NOT TO FORGET
NATO AGRESSION AGAINST SERBIA, TEN YEARS AFTER
Belgrade Forum for a World of Equals, an independent, non-party, and non-profit
association of citizens, has initiated a program of activities to mark the 10th
anniversary of the NATO aggression against Serbia (the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia) in 1999.
The primary objectives are to pay due respect to human victims, to
shed more light on the real goals and consequences of that aggression, and to
spread messages of peace, mutual respect and equal rights of all nations and
all human beings on the Planet. The framework is: NOT TO FORGET. Remembrance of
victims and consequences of the aggression will contribute to upgrading the
overall responsibility for the observance of the universal principles of
International Law and the role of the international institutions, headed by the
United Nations.
The activities will continue throughout 2009, culminating in March
(the beginning) and June, 2009 (the end) of the aggression.
The Belgrade Forum invites all the state, scientific, cultural and
religious institutions of Serbia, the Serbian Academy of Science and Art
(SANU), the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC), associations of citizens,
mass-media, and the Serbian Diaspora (with its associations and mass-media) to
take part in various activities aiming not to forget victims and consequences
of the 1999 NATO aggression. Consequences are not felt in Serbia and the
Balkans only but also in Europe, Caucasus, Middle East, Asia, Africa, Latin
America.
The Belgrade Forum believes that marking this anniversary will
promote international solidarity with Serbia and Serbian people as victims of
the aggression which transformed NATO from a defensive into an offensive
alliance. The day of the beginning of NATO aggression, March 24th, 1999 set a
most dangerous precedent of using military force of an regional organization
against a sovereign state without authorization of UN Security Council. It was
a clear violation of the universal principles of International Law, the UN
Charter, the OSCE Final Helsinki Act and the Paris Charter. It represents also
violation of the NATO 1949 founding act as well as the constitutions of the
member countries. Uniqueness is reflected also insofar that the aggression was
conducted in an alliance of NATO and the terrorist UCK organization.
The aggression left over 3.500 dead and about 10.000 wounded, out
of which more than two thirds are civilians, including children and disabled.
In addition, many people died later as a consequence of deceases caused by use
of depleted uranium and other armament banned by the International Law. The
material losses – destroyed bridges, railways, highways, factories,
transformers and electricity transmission lines, apartment buildings, schools,
hospitals, even 30 TV stations and transmitters – amounted about 100 billion US
dollars.
The goals of the 1999 military NATO aggression have been
incessantly pursued during the past ten years. Their continuity was reflected
through sustained support to the Albanian terrorism and secessionism - that
resulted in thousands of killed and abducted, ethnic cleansing of 270.000 Serbs
and other non-Albanians, destruction of 150 Serbian medieval monasteries and
churches, massive pogrom of Serbs in March 2004 - all the way to open support
to the recently proclaimed illegal independence of Kosovo (17th of February
2008). Notably, the US/NATO/UCK aggression against Serbia and their open
support to the Albanian terrorism and separatism in Kosovo and Metohija
(Serbia) led to the overall rise of terrorism, separatism and organized
international crime in Europe and the world, to the occupation of Afghanistan
(2001) and Iraq (2003), to the threats of military interventions in many other
countries all over the world.
Following the 1999 aggression USA and NATO have established a
network of new military bases in Eastern Europe and the Balkan countries
(Bulgaria, Albania, Rumania, Hungary, Bosnia). This actually started by
establishment of Camp Bondstill, an American military base in Kosovo and
Metohija (Serbia) in 1999 as the biggest American base outside the USA and the
largest built since the Vietnam War.
To conclude, NATO aggression against Serbia (FRY) was not a local
war, the least “humanitarian intervention” but the testing of a USA strategy
with global objectives threatening the whole humanity.
Belgrade Forum is addressing an
A p e a l
to peace movements, intellectuals, youth organizations, leaders of friendly
countries and organizations, to co-fighters for peace, equal sovereign rights,
and cooperation, to friends – in Europe, Asia, North and South America, Africa:
to mark the 10th anniversary of the USA/NATO/UCK aggression
against Serbia (FRY), demand abolishment of NATO and foreign military basis,
condemn illegal secession and recognition of Kosovo and Metohija (by NATO and
some EU countries), to support sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbia,
denounce USA double standards on separatism and terrorism.
The Belgrade Forum is engaged in preparation of the following -
Activities:
- International Round table on 23 of March, 2009, in
Belgrade.
- Publication of the of the interventions
- Photo, books, audio/video exhibition on the aggression
- Review of documentary films of domestic and foreign production in
Belgrade and other cities in Serbia
- Reconstruction of the monuments to the victims
- Laying wreaths in honor to the victims in Belgrade and other places
- Opening of the Library for Study, Investigation and Documentation on
the aggression
- Peace meetings and marches
- Preparation of the book “Friends of Serbia in the World”
- Cooperation with associations of Serbian Diaspora
- Placing a bronze plaque of gratitude to Greek People in Thessaloniki
How you can help?
- Spreading information on the coming anniversary
- Initiating activities in your country, town, and/or association
condemning aggression and expressing solidarity with Serbia’s rights to
sovereignty, territorial integrity and compensation for the losses caused by
the criminal aggression
- Denouncing NATO as an aggressive alliance aiming to be above the UN and
asking its abolishment
- Writing and publishing your own analyses, experiences, and views
on the NATO aggression and its consequences
- Asking the government institutions in your countries to publicly
mark this anniversary and condemn arms race, disregard of the International Law
and interventionism initiated by the 1999 NATO aggression
- Asking civic and youth association, political parties,
parliamentarians, independent intellectuals, scientists, mass-medias to mark
this anniversary, condemn policy manipulations, double standards on separatism,
terrorism and selective justice
- Taking part in public discussions, meetings, or marches against
the aggressive policy of NATO
- Collecting books, photos, CDs, DVDs, films, or any other
documents for the future Library on the aggression
- Nominating personalities for the “Book of Friends of Serbia in
the World” with the basic biographic data
- Donating Belgrade Forum, thus helping the implementation of the
proposed activities.
P R E S I D E N T
Zivadin Jovanovic
