Statement: Marking the Forced Mobilization of Refugees in Serbia

THE INTERNATIONAL NETWORK OF DESERTERS


Since the first mass military mobilization in June of this year, these actions have become a regular practice, especially after the attacks of the Croatian and Bosnian armies which flooded Serbia with hundreds of thousands of new refuge­es in August and September. All the human rights of these people are drastically violated, including the right to life. They were thrown out of their homes and towns, their property has been taken away (mostly burned during the Croatian army’s attack), they have lost their jobs and come to Serbia, which has not given them any protection. They were not able to choose their destination, they have no rights or prospects of returning to Croatia and Bosnia. They receive very little hu­manitarian aid or none at all (Both from the Serbian state, which does not want to spend money on these people, whom they consider to be already lost, and from the international community, which discriminates against these victims on the basis of their Serbian origin.). The worst discrimination is against the men be­tween the ages of 17 and 60, who cannot get passports. Passports would give them the possibility of escaping Serbia, where they are in danger, condemned to starva­tion, and are being massively mobilized and sent to the war. European countries refuse to issue visas to those refugees who manage to get (buy) passports, thus condemning them to stay in Serbia under these terrible conditions.

Many of these men are mobilized just after registering with the Red Cross of Serbia. T's forces have been under the direct control of the Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs and have benefited from its un­conditional protection.

Peace and human righthe police working for the Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs and the members of Arkan's paramilitary guard are picking men from their houses, on the street, in buses, even from taxis. Is it necessary to emphasize the illegality of these actions? Men are being mobilized for the army of a foreign state; there is no regular military draft, families are never informed. There are many reasons for this mobilization to be considered as kidnapping or illegal arrest. Many of the mo­bilized are being beaten up, and after their arrival to Arkan's recruitment center, they are shaved. As they are never really trusted, weapons are given to them only when they are actually on the first line of the front. Beside this recruitment cen­ter in Erdut, Arkan's guard has three more so-called "reforming" centers for de­serters in Bosnia (Repulika Srpska). The officials of the guard publicly stated that in these centers they had "reformed" over 2000 forcibly mobilized men. The puni­shment or correction consists of men being shaved, flogged, and bound to the "pillar of shame.” Besides capturing and beating up deserters, Arkan's forces are also responsible for seriously mistreating the local population and for the ba­nishment of the 5000 remaining Muslims and Croats from the Banja Luka and Prijedor areas—those who managed to survive during these years of war. There is numerous evidence showing that Arkan’s forces have been under the direct control of the Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs and have benefited from its unconditional protection.

Peace and human rights groups in Serbia (including Women in Black) are swamped with requests, which we cannot fulfill, for help from deserters and families of the kidnapped. Along with the SOS Hotlines and the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, we record the cases, talk with the families, and write reports, protests, and appeals. But none of us can hide and protect someone's son or hu­sband, nor issue him a passport or a German, French or other country's visa.


THIS IS WHY WE PLEAD YOU TO DEMAND FROM YOUR GOVERNMENTS:

1. To influence the Serbian government to stop compulsory mobilization of refugees.
2. To accept refugees from Krajina who are both hungry and in danger in Serbia. And to ease the restrictive policies of issuing visas, especially for refugees.
3. To send humanitarian aid to the thousands of refugees, who literally are starving to death on the streets of Banja Luka and other places.
4. To insist on prosecuting war criminals from all sides involved. War crimes are murder, torture, rape, bombing of civilians, as well as ordering the illegal mobilization and torture of those who refuse to kill.

Women in Black Belgrade, October 23,1995