U.S. CONDEMNS SERBIA'S "DRACONIAN" LAW ON INFORMATION
USIA
22 October 1998
TEXT: U.S. CONDEMNS SERBIA'S "DRACONIAN" LAW ON INFORMATION
(Serb government aims to intimidate independent media) (570)
Washington -- The United States condemned the "draconian" Law on
Public Information passed October 20 by the Serbian parliament and
stressed that "the Belgrade leadership should immediately halt its
repression of independent media."
The October 21 statement issued by the White House noted that "this
repressive law follows a series of hostile actions taken against
independent media outlets in the FRY over the past weeks.... The
government's actions are clearly designed to intimidate Serbia's
independent media and to prevent them from reporting the truth about
President Milosevic's campaign of repression in Kosovo."
"The current leadership in Belgrade seems determined to keep that
country a pariah and to deny its citizens the benefits of democracy
and integration into Europe," the White House said.
Following is the text of the statement:
(Begin text)
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
October 21, 1998
STATEMENT BY THE PRESS SECRETARY
The United States condemns the draconian Law on Public Information
passed yesterday by the Serbian parliament. This law establishes
massive fines on media outlets for failing to publish information the
FRY authorities deem important and for carrying foreign programming.
It also requires publishers to forward copies of each issue to the
public prosecutor and the Ministry of Information. This repressive law
follows a series of hostile actions taken against independent media
outlets in the FRY over the past weeks, including the closure of
newspapers Danas, Dnevi Telegraf, and Nasa Borba and Radio Index in
Belgrade, and Radio Senta in Vojvodina.
The government's actions are clearly designed to intimidate Serbia's
independent media and to prevent them from reporting the truth about
President Milosevic's campaign of repression in Kosovo. Milosevic is
also trying to hide from his own people the substantial concessions he
has been forced to make under the threat of NATO air strikes. This
includes an unprecedented international presence in Kosovo, that until
now he had steadfastly resisted, with 2,000 OSCE verifiers on the
ground and NATO surveillance in the air.
The United States is committed to promoting free and open media across
the globe, including in the FRY. We are actively supporting the
courageous work of civil society and independent media organizations
in the FRY who are struggling to keep independent media voices alive.
We have expanded Voice of America's Serbian and Albanian broadcasts,
and have begun broadcasting medium wave transmissions which can be
received on AM radios throughout the FRY. We are also utilizing the
Internet to enhance the level of information flowing in and out of the
country.
In the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, independent radio stations and
newspapers have provided valuable perspectives to the population of
Yugoslavia about issues which strongly affect these citizens' lives.
Without independent media voices, the people of FRY will be less able
to make the informed decisions that will determine their future.
The Belgrade leadership should immediately halt its repression of
independent media. Developing a vibrant civil society with free and
independent media will be a crucial step in building the type of civil
society which can return the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to its
place among nations. Unfortunately, the current leadership in Belgrade
seems determined to keep that country a pariah and to deny its
citizens the benefits of democracy and integration into Europe.
(end text)