Bambiland brutality - Milosevic's family hurts the dignity of the citizens of Serbia
VIENNA, 16 May 2000 - Freimut Duve, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, strongly condemns the recent series of repressive actions against independent media and journalists in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. These include incidents that were perpetrated not by the authorities, but by employees of a private venture called Bambiland and owned by a member of the Milosevic family.
It is for the first time since the Helsinki Final Act was signed 25 years ago that the owner of a private family business and the son of the President, in direct co-operation with state agencies, brutally attacks critical citizens, sending them either to a hospital or to court, or to both.
The Belgrade television station Studio B and the independent dailies Blic and Danas were severely fined for "false reporting" after they informed the public of the beating of three members of the opposition movement Otpor on 2 May by bodyguards of Milosevic's son, Marko. This incident happened in Pozarevac, the hometown of Milosevic, and was followed by arrests of a large number of independent journalists and members of the movement in different Serbian cities last week.
An alarming development: As in old feudal times the family members of rulers could misuse the state to lead their private wars against critics. The rulers are not eager to tolerate any questioning of their policy, business affairs and methods, and anybody who dares to question should be prepared to face the consequences. It is not simply the repression by an authoritarian regime against the media that raises indignation. It is much more the brutal transformation of a European state into a family affair, into Bambiland, that deserves severe condemnation.
The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media strongly supports the efforts of the independent media in opposing such "activities" by the regime and their struggle against the building of a wall of silence behind which crimes are hidden.