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YUGOSLAV BREAKUP GAINS MOMENTUM

YUGOSLAV BREAKUP GAINS MOMENTUM
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December 21, 1991, Section 1, Page 3Buy Reprints
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Yugoslavia tumbled further toward complete disintegration today when the government of the ethnically mixed republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina decided to apply to the European Community for recognition as an independent state.

At the same time in Belgrade, the empty shell of Yugoslavia's federal Government shattered as Prime Minister Ante Markovic resigned.

The decision by Bosnia and Herzegovina to follow Croatia, Slovenia and Macedonia into independence is certain to enrage this republic's 1.4 million Serbs, who make up more than a quarter of those livingthere.

The Serbs here, who fear they would become isolated and vulnerable to other communities if an international border separated them from Serbia, have been arming themselves. The process is similar to what happened over the summer in Croatia, where other Serbs, left apprehensive by Croatia's decision to leave Yugoslavia, formed militias that proved to be vanguard forces in the ensuing civil war. Fear of Wider Fighting

In the last month, monitors of the European Community have expressed concern that the war might soon expand into Bosnia and Herzegovina, which borders Serbia and Croatia.

The republic's two other main groups, Muslims, with a population of 1.7 million, and Croats, with a population of 800,000, have been making it clear that they do not want to remain in a pared down Yugoslav state where the domination of Serbia and Serbs would be certain to grow. Under Yugoslav law, Muslims in Bosnia and Herzegovina are designated not only as a nationality but also as members of a religious group. Ethnically and linguistically, however, they are are Slavs, just like the Croats and Serbs.

The decision on European Community recognition was made at meetings of government ministers and presidency members this afternoon. The five republic presidency members representing Bosnia and Herzegovina's Muslims and Croats reportedly supported the action, but the two Serbian members opposed it.

Only two of Yugoslavia's six republics, Serbia and Montenegro, have decided not to apply for such recognition from the community. On Thursday, the parliament in Macedonia voted to seek recognition from the European Community. The decision came after the republic overwhelmingly approved a September referendum on seceding from Yugoslavia.

"The vast majority of Bosnia-Herzegovina citizens stand behind today's decision," said the republic's President, Alija Izetbegovic, a Muslim. "I am ready to challenge all those who oppose this decision to put this question to a referendum."

Serbian leaders argue that no independence referendum will be valid unless a majority of the republic's Serbs cast ballots favoring it. Leaders of the republic's main Serbian party, the Serbian Democratic Party, met in Sarajevo, the republic's capital, tonight to decide on a course of action.

Mr. Izetbegovic warned that the pro-Serbian Yugoslav National Army, which has much of its fire power and a large share of its weapons-production installations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, must go along with the republican government's decision.

"The army must act as the civil authorities order it to act," he said.

Despite this appeal, there were growing concerns that the decision on independence would provoke Serbian enclaves in Bosnia and Herzegovina to announce their own secession from the republic and either link up with a rump Yugoslav state or appeal for annexation by Serbia, in a manner reminiscent of what happened in Croatia when independence was announced in June, before the fighting began. U.S. Resists Recognition

The danger that recognition of Bosnia and Herzegovina might unleash a torrent of bloodshed in the republic lies, at least in part, behind the refusal of the United States to follow the European Community's lead in recognizing the individual Yugoslav republics. Although several community countries, share this concern, they succumbed to pressure from Germany, which has announced that it will recognize Croatia and Slovenia before Christmas.

Today's resignation by Mr. Markovic, a Croat, clears the way for Serbia to finish its takeover of the Yugoslav national Government.

A statement issued by a Serbian-dominated federal parliamentary commission said tonight that Yugoslavia's Serbian-controlled rump presidency could use emergency powers to name a new government. But diplomats in Belgrade said tonight that many countries would not recognize any government named by the rump presidency.

Senior Western diplomats have said that Mr. Markovic's resignation would relegate most contacts with the federal Government to low-level activities. 81% of Budget for War

In his resignation statement Mr. Markovic also disclosed that 81 percent of Yugoslavia's federal budget was being diverted to the Serbian war effort.

Earlier this week, the European Community agreed to recognize, on Jan. 15, the independence of Croatia, Slovenia and any of Yugoslavia's other four republics that applies for recognition by Dec. 23 and meets requirements on human and minority rights.

Serbia has condemned the community's decision as a gross attack on Yugoslavia's integrity and on the Serbs as a nation. Serbia and the pro-Serbian army, which have effectively taken control of a third of Croatia's territory, assert that their actions are aimed at only securing the rights of Croatia's Serbs to continue to live in a Yugoslav state as well as to prevent "genocide."

Croatia accuses Serbia of stirring up the Serbs in Croatia and of seeking to create a greater Serbian state.

A version of this article appears in print on  , Section 1, Page 3 of the National edition with the headline: YUGOSLAV BREAKUP GAINS MOMENTUM. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe

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