Syndicate: Help B92 Call for Protes

[honor <honor@va.com.au>]

Help B92 Call for Protest

May 13, 1999


Internet Links to Yugoslavia Under Fire


Help B92 expresses deep concern at reports that the US government April
30 trade embargo - Executive Order 13121 - on Yugoslavia may endanger
the country's vital Internet links to the outside world.

As a first possible casualty of this US government embargo, ANEM
understands that the US satellite carrier Loral Orion may be ordered to
drop a satellite uplink arrangement that supplies bandwidth to two of
Yugoslavia's major Internet service providers - infosky.net and
BEOnet.yu.

Help B92 warns that the loss of this link would deal a fatal blow to
freedom of expression in Yugoslavia, as Internet communications are one
of the only remaining routes to independent information and debate for
Yugoslav citizens.

Help B92 is further concerned that the all-encompassing wording of the
embargo - which appears to ban US companies and citizens from exporting
software and supplying services and technology (including technical
data) to Yugoslavia, Serbia and Montenegro - could have further negative
repercussions for freedom of expression in Yugoslavia.

At this time of extreme isolation, Yugoslav citizens rely on the
Internet to access news and information sources from around the world,
free from censorship. The Internet is also the only forum for unfettered
communication with friends, family, other organisations, colleagues, and
representatives of a broad cross section of institutions across the
globe.

Help B92 has consistantly argued that vibrant and open communication,
without frontiers, is crucial to ending the current conflict in Kosovo
and Yugoslavia and building a long and lasting peace for all people in
the region.

Help B92 therefore calls on those committed to freedom of information
and freedom of expression to uphold the right to communicate freely on
the Internet and to protest this threat to Internet access for all the
people of Yugoslavia.

HelpB92 is a support group for independent broadcast media in
Yugoslavia. Visit our support web sites:

http://helpb92.xs4all.nl

http://www.freeb92.net


Contact information:

helpb92@xs4all.nl




		<global roaming activated>

honor@va.com.au
http://www.radioqualia.va.com.au


Help the free media in Yugoslavia: http://helpB92.xs4all.nl
Support free speech about Kosovo: http://dds.nl/openchannels


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