OPPOSITION LEADERS RAISE CONCERNS ABOUT THE SITUATION IN WESTERN SLAVONIA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 001944 SIPDIS VIENNA ALSO FOR BOSNIA; USVIENNA ALSO FOR USDEL OSCE E.O. 12356: DECL: 5/17/00 TAGS: SUBJECT: OPPOSITION LEADERS RAISE CONCERNS ABOUT THE SITUATION IN WESTERN SLAVONIA CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 ZAGREB 01944 01 OF 02 191618Z ¶1. CONFIDENTIAL -- ENTIRE TEXT -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶2. ON MAY 17/18, LEADING OPPOSITION FIGURES EXPRESSED TO AMBASSADOR GALBRAITH THEIR VIEW THAT THE DEPARTURE OF ETHNIC SERBS FROM WESTERN SLAVONIA WAS EQUIVALENT TO ETHNIC CLEANSING AND A THREAT TO DEMOCRACY IN CROATIA. MESIC COMPLAINED THAT OPPOSITION PARTIES HAD NOT BEEN INFORMED ABOUT EVENTS IN WESTERN SLAVONIA. ONE PARTY CHARGED THAT DEFMIN SUSAK, AMONG OTHERS, WAS IMPLICATED IN WAR CRIMES. THE ALWAYS POLEMICAL SERB PARTY CHARGED THE U.S. WITH COMPLICITY IN THE GOC'S "ETHNIC CLEANSING"; THE AMBASSADOR VIGOROUSLY REJECTED THESE CHARGES, NOTING OUR PUBLIC EXPRESSIONS OF CONCERN ABOUT GOC HUMAN RIGHTS PERFORMANCE. END SUMMARY. -------------- OPPOSITION SHUT OUT OF SECTOR WEST -------------- ¶3. ON MAY 17, THE AMBASSADOR MET WITH STIPE MESIC, PRESIDENT OF THE OPPOSITION CROATIAN INDEPENDENT DEMOCRATS (HND). MESIC CHARGED THAT THE GOC WAS KEEPING THE OPPOSITION IN THE DARK ABOUT THE SITUATION IN FORMER SECTOR WEST AND EQUATED THE EXODUS OF SERBS WITH ETHNIC CLEANSING. HE SAID THAT IF THE DEPARTURE OF SERBS CONTINUED IT WOULD BE A STEP BACKWARD FOR DEMOCRACY IN CROATIA. (NOTE: AS OF MAY 16, 1,100 SERBS -- OUT OF AN CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 ZAGREB 01944 01 OF 02 191618Z ESTIMATED REMAINING POPULATION OF 5,000 -- HAD LEFT THE AREA OF PAKRAC AND LIPIK FOR SERB-HELD TERRITORY IN BOSNIA, AND ONLY 268 HAD RECEIVED THEIR CROATIAN CITIZENSHIP PAPERS. HALF OF THE ESTIMATED 15,000 SERBS INHABITING SECTOR WEST PRIOR TO THE INVASION ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE FLED TO BOSNIA.) MESIC COMPLAINED THAT OPPOSITION PARTY REPRESENTATIVES WERE NOT ALLOWED INTO THE AREA UNTIL TWO DAYS AFTER MILITARY OPERATIONS HAD ENDED, AND WAS DOUBTFUL THAT A VISIT NOW WOULD HAVE SIGNIFICANT POLITICAL IMPACT. ¶4. ON MAY 18, THE AMBASSADOR MET WITH MILAN DJUKIC AND VESELIN PEJNOVIC, PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT OF THE SERBIAN PEOPLE'S PARTY. DJUKIC, TYPICALLY POLEMICAL, SAID THAT THE GOC'S MODEL OF PEACEFUL REINTEGRATION WAS BECOMING A MODEL OF CROATIA WITHOUT SERBS. SERBS FROM EASTERN SLAVONIA HAD NO INCENTIVE TO THINK ABOUT RETURNING TO WESTERN SLAVONIA AT A TIME WHEN SERBS WERE LEAVING FOR BOSNIA. DJUKIC CHARGED THAT THE GOC WAS COMMITTING ETHNIC CLEANSING IN FORMER SECTOR WEST AND HAD SYSTEMATICALLY DAMAGED ORTHODOX CHURCHES AND SERB HOMES. SPECIFICALLY HE NOTED THAT THE HOUSE OF THE PARISH PRIEST IN JASENOVAC WAS OCCUPIED BY THE HV. HE ALSO SAID THAT WHILE VISITING JASENOVAC, HE PERSONALLY OBSERVED TROOPS LOOTING THE HOUSE IN WHICH HIS WIFE WAS BORN. OTHER VILLAGES HE CLAIMED WERE THE SITES OF WAR CRIMES WERE: PAKLENICA, LUDEVAC, RAICI, COVAC, MLAKA, STARA GRADISKA, AND BOROVAC. DJUKIC AND PEJNOVIC ACCUSED THE USG OF TACITLY SUPPORTING ETHNIC CLEANSING THROUGH ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE GOC. ¶5. DJUKIC AND PEJNOVIC ALSO ASKED, IF THE GOC FIGURE OF CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 ZAGREB 01944 01 OF 02 191618Z 350-450 SERB DEAD WAS CORRECT, WHERE THE BODIES WERE. THEY COMPLAINED ABOUT THE TREATMENT OF PRISONERS HELD AT POZEGA AND VARAZDIN. DJUKIC SAID THAT HV TROOPS THREATENED TO BURN ALIVE ONE WOMAN IN THE VILLAGE OF SEOVICA, WHO THEN ATTEMPTED TO COMMIT SUICIDE; WHILE ANOTHER SERB IN THE VILLAGE REPORTEDLY HANGED HIMSELF AFTER BEING INTIMIDATED. DJUKIC AND PEJNOVIC ALSO CLAIMED THAT SERBS WERE BEING FORCED TO SELL THEIR HOMES AND LIVESTOCK TO CROATS AT A FRACTION OP THEIR VALUE. ¶6. THE AMBASSADOR SUGGESTED TO MESIC THAT IT WOULD BE USEFUL FOR OPPOSITION PARTIES TO CONTACT SERB LEADERS, SUCH AS VELJKO DZAKULA IN PAKRAC. MESIC AGREED THAT ESTABLISHING A POLITICAL DIALOGUE WITH LOCAL SERB LEADERS COULD GO A LONG WAY TOWARD CONVINCING PEOPLE WHO WERE UNDECIDED ABOUT WHETHER THEY SHOULD STAY OR GO THAT THEY HAD A PUTURE IN CROATIA. THE AMBASSADOR EMPHASIZED THAT THIS WAS VITAL TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF DEMOCRACY AS WELL AS CROATIA'S INTEGRATION INTO EUROPE. HE TOLD BOTH POLITICAL PARTIES THAT THE U.S. IS NOT INTERESTED IN SUPPORTING REINTEGRATION OP AN ETHNICALLY PURE COUNTRY. HE REPUTED DJUKIC'S ACCUSATION OP USG SUPPORT FOR ETHNIC CLEANSING BY POINTING TO STATEMENTS IN THE PUBLIC RECORD WHICH HAD CONFIDENTIAL NNNNPTQ0952 CONFIDENTIAL PTQ0952 PAGE 01 ZAGREB 01944 02 OF 02 191618Z ACTION EUR-01 INFO LOG-00 AID-00 AMAD-01 CIAE-00 SMEC-00 OASY-00 DODE-00 EB-01 FBIE-00 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-08 LAB-01 L-01 ADS-00 M-00 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 PA-01 PM-00 PRS-01 P-01 SCT-00 SP-00 SR-00 SS-00 STR-01 TRSE-00 T-00 USIE-00 PMB-00 PRME-01 PRMC-01 DRL-09 G-00 /032W -------------- C77F90 191653Z /38 R 191712Z MAY 95 FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB TO SECSTATE WASHDC 5841 INFO JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK AMCONSUL MUNICH USLO SKOPJE USMISSION USUN NEW YORK USMISSION GENEVA AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA AMEMBASSY BELGRADE NATO EU COLLECTIVE C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 ZAGREB 001944 SIPDIS VIENNA ALSO FOR BOSNIA; USVIENNA ALSO FOR USDEL OSCE E.O. 12356: DECL: 5/17/00 TAGS: SUBJECT: OPPOSITION LEADERS RAISE CONCERNS ABOUT THE SITUATION IN WESTERN SLAVONIA CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 ZAGREB 01944 02 OF 02 191618Z RAISED SERIOUS U.S. CONCERNS ABOUT GOC HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS DURING AND AFTER THE OPPENSIVE, INCLUDING THE AMBASSADOR'S CRITICISM OP THE GOC'S DETENTION OF ELDERLY RESIDENTS OP OKUCANI. THE AMBASSADOR SAID THE U.S. OPPOSED THE USE OF PORCE AND CONSIDERED IT A VIOLATION OF THE COPENHAGEN AGREEMENT. HE EMPHASIZED THAT THE UN SHOULD CONTINUE ITS ROLE IN THE SECTOR SO THAT THE SERBS WOULD HAVE ASSURANCES OF SAPETY. -------------- CONCERNS ABOUT GOC POLICY ON BOSNIA -------------- ¶7. MESIC SAID THAT THE OPPOSITION HAD A NUMBER OF CONCERNS ABOUT THE GOC'S POLICIES, NOT ONLY IN WESTERN SLAVONIA, BUT ALSO IN BOSNIA. HE WAS WORRIED THAT TUDJMAN WAS STRIKING SOME KIND OP DEAL WITH MILOSEVIC TO PARTITION BOSNIA. THE AMBASSADOR QUOTED AN OP-ED PIECE IN THE GOVERNMENT-INFLUENCED DAILY NEWSPAPER VECERNJI LIST WHICH STATED THE NEED FOR A NEW SERB-CROAT RELATIONSHIP, BUT ALSO THE REQUIREMENT THAT BONN AND WASHINGTON CHANGE THEIR BOSNIA POLICY IN THE FACE OF GEOPOLITICAL REALITIES. THE AMBASSADOR TOLD MESIC THAT THE USG WOULD NOT CHANGE ITS POLICY, BUT MESIC THOUGHT TUDJMAN WAS CONVINCED THAT THE WEST WOULD ALLOW THE DIVISION OP BOSNIA BECAUSE IT IS IN CROATIA'S STRATEGIC INTEREST TO TAKE AS MUCH TERRITORY AS POSSIBLE. ¶8. MESIC WAS ALSO UNCERTAIN ABOUT THE PUTURE OP UNCRO. THE OPPOSITION DID NOT HAVE A CLEAR VIEW OF WHERE UNCRO CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 ZAGREB 01944 02 OF 02 191618Z WAS HEADED AND WOULD LIKE TO EXPLORE THE ISSUE WITH THE UN. -------------- -------------- CROATIA MUST COME TO TERMS WITH ITS OWN WAR CRIMINALS -------------- -------------- ¶9. MESIC AND DJUKIC ARGUED THAT CROATIA MUST ACKNOWLEDGE ITS OWN WAR CRIMINALS TO DEMONSTRATE ITS CREDIBILITY WITH THE SERB POPULATION, BUT SO FAR THE GOC HAD SHOWN NO WILLINGNESS TO CONFRONT THE ISSUE. THEY ASSERTED THAT HIGH OFFICIALS HAD ORDERED KILLINGS AND ORGANIZED CAMPS IN BOSNIA, BUT HAD NOT BEEN TOUCHED BECAUSE THEY WERE CLOSE TO TUDJMAN. THE AMBASSADOR ASKED SPECIFICALLY WHO ORDERED KILLINGS. MESIC CLAIMED DEFMIN SUSAK WAS IMPLICATED IN THE DESTRUCTION OF 32 SERB VILLAGES AFTER MILITARY ACTION ENDED IN 1991. HE AND DJUKIC ALSO CHARGED THAT SINISA LINAC, WHO CURRENTLY COMMANDS A UNIT OF THE PRESIDENTIAL GUARD AND WAS FORMERLY SUSAK'S BODYGUARD, WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR MURDERING A SERB FAMILY IN ZAGREB AND ALSO KILLED SERBS IN PAKRAC AND GOSPIC. THEY ALSO CHARGED THAT HV LOGISTICS SUPPORTS MERCEP'S PARAMILITARY ACTIVITIES IN BOSNIA. MESIC ALSO NOTED THAT TUDJMAN BESTOWED HIGH MILITARY HONORS ON A BRIGADE NAMED AFTER GENERAL JURE BOBAN WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR WAR CRIMES IN WORLD WAR II. ¶10. THE AMBASSADOR ASKED FOR MESIC'S IMPRESSIONS OF THE GOC'S COMMEMORATION OF THE BLEIBURG MASSACRE IN 1945. MESIC REPLIED THAT WHILE THE MASSACRE WAS A WAR CRIME, IT SHOULD BE REMEMBERED THAT MANY OF THOSE KILLED WERE ALSO WAR CRIMINALS RESPONSIBLE FOR RUNNING DEATH CAMPS, SUCH AS CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 ZAGREB 01944 02 OF 02 191618Z JASENOVAC. HE INSISTED THAT RECOGNITION OF THE BLEIBURG VICTIMS NEEDED TO BE DEPOLITICIZED. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶11. WHILE WE HAVE SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT THE GOC'S HUMAN RIGHTS PERFORMANCE IN WESTERN SLAVONIA, AT LEAST SOME OF DJUKIC'S ACCUSATIONS APPEAR TO BE EXAGGERATIONS. EMBOFFS HAVE VISITED SOME OF THE VILLAGES DJUKIC MENTIONED -- PARTICULARLY TWO VISITS TO SEOVICA -- AND HAVE HEARD CREDIBLE STORIES OF INTIMIDATION, BUT NONE OF OUR CONTACTS MENTIONED ANYTHING AS SERIOUS AS RESIDENTS COMMITTING SUICIDE IN RESPONSE TO HV ABUSE. WE CONTINUE TO VISIT THE AREA AND WILL CHECK OTHER VILLAGES THAT DJUKIC MENTIONED TO US. ONE PATTERN THAT SEEMS TO BE EMERGING IS THAT RELIABLE INFORMATION ABOUT EVENTS IN WESTERN SLAVONIA IS LACKING. THE RUMOR MILL THAT IS GUIDING THE DECISION- MAKING OF RESIDENTS APPEARS TO EXTEND ZAGREB AS WELL. GALBRAITH CONFIDENTIAL NNNN