#Human Rights
Target:
Yugoslav government; Serbian government, Montenegrin government, European Union, United Nations
Region:
Serbia

March 18, 2002

In order to satisfy a whim of some Montenegrin politicians, a larger group of Yugoslav and European politicians decided to change the name of our country. They say: "It's only a formality. The most important thing is that we stayed together".

We don't agree. Those politicians haven't named Yugoslavia, so they can't rename it without people's consent. If they didn't struggle for this country; we did, our fathers and grandfathers did. We believe in those symbols, in our flag. If every other country is allowed to have its symbols, we want the same right.

Besides patriotic, social, historical and practical reasons, here are numerous other:

1. Costs.

When deciding about the "new state" Serbia and Montenegro, its creators said: "it's going to be a cheap state". But the very first step towards it is very expensive, time and energy consuming. It is not Tito; sorry, Milo who would have to change his school's name, his football-team's name, his passports all over again, his driving licenses, his addresses, his cinema's name, his business' name, his scientific projects' names. We would have to do it, to pay for it, and to dislike it. But we won't do it!

2. Symbolic meaning.

At the eve of the civil war in Yugoslavia which we also didn't want the persons who started it and sent so many people to death or holocaust, those individuals said with satisfaction: we've done with Yugoslavia! But they hadn't quite done, and we proudly carried on the name of our country despite of those criminals. Some of them still sit among us and use our hospitability.

They ordered the change from Milo and hope to call Yugoslavia by their name in the future. They want us to deny that we are Slavs since they aren't. They pay huge money for such goals. But our name isn't for sale!

3. Durability

The so called "Serbia and Montenegro" (pity they couldn't have made it longer) is going to last only for three years, after which a decision would be made about the final status of the Federation. Is it worthy to make such work, cost and inconvenience to us and the whole world for only three years, when a possibility of still another name might occur after that time?

4. Impracticability

It is not necessary to explain how unpractical it would be not only for Yugoslavs, but for the whole world to change the country's name.

5. Democracy

Milo's voters count less than 100 000. Yugoslavia's population is estimated on 10 000 000 (ten millions) people. Even if we suppose that all Milo's voters would accept the change of the state's name would it be democratic to carry on their will in comparison of the other 9 900 000 who don't want the change?

Milo of Montenegro is happy to see his
republic's name in the UN. He doesn't care that his and Serbian people would have to pay for the change.
If we are really so obliged to make him happy, let's put a title Union of Serbia and Montenegro in front of Yugoslavia, instead of Federal Republic as it stands now.

Serbian and Montenegrin Union Yugoslavia would be all right with us, we hope it would do for Milo. A half of Montenegrins didn't vote for him, anyway.

Some politicians decided to change the name of our state, Yugoslavia, into Serbia and Montenegro. We don't accept it for several reasons: it would be very costly, unpractical, time and money consuming; the name is too long; Yugoslavia has a symbolic value for its people; the period in which it is going to be used is too short; it is not democratic not to consult voters on such an important issue.

Therefore we, the undersigned, ask the Yugoslav government, the government of Montenegro, the government of Serbia, the parliaments of those republics and the interested parties in the European Union and UN to alter the decision of the change of the name "Yugoslavia"; in the Agreement about the common country of Serbia and Montenegro, signed in Barcelona on 14. March 2002.

It is possible to put a title "Union of Serbia and Montenegro" in front of Yugoslavia, instead of "Federal Republic" as it stands now. Serbian and Montenegrin Union Yugoslavia is all right.

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The Yugoslavia goes on petition to Yugoslav government; Serbian government, Montenegrin government, European Union, United Nations was written by Allan Smith and is in the category Human Rights at GoPetition.