More views from ground zero:
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what follows are translated extracts from emails posted to
[log in to unmask] which is a mailing list for ex-yu anarchists, and
from private emails..
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For the last two days there have been problems with internet connections in
Yugoslavia. Email traffic has significantly decreased. We weren't able to
investigate this, but it is for sure that for example EUnet's server was
down. If this situation persists we won't be able to continue publishing
daily.
Today we bring an email which wasn't translated on time for yesterday's
issue, an email from Slovenia and an opinion written in Zagreb.
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from: [log in to unmask] , zagreb
It's the 13th day since NATO's attack on Yugoslavia firt started. For the
last 12 days we have been working on Zaginflatch daily. It became an
obsession. An obsession to send a message out to friends and comrades in the
rest of the world, and also, to send a message to friends and comrades in
Yugoslavia. To say to the people who are now experiencing some of the worse
moments in their lives that they are not alone.
It's bizzare and excellent at the same time what technology provides us
with. It's bizzare to read emails written by a person who's watching how his
local heating system is burning, just across the block. Information from the
spot. Information comming through elements of the same system which caused
the disaster. As I said: bizzare. It's excellent to be able to comunicate
personally. It's excellent to have a channel through which they can heal
their frustration and find a safe place, away from the outdoor lunacy.
Zaginflatch decided to deal with real people aside from the high politics
lead in Washington, Belgrade, Skopje or Pristina or..... That prooved to be
a difficult task, as people are under a lot of influence of high politics.
It affects their lives on such a high scale that nobody's able to move away
from it. Propaganda machinery's been horribly strong. The psychosis is
enormous. It has also influenced the content of this newsletter.
I wish I could see a close end to this horrible situation in Yugoslavia. I
wish our comrades will be able to return to their regular lives and
activities. However, that seems so far away, that it's hard to be an
optimist.
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from: Pop, Kraljevo
Bad news. Sicko (a close friend of mine that got drafted a week ago. When
the military came at his door to draft him, his mother has said: "He doesn't
live here anymore". - "We don't care madam, this is not a drill. This is
war. We will leave the note in your post box, and let him dare not to show
up." He simply couldn't risk prison, or who knows what else. - I have
recently heard that one they have sticked the note to some guy's door. "So
let him dare not to show up".) vocalist of band HOCU? NECU!, involved in
anti autoritharian struggle, one of editors of non-music political/punk
fanzine "Kontrapunkt" etc. ) is two days in Kosovo now. Somewhere around
Srbica village. That was his birthday present from the state (He was born on
2. IV 1971.) He is in medical unit and he will probably have lot of work to
do. One of my neighbours that is medical doctor (curently in Kosovo) phoned
his wife yesterday - she said that he sounded like never before in his life.
He cried. He said that there are many wounded and killed, and that he never
saw wounds like the ones that are results of NATO
bombings. Forbiden cluster bombs are one of murder weapons used by NATO in
Kosovo (go
check out this page for photographic evidence www.kraljevo.co.yu ). I trully
hope that this will end soon. I hope for the best. I hope that Sicko and all
potential victims will survive. This must stop!
-------------------
Today they have brought 4 soldier's bodies from Kosovo to Kraljevo hospital.
Two more bodies came to Cacak. I wonder how many wounded are there. In last
night's bombing of Cacak one 70 year old lady got killed. They have also
striked "Sloboda" factory, although i don't know if there's anything lest to
hit there - they have completely destroyed it. A heating system was hit in
Belgrade - they said that the damage is estimated to be around 700-800
milion dolars. dolara. Another bridge was destroyed in Novi Sad. Fuck.... I
am really afraid what will be when all this ends. How are we gonna live? Who
will pay for renewal of the country? Are we looking at future volunteers'
camps? We are lucky that the winter is over - whoknows what kind of problems
would we have then. Although, who knows for how long will this last and how
will the country look like next winter. Fuck, this must stop. Now!
Aco Popadic, Rada Vilotijevica 1/6, 36000 Kraljevo, Yugoslavia
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From: Tea Hvala, Idrija, Slovenia. [log in to unmask]
As I look at them
For the last three days you can't hear NATO's airplanes flying from Italian
bases over provincial inner Slovenia. It seems like everything's fine
again.... Until they don't show on news those old grannies and slurpy kids
as they sit on some hill and wait... wait. God's blessing will come from the
sky, said one of the gods, I don't know which one anymore, and really - the
bombs came.
I feel that I have to add my personal thoughts to those emails from Serbia,
although this is nothing more than an apology for my pasivity. It's about
small details. For example, Albanians in Idria - city where I live - have
the monopoly on grocery stores and caffeterias. As I pass with my mother by
one of those stores she thinks out loud if the owners are afraid of possible
explosion of nationalism in the city. Old ladies still buy apples and
bananas, and now since the sun's out, ice cream as well. In the meanwhile I
am watching at this guy. I know that he's of Albanian origin and I think how
does he feel my eyes on him, after all what's happened. Does my look accuses
him? Is it full of compassion? is it mockery? Is it sensible? Fourteen days
ago that would be the look of a woman who's looking at an attractive man.
Today it was the look with so many meanings, so many implications, that
probably not me or this boy would be able to manage them.
And then I went to the library, and a woman with a daughter stood by my
side. Their hands were full of children's books. The lady spoke broken
slovenian and I automatically looked at her. And again, so many meanings
jumped her way while she was hiding behind her loong black hair. I felt her
sense of guilt, guilt of beeing what she is. What's the worse part in all
this matter is that both of us were just parts of the moment, while we weren
't important. Impotrant was the position, assorted to us by time. In some
other moment she would slowly kill me in the same innocent way...
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Dear friends,
Info about Zaginflatch is available on request.
Basically, with this newsletter we want to inform the international
community (this is you) on how antiauthoritarians in Yugoslavia and
ex-Yugoslavia feel in these moments. Also, as people who have experienced
air raids and general alerts, we want to support our friends in Yugoslavia
who are experiencing this today. We don't want to prejudice any political
solutions to Kosovo and other ex-yu problems, we just want to help our
friends, and support them in this way. All opinions published in
Zaginflatch will be just personal ones. There is no joint platform.
Zaginflatch will bring you hardly any news in the way mainstream media does
it. For this kind of info we suggest you try cnn, bbc or some other
services. They are available to you anyway.. This is meant to come from
inside... Also, if you're into alternative news sources, we suggest you try
at www.b92.net ...
Zagreb Anarchist Movement (ZAP)
ZAP / ARK GAJEVA 55 10 000 ZAGREB CROATIA [log in to unmask]
http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Senate/3707/
How you can help:
- forward this message to people who might be interested
- we need translators. especially if you speak soutslavic language(s).
- if you can, print this out and send to people who don't have access to
email
- if you can, help us send Zaginflatch to people who usually receive paper
version. We presently can't afford to mail them out via snail mail, and we
have an international mailing list of people who regularly received this
newsletter since it was founded. Write to us and ask if we have a contact in
your country. It'd be great if you could send this newsletter for us...
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