Discouraging Democracy

The government of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (comprised of Serbia and Montenegro) has demonstrated a blatant disregard for human rights during the past year. In November 1996, it annulled the results of local elections won largely by the opposition in Serbia and then beat those who protested; ethnic minorities suffered discrimination, torture and imprisonment because they are non-Serbs; the independent media was harassed; and, in violation of the Dayton Agreement, the government refused to hand indicted war criminals over to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in the Hague.