Solidarity
Today, on the official website of B92 a video appeared which is motivated from the recent assasination attempt on the Serbian journalist Dejan Anastasijevic. Interestingly, the attempt was made after Anastasijevic among others has published an article in the weekly Vreme about the profile of the recently arrested in Germany Serbian mob boss Andrija Draskovic.
Here is the video for you to watch:
For all none-Serbian speakers, the voice in the video says:
“Dada Vujasinovic, after 13 years the murder hasn’t been solved
Slavko Curuvija, after 8 years the murder hasn’t been solved
Milan Pantic, after 6 years the murder hasn’t been solved
In the last 6 months the attacks on journalists, citizens and activists of NGO’s have became more frequent. The most drastic examples are the assasination attempt on the journalist Dejan Anastasijevic and death threats to Dinko Kuhonjic.
Is Serbia becoming a state of democracy, or repression?”
I would rather ask as well the question: Is this phenomena a Europeanwide phenomena, even in times of democracy and prosperity?
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Thanks for the catch, Cvijus.
I would also add to this death threats to Milos Vasic, also a journalist of Vreme, made live by listeners(!) at Fokus radio, controlled by SRS.
Cijuš: “I would rather ask as well the question: Is this phenomena a Europeanwide phenomena, even in times of democracy and prosperity?”
I don’t know, I haven’t noticed really, but would it make any difference for us even if it was? Would our reality somehow become any more peachy?
We have to stop looking across the fence only when it comes to finding an excuse for the mess in our own garden.
Viktor, didn’t know about the threats on Vasic, thanks for the advice. Besides, threating to Vasic makes even more sense (don’t get me wrong in this) since he is the most dangerous journalist who can reveal more than enough proofs on political involvements of the hiding of general Mladic and the assasination of premier Djindjic.
Nemanja, a fact is that similar things occur in Europe as well. I know for many cases in Greece as an example, and not only of journalists, but also of political personalities (Netherlands). This however doesn’t mean that we should say “oh well it happens also abroad, so what?”. Such problems need to be fought severelly, but one should be aware that we are not a lonely island when it comes to this. I don’t like when people say it happens only in Serbia. It happens everywhere, it is just that the info doesn’t realy reach, and when then pretty vaguely, to us. But still, this isn’t an excuse in not fighting this problem, and I suppose you agree with me on that.
I would say that Serbia is becoming neither a state of democracy or repression and that is the problem.
More precisely there is too little change in the attitudes of those governing the country and this is affecting everything – from attacks on journalists to the delay in forming a new government.
The attitude is always similar and I’m afraid is summed up by conservative thinkers such as DSS ‘there is plenty of time for a new government’ – one of their functionaries last week. No, there is not plenty of time for a new government, the emphasis is now on ‘time is running out’ for a new government. One doesnt have to be a genius to know that.
Every single part of society is affected by this weak attitude because it filters down to the people. Prisons where there is no policy – directors just sit there knowing they are doing nothing good. There is no direction from government. Police investigations that go on for years and many cases are unsolved mostly because they are covered up and this is dressed up as a legal issue. The way certain types (mostly old fashioned) of crime (getting drunk and beating somebody – hooliganism, or destroying a kiosk) are excused or not sanctioned whilst crime which conservatives find morally offensive (smoking dope) are punished too heavily.
Smoking is banned in government buildings in a move towards so called European standards and health standards and yet employees smoke without punishement. Speeding motorcyclists (some as young as 14) can just race through the city and either get themselves killed or cause somebody else an accident. The police say chasing them would cause an accident. Nobody wears seat belts and the police dont enforce the rules (they did for a period under the Djindjic government and people actually started wearing them) – as a result many more people die. Taxi drivers think its ok to drive passengers whilst typing text messages.
None of those cases is the point. The point is that almost anything goes. And I’m sick of this attitude, people react as if there is no law – because they have every reason to believe it wont be enforced.
Some Serbs like to say that a firm hand is needed – a strong leader and all of that. I say that what we need is somebody to enforce the law, for people to feel as if the law is being applied to all, not being applied selectively. Alongside that an alteration in certain values is also necessary. This change must come from the top – that is reform must apply first of all to lawmakers and after then apply to the general public.
To return to the point what we see with journalists is simply a continuation of the old attitude. The guy that threw the bomb thought he could get away with it and the police investigation will only work if there is political desire to catch the criminals. Having said that I wouldnt be that surprised if the guy that did it was related to the scorpians.
People might wonder what makes Serbs vote for ‘treacherous’ parties with neo-liberal (in my view) policies such as LDP. One of the answers is that it is a protest vote – a protest vote against the current conservative value system. Therefore one must pose the question – how long must we wait for the political leadership of Serbia to say ‘enough’?
I see the whole of Europe as no different than the U.S. Everywhere there is stagnation and corruption. I would like to have seen Serbs rise above this, but I suppose that’s too much to expect. Europe is going to the dogs and the U.S. is losing its core values completely and will soon follow. It’s all about good character, and that, my friends, is grossly lacking — all over.
This whole agonija is caused by political instability. One of three things will happen before it is resolved: the Radicals will get enough votes to form a government, either alone or with the Socialists; the Radicals will change and become acceptable to the so-called democratic parties; support for the Radicals will wither away and die.
Their status as the most popular party, which is unacceptable to all parties with which it could form a government, is the key problem of Serbian politics. When that is resolved, the way is open for a stable government headed (hopefully) by a Serbian Dodik or Putin. Unfortunately, I do not see any politicians or parties which could fulfil this role. A Đinđić and Koštunica tandem (balancing each other) could have done it, but…