification of the new Serbian legislature as
absolutely essential in the defence of Serbia against the enemy armada
stuffed with millions of US dollars outside and inside the country. They
even asserted that by adopting the new legislature the Serbian government
had intuitively foreseen the appearance of a document like this.
The Association of Independent Electronic Media in FR Yugoslavia (ANEM)
rejected the accusations as it has never concealed its professional
co-operation with other media groups and the support in equipment and
training for journalists it received, which had never affected the editorial
policy of its affiliates based on the principles of professionalism and
objectivity.
ANEM warned that the event was a part of the Serbian Government’s effort to
frame public opinion for an open showdown with all who think differently. It
is an introduction into a definitive and complete self-isolation of the
country and totalitarianism as the only means to keep the current regime,
unwilling and incapable of accepting democracy, in power.
ANEM has called on the public prosecutor to investigate this case and bring
charges against the authors of this forgery.
Authorities attempt closure of Television Cacak
On Tuesday, January 12, inspectors of the Yugoslav Telecommunications
Ministry attempted to close one of ANEM’s affiliates, Television Cacak.
After having inspected the station, the inspectors passed a banning order to
Television Cacak, on the grounds that it “does not possess a broadcasting
licence.” The order was passed notwithstanding the TV Cacak staff’s protests
that the station had applied in the frequency tender held by the ministry
but had received no response with regard to its application although all
legal terms for the ministry to pass a decision had long expired. The staff
furthermore argued that the station was paying the fee for the use of
frequency as the ministry had requested so without giving the station a
broadcasting licence.
As the local police did not assist the telecommunications inspectors, and
crowds of Cacak’s inhabitants rallied to TV Cacak’s support, the inspectors
left, threatening criminal prosecution to persons in charge and claiming
that the station’s application in the frequency tender no longer had any
significance.
ANEM calls for an urgent solidarity action, having urged the state agencies,
especially the telecommunications ministry to stop the gratuitous and
harmful repression against independent broadcast media. ANEM insists that
the ministry should adhere to its legal obligations and approve all
applications in the frequency tender without further delay.
Protest further to the murder of Enver Maloku
ANEM sternly protests the January 11 murder of journalist and chief of the
Kosovo Information Centre Enver Maloku in Pristina.
ANEM urges Yugoslav and Serbian state agencies and paramilitary formations
of any kind to ensure the unhindered and secure work of all journalists.
ANEM also calls on the international community to include media issues,
especially that of the safety of journalists, as one of priorities in the
negotiation process and exert its influence on all sides in the conflict to
cease all violent actions against journalists in Kosovo.
ANEM stresses that there has been no information on the fate of Radio
Pristina’s missing journalist Djuro Slavuj and his driver Ranko Perinic
since their disappearance on the road from Orahovac to Malisevo in Kosovo,
on August 21 1998.
