Back to the english site
Tillbaka till hemsidan
April 05
- BERANE (Montenegro): Over 200 internally displaced Roma and Egyptians who have been housed in the refugee settlement of "Riverside" in Berane since the year 2000, received a warning a month ago that the contract for their accommodation in the settlement has expired.
When they received a similar warning more than a year ago, the "Caritas" humanitarian organization paid the rent for them for the following 12 months. Now they need a new donor. If a new donor isn't found by May, then the Roma and the Egyptians from the "Riverside" will be out in the street.
"Danas", 1. 4. 2005.
- BELGRADE: According to the Republic Statistics Institute records from 2002, nearly 47% of the population of Serbia has incomplete or complete elementary education, 42% has highschool education, 5% has advanced education and 7% has college education. "Nearly 4% of the population is illiterate, 3% of which are female and less than 1% are male. The girls who start but don't finish elementary school are mostly Roma", says Dijana Plut of the Psychology Institute of the Philosophic Faculty in Belgrade.
27% of the female population and 18% of the male population have incomplete elementary education.
"Danas", 1. 4. 2005.
- KRALJEVO: The Red Cross in Kraljevo is forced to destroy humanitarian aid because it can't afford to pay the taxes, i.e. the PDV (or "porez na dodatu vrednost", or "tax on added value" which is 18%. I think in the West they call it VAP -Z).
"None of the humanitarian organizations in Serbia, including the Red Cross, can afford to pay the PDV. We believe that they should be exempted from the tax", says Mirjana Lisanin-Gostiljac, secretary of the Red Cross in Kraljevo.
Humanitarian aid worth 120.000 euros has arrived from Copenhagen for the Association of Paraplegic Persons in Kraljevo - orthopedic appliances, medicines and medical equipment. The aid is trapped at the customs station in Cacak. The paraplegic persons are obliged to pay PDV of 15.000 euros before the aid is released.
"We turned to the Minister, Mladjan Dinkic, for help and we received a reply that we have to settle the tax liability. Shame and scandal. But we'll find a way to get to our humanitarian cargo", says Zivorad Veljovic, president of the Association. The local disabled persons have announced that they will block the busy streets in Kraljevo in order to turn the attention to their problem.
"Glas javnosti", 1. 4. 2005.
- KRALJEVO: The USAID has provided loans for IDPs to start their own businesses. Seventeen IDPs have been granted the loan and started small workshops and stores.
Every loan is worth 2.800 USD and it must be spent on machinery and equipment. The beneficiaries have to provide 25% personal participation in every project.
The USAID has granted approx. 500.000 USD for similar self-employment projects for IDPs and refugees in Kraljevo, Kragujevac, Smederevo, Arandjelovac and Smederevska Palanka.
"Glas javnosti", 30. 3. 2005.
- NOVI SAD: There are more and more unemployed persons in Vojvodina, among them 7 persons with a doctoral degree and 76 persons with a master's in science.
"Glas javnosti", 2. 4. 2005.
- BELGRADE: In Serbia there are more than 200.000 displaced Serbs, Roma and other non-Albanians from Kosovo.
Dragisa Dabetic, Serbian Commissioner for refugees, says that UNMIK chief, Soren Jesen-Petersen, was very surprised during his visit to Bujanovac by the fact that all 400 IDPs said they wanted to go back to Kosovo and he was especially surprised when Serbs and Roma from Gnjilane showed him the photos of their houses and legal documentation irrefutably proving that they own the houses.
"Petersen was surprised when some displaced Roma showed him that each of them owns 3 houses in Kosovo but they haven't been able to go back for 6 years although the houses have been empty", says Dabetic.
"Glas javnosti", 5. 4. 2005.
- PIROT: Chairman of the board of the "Pralipe" Cultural-information Center in Pirot, Radovan Askovic, has been elected to be the representative of the Roma and other ethnic minorities in the municipality.
Natasa Savic, manager of the project "Integration of Romas into the local self-government" of the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights and the president of the municipality, Vladan Vasic, have recently signed an agreement on the integration of Romas into the local self-government.
The agreement provides that one member of the Roma minority will be employed in the local municipality for a period of 12 months to work on the solution of the problems of the Roma and other minorities and be their representative.
The project is implemented in 12 communes in Serbia in cooperation with the European Reconstruction and Development Agency.
"Danas", 4. 4. 2005.
- BELGRADE: Until a couple of days ago, the only question was whether general Nebojsa Pavkovic would surrender to the Hague or whether he would be arrested and handed over to the Hague, but now all of a sudden he disappeared without a trace. A warrant is issued for his arrest. His lawyer says that he doesn't know where the general is, the police knows even less.
"Glas javnosti", 4. 4. 2005.
- BELGRADE: According to the 2002 census, there are 108.193 Romas in Serbia proper. Demographers estimate that the actual number is between 300.000 and 400.000, while some Roma representatives claim that there are twice as many Romas living in Serbia. The difference between the official statistics and the actual number derives from the fact that a large number of Romas live in unregistered settlements and census takers just can't find them.
According to the latest statistics, Serbia has 46.238 registered Roma IDPs but it is estimated that there are another 70.000 of them who are not registered. The number of Romas who have returned from the neighbouring countries and from the West after the stabilization of the situation in Serbia&Montenegro, is unknown. Only in Belgrade there are more than 100 illegal Roma settlements.
According to the estimates by Dragoljub Ackovic, vice-president of the World Roma Parliament, over 600.000 Romas are living in Serbia, 105.000 of them in Belgrade alone. He says that George Sorosz (pardon the spelling-Z) has invested 30 million US dollars into the fund for information and education of Romas.
Rasid Kurtic, member of the Roma National Council of Serbia&Mont., says that Romas "don't have the same rights as other citizens and they are an inferior group". He says that there are objective reasons for that because Romas are the least educated group but he also indicated discrimination as one of the reasons.
The situation of Romas in Serbia is extremely difficult and they are the most vulnerable and the least educated group; they are also the population with the youngest average age and the highest death rate, said yesterday Jelena Markovic, assistant to the federal MInister of Human and Minority Rights."The biggest problem is housing because they live in illegal unhygienic settlements and there are over 600 such settlements in Serbia", said Markovic for the BETA news agency. She said that the most had been done for the education of Romas. "Romas are enrolled in highschools and colleges and if they didn't pass entrance examinations, the state provided scholarships and free textbooks for them", said Markovic and announced that entrance tests for elementary school will be changed "so Roma can enroll more easily". She said that the Roma daycares network will be "officially integrated into the system of preschool institutions of Serbia". All this is still only a drop in the ocean considering the percentage of illiterate Romas and their overall economic situation, she added.
"Danas", 8. 4. 2005.
- BELGRADE: According to UNICEF, only 2% of the children in Serbia&Montenegro are undernourished.
En Liz Svenson (pardon the spelling-Z), director of the UNICEF office for Serbia&Montenegro, says, "Serbia has achieved excellent results so far but there are still some alarming facts, especially the huge difference between the general population and marginalized groups. So in the last 3 years, 42.000 children were registered who didn't receive immunization after the birth, they don't have access to health care and other services".
"Danas", 8. 4. 2005.
- BELGRADE: There are some 2.000 Roma living in the cardboard settlement across the road from the "Sava" Center in Belgrade.
The settlement consists of some 250 barracks on the left bank of the Sava river, near the Gazelle bridge.Those people have been living there for 12 years now. They say the settlement is to be demolished in May.
The Roma in the settlement mostly live by collecting cardboard from garbage containers. People throw things at them, spit on them, insult them. "You stink", they say. "You are dirty, you should all drop dead", say others.
The inhabitants of the settlement get sick but they don't have the right to health care. "Go to where you came from and get medical aid there", they are told at the health centers. Their children die because no one wants to examine them because they are "black".
Even though they make up nearly 1,5% of the population of Serbia, Roma are the most vulnerable category economically and socially. Since they don't have registered residence, they don't have the right to health and social security, to work, to education.
Their life expectancy is 45-60 years.
Jovan Danilovic of the Democratic Roma Society says, "The state needs to get involved in the solution of the problems of the Roma. For example, garbage containers need to be placed in Roma settlements. Everyone talks about Roma living on garbage dumps but it doesn't occur to anyone that those people don't have a garbage container to throw their garbage. Where is garbage, rats are also there, and diseases. Two children from the settlement in Padina (one of Belgrade communes-Z) are still in hospital because they have been bitten by rats".
"Glas javnosti", 8. 4. 2005.
- BELGRADE: General Nebojsa Pavkovic doesn't want to surrender to the Hague Tribunal voluntarily, said yesterday the vice-president of Pavkovic's National Block political party, Radoljub Stanimirovic.
"The latest information I've got is that general Pavkovic doesn't want to surrender because of his poor health and also because in the Hague, he wouldn't be able to prove his innocence. Who could prove his/her innocence in the Hague anyway?", said Stanimirovic.
"Glas javnosti", 8. 4. 2005.
- SJENICA (Sandzak): A contract has been signed in Sjenica between the representative of AGEF from Berlin, the local Association of Returnees from Abroad and the director of the local Daycare. The contract is about the integration of Romas into the preschool education system, in this case 10 displaced Roma children from Kosovo.
Under the contract, the AGEF will finance the adaptation of the entire thermoisolation facade on the Daycare, which is very important for this underdeveloped commune on the Pester Highland.
"Vecernje novosti", 6. 4. 2005.
- BELGRADE: After the NATO bombing, more than 100.000 Romas fled Kosovo. So now there is not a single person of Roma nationality in Pristina and their number in the entire Province is estimated at around 10.000.
"Politika", 8. 4 2005.
- VALJEVO: Humanitarian aid from Germany for the "Guardian Angel" Association in Valjevo has been sitting in the Association warehouse since January 26th because the donor doesn't want to pay the VAT of 6.000 euros. The aid is worth 80.000 euros and it consists of electric beds for multiple sclerosis patients, clothes for the poorest citizens and materials for the hospital in Valjevo.
"There are 3 solutions: to send the aid back to where it came from but we should pay for the transportation; to pay the VAT or to renounce the aid in favour of the state. I received an order from the Customs Administration the other day to decide for one of the options. Based on the authorization by the beneficiaries, I have decided to leave it to the state to decide what to do with the aid", says Vesna Lazic, president of the Association.
"Blic", 6. 4. 2005.
- BELGRADE: There are around 25.000 NGOs in Serbia, of which only a little over 2.000 are active. Many NGOs were founded just for 1 or 2 projects and once the projects were finished, the NGOs practically ceased to exist.
"Even an ordinary fishing club is treated here as an NGO", says Zoran Markovic of the Center for NGO Sector Development.
"Vecernje novosti", 7. 4. 2005.
- BELGRADE: Every year 30.000 persons in Serbia get some mailgnant disease and 18.000 die every year. It is estimated that 300.000-400.000 citizens suffer from diabetes and that the number will triple by 2025.
We are in the second place in the world when it comes to the number of heart attacks and hemorrhagic strokes.
Despite such a terrible situation, the state invests smaller funds into health care than any other European country except for Albania which invests even less than Serbia.
The debt of the health institutions in Serbia totals 13 billion dinars - 4 billion for medicines and materials and 600 million for heating, electricity and water. Our health institutions also have a foreign debt of 800 million dinars.
"Blic", 7. 4. 2005.
- BELGRADE: Current unemployment rate in Belgrade is 17,7% which is less by 11,9% than the year 2003.
"Blic", 7. 4. 2005.
- CACAK: Why the municipality is boycotting Romas - There is no need to talk about the living conditions of the majority of Romas in Cacak, because anyone who has passed by the Roma settlement in Kulinovacko polje or in Sajmiste knows very well that those conditions are below minimum. The best illustration of the situation of the Roma in Cacak, whose average monthly income is a little over 900 dinars, is the fact that there are only 60 bathrooms to 174 families.
According to the Municipal Roma Association, there are 621 Romas living in Cacak and only 25 have a permanent job.
During the election campaign, the local authorities promised to do anything to improve the living conditions of the Roma in Cacak but they have done nothing so far using their disunity as an excuse. And they were actually divided until recently but now there are only two Roma associations in Cacak, one of which (the "Bibija Rom") only has 3 members, so the story of the disunity among the Roma as an obstacle for the municipality to help the Roma community is no longer justified.
"When we turned to the deputy president of the commune to help us mark the World Roma Day, they didn't even dignify us with an answer to our letter", says Miroslav Mitrovic, president of the Municipal Roma Association.
Rade Ristic, vice-president of the Association, stresses that it was made clear to the Cacak Roma that they were not desirable on the municipal television. "We were hoping for TV Cacak to give us some time on the program so we could show our problems to the public but it was clearly and openly told that there is no chance for us to get any time on the program", says Ristic.
The only municipal official to attend the celebration of April 8th at the Roma Home was the president of the municipal parliament, Vojislav Ilic. The president of the commune was on a businees trip in France at the time, the vice-president was at the opening of the local junior basketball tournament and the municipal minister of culture and sports was the one who opened the tournament.
"Cacanske novine", 12. 4. 2005. (a local weekly newspaper in Cacak-Z)
- BELGRADE: Two nights ago, the federal Ministry of Human and Minority Rights and the Serbian Government formally proclaimed the start of the Decade of the Roma in Serbia.
"Danas", 9.-10. 4. 2005.
- PETROVAC NA MLAVI: The German humanitarian organization called "Help" is willing to finance the construction of 50 apartments in Petrovac for the refugees housed in the barracks that used to belong to the Army. The municipality will provide the location and the infrastructure for free.
"Glas javnosti", 12. 4. 2005.
- ZVORNIK: News media in Republika Srpska have reported that a group of Bosniaks attacked and beat up four workers of the "Zvornik putevi" public utility who were repairing a regional road in Setici in Republika Srpska just because they are Serbs. The injured workers are in the Health Center in Zvornik. They have stated that a dozen Bosniaks from the village of Nezuci in the Federation of Bosnia&Herz. took part in the incident and several other Bosniaks who were driving by on the road.
Before they got beaten up with metal cables, levers and stones, the workers say they were insulted and the Bosniaks cursed their Serb and chetnik mothers and families.
"Glas javnosti", 10. 4. 2005.
- Mr Rudi van Meur's article for the "Danas" daily: In the overpopulated and depressed Kosovo town of Mitrovica, Romas are living in humiliating conditions. Roma camps are located on the outskirts of the northern (Serb) section of Mitrovica, right next to the river and the entrance to the camps is very close to the KFOR French compoud.
It is a small piece of contaminated land that the mining corporation has abandoned. It is bordered with a railway. Every morning and every evening a train passes by without reducing the speed. There is no fence on the railway so the children are in constant danger. Besides the camp of Cesmin Lug (280 people), there are three more camps - Zitkovac (125 people), Leposavic (210) and Kablar (50). Most people living in the camps are Ashkali.
The situation in the camps is terrible. There is no running water and electricity only comes from time to time. There is one toilet to 5 families. Since the town garbage dump is also situated there, piles of garbage are all around the camps. The shelters in the camp are in a tragic shape. Food shortage is constant. Fruit and vegetables are impossible to afford. The representatives of the four Roma communities are complaining that when the Red Cross is distributing food to the needy Serbs in Mitrovica, Romas get what Serbs can no longer use, after the date on the food expires.
The lead, zinc and gold mines of Trepca are also in the vacinity of the camps. When the company left, it left behind the toxic metal waste. Now children are playing there. Last year 4-year-old Ashkali girl Djenita died of lead poisoning. Her 3-year-old sister Nikolina was taken to a hospital in Belgrade and she is in critical condition.
The European Roma Rights Center has performed some tests and determined that more than 40 children have a blood disorder caused by lead.
Lead is in the water all around. When the water dries up, the wind blows dust full of lead through the camp. According to the World Health Organization, lead poisoning affects the brain of the children and internal organs.
Hardly any aid is coming to the Roma settlement. In 2002, Elizabeta Bajrami obtained an NGO certificate for her organization called "Roma mothers for Roma mothers" but so far she has only received some clothes from an Italian organization.
Probably more than 100.000 Kosovo Romas were forced into exile. Most of them are now living in Montenegro, Macedonia and Serbia proper and in Serb enclaves in Kosovo under KFOR protection. Most Romas in the four unhygienic Roma settlements near the former Trepca mines come from the Fabricka Mahala, one of the oldest permanent Roma communities in the Balcans, in the southern section of Mitrovica. Nearly 7.000 people lived there in fairly good conditions. In 1999, they were exiled together with Serbs into the northern section. Almost all their houses were burnt down.
On March 17th, 2004, in a new violent surge, Serbs and Romas were exiled again. The number of refugees in northern MItrovica went up. And in the Roma slums, fear is spreading more and more.
According to Berend Brok (pardon the spelling-Z), Dutch advisor working for the NGO called "The Community for the construction of MItrovica", the British office in MItrovica plans to remove the Roma slums and use the location to build new apartments. But the municipality believes that a much better idea would be to build a swimming pool and a sports complex instead.
"Danas", 13. 4. 2005.
- BELGRADE: 1.900 new companies were registered in Serbia in the first three months of this year.
"Blic", 10. 4. 2005.
- BELGRADE: Croatia does not respect the international succession agreement and, supported by the international community, still refuses to give back or adequately compensate to Serbs the 53.000 tenancy rights, 18.000 usurped houses and 7.000 business locations, as well as the right to pensions, shares and privatization.
At a conference of 12 associations of Serb refugees from Croatia held in Indjija, it was especially stressed that the international community's double standards when it comes to giving back tenancy rights in Bosnia&Herz. and in Croatia are the main obstacle to more successful return of refugees in the region.
Besides their own disunity, the associations blame for the difficult situation of refugees and slow solution of their problems, numerous NGOs dealing with the return and local integration of refugees without any contact with their associations. "We appeal to all refugees from Croatia and Bosnia&Herz. to cancel all contact with NGOs and lawyers' offices and to stop giving them legitimacy because we are a witness that they are working at the expense of refugees and they spend the largest part of the money from donors on their own salaries".
"Vecernje novosti", 12. 4. 2005.
- BELGRADE: Around 20 million dinars (240.000 euros) from the Fund for Kosovo has been spent so far on the aid for the vulnerable Serb population in Kosovo. The Fund has 97 million dinars at the moment, which means that 117 million dinars (1,4 million euros) have been donated to the Fund since December of 2004. Donations are still arriving at the Fund's bank account and the Government decides on the priorities on which the money should be spent.
The Fund was established in December, 2004. The president of the Fund is Prime Minister Kostunica; honorary president is the Partriarch Pavle of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Members of the board are Metropolitan Artemije, the poet Matija Beckovic, film director Emir Kusturica, basketball player Dejan Bodiroga, Nikola Pavinic and Dragoljub Vukadinovic.
"Blic", 12. 4. 2005.
- BELGRADE: 300.000 people with mental disorders were registered in Serbia in 2002, 13,5% more than the year 1999. More and more people suffering from depression are registered in Serbia, which is the most common cause of disability. This was said at yesterday's forum on psychiatry reforms in Belgrade.
"Blic", 12. 4. 2005.
- NOVI PAZAR: Nevzet Alomerovic from Novi Pazar has stated that a group of 10 boys beat up his 12-year-old on March 12th and that the local police covered up the case so he announced a law-suit.
"It is incredible that the police didn't want to hear about this. They simply don't want to know that my sone was beaten by 5 children of Serb nationality and that those children cursed his Turkish mother. The child passed out after the beating and we have a medical certificate of slight injuriies but it hasn't been enough reason for anyone in the "Bratstvo" elementary school or in the police to investigate the case, claims Alomerovic. I want an investigation to determine whether there was any older juveniles among the attackers who could be called to account. The police told me that those are just children and no attention should be paid to it, they simply chased me out of the police station. I surely wouldn't be talking about this if my child was difficult but he is a very good pupil, he is quiet and frail and he wasn't provoking anyone", says Alomerovic.
Alomerovic says that he will file a complaint to the Ministry of Education against the headmaster of the "Bratstvo" elementary school, Drago Mijaljevic.
"It happened outside the school so we, the school staff, aren't responsible for it but we have forwarded everything to the police - the child is safe now", said Mijaljevic, rejecting Alomerovic's claims that he was hiding the whole case.
"Vecernje novosti", 13. 4. 2005.
- BELGRADE: The latest research conducted by the "Medium Galup" Agency shows that 16% of the population of Serbia lives on the verge of the existential minimum; 23% has a monthly income under 3.000 dinars; 25% has a monthly income up to 6.000 dinars; 12% has a monthly income up to 18.000 dinars and only 7% has a monthly income over 18.000 dinars.
The citizens who are among those 16% living on the verge of the existential minimum say that they are forced to, in favor of the food, renounce the cosmetic and other less necessary items such as coffee.
"Vecernje novosti", 14. 4. 2005.
- BELGRADE: The scale of human rights violations in Serbia&Montenegro in 2004 increased compared to the year 2003 because of the erruption of violence in March, incidents in Vojvodina and the appearance of anti-Semitism, as well as lukewarm and indecisive moves by the Serbian Government in the shadow of the right wing and nationalism - said the president of the Belgrade Human Rights Center, Ivan Protic, at yesterday's presentation of a report on human rights situation in Serbia&Montenegro in 2004.
"The times when the state was actively endangering human rights are behind us but the society hasn't changed significantly. We are facing the penetration of xenophobia and intolerance towards other nations and some social groups and even Hitler has become popular", said the director of the Center, Vojin Dimitrijevic, pointing out that the state hasn't been fighting enough against similar phenomena. "Open animosity is evident against NGOs, especially those advocating democracy and human rights", said Dimitrijevic.
Vesna Petrovic, executive director of the Center, said that a slightly bigger improvement has been made in Montenegro thanks to the adoption of the law on criminal, legal and executive procedure.
Svetlana Logar, director of the investigation of the human rights situation in Montenegro in 2004, said, "51% of the questioned people have heard that Sarajevo was under siege for more than 1000 days;16% regard the siege as a war crime; 78% have heard of the killing of a large number of civilians in Srebrenica and 37% regard the killing as a crime".
"Danas", 14. 4. 2005.
- SKOPLJE: Nearly 76% Macedonians believe that a new armed conflict will break out, says the report by the International Commission for the Balcans. It is pointed out in the report that the dismissal of Macedonian employees from the state administration and giving their jobs to Albanians could lead to ethnic tensions.
"Glas javnosti", 16. 4. 2005.
- ZAGREB: Croatian Catholic Church asked the American TV network CNN for an apology for "entirely fabricated information" presented on this TV station during the burial of John Paul II connecting the Croatian cardinal Alojzije Stepinac with the fascist regime in Croatia during Second World War.
John Paul II beatified Alojzije Stepinac in 1998.
"Vecernje novosti", 16. 4. 2005.
- 60% of the population in Serbia lives on the verge of existence.
"Vecernje novosti", 17. 4. 2005.
- BELGRADE: Yesterday the prime minister of the government in exile of Republika Srpska Krajina, Milorad Buha, became a representative of the Serbian Radical Party in the Serbian Parliament. He replaced one of the Party's representatives who died recently.
The government in exile of Republika Srpska Krajina was established in February and of all the relevant political parties in Serbia, only the Serbian Radical Party supported it.
"Glas javnosti", 15. 4. 2005.
- PRISTINA, KLINA: A new wave of sale of Serb properties - With the start of the construction season in Kosovo, also started a wave of sale of Serb properties. Albanian real-estate agencies and Serbian lawyers are racing to get first to the owners of the land or delapidated houses in the areas of Pristina, Caglavica, Ajvalija, Laplje Selo, Gracanica.
The most painful for the Serb population in Kosovo is the fact that official representatives of the Serbian Government appear more and more often as intermediaries in the transactions.
Serb houses in Obilic are sold at 250 euros per square meter; in Kosovo Polje - 300 euros per square meter; in Gnjilane - 350 euros; in Pristina - 450-500 euros (it is estimated that about a hundred apartments and a dozen houses in Pristina still belong to Serbs). The price for one are of land in Caglavica is 10.000-20.000 euros.
"Vecernje novosti", 15. 4. 2005.
- BUJANOVAC: There are 18 Serb and 23 Albanian representatives in the local parliament in Bujanovac. The sessions of the parliement are held in Albanian with simultaneous translation for Serb journalists and Serb members of the parliament.
There is only one Serb representative in the local parliement in Presevo but the president of the municipality says that "he understands and speaks very good Albanian so Serbian translation is unnecessary". So Serb journalists have to manage on their own.
37.999 square meters have passed from Serb to Albanian hands since the introduction of multi-ethnicity in Bujanovac in 2002. At the moment, Serbs own 70% of the land in Bujanovac commune but they can't cope with Albanians putting constant pressure on them, says Trajko Trajkovic, representative of a Group of Citizens in the local parliament. The inhabitants of Bujanovac believe that with its silence, lack of interest and understanding, the state is supporting this process of constant pressure on the local Serb population and that what is happening in Bujanovac now, is the exact copy of what was going on in Kosovo some decades ago.
"Glas javnosti", 18. 4. 2005.
- ZAGREB: On Bana Jelacica Square in the center of Zagreb, 4 Croatian policemen were harassing Roma children two days ago because "based on their appearance, the policemen concluded that the chidren were
thieves", reports the Zagreb "Vecernji list" daily. Witnesses say that a policeman was slapping a 15-year-old Roma boy, while other 3 policemen were "guarding" three younger children harassing them. A passer-by managed to write down the badge number of the officer who was slapping the Roma boy. An eye-witness asked the policemen if they would "slap and harass the children" if they weren't Roma and they answered that they "don't have time to talk". Then they drove the children away in a civilian car.
Zagreb Police Department has confirmed the incident underlining that the policemen "in no way should have resorted to force". The management of Zagreb Police Department is trying to excuse their colleagues
because they supposedly assumed that this group of Roma children was connected with recent thefts in the local shops. It hasn't been proved.
"Kurir", 20. 4. 2005.
- BELGRADE: The National test in Serbian and maths for 3rd grade pupils was carried out last year in 122 elementary schools in 25 counties in Serbia. Around 67% of the children have average knowledge in maths and Serbian; 11% lack the minimum knowledge in maths and 14% lack the minimum knowledge in Serbian. Pupils of Roma nationality have achieved much worse results than the national average. More than 50% don't have the minimum knowledge and they are falling behind other children by 2,5 years. Unless something changes in the quality of work with Roma children, after 3 years of school they will still be falling behind other children.
"Glas javnosti", 19. 4. 2005.
- BELGRADE: In Serbia there are 140 collective centers at the moment housing around 15.000 refugees and IDPs. Refugees who have been using some 1.100 apartments and houses that belong to the Serbian Commission for Refugees will have the opportunity to become the owners of those buildings. Property trnasformation of these housing units built in 1998 started last year and enabled local integration for more than 4.000 people.
"Glas javnosti", 19. 4. 2005.
- BELGRADE: UNMIK has announced that mortal remains of 12 Serbs and non-Albanians killed in 1998 were found in a cave near Klina in Kosovo. Based on previous UNMIK investigation, the cave was probably "used for hiding human remains and it can be connected with the disappearing of non-Albanians in Kosovo in 1998". An unnamed Albanian reported back in April of 2001 that there were human remains in the cave. The remains are believed to belong to 46 persons from the villages of Retimlje, Opterusa and Zociste in the Orahovac commune.The pit is at least 25 meters deep and 20 meters wide. Its bottom is covered with soil, waste and old car wracks.
"Kurir", 20. 4. 2005.
- ZAGREB: Head of the Croatian Criminal Police Department, Dragutin Cestar, has been replaced for obstructing the search for general Ante Gotovina and for giving away information, reports the "Vecernji list" daily.
"Glas javnosti", 20. 4. 2005.
- BELGRADE: 5.000 small companies open in Serbia per year but the same number of companies close, so the unemployment rate is constantly high, it was pointed out yesterday at a convention on "Unemployment in Serbia - problems and alternatives".
"Vecernje novosti", 20. 4. 2005.
- BELGRADE: In 1991, Belgrade had 1.602.226 inhabitants and in 2002 - 1.576.124. In recent years, around 16.000 children are born in Belgrade in a year and more than 20.000 people die. The average age of the population in Belgrade is 42,5.
"Blic", 20. 4. 2005.
- SARAJEVO: Last year High Representative in Bosnia&Herzegovina, Pedi Esdaun (pardon the spelling-Z) bought a house near Jablanicko Lake for 150.000 euros. The house is guarded by 8 policemen of the
Hercegovina-Neretva Canton costing the tax payers in the Canton 15.000 KM a month, i.e. 200.000 KM a year, reports the Zagreb "Vecernji list" daily.
"Glas javnosti", 19. 4. 2005.
- BELGRADE: More and more children from Serbia are victims of people trafficking. According to the Ministry of Police, the most vulnerable are the children from disfunctional families, from families where
violence is present, handicapped children, children from destitute families, children without parental care - stated Mitar Draskovic, representative of the Ministry, at yesterday's presentation of the "Report on people trafficking in South-eastern Europe in 2004" by UNICEF, UNHCR and OSCE. He says that 24 charges for people trafficking were filed last year - of the 35 victims, 31 were citizens of Serbia&Montenegro; 22 were
children under 18 years of age, of which 13 were in sexual exploitation, 8 were engaged in begging and one was forced to get married. Of the 22 children, 8 were Roma. Karolina Harvi (pardon the spelling-Z), head of the UNHCR office in Belgrade, says that the Report identifies the causes for people trafficking which are connected with difficult situations such as poverty, violence in the family, discrimination and exploitation.
"Danas", 21. 4. 2005.
- BELGRADE: UNMIK spokesperson, Marcia Pool (pardon the spelling-Z) confirmed yesterday the existence of a mass grave in Volujak near Klina and it is feared that there are dozens of similar graves in Kosovo yet to be found.
The victims found in the cave in Volujak are believed to be non-Albanians killed in 1998, stated Marcia Pool yesterday. Jose Pablo Baraibar (pardon the spelling-Z), head of UNMIK Department for missing
persons, will be interviewing the families of the missing persons from the area of Orahovac because it is believed that the victims were their relatives abducted by Albanians in 1998. The Serbia&Montenegro Commission for Missing Persons presented to UNMIK the documentation on "at least 40 major locations and several dozen individual locations where killed Serbs and other non-Albanians were buried but we haven't received any reply to this day", says Veljko Odalovic, head of the delegation of Serbia&Montenegro in the mixed Working Group for Missing Persons.
Adem Demaci, who was the political representative of UCK in 1998, says that UCK wasn't operating in Klina at the time and that he knows nothing about the cave in Volujak. "You see, we never said that
Albanians were angels and that there was no vengance but Serbia was committing crimes in an organized manner". We insisted that it takes an organization to kill dozens of people and throw them into a pit and
Demaci said, "Well, I don't know, it must have taken more than 2 people to do that and more than 2 people are already an organization, I don't know what to say... anyway, everyone here will insist that the perpetrators be found but I'm afraid that the grave found in Klina won't be the last".
("Glas javnosti", 21. 4. 2005.)
Special war crime prosecutor, Vladimir Vukcevic, said at yesterday's press conference in the Special Court in Belgrade, "It is believed that there was a large number of captured civlians in the area and there was
also an UCK stronghold nearby".Gradimir Nalic, head of the Work Group for Missing Persons, said two
days ago that there is a reason to believe that the Hague Tribunal has found those bodies before. "The Hague investigators should give us an answer to the question whether they knew about the cave before and whether they have information on any previous attempts to identify the bodies".
("Danas", 21. 4. 2005.)
- BELGRADE: The Serbian Government has made a decision that all the citizens with registered residence in Kosovo can register their vehicles on the territory of Serbia by April 23rd if the vehicles are up to 15 years old. This Government's decision is a reaction to UNMIK's decision that people in Kosovo can only drive vehicles with UNMIK licence plates.
"Vecernje novosti", 21. 4. 2005.
- ZAGREB: President of the Board of the Monument-complex of Jasenovac, Slavko Goldstajn, has announced that very soon the most accurate statistics will be released on the victims killed in the concentration camp in Jasenovac. "Based on a number of sources, we have determined that 80.000-100.000 people were killed in Jasenovac", said Goldstajn for the Banjaluka "Nezavisne novine" daily and added that more than 500.000 Serbs were killed in Second World War.
"Glas javnosti", 21. 4. 2005.
- ZAGREB: Bus lines between Croatia and Montenegro, abolished 15 years ago, will be reintroduced in June.
"Vecernje novosti", 21. 4. 2005.
- CACAK: This year the number of children in Cacak enrolling in elementary schools has dropped by 250 from last year - last year there were 1.241 first-grade pupils and this year there will be around 970.
"Vecernje novosti", 21. 4. 2005.
- ZAGREB: On Bana Jelacica Square in the center of Zagreb, 4 Croatian policemen were harassing Roma children two days ago because "based on their appearance, the policemen concluded that the chidren were
thieves", reports the Zagreb "Vecernji list" daily. Witnesses say that a policeman was slapping a 15-year-old Roma boy, while other 3 policemen were "guarding" three younger children harassing them. A passer-by managed to write down the badge number of the officer who was slapping the Roma boy. An eye-witness asked the policemen if they would "slap and harass the children" if they weren't Roma and they answered that they "don't have time to talk". Then they drove the children away in a civilian car.
Zagreb Police Department has confirmed the incident underlining that the policemen "in no way should have resorted to force". The management of Zagreb Police Department is trying to excuse their colleagues
because they supposedly assumed that this group of Roma children was connected with recent thefts in the local shops. It hasn't been proved.
"Kurir", 20. 4. 2005.
- BELGRADE: The National test in Serbian and maths for 3rd grade pupils was carried out last year in 122 elementary schools in 25 counties in Serbia. Around 67% of the children have average knowledge in maths and Serbian; 11% lack the minimum knowledge in maths and 14% lack the minimum knowledge in Serbian. Pupils of Roma nationality have achieved much worse results than the national average. More than 50% don't have the minimum knowledge and they are falling behind other children by 2,5 years. Unless something changes in the quality of work with Roma children, after 3 years of school they will still be falling behind other children.
"Glas javnosti", 19. 4. 2005.
- BELGRADE: In Serbia there are 140 collective centers at the moment housing around 15.000 refugees and IDPs. Refugees who have been using some 1.100 apartments and houses that belong to the Serbian Commission for Refugees will have the opportunity to become the owners of those buildings. Property trnasformation of these housing units built in 1998 started last year and enabled local integration for more than 4.000 people.
"Glas javnosti", 19. 4. 2005.
- PRISTINA: Three juveniles were slightly injured last night in an explosion in the offices of the ORA political party in the center of Pristina. Kosovo Government condemned the explosion and Veton Suroi, president of the ORA, finds that the situation in Kosovo is deteriorating.
"Danas", 19. 4. 2005.
- BELGRADE: UNMIK has announced that mortal remains of 12 Serbs and non-Albanians killed in 1998 were found in a cave near Klina in Kosovo. Based on previous UNMIK investigation, the cave was probably "used for hiding human remains and it can be connected with the disappearing of non-Albanians in Kosovo in 1998". An unnamed Albanian reported back in April of 2001 that there were human remains in the cave. The remains are believed to belong to 46 persons from the villages of Retimlje, Opterusa and Zociste in the Orahovac commune.The pit is at least 25 meters deep and 20 meters wide. Its bottom is covered with soil, waste and old car wracks.
"Kurir", 20. 4. 2005.
- BELGRADE: 5.000 small companies open in Serbia per year but the same number of companies close, so the unemployment rate is constantly high, it was pointed out yesterday at a convention on "Unemployment in Serbia - problems and alternatives".
"Vecernje novosti", 20. 4. 2005.
- BELGRADE: In 1991, Belgrade had 1.602.226 inhabitants and in 2002 - 1.576.124. In recent years, around 16.000 children are born in Belgrade in a year and more than 20.000 people die. The average age of the population in Belgrade is 42,5.
"Blic", 20. 4. 2005.
- BELGRADE: More and more children from Serbia are victims of people trafficking. According to the Ministry of Police, the most vulnerable are the children from disfunctional families, from families where
violence is present, handicapped children, children from destitute families, children without parental care - stated Mitar Draskovic, representative of the Ministry, at yesterday's presentation of the "Report on people trafficking in South-eastern Europe in 2004" by UNICEF, UNHCR and OSCE. He says that 24 charges for people trafficking were filed last year - of the 35 victims, 31 were citizens of Serbia&Montenegro; 22 were
children under 18 years of age, of which 13 were in sexual exploitation, 8 were engaged in begging and one was forced to get married. Of the 22 children, 8 were Roma. Karolina Harvi (pardon the spelling-Z), head of the UNHCR office in Belgrade, says that the Report identifies the causes for people trafficking which are connected with difficult situations such as poverty, violence in the family, discrimination and exploitation.
"Danas", 21. 4. 2005.
- BELGRADE: UNMIK spokesperson, Marcia Pool (pardon the spelling-Z) confirmed yesterday the existence of a mass grave in Volujak near Klina and it is feared that there are dozens of similar graves in Kosovo yet to be found.
The victims found in the cave in Volujak are believed to be non-Albanians killed in 1998, stated Marcia Pool yesterday. Jose Pablo Baraibar (pardon the spelling-Z), head of UNMIK Department for missing
persons, will be interviewing the families of the missing persons from the area of Orahovac because it is believed that the victims were their relatives abducted by Albanians in 1998. The Serbia&Montenegro Commission for Missing Persons presented to UNMIK the documentation on "at least 40 major locations and several dozen individual locations where killed Serbs and other non-Albanians were buried but we haven't received any reply to this day", says Veljko Odalovic, head of the delegation of Serbia&Montenegro in the mixed Working Group for Missing Persons.
Adem Demaci, who was the political representative of UCK in 1998, says that UCK wasn't operating in Klina at the time and that he knows nothing about the cave in Volujak. "You see, we never said that
Albanians were angels and that there was no vengance but Serbia was committing crimes in an organized manner". We insisted that it takes an organization to kill dozens of people and throw them into a pit and
Demaci said, "Well, I don't know, it must have taken more than 2 people to do that and more than 2 people are already an organization, I don't know what to say... anyway, everyone here will insist that the perpetrators be found but I'm afraid that the grave found in Klina won't be the last".
("Glas javnosti", 21. 4. 2005.)
Special war crime prosecutor, Vladimir Vukcevic, said at yesterday's press conference in the Special Court in Belgrade, "It is believed that there was a large number of captured civlians in the area and there was
also an UCK stronghold nearby".Gradimir Nalic, head of the Work Group for Missing Persons, said two
days ago that there is a reason to believe that the Hague Tribunal has found those bodies before. "The Hague investigators should give us an answer to the question whether they knew about the cave before and whether they have information on any previous attempts to identify the bodies".
("Danas", 21. 4. 2005.)
- BELGRADE: The Serbian Government has made a decision that all the citizens with registered residence in Kosovo can register their vehicles on the territory of Serbia by April 23rd if the vehicles are up to 15 years old. This Government's decision is a reaction to UNMIK's decision that people in Kosovo can only drive vehicles with UNMIK licence plates.
"Vecernje novosti", 21. 4. 2005.
- ZAGREB: President of the Board of the Monument-complex of Jasenovac, Slavko Goldstajn, has announced that very soon the most accurate statistics will be released on the victims killed in the concentration camp in Jasenovac. "Based on a number of sources, we have determined that 80.000-100.000 people were killed in Jasenovac", said Goldstajn for the Banjaluka "Nezavisne novine" daily and added that more than 500.000 Serbs were killed in Second World War.
"Glas javnosti", 21. 4. 2005.
- ZAGREB: Bus lines between Croatia and Montenegro, abolished 15 years ago, will be reintroduced in June.
"Vecernje novosti", 21. 4. 2005.
- CACAK: This year the number of children in Cacak enrolling in elementary schools has dropped by 250 from last year - last year there were 1.241 first-grade pupils and this year there will be around 970.
"Vecernje novosti", 21. 4. 2005.