The Belgrade Centre for Human Rights alerts the public, the organs of the state, and especially the media, to another wave of attacks against non-governmental organisations. A part of this ugly campaign was the article replete with defamation, libel and hate speech, published in the daily Internacional under the title Destabilisation. This tabloid attacked all non-governmental organisations in Serbia, alleging that they prepare the media field for an impending “Shiptar* offensive” in 2005. The major part of accusations against the non-governmental sector was arbitrarily constructed and attributed, as many times so far, to so-called “reliable sources”.However, this tabloid has its named sources. One of them, Mr. Nikola Milosevic, member of the Serbian Academy of Science and Arts and a deputy of the Democratic Party of Serbia, says: “In order to realise their policies (Americans) have hired all those innumerable non-governmental organisations which in Serbia serve to destroy the Serb national tissue… Non-governmental organisations receive money from Soros and from western governments with the clear purpose to destabilise Serbia and (prohibit) any thought that we should defend ourselves from terrorism”. There is of course not a single proof supporting this statement – for that matter there is none in the whole article. Similar statements had been already made by the same paper and by academician Milosevic but they have encountered no visible opposition. It appears that Internacional, Milosevic and persons similar to them believe that their conduct is acceptable, that it is even useful for “national interests” (in their own perverse interpretation). It appears that no practical experience can help them realise that these intensely defended national interests can thus only be harmed.
The Belgrade Centre for Human Rights appeals to the organs of the state, to professional associations and the public to react against such behaviour. The Centre expects representative of the Democratic Party of Serbia to explain whether this is the attitude of their political party. Do they think that the freedom of association has been cancelled and that nobody can publicly express their opinions, except power holders and “ patriotic” journalists?
* Derogatory term for ethnic Albanians.
