28. 10. 2004

IDJOS CASE "OVERBLOWN" IN BELGRADE MEDIA

BELGRADE, October 28, 2004 (Danas) - Because of large number of incidents in Vojvodina, the Civil Alliance of Serbia has taken action to decrease inter-ethnic tensions and establish normal life in the province. The party is to meet the League of Vojvodina Social Democrats and the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians today in Novi Sad to discuss concrete proposals, said party spokesman Zeljko Bodrozic, who is a member of the party's presidency. Bodrozic also said he believes that the Vojvodina Parliament will review this issue at its next session. "The situation is not as critical as it was in the early nineties, but it could easily deteriorate if we do nothing about it. The government's strategy of ignoring such problems leads to internationalisation of this issue and that is not a solution. The people of Vojvodina can make the greatest contribution to solving this problem, beginning with individual faults and avoiding the collective responsibility of any entity," said Bodrozic, emphasising that politicians, the non-governmental sector and, particularly, media must share the responsibility for calming the tension. "The attitude of some Belgrade media to the incident in the village of Mali Idjos was inappropriate, if not tragic. They blew the case out of all proportion. People should be careful about using such terms as 'fascists' or 'nationalists', particularly if they refer to people of different nationality. One nationalistic act provokes another. We believe that people of Hungarian nationality have shown that they respect this country," said Bodrozic. He went on to say that the death of two soldiers in a military installation in Topcider represented the real picture of an unreformed army and its security service. However, he added, the statement made by federal President Svetozar Marovic is encouraging in its assurances that Army chiefs will be held accountable. The Supreme Defence Council should persist in the investigation because the military investigative bodies and courts have lost their legitimacy, said Bodrozic, adding that the Civil Alliance of Serbia expected to the truth to be revealed and hope that the conservative forces of the Serbia-Montenegro Army would not prevail.