The Nightmare Is Over

It was said that this decision will effect 12,455 men. The presence of the Yugoslav Foreign Minister Milan Milutinovic at the session of the Supreme Defence Council (with Presidents Slobodan Milosevic, Momir Bulatovic and Zoran Lilic, Federal Defence Minister Pavle Bulatovic, Chief of Staff Momcilo Perisic and Federal Prime Minister Radoje Kontic as members) suggests that this act was made under arraignments with certain foreign factors. It is not irrelevant that other presidents of the former Yugoslav republics have recently brought similar decisions.

The total figure of "deserters" from the war in ex-Yugoslavia is still unknown. Former Yugoslav President of the Presidency Borisav Jovic stated in his book "The last days of Yugoslavia" that in the beginning of September 1991, only 25% agreed to be mobilized. Generals demanded that Serbia and Montenegro deliver some 25,000 soldiers, while President Milosevic and Defence Minister Kadijevic were happy and said that the draft was successful, since 50,000 drafted joined the JNA.

Number of those who fled abroad is unknown. Some decided to disable themselves in order to avoid mobilization, some decided to hide, some fled from the barracks, some fled from the country, some returned from the front, humiliated and fed up... Estimates vary: from several thousands to 400,000.

The state which was "not at war" did not dare to prosecute those who avoided to take guns. Some MPs demanded that deserters be executed. Only three months ago Serbian Parliament adopted the law according to which deserters are deprived of the right to inherit property in Serbia. Those who fled from the front line can be sentenced up to 15 years of prison.

On several occasions there were attempts to change the law on amnesty. First efforts were made by Civic Alliance, Center for Anti-War Action, Serbian renewal Movement, but the strongest efforts were made by the Government of Milan Panic. All who tried to suggest something similar were dubbed as traitors by nationalist parties and state-controlled media.

Now, even nationalist hard-liners do not oppose the amnesty: Borislav Pelvic from Arkan's Party of Serb Unity supported the initiative but he added that those in Bosnian Serb republic and Serb Krajina (Croatia) who refused to fight in the war should be excluded from the amnesty.

The state "which was not at war" hesitated to make this step. The nightmare of many young men, who had full moral right to refuse to fight in a dirty war is over. However, it takes courage and time that the authorities make an apology.