Conference targets U.S.-NATO war crimes
Workers march through Belgrade on anniversary of NATO
bombing
By
John Catalinotto
Belgrade, Yugoslavia
On March 24, tens of
thousands of workers marched into Republic Square in downtown
Belgrade and gathered near the headquarters of the Central
Union of Yugoslavia. Many older workers wore hats identifying
themselves as veterans of the 1941-1945 partisan struggle that
liberated all Yugoslavia from Nazi occupation.
The march
commemorated the start of last year's 78-day U.S.-led NATO war
on Yugoslavia. On the anniversary, Yugoslavs displayed the same
strength and determination they showed when the war was
launched.
Marchers shouted,
"Stop the sanctions," and, "Kosovo is ours."
For years,
Yugoslavia's workers have suffered under U.S.-led sanctions.
NATO troops have occupied the southern Serbian province of
Kosovo since last June 10.
The biggest banner
was the Yugoslav flag--including a red star--the flag that was
flown back in the days when all six republics were united under
communist leadership. When a group of anti-imperialist Italians
from the Voce Operaia group showed up with a party banner
complete with hammer and sickle, the Yugoslavs quickly put them
at the front of the march.
Union leaders and
poets addressed the crowd gathered in Belgrade's main square.
Messages of solidarity came from China, Russia, India, South
Africa, People's Korea and other countries all over the
world.
Solidarity
gathering across the river
Meanwhile, across the
Saba River in New Belgrade, 93 foreign guests from 38 countries
met with 60 people from Yugoslavia in a conference to discuss
"The Effects of NATO Aggression against the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia."
The biggest foreign
delegations came from Russia and other parts of the former
Soviet Union. Almost every participant in the conference was a
social or political scientist, legal expert or political
activist who had taken a public position against U.S. and NATO
aggression during the war.
Also present were
three former Soviet generals, a former West German admiral, a
former Indian general and other military officers.
The Institute for
International Politics and Economics, based in Belgrade,
organized the conference.
While the invited
speakers from abroad took up many sides of the questions under
discussion, their spirit was generally compatible with the
introductory talk given by Yugoslav Minister for Foreign
Affairs Zivadin Jovanovic. He made the following important
points:
"The aggressive
policy of the United States is particularly focused on the
ethnically mixed communities and countries through an
undisguised encouragement of separatism, religious and ethnic
exclusiveness, and the support of terrorists, through the
arbitrary interpretation and abuse of human and minority
rights.
"Organized campaigns
of 'public lies' and the creation of false realities by the use
of the world media's enormous newly created power serves the
function of world domination. ...
"As part of the
regular preparations for the conduct of an aggressive policy
toward a particular region, there is a systematic demonization
of whole regions and individual cultures. What has been done to
the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia over the last 10 years is
the best example. A nation that has made an enormous
contribution to the struggle against fascism and for the
freedom of Europe and the world has been portrayed in the most
influential world media as an uncivilized criminal nation
unworthy of sympathy."
The foreign minister
added: "We insist on the identification of the crimes against
peace and humanity by the aggressors as well as compensation
for the damage caused by the war. ... We say to the aggressors
that we will be equally successful in defending ourselves from
all forms of continued aggression, be they sanctions,
interference in our internal affairs, encouragement of
separatism and destabilization, as well as the systematic
violation of the decisions of the Security Council concerning
the Serbian provice of Kosovo."
Many who spoke during
the conference's three days enlarged on points raised by the
foreign minister. But they also examined other aspects of
U.S.-NATO aggression against not only Yugoslavia but the whole
region.
The first night,
young people from the whole city and suburbs gathered on the
bridges to sing and celebrate, as they had during the
bombing--evoking the feelings of solidarity that marked the
Yugoslav people's heroic resistance to last year's horrendous
bombing campaign.
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
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