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Bukovica engleski.qxd - Fond za humanitarno pravo

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<strong>Bukovica</strong> <strong>engleski</strong>.<strong>qxd</strong> 15.3.2003 13:53 Page 12<br />

12<br />

<strong>Bukovica</strong><br />

tenegrin towns was impermissible, and that they had to<br />

be disarmed. 16<br />

Up until then the Montenegrin government had<br />

claimed that there were no paramilitary groups in the<br />

republic. That there were became evident at the Pljevlja<br />

meeting when President Bulatović criticized the authorities<br />

for failing to disarm paramilitaries. The weekly<br />

Monitor reported that the republic’s Minister of Internal<br />

Affairs did not deny that some ”strange army“ had<br />

passed through the town under police escort. 17 He<br />

admitted it had been agreed that the passage through<br />

Pljevlja of this outfit would be swift. He further said it<br />

was impossible to completely ”disarm citizens who like<br />

guns, in fact it is dangerous because people, including<br />

paramilitaries, are reluctant to give up their weapons.“<br />

The weekly noted that the minister avoided saying<br />

which outfit had been involved. 18<br />

Who made up these paramilitary groups was indirectly<br />

revealed by VJ General Milan Djokić, the commanding<br />

officer of the Pljevlja garrison. Saying that it was not the<br />

Army which had betrayed the people but vice versa, 19<br />

General Djokić announced that ”under great pressure<br />

by citizens,“ he would start ”handing out arms to those<br />

who are prepared to defend the country.“ 20 Although<br />

President Bulatović told the general that weapons could<br />

distributed only by a decision of the High Defense<br />

Council, Montenegrins wondered what were the criteria<br />

for being considered trustworthy enough to be<br />

issued with arms and whether their government was<br />

16 ”Security Without Protection,“ Monitor, Podgorica, 15 May 1992.<br />

17 Ibid.<br />

18 Ibid.<br />

19 Ibid.<br />

20 Ibid

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