SERBS THROWING OUT SERBS

Gazimestan in Belgrade

On June 2, some thirteen families from Istok, after being evicted by force from the flats intended for the returnees to Kosovo, have started for Belgrade. They spent the first night in Students' Hostel on Mt.Avala and since then are camping in front of the Serbian Presidency building waiting for the President Slobodan Milosevic to receive them. They asked to be received by the Federal Prime Minister, Radoje Kontic, and Mayor Zoran Djindjic, but in vain. If their problem is not resolved within five days, they intend to seek political asylum in the USA or Germany.

AIM, BELGRADE, June 12, 1997

The plight of these people started some seven years ago at the time of the glory of Serbianhood, the Gazimestan craziness, defence of Serbdom and great promises for Kosovo, promises for those who return there and those who decide to stay. Programmes of return were made, flats promised, employment guaranteed, but little came out of it.

Within the Federal Government's Programme for the Return of Refugees flats were built in Istok into which returnees were supposed to move, but the keys were intended for those "with good connections in the Commune". Families which have been living in the park in the centre of Belgrade for days now, moved into the flats, which are now the subject of dispute, without any papers, but thinking that the flats were intended for them. Forty two people, out of which fifteen children, spent five weeks in these flats without electricity and in constant fear that the local potentates might throw them out.

The law enforcement officers and communal authorities from Istok tried two times to evict them from flats and during the last intervention, on May 23, the police used force. "There were 68 policemen and two commanders from Pec who did not care about anybody. They crushed and hit whoever they laid their hands on. They beat a woman seven months pregnant who fell on the stairs. They did not take pity on children, and after this operation there was no doctor in Istok who dared issue a medical report on injuries sustained from beatings", speaks Jovana Sedlarevic, mother of two children, for the AIM.

Empty Promises

All adult members of these families are old timers in Kosovo who, out of fear of the Albanian extremism, as they say, moved out in 80's. Lured by promises from the YU Programme (within which the controversial buildings were built) and many other things, they returned to the Province: "We did not get anything. I left my job and a house in Kragujevac in order to live in my uncle's dilapidated house which is not fit for life. They lied to us for seven years and when we heard that those who already had several flats were to move into these flats, we broke in. They threatened us for five weeks, until they finally managed to throw us out into the street", says Miodrag Sedlarevic, an invalid and father of two.

The blame for the difficult situation of the Serbs from Istok, the people from the Pioneers' Park lay on Malisa Perovic, President of the Commune and on local power-holders from this town. Our collocutor says that Perovic told him that he intended to move five of his men into the controversial flats. They blame Perovic for refusing to talk to them although after being forcibly evicted they lived out in the open for two weeks in front of the communal building in Istok.

Not one of the more prominent Belgrade officials extended a helping hand to these people. They talked to Jugoslav Kostic and Redzep Hodza who are in charge of the YU Programme, as well as to Milivoje Stamatovic, Republican Minister for Labour, Health and Social Welfare. They were only offered bus transportation back to Istok where a commission would, allegedly, investigate the case and bring a decision on the spot.

"We do not trust anyone any more. Five times we sent delegations to try and talk to someone and when it did not help, we had to do it this way, together. We are not leaving here until our problem is resolved as we fear that they might cheat us again", says Sedlarevic, adding that the list of candidates for flats is common knowledge in Istok for a long time.

State Games

The last to receive them was Milivoje Stamatovic who claimed not to be competent for the matter and shifted the whole problem to the Commission headed by Nedeljko Sipovac, to whose work most of these people have objections: "When they have to take something from us or do not want to do anything, they invoke the law. It is always the law, everything is according to the law and there is nothing they can do", says Marko Terzic, father of one-month old baby who, together with the others, sleeps under the open sky. Until the war broke out Marko lived in Slovenia where he left his family: "I had faith in this leadership. They promised us the moon, and even flats were not a problem, but it turned out that wishes can never fill a sack".

Among the exiles is the couple Asanin, both volunteers in the last war. "We fought from Vukovar to Osijek, and see where we have ended up. He sold us, as well as those people who stayed. Who? The same one we swore to and for whom so many people died", tells us embittered Goran Asanin.

People are mostly hurt by the lack of concern on the part of those whom they trusted and the fact that the authorities do not hide that they only care to see their backs as soon as possible: "We are pained over this injustice. We do not want anything that we were not promised. When we came here, the policemen and security told us that we could not stay as we mar the reputation. Whose reputation? When we have to vote, then we do not hurt anybody's reputation. Then everybody needs us and they come every day with promises telling people for whom they "should" vote. It is shameful to treat in that way those same people who helped them come to power. The whole of Kosovo was for Milosevic and this is how he paid us back", says Mirjana Krgovic, mother of two children. Revolted, her husband adds: "We, the Serbs from Kosovo are to blame for all the present misery in our country. If it had not been not for us, who practically spent all our property on "support rallies", everyone would have probably lived better today".

Hunger Strike - A Way to a Home

When they were met by a wall of silence in Belgrade, these people decided to go on a collective hunger strike, trying in that way to attract the attention of those in charge. First the adult men stopped taking food, to be soon joined by women. Only children, pregnant women and nursing mothers were spared from starving. Still, the food is not lacking. The Red Cross was the first to provide aid and the Commune of Savski Venac also came to their assistance. The Belgraders come and bring food, toiletries and there are even those who invite them to their homes to take a bath.

On the way most of the children got sick, but despite that they are sleeping under the open sky. They were unable to get the medicines doctors prescribed them, as they are not insured by the Belgrade Health Fund.

These people are thankful to all who helped them during these past days. It is not without sadness that they tell how during those two weeks they had spent in front of the Commune in Istok many Albanians came offering help, while the "Serb brothers" behaved as if they were ashamed of them. "Even the Albanians, when they saw how we were treated, offered to take us into their houses, called us to come to their shops and take whatever we needed. Some Serbs behaved as if we did not exit", says Mirjana Krgovic who, with another three women, joined men who are on hunger strike several days now.

They say that when they were leaving Kosovo the Albanians watched them with sadness: "Some of the Serbs did not. The authorities in Istok had divided the Serbs into the rich and poor ones. The poor ones saw us off with tears, while those rich did not give a damn what would happen to us", says Goran Asanin.

For the time being, no one can tell how the problem of these people will be resolved. They have nowhere to go, no one to go to and nothing to go with. All they have, they took with them. And the hope. And that is the only thing left.

Zoran Knezevic (AIM)