Statement of Non Governmental Organizations

Non-governmental organisations of Yugoslavia energetically protest against a police īvisitī to  the Helsinki committee for Human Rights in Serbia, Forum for Ethnic Relations, Women in Black and Center for Anti-war action. NGOs do not protest against regular control of financial police which are in compliance with the law, but they protest against growing interest of the state in NGO activities that coincides with an aggressive campaign against all those who advocate changes in Serbia. Announcement of a new anti-terrorist law in the frame of an aggressive campaign against all free minded people, arrestments, threats, labels, discretionary accusations of committing severest crimes and the announcement of a new law on NGOs the aim of which is to devaluate their existence, speak enough about the current regime and ITS FEAR OF US, FEAR OF CITIZENS. In the situation of a ten-year lasting  ģcriminalisationī of the whole society where the police have been constantly overstepping their authorities, it is so easy to accuse every citizen of behaving illegally. If we add to this absence of independent courts, disproportion between proclaimed and real, it is so easy to conclude that non-governmental organisation as legitimate and legal citizensķ associations are not spared from accusations.

We condemn the use of financial police as an instrument for the criminalization of NGOs and would like to remind the publicity that NGOs are non-profit organizations and that the sudden interest of financial police in the non-profit sector raises suspicion if the talk is about financial control only. NGOs declare that they will fearlessly proceed with their activities respecting the Constitution and laws that are in compliance with the Constitution. NGOs will continue to carry out activities to the benefit of the whole society including cooperation with international organizations. NGOs will continue their struggle for the values of civil society, rule of law and the state of law. NGOs will protect all jeopardized citizens including the ones who have been deprived of their rights. NGOs will fight against racism, nationalism and xenophobia and they will continue to advocate changes in society.

240 representatives of non-governmental Organizations of Yugoslavia From the conference ģPreparation for Futureī Belgrade, June 11th 2000.

PS: Women in Black are ģvisitedī every working day including today. June 15th 2000.


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