Protests in Serbia Archive
Odraz B92 Daily News Service

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      ODRAZ B92, Belgrade                             Daily News Service

      Odraz B92 vesti (by 10 PM), March 23, 1997

      E-mail: odrazb92@b92.opennet.org, beograd@siicom.com
   5  WWW:    http://www.siicom.com/odrazb/, http://www.opennet.org/b92/
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      All texts are Copyright 1997 Radio B92. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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      C O N T E N T S
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      NEWS BY 10 PM

        Prime Minister Marjanovic on BK Television . . . . . . . . .  23
        State Telecommunications Company Announces BK to be Switched Off
        For Unpaid Bills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  40
  15    Opposition Calls for New Protests  . . . . . . . . . . . . .  47
        Milan Panic on BK Television . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  56
        European Union Council of Ministers to Discuss Yugoslavia on
        Monday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  63
        Republika Srpska Radicals Demand Plavsic's Resignation . . .  69

  20  ==================================================================


      NEWS BY 10 PM
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      PRIME MINISTER MARJANOVIC ON BK TELEVISION

      Serbian Prime Minister Mirko Marjanovic late on Sunday told BK
  25  reporters that no one had said BK would be shut down. Asked to
      comment on the Federal Minister of Telecommunication's statement
      that BK had been broadcasting without a license, Mr. Marjanovic
      replied that the dispute between BK and government offices would
      be resolved through the usual channels.

  30  The BK reporter then asked Prime Minister Marjanovic if this was
      part of the democratisation of Serbia. As Mr. Marijanovic
      responded his body guards pushed the BK journalist and camermen
      aside.

      Earlier on Sunday BK's Editorial Board sent an open letter to both
  35  the Yugoslav and Serbian Prime Ministers requesting that they
      intervene to prevent the government closure of the privately-owned
      broadcaster. The letter stressed the personal responsibilty of the
      two Prime Ministers for the BK case and denied that the dispute
      with government offices was over unpaid bills.


  40  STATE TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANY ANNOUNCES BK TO BE SWITCHED OFF
      FOR UNPAID BILLS

      State television late on Sunday broadcast a statement from the
      state telecommunications comapny -- PTT. The statement said that
      BK TV had failed to pay bill for its relay links to more than
  45  three state-owned transmitters amounting to more than 19 million
      dinars (7 million German marks).


      OPPOSITION CALLS FOR NEW PROTESTS

      Zajedno coalition member the Democratic Party on Sunday called for
      public protest against the media policy of the Serbian government
  50  and their attempts to silence privately-owned BK TV.

      ``It is high time to call a halt to the current government's
      policy which puts a new Serbian family at risk every day. If we
      fail to protest then citizens will not only lose BK TV and other
      free media, but also their last chance to escape total poverty,''
  55  the statement read.


      MILAN PANIC ON BK TELEVISION

      On Sunday, former Yugoslav Prime Minister, and Serb-American,
      Milan Panic said that he had not been surprised to hear of the
      plight of BK television as it had been clearly announced in the
  60  draft Law on Information. Mr Panic said that the repression of BK
      television represented a blueprint for the government's future
      approach to free media in Serbia,`` BETA reported on Sunday.


      EUROPEAN UNION COUNCIL OF MINISTERS TO DISCUSS YUGOSLAVIA ON
      MONDAY

  65  European Union foreign Ministers are expected to decide on Monday
      whether or not to consider trade concessions for the Federal
      Republic of Yugoslavia, FoNet reported on Sunday.

      Zajedno leaders have lobbied for such concessions.


      REPUBLIKA SRPSKA RADICALS DEMAND PLAVSIC'S RESIGNATION

  70  The Republika Srpska (RS) branch of the Serbian Radical Party
      demanded on Sunday that RS President Biljana Plavsic resign. The
      Radicals said that this was necessary becuase of her support for
      Zajedno during the Serbian demonstrations, and her refusal to sign
      the Agreement on Special Parallel Relations between Republika
  75  Srpska and the FR Yugoslavia. Serbian Radical leader Vojislav
      Seselj reitereated the demand on television in Banja Luka on
      Sunday.

      Prepared by: Goran Dimitrijevic
      Edited by: Julia Glyn-Pickett

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      ODRAZ B92, Belgrade                             Daily News Service
      E-mail: odrazb92@b92.opennet.org, beograd@siicom.com
      WWW:    http://www.siicom.com/odrazb/, http://www.opennet.org/b92/
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