Tudjman Agrees Too

Barely eight days after the takeover of NTV Studio B, another important factor providing a channel of freedom in these troubled waters has ceased to exist. The decision only confirmed one made by the Serbian ministry of culture, dated May 10, 1995, "establishing" that the co-founder - the Federal Executive Council, (the government of the former Yugoslavia), is ineligible as an institution. The registration of the foundation was disputed also because it never stated whether it was a joint company, a state firm or a private enterprise. Its activities were being questioned because it was registered as an institution providing scholarships and international cooperation in science, while it also engaged in humanitarian issues and a wide range of cultural activities. In addition, the founder of the organization, US multi-millionaire George Soros, was the target of a broad public campaign to proclaim him an enemy of all Serbs. Even his Jewish origin was used as an argument to support this theory. The crucial argument, however, was his signature on one of the petitions demanding military intervention to stop the Serb siege of Sarajevo and other Bosnian towns. The rector of Belgrade University then said that George Soros had asked for the bombing of Belgrade and aligned himself with the enemies of this country and its people.

The accusations were accompanied by two which came from the government,

unusually open this time: the foundation was charged with providing the independent media with substantial technical assistance, essential for their survival in the local self-styled market conditions, and - more importantly- sharply criticized for refusing to distribute large quantities of humanitarian aid (namely medications and medical equipment) through state institutions. The latter case of "uncooperative behaviour", probably prompted by justified fear that letting the state in would result in the lion's share of the medications ending up in private pharmacies and the black market, posed a direct and serious threat to the financial interests of some powerful individuals, ranking officials who make large profits from medications sold on the black market. Quite simply, its all about big interests and big money. Last year only, the Soros Foundation distributed aid and equipment worth five million dollars free of charge, which severely affected the price of medications on the black market.

The representatives of the Panonija humanitarian association, 12 medical institutions and five medical factories were the first to suffer from the decision made by the supreme court. They were to receive a large amount of medications, X-ray machines and other medical equipment. Kindergarten children were left without 15,000 toys, 10,000 stationary sets and 10,000 pairs of shoes. Eight artist colonies and about 70 scientific and technological projects will become history, while some 500 scientists, students and experts will be lift without scholarships. The list may be incomplete, but the message voiced by the state to its citizens reads loud and clear: "no one has the right to feed or clothe you except us".

All opposition parties, (from the Radicals to the Civil Alliance), sharply condemned the ban. The authorities arrogantly replied that political parties should not make it their business to discuss decisions made by the courts, especially if they happen to be the Supreme court, but deal with everyday civic problems (Aleksandar Vulin, spokesman of the Yugoslav United Left - JUL).

It is unlikely that the ban will face serious opposition either at home or abroad. The Americans are currently discussing other issues with Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic, much more significant for them (such as the implementation of the Dayton treaty and Kosovo). On the other side, opposition parties are so preoccupied with inner-party and inter-party rifts that no one expects them to take action which would actually force the regime to reconsider its decision. Representatives of the foundation will reveal their position and future plans at a press conference on February 29. In the meantime, they released a statement that there are 23 Soros foundations worldwide, from Kirghistan to Haiti, and that none of them had been banned except the one in Yugoslavia.

The same could quite possibly happen in Croatia, whose President Franjo Tudjman openly told Soros that "it could make better use of its money than give it to Croatian traitors". At the same time, the Croatian education ministry turned down Soros' offer to install computers in Croatian schools unconditionally and free of charge. The case is yet another example of concerted action by authorities in Belgrade and Zagreb, whose joint project is hampering the vital interests of their own citizens.