Yugoslavia's Radio B92 Statement of Solidarity
with KPFA and WBAI

From: "Gordan Paunovic" <gpaunovic@hotmail.com>
Subject: Letter of support from banned Yugoslav station Radio B92 to KPFA and WBAI
Date: Fri, 30 Jul 1999 12:15:09 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Message of solidarity from Radio B92/Free B92 and the Association of
Independent Electronic Media in Yugoslavia to Radio KPFA, Berkeley, and
Radio WBAI, New York.

BELGRADE, July 28 - Radio B92, a banned independent radio station in
Belgrade, Yugoslavia, expresses solidarity with the threatened stations in
the Pacifica network - KPFA and WBAI.

Despite your local character, over the past decade you have presented to
stations around the world a model for freedom of speech and the
unhindered availability of information. By supporting civil activism, peace
movements and ethnic tolerance as well as various progressive local
initiatives, you have been the quintessential community radio stations. As
the oldest American local stations you have shown that despite media
monopolies and manipulations it is possible to preserve a spirit of
tolerance, freedom and truth and to allow dissenting voices to be heard.

Your struggle to preserve your autonomy in the growing conflict with your
owner has revealed an unexpected similarity between the media in the US and
Serbia today, the freedom of speech is being stifled in a similar manner,
journalists are being persecuted and intimidated and progressive radio
stations are prevented from operating. The similarity of the media situation
in our two nations, which differ in
many things, demonstrates that the character of media repression is
virtually the same under openly totalitarian dictatorships as it is
under democratic systems which are increasingly influenced by conservative
structures.

The examples of Radio B92, Radio WBAI and Radio KPFA show that freedom
and democracy are universal ideals which must constantly be protected
throughout the world regardless of the political system and social order of
particular countries.

Radio B92 condemns in the strictest terms the repression and exertion of
force against the staff of Radio KPFA and Radio WBAI and their
listeners.

We therefore join the protests against the attempts to control your
work.

We wish you the strength to persevere in your struggle for the freedom
of speech, truth, and the preservation of your authenticity.

Long live freedom of speech! And down with media repression which knows no
ideological or national boundaries, either in Berkeley or in Belgrade.

Jointly,

Free B92 and ANEM

http://www.freeb92.net
www@freeb92.net

Belgrade, Yugoslavia

July 28, 1999