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Editorials
Friday, October 6, 2000Milosevic should be
tried for war crimesThe issue: Massive demonstrations in Belgrade have toppled the regime of Slobodan Milosevic.
LIBERATION from the shackles of totalitarianism can be a messy process, one that has been repeated throughout Eastern Europe for the past decade. The collapse of Slobodan Milosevic's government in Yugoslavia demonstrates again the remarkable ability of unarmed citizens to rise up peacefully, demand democracy and be victorious.
During his 13 years in power, Milosevic had been able to retain control through military and police power and manipulating the election process. His refusal to accept defeat at the polls by opposition leader Vojislav Kostunica and his scheduling of a run-off election destroyed any semblance of democracy.
Kostunica rejected the call for run-off elections and his supporters began demonstrating for Milosevic's resignation. The demonstrations quickly evolved into a general strike throughout Serbia that brought down the regime.
A key signal that Milosevic would be unable to end the strike and maintain power came when police abandoned barricades at a striking coal mine south of Belgrade.
"The loyalty to Milosevic was always based on fear -- no fear, no loyalty," explained one leading member of the opposition. The police retreat at the coal mine shed the fear and set the stage for the march on Belgrade. A Milosevic-controlled court's vague ruling invalidating last week's election added to the protesters' rage.
Demonstrations had occurred mainly outside of Belgrade, and a massive protest in the capital had been scheduled several days in advance. When hundreds of thousands of protesters converged on Belgrade, riot police were overwhelmed, many seen joining the demonstrators.
Yugoslavia's new president lacks charisma but combines both democratic and nationalistic traits that seem to assure his continued popularity. A former law professor, Kostunica has been president of Serbia's Democratic Party since its founding in 1992. He was the coalition candidate of a 15-party bloc of opposition to Milosevic.
President Clinton was right in stating that it would be inappropriate for the United States to intervene militarily in Yugoslavia but that Washington supports the will of the Serbian people.
Kostunica's government deserves prompt recognition by the democracies and the immediate lifting of economic sanctions that were imposed after Milosevic's brutal crackdown on Kosovo. Milosevic and other members of his regime who have been indicted by an international war crimes tribunal should be arrested and brought to Hague to stand trial.
Aquarium could be
major attraction
AT Governor Cayetano's request, banker Walter Dods is trying to put together a plan for a world-class aquarium at Kewalo Basin. The project has been discussed for decades without result but was revived by Cayetano. The proposed site on the Honolulu waterfront is attractive and convenient to both residents and tourists. It could provide a welcome addition to Oahu's visitor attractions.
But making the aquarium a reality threatens to be difficult because of the cost. A ballpark estimate of $100 million is being used. Dods, chief executive of BancWestCorp., First Hawaiian Bank's parent company, figures that about $60-65 million would have to be raised -- $15-20 million from private sources and $30-50 million in government financing. The rest presumably would be borrowed.
A feasibility study conducted two years ago considered an aquarium that could attract 750,000 visitors annually. It concluded that the facility could finance itself from operating revenue. Perhaps, but if the projections were off significantly the aquarium could be a costly long-term liability.
It's not as if there were no facilities where fish and other forms of marine life could be observed close up in Hawaii. On Oahu, there's the Waikiki Aquarium, renovated five years ago but considered too small, and Sea Life Park in Makapuu. Maui has a first-class aquarium, the Maui Ocean Center, the largest in the state, with a 750,000-gallon tank. It was opened two years ago by Coral World International on a site overlooking Maalea Bay at a cost of $20 million.
However, some feel there is room -- even a need -- for a major aquarium in Honolulu. One of the biggest boosters is Bruce Carlson, director of the Waikiki Aquarium, which would be incorporated in the new facility.
The aquarium would be an anchor for the Kakaako Makai Gateway Park. Dods hopes to see the aquarium and other facilities added to the Children's Museum already operating at the park. He says, "This is the last real site in urban Honolulu to do something right for the community."
The prospect of a world-class aquarium at Kewalo Basin is appealing and we hope it is realized. However, it will require strong support from the private sector as well as the state government.
This is a much better idea than Cayetano's plan to close the heavily used Ala Wai Golf Course to make way for a "Central Park" for Honolulu. The governor ought to focus on this project and leave the golf course alone.
State Web Site
Published by Liberty Newspapers Limited PartnershipRupert E. Phillips, CEO
John M. Flanagan, Editor & Publisher
David Shapiro, Managing Editor
Diane Yukihiro Chang, Senior Editor & Editorial Page Editor
Frank Bridgewater & Michael Rovner, Assistant Managing Editors
A.A. Smyser, Contributing Editor
