INSTALLATIONS OF INDEPENDENT RTV "STUDIO 99" WENT UP

IN FLAMES

SABOTAGE AGAINST THE RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH

AIM, Sarajevo, September 17, 1995 "Nothing, not even such or similar violent attempts will prevent us to exercise our iviolable right to free public speech!" - this is the message of the team working in Independent Radio Television "Studio 99". On September 16, at four o'clock in the morning in Sarajevo, the main radio and TV transmitter of this medium was destroyed by force, probably by arson, as well as the accompanying equipment (radio and television signal transmitting link, auxiliary transformer for voltage regulation and other auxiliary devices and installations), and immediately after the first investigation on the spot, the damage was evaluated to amount to about 180 thousand German marks! Judging by the exceptionally negative stance the ruling structure has expressed ever since the very foundation of "Studio 99" in relation to this independent medium, and especially by the latest developments and threatening messages it has received, it seems that the scent of responsibility for this sabotage leads straight into the headquarters of the ruling Party of Democratic Action!

"Studio 99" is a specific medium in Bosnia & Herzegovina recognizable primarily for its orientation towards multicultural, multiethnic, democratic and lay B&H, and it consists of three media - Independent Radio "Studio 99", Independent Television 99 and Journal of Free Thought 99 which is prepared among others, by the Association of Independent Intellectuals called "Circle 99". First, its radio started operation in late December 1992, just before the war broke out in B&H, and then, in the beginning of 1995, under auspices of the UNESCO and thanks to technical assistance, Independent Television 99 started telecasting. The first volume of the bilingual (local and English) Journal of Free Thought containing ideas of the "Circle 99" appeared in public in May this year.

By its operating as a medium open to numerous civic ideas and initiatives, by persisting in postulates of a democratic and multiethnic society - which often brought it into the position of a prominent oppositionist whose activity was contrary to the exclusiveness of ruling ntional oligarchies - and by reflecting the public opinion of the citizens of Sarajevo by way of numerous contact programs and uncensored questions in interviews, "Studio 99" deserved powerful critical blows of political forces from a part of the ruling establishment in Sarajevo which advocates ethnic division of Bosnia & Herzegovina. For instance, broadcasting of Independent Radio "Studio 99" was interrupted for a few days in September 1994, when state RTV B&H (completely controlled by the ruling SDA) confiscated the transmitter of this Radio contrary to the agreement on its use. Such a restrictive measure applied by the state medium was in fact a reaction of the Party of Democratic Action (SDA) to the prepared interview of "Studio 99" with the still at the time legitimate member of the Presidency of the Republic B&H, Fikret Abdic. By confiscating the transmitter, broadcasting of the for the authorities inconvenient interview was prevented. By the way, political diversities between Fikret Abdic and Alija Izetbegovic were topical issues at the time, and the first armed conflicts between Abdic's troops and the Army of B&H broke out soon after that.

During the entire war, but especially since the beginning of 1993, various pressures exerted on the associates of Radio "Studio 99" took place almost in parallel with contact programs which presented opinions of citizens on political processes which led to ethnic division of B&H, or broadcasts of political commentaries about acts of discrimination due to different ethnic or religious membership. Public criticism and attacks against operation of Independent RTV "Studio 99" and its founder, Editor-in-Chief Adil Kulenovic, were led by controlled party and nationalist journals such as Ljiljan, Avaz, Muslimanski glas or Radio "Hayat" in which leading members of the Party of Democratic Action and the Islam Religious Community, and even President of the Presidency of B&H Alija Izetbegovic himself stated their negative views of this medium.

Not rarely were the journalists of the popular "Ninety nine" forced to replace their posts - as a kind of a penalty for refusing to serve the regime - with digging trenches at demarcation lines. An associate of "Studio 99" is at such a "duty" at this very moment, and out of the thirteen permanently employed (which in war conditions means that they are deployed at their posts), three more are required for digging trenches.

In fact, apart from the obvious intolerance of the authorities to this independent medium and more or less daily oppression and threats, the latest sabotage - demolition of most of the technical equipment of Radio and Television 99 - various highly indicative developments preeceded this vandalistic act unmistakably linking it with the ruling Party of Democratic Action. Namely, in the course of July this year, threatening that the entire team of journalists would be taken to the frontline, it was demanded that broadcasting of information programs of Radio Free Europe be interrupted on this Sarajevo Radio, after it carried news about the at the time latest shelling of the city (which was by the way already published by all world agencies), military police broke into the studio and threatened to close it down and ban broadcasting because of the news broadcast that day. And since the crew of "Studio 99" and its Editor-in-Chief Adil Kulenovic continued broadcasting the incriminated program of Radio Free Europe, "unexpected" daily disturbances and interferences started occuring exactly at the time reports of "unseemly" correspondents from Belgrade and Zagreb were broadcast.

Then, from the premises of the editorial staff in a "mysterious" way, video-casettes disappeared with the material recorded at the meeting of the opposition from the territory controlled by the Army B&H headed by Vice-President of the opposition UBSD, Sejfudin Tokic, with the opposition from the territory controlled by the Bosnian Serbs headed by Milorad Dodik, President of the Club of independent representatives from Banja Luka. Only AIM and "Studio 99" as independent media were accredited to report from the meeting. Since this meeting would have once again revealed that national leaders were usurping the exclusive right to reach decisions about ethnic division of B&H, removing of the casettes prevented Sarajevans from seeing the exclusive interview of Karadzic's most powerful opponent, Milorad Dodik.

At the time of the offered resignation of B&H Prime Minister Haris Silajdzic, the crew of "Studio 99" made another "mistake" in the eyes of the power wielders. Namely, "Studio 99" enabled its listeners to state their opinions about the conflict between Silajdzic and Izetbegovic in its most popular contact program. Sharp criticism of the public addressed at Alija Izetbegovic and the leadership of the SDA, and complete support offered to Prime Minister Silajdzic - which according to claims of numerous analysts of B&H was decisive for the survival of Silajdzic at the head of the Government - resulted in accusations of "Studio 99" by the leading SDA that this medium was responsible for the Sarajevo-Tuzla conspiracy in favour of the Prime Minister and against Izetbegovic, as similar support to Silajdzic was offered by the citizens of Tuzla.

The latest Geneva agreement, mildly speaking, intensified the intolerance of the authorities against RTV 99, because it let the citizens on the air who classified the agreement as "treason of Bosnia" claiming that it was just a continuance of Izetbegovic's policy and demanding urgent removing of the foreign Minister Muhamed Sacirbegovic, a close associate of Izetbegovic from office. As they themselves claimed, members of the elite units of the Bosnian Army also appeared in the program claiming that this medium was "the hotbed of Chetniks because by preserving united B&H it wishes to preserve joint life with the Chetniks!"

Probably to the amazement of the clique in power, "Studio 99" also invited Rusmir Mahmutcehajic to be its guest. He is the former vicepprime minister of the Government of B&H and an ideologists of the SDA who has spent the past two years in isolation from the political life and the media, after his breaking up with the party he had participated in creating. The split occurred after he had refused to accept party policy of creation of a separate Muslim state in B&H. In his interview at "Studio 99", Mahmurcehajic, as an excellent connoisseur of the SDA, revealed numerous moves of the current authorities in Sarajevo made with the intention to ethnically divide the country, and also publicly qualified the latest actions of the state leadership as "treason of Bosnia & Herzgovina".

The renewed campaign against "Studio 99" after that was headed by Muslim Radio "Hayat", known for its call to lynch of all the Serbs who have remained in Sarajevo broadcast after the first crime committed by the regime from Pale at the Markale market place. This Radio, together with the Muslim Television "Hayat", welcomed the President of the Party of Democratic Action Alija Izetbegovic as its guest in a program (which was also covered by other controlled media), whose host put the following question to Izetbegovic:

"Mister President, would you please comment on the selective questions of Radio 99 which wishes to impose to the people an opinion opposed to the Geneva agreement contrary to other polls of radio stations in B&H and Sarajevo. They suggest a stance of a small number of people who know not what nation and religion they belong to and wish to present their opinion as a general stand of the people in B&H!"

To such a provocative question, Izetbegovic, as any tolerant leader who always knows what "his" people think and wish, answered: "I've heard that 99 presents as the opinion of Sarajevans... What I know of the Sarajevans and what they think differs from what 99 presents! I do not wish to be pretentious, but I know exactly what their opinion is!"

Three days after this interview had been broadcast, the equipment of "Studio 99" was destroyed in the terrorist act. But shedding light on this event which dismayed the Sarajevans and induced them to send hundreds of messages of support to RTV 99 although many of them cannot listen and watch it any more, will not be possible without introducing another official of the SDA into the game and the threatening letter which had recently reached the Editor-in-Chief of the Independent RTV "Studio 99".

Namely, during inspection of the main power supply cable of the transmitter of RTV 99 in the beginning of this month, another cable was noticed and removed which was illegally fastened on to the mains causing interruptions of the program. Two workers of the RTV 99 who disconnected the illegally hooked up cable were shot at - and the Security Service Centre was notified about it - and threatened by exclamations such as "We will stop you", "You Adil's gang!" and highly indicative "We will destroy your equipment"! These warnings came from family Dreca whose son Tarik Dreca, an official of the SDA, works in the Islam humanitarian organization. Immediately after the incident with the illegally attached cable, the following letter arrived at the e-mail address of "Studio 99":

"Attn. Mr Adil Kulenovic Person guilty of high treason Sarajevo, 10 Jumadel-ula 1416 p.hyjra; September 5, 1995 in Christian calender

Not in the least respected "independent" (from all but the UN - you cannot be independent when others supply you with equipment and power supply),

Es sellamu alleikum ve rahmetullah ve berekiatuhu,

I am writing on the occasion of the minor incident which occurred last night about 23 hours at the stairway leading from A. Humo street to the UNPROFOR building (the route of your main power supply). One of the two primitive persons you had sent to inspect the mains took the liberty to quite unlawfully confiscate a part (he did not succeed to take the whole) wire by way of which I had been "borrowing" power from you, and cursing shot a bullet from his pistol at the ground. If the stupid bastard concerned (he claimed that he was from the police) thinks he is in the Wild West, he should be aware that he is not the only in town who is armed. I am too (and I have a licence, too). If he has the courage to give me his name I will be glad to enable him to manifest his energy (and skill of using arms) where he should - at a hill around Sarajevo.

As concerning your cable, should I be disconnected again, chances are 90 per cent that one of the following will happen to you (if nothing happens it will be only because one does not kill the "milch-cow" one can exploit, but one can do anything when provoked):

• letting high volbtage into the mains (I possess a regulation transformer, and I have learnt the trade from your men) - I figure you would not like to have to fix your transmitters, or

• sawing the mains, as the ultimate measure.

I "borrow" about 500 W from you. If your fuse blows, it is not because of me - check the main route.

If you have any mesages (for instance, if you agree to a ceasefire), please send it by e-mail. I do not listen yo your program - it makes me sick (like all other respectable citizens) because of its contents, music and the crew - a bunch of Serb, Croat and allegedly Muslim scum, as well as bastards from mixed marriages (definition of bastard: illegitimate child, and as none of the three great religions recognizes a mixed marriage - your employees belong to the mentioned category; small digression).

Mahsuz sellam.

E-MAIL: MUWAFAQ.FONDATION@ZAMIR-SA.ztn.apc.org "

Naturally, this letter was submitted to the police when it was informed about the whole incident, but it is indicative that nothing has been done until the latest demolition of the equipment of RTV "Studio 99" which happened ten days later. After the arson and the demolition of the equipment, competent investigation authorities of the Security Service Centre of Sarajevo were notified again, and they carried out the investigation on the spot and other necessary actions. The Crew of RTV "Studio 99", whose broadcasting is completely rendered impossible by the vandalistic act, publicized a statement saying among other as follows:

"We have the legal and the moral right to expect that our public will soon be informed about the perpetrators of this vandalistic act and its motives, that soon they and their masters will be discovered, and that the enormous damage "Studio 99" has suffered will be compensated. We have informed about this shameful event the highest authorities of the UNESCO and other international subjects who enabled purchase and installation of the equipment for our studio as donors, as well as our friends in the country and abroad who have whole-heartedly supported the democratic political orientation of our program. We believe that the competent authorities in Sarajevo will do their best to shed light on the background of this event and by publicizing the whole truth about it, remove all possible highly negative ideological and political connotations which might result from it."

While waiting for the results of the investigation, the following question remains open: has the ruling structure in Sarajevo sunk so deep in despotism and nationalism that after everything experienced so far - arbitrary amendments of the Constitution in order to seal its power, removing from office numerous capable people in favour of obedient party leaders, usurpation of all social institutions by a single party and single nation, and attempts to impose collectivistic unanimity - it has reached out for open destruction of everything that does not fit into its vision of future Bosnia? Or shall we once again hear the explanation that this is an act of "arbitrariness of irresponsible individuals"?

Anticipations that the end of the brutal war in B&H has for the first time clearly come to sight do not claim that the struggle for Bosnia & Herzgovina by measure of all Bosnians and Herzegovinians is coming to its end. On the contrary. The struggle for democratic, multiethnic and multireligious Bosnia & Herzegovina will probably last for a long time to come. Among alternatives to ethnic intolerance and nationalistic apartheids offered to the citizens of B&H for years, Independent RTV "Studio 99" will go on. Because the latest news from Sarajevo is: "Studio 99" was linked to an auxiliary transmitter of much smaller power and far smaller range, but Radio 99 continues its broadcasting...

DRAZENA PERANIC