OHR SRT News Summary, 9 May 1999 - Office of the High Representative

Central Serbia and Kosmet – targets of the NATO aviation last night and today
Chinese experts in Belgrade to establish the facts regarding the bombing of the Chinese Embassy
NATO stated – 1,900 targets have been hit and 9,000 bombs and cruising missiles have been launched against Yugoslavia so far
Requiem for the victims of the genocide committed by Ustashas during the World War II served in Donja Gradina
The Day of Victory over Fascism celebrated in several European capitals
A delegation of the Council of Europe arrived in Banja Luka

During the last 47th night of bombardment of the FRY, NATO aggressor attacked Uzice, Valjevo, Cacak, Kraljevo, Kragujevac, Rudnik, Pristina, Djakovica, Golesi. The RTS transmitter on the mountain Cer was again the target of the NATO missiles.

Follows the report of the correspondent from Belgrade on the NATO strikes on Mladenovac, Valjevo, Kragujevac, Uzice, TV transmitter on the Rudnik not far away from Gornji Milanovac. The transmitter on the Cer in Macva was also damaged. In last night’s attacks, two Radio Yugoslavia transmitting systems were completely destroyed: one on the Kablar and the other one on the mountain Rujan. However, this radio station continued broadcasting of its program. The five wounded diplomats in yesterday’s bombing of the building of the Chinese Embassy feel well and their lives are not in danger, was confirmed in the hospital in which the wounded Chinese are treated. There are still four missing persons in the ruins of the Chinese Embassy.

The report of the SRNA correspondent from Pristina on the NATO attacks on Djakovica, Golesi, Slatina Airport, Gracanica, Decani, Gnjilane, and Kosovska Kamenica. Cassette bombs, forbidden by all the international conventions, were also used in those attacks.

Regarding the killing of four Chinese citizens in the NATO attack on the building of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade, the FRY President Slobodan Milosevic addressed his sympathies to China. Details of the message are not known.

Concerning the bombardment of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade, the Banja Luka Mayor Djordje Umicevic addressed a letter of condolences to the Chinese Ambassador to BiH.

“The Chinese Embassy in Belgrade was a precisely identified target”, was reported by the experts of the Interior Ministry of Serbia, Belgrade media carry. A special commission of Chinese experts arrived today from Peking in Belgrade with the aim of conducting the investigation and establishing all the facts regarding the NATO attack on the Chinese Embassy in the FRY capital, agencies report.

Concerning the NATO strike against the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade, the Special Envoy of the Russian President for Yugoslavia Victor Chernomyrdin stated in Bonn that, now, the main task of Russia is to stop the bombardment of Yugoslavia, Beta reports.

Russia has activated its contacts with Asian countries and first of all, with China, was stated by the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, Beta reports. It is supposed that the main topic of the Russia – China talks planned for the beginning of June will be the consequences of the NATO air strike on the Chinese Embassy.

Japan requested from NATO to stop bombing the parts of Belgrade in which the embassies are located, ASP reports.

Reactions of higher officials throughout the world to the NATO air strike on the Chinese Embassy as well as the report on writings of world magazines and newspapers on that attack.

The U. S. Embassy in Peking and consular offices in bigger cities in China will be closed on Monday and Tuesday, was stated by the officials of the U. S. Consulate in Hong-Kong, Beta carries

About 150 Chinese citizens who live in Belgrade gathered today at the Belgrade Square of Republic expressing protest against bombing of the Chinese Embassy and NATO aggression against Yugoslavia which has been lasting for 47 days.

Several dozens of thousands of people protested against bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade in front of the U. S. consular and diplomatic offices throughout Greece today.

Follows the report of the Tanjug correspondent from Peking. Mass demonstrations against the U. S. – NATO war and hegemonic policy and bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade the night before the last one continue today in Peking and other big cities throughout China. Demonstrations in front of the U. S. and British embassies in Peking started yesterday afternoon and still continue. Condemning the attack on the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade, Chinese students and citizens express their protest and carry the Chinese flags and the flags of the universities, the torn U. S. flags, which they burn down, sing the Chinese national anthem and have the paper symbols – targets on their chests.

The U. S. millionaire and founder of the CNN TV Network Ted Turner warned that the aggression against the FRY could cause a nuclear war, Beta carries.

Report on other reactions to the bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade.

The debate on the request of the FRY that the main UN judicial body should order halt of the bombardment, which according to the FRY, does not have grounds in the international law, shall start before the International Court of Justice in the Hague tomorrow, Beta reports.

The head of the Yugoslav diplomacy Zivadin Jovanovic rejected the possibility of presence of the foreign troops in Kosovo, Beta carries. “We shall manage to find a political solution. The aggression must stop. There are regular meetings with Rugova and representatives of other national communities”, Jovanovic said in his interview for the Italian newspapers “Il Giornale”.

As a guest on the Jagodina TV station Palma Plus, Vuk Draskovic, SPO president, assessed that Russia is a Yugoslav representative before the world and that saying “no” to Russia would mean a suicide, Beta reports.

The leader of the Kosovo Democratic Union, Ibrahim Rugova, stated that Kosovo is deserted after six weeks from the beginning of the NATO bombardment, was stated by the Green party in the European Parliament, Beta carries. Rugova also said that the future peace negotiations should create an autonomous Kosovo within Yugoslavia and that all the refugees, including Serbs who used to live there before the war, should return to that province as soon as possible under the auspices of the armed forces, including NATO troops.

The Special Russian Envoy for Yugoslavia Victor Chernomyrdin talked today on the phone with the FRY President Slobodan Milosevic. Except for the statement that there are some encouraging results of the conversation with Milosevic, Chernomyrdin did not state other details, Itertas carries.

Follows a short report on today’s NATO briefing. The NATO spokesperson Jamie Shea stated that, in bombing of Yugoslavia so far, NATO has hit 1,900 targets and launched 9,000 bombs and cruising missiles. Shea went on saying that the Alliance will not stop the strikes disregarding the collateral damages until the FRY President Milosevic accepts the conditions, which are set up. The NATO spokesperson did not want to present the new information on the attack on the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade that took place the day before yesterday. Shea only said that it was caused by a failure in the work of the Alliance Intelligence Service. According to Shea, 5,000 refugees from Kosovo arrived in Albania yesterday. Shea also announced that Javier Solana will visit Albania and Macedonia in the course of this week.

May 9 is celebrated throughout the world as the Day of Victory over Fascism and the end of the World War II.

A delegation of the Council of Europe arrived in Banja Luka tonight. A meeting of the Council of Europe delegation with the RS political officials is planned for tomorrow. The main goal of this visit to Banja Luka and the RS is collecting of the data necessary for the assessment of the state, i.e. harmonizing of the Council of Europe requests with the situation in BiH for the sake of BiH becoming its member. The representatives of the Council of Europe held a press conference tonight. Follows a report on it.

FBiH related news.

World news.