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JUNE 12,
2003
ERP KIM Newsletter
12-06-03
CONTENTS:
REPRESENTATIVES OF LEADING
SERB POLITICAL PARTIES MEET IN NORTH KOSOVO
SERB MONTENEGRIN AMBASSADOR IN UN DISSATISFIED WITH UNMIK
INET - KOSOVO AND METOHIJA NEWS
BELGRADE
PRESS ON THE 4TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BEGINNING OF THE PEACE MISSION IN
KOSOVO AND METOHIJA
More News
Available on our:
KOSOVO DAILY
NEWS LIST (KDN)
KDN Archive
This newsletter is available on our
ERP KIM Web-site:
/erpkiminfo.html
REPRESENTATIVES OF LEADING SERB POLITICAL PARTIES MEET IN NORTH KOSOVO -
PUT KOSOVO ON SERBIAN PARLIAMENT'S AGENDA IMMEDIATELY
TOP
Beta News
Agency, Belgrade
June 11, 2003
LEPOSAVIC - The Serb National Council (SNC) of northern and central Kosovo
and representatives of political parties that are members of the
Democratic Opposition of Serbia (DOS) concluded today that the issue of
Kosovo and Metohija should be put on the agenda of the Serbian parliament
as soon as possible.
At a joint meeting held in Leposavic, representatives of the SNC and DOS
concluded that it is necessary to form a Serbian Council for Kosovo and
Metohija, to establish a full international protectorate and to stop the
transfer of authorities to provisional Kosovo institutions. It was
estimated that deputies of the Serb Return Coalition (Povratak) should
leave the Kosovo parliament.
Support was expressed for the program goals of the Movement for Kosovo and
Metohija whose convention will be held in the Belgrade Sava Center.
The chairman of the meeting, the president of the Liberal Party for Kosovo
and Metohija Nenad Radosavljevic, said that the meeting is a first attempt
to create a unified position among political factors in Kosovo.
This is a first meeting and there are no spectacular results, concluded
Radosavljevic, adding that provisional Kosovo institutions have not
fulfilled their tasks.
He pointed out the necessity of asking the UN Security Council to
undertake concrete measures for resolving the situation in Kosovo and
Metohija.
Radosavljevic estimated that the Belgrade authorities should follow the
directions of DOS representatives from Kosovo and Metohija, and that Serb
representatives and the international community should be more active in
working on conditions for the return of displaced persons.
Among the participants of today's meeting there are only program but no
essential differences, assessed Radosavljevic.
The coordinator for kidnapped and missing persons in Kosovo and Metohija,
Sima Spasic, who attended the meeting in Leposavic on his own initiative,
told reporters he was embittered by the behavior of Serb representatives
whose only task and goal was discussing the budget and the new location of
the Coordinating Center.
Spasic said he did not recognize leaders who have not even mentioned the
kidnapped or addressed the tragedy of the Stolic family of Obilic or the
fate of several hundred missing Serbs in Metohija.
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SERB-MONTENEGRIN AMBASSADOR IN UN EXPRESSED DISATISFACTION OVER UNMIK
INVOLVEMENT
ERP KIM info service subarticle
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FREE
SERBIA
New York, June 11
On
Wednesday, Dejan Sahovic, the Serbia and Montenegro (S-M) ambassador in
the UN told the UN security Council of his dissatisfaction over the UNMIK
role in implementing resolution 1244.
Sahovic reminded that if violence remains legitimate political means, then
the newest victims on Kosovo will pose as movement backwards in creating
conditions for start of dialogue on practical problems, which was
constantly supported by the S-M.
Calling to the Security Council to look in to the fact that in the past
four years in spite all its authorities UNMIK has not managed to end
violence from becoming a legitimate political means on Kosovo, Sahovic
also reminded that on the other hand in the past two and a half years
since the democratic change in S-M this country has demonstrated political
will to constructively participate in the implementing of resolution 1244.
Talking in front of the Security Council Sahovic pointed that so far the
efforts of the state for cooperation with UNMIK have been a one-way
process.
The S-M ambassador expressed expectations for renewed cooperation with
UNMIK, adding that the future politics of UNMIK need to be more
constructive and transparent because these elements are absolutely
necessary for the improvement of future communication between the S-M
authorities and the UN civilian administration on Kosovo.
"It seems that we have joined stances that there is still a lot to be done
on Kosovo. Stability and prosperity are our joint goals. During the
adoption of resolution 1244 the UN general secretary stated that it does
not count if there is only determination for pace but that there also
needs to be a will for its implementation. The will of my country for
constructive participation in this process is something of which I want to
assure the Security Council," stated Sahovic.
Previously the ambassador pointed to examples, which show that resolution
1244, has not been implemented.
Among other things he pointed to the fact that the freedom of movement is
a privilege of only the majority Albanian populace in Kosovo, that the
destiny of more then a thousand missing Serbs has still not been solved,
and that almost a quarter of the temporary dispersed members of the
minorities, of which mostly Serbs, which have left Kosovo with the arrival
of the international forces, still cannot go back to their homes.
Sahovic especially pointed to the recent murder of the three members of
the Stolic family from Obilic, the unsolved murder of professor Zoran
Markovic from Vitina, the case of 90-year-old Slavko Stamenkovic who on
the 21 of May was brutally beaten in Vitina, and the Kosovska Kamenica
stoning of the bus filled with Serb children.
"If the perpetrators of these acts are not brought before justice soon, as
it was the case with the previous multiethnic murders, which begin back in
1999, then these murders will serve only as encouragement for the
perpetrators of such acts against the minorities. This will give further
evidence that minorities especially Serbs do not even enjoy the basic
human right, the right to live", said Sahovic.
Pointing to the murder of the entire Stoic family, Sahovic pointed that
the ministry council of S-M respects the numerous condemnations, as well
as the fact that opposite from the other murders of the members of
minorities, in this case a special police investigation team was formed
and a reward was offered for information that might lead to the solving of
the crime.
Stolic underlined that murders such as the one of the Stolic family are
directed against the return, the ethnical reconciliation and a multiethnic
society. Sahovic stated that so far all types of violence against the
minorities, including the terrorist acts have only caused verbal
convictions, and that at point of time it is still not clear what
arguments can be offered to convince the 18 other Serb families from
Obilic in reexamining their decision in leaving this town.
Pointing to the obligation that UNMIK has and that have came out of
resolution 1244 the S-M ambassador concluded that there is peace only if
peace can be defined as absence of war.
Sahovic stated that everyone is aware of UNMIK having its own list of
achievements in implementing resolution 1244.
"The wave of Kosovo Albanian refuges from 1999 came back very quickly,
elections were held and temporary institutions of local governing were
established. This led to increased transfer of authorities on to the local
authorities," stated Sahovic.
He evaluated that these institutions proved to be more efficient in
insisting that they gain the right to decide on foreign politics and
question regarding defense issues, ignoring rights of the minorities by
creating pressure for independence and creating ethnic separation, as is
the case with the newest Kosovo parliament resolution which addresses the
"status of the fighters for freedom and independence of Kosovo".
As support to his stances he added that the Kosovo Protection Corps (KPC)
has retained and increased its military capacity and increased its efforts
to preserve its self as the future army of independent Kosovo.
Sahovic stated that the activities of the members of the terrorist
organization called AKSH within KPC could be confirming without any doubt
with the attack that happened on the 12th of April, on the railroad in
Northern Kosovo. He pointed that the KPC commander who said that in
accordance with his limited possibilities he couldn’t offer more
information that way shallowly addressing the demands of UNMIK and KFOR
for data on the presence of AKSH members within the KPC.
Sahovic stated that in such circumstances, UNMIK has developed strategy
based on the principals of standard before status, defining eight basic
criteria for achieving these standards. In all of those areas there is no
progress what so ever, stated the S-M ambassador, at the same time
pointing that in spite all of this UNMIK is expediently and systematically
continuing to transfer authorities on to the temporary institutions.
"If the goal is to really create institutions which would operate on the
basic principals of democracy, the process of transfer of authority would
need to be brought in accordance with the possibility of giving the
temporary institutions opportunity to show the authority and capability
they have been entrusted with, and all of this for the good of all
nationalities on Kosovo," said Sahovic.
Sahovic evaluated that in certain cases UNMIK its self is not contributing
to the fulfillment of the proclaimed standards, pointing as an example to
the law for leasing state property, a law, which according to him brought
to additional confusion.
According to Sahovic, with this law UNMIK practically took steps, which
are outside its boundaries, which were entrusted to them by the UN
Security Council.
TOP
INET
- KOSOVO AND METOHIJA NEWS
TOP
I*Net News,
Belgrade
Tuesday 10 June 2003
20:40 Coordinating Center for Kosovo and Metohija head Nebojsa Covic has
requested an urgent meeting with UNMIK chief Michael Steiner and KFOR
commander in chief Italian General General Fabio Mini in the presence of
Serb representatives from Obilic, to discuss the situation in Obilic
municipality after the murder of the Stolic family.
19:40 UNMIK police have arrested a 23-year-old ethnic Albanian man on
charges of terrorism and conspiracy to commit murder, UNMIK spokesman
Derek Chappell announced today.
17:20 UNMIK police is still conducting an intensive investigation of the
triple murder of the Stolic family in Obilic and the results of that
investigation will depend on the willingness of the local population to
cooperate with police, UNMIK spokesman Derek Chappell said today. KFOR
spokesman U.S. Major Will Becknan said at a press conference that KFOR in
Obilic is setting up security checkpoints in order to ensure safety.
16:00 Ljiljana Belos, a member of the Coordinating Center for Kosovo and
Metohija legal teal who visited Obilic municipality today, promised that
Coordinatingl Center officials would do everything possible to ensure the
safety and economic prospertiy of Serbs in Obilic to help them survive in
Kosovo and Metohija.
14:20 Commenting on the murder of the Stolic family in Obilic, UNMIK
spokesman Simon Haselock said that nowhere in the world is the police able
to ensure the protection of every home and every individual, as well as
that the security situation has recently dramatically improved.
11:40 UNMIK chief Michael Steiner stated that the members of the Stolic
family were killed in a highly professional manner and that traces of the
murder were well hidden; consequently, six days into the investigation,
UNMIK police had not made any progress.
10:00 Representatives of Obilic municipality and Cerska Street, the most
dangerous street in the town of Obilic, stated today that they will not
move out of their homes and that they came to Belgrade for a meeting
yesterday to see what could be done to improve their safety.
09:20 Serbian premier Zoran Zivkovic has asked for a moratorium on the
transfer of authorities from the international administration in Kosovo
and Metohija to its provisional institutions. The transfer of authroities
to weak, undemocratic and underdeveloped Albanian provisional institutions
is a move that has had bad consequences, said Zivkovic.
TOP
BELGRADE PRESS ON THE FOURTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BEGINNING OF KOSOVO AND
METOHIJA (KOSMET) PEACE MISSION
TOP
PRESS REVIEW
All the local media mark today the 4th anniversary of the arrival of the
international forces in Kosovo-Metohija, pointing to a very bad output of
the UN Mission. More in the PRESS REVIEW.
NO SOLUTION TO THE KOSMET PROBLEM is the title under which the BORBA
daily writes that today is exactly four years since the signing of the
so-called Kumanovo Agreement and the arrival of the military-civil mission
in the southern Serbian province, and the international community has
obviously no solution to Kosmet problem. The daily recalls that in the
course of 4 years, about 110 orthodox churches have been demolished, about
60 church-owned properties usurped, 250 orthodox cemeteries desecrated and
about 50 of them completely demolished.
During the time of the UN Mission in Kosovo-Metohija, 1.300 Serbs were
kidnapped and suspected of having been killed. Only in this year, 7 Serbs,
including the 3 members of the Stolic family in Obilic, were killed, and 6
Serbs were killed last year. Oliver Ivanovic, a member of the Presidency
of the provincial parliament, assessed that the international mission in
Kosmet had no reason for satisfaction, because Serbs still did not enjoy
freedom of move and had no safety, and the return of displaced and
expelled persons could not be discussed at all. Also, the POVRATAK
Coalition deputy Rada Trajkovic emphasized that the international mission
succeeded if their goal had been the creation of a second Albanian state
in the Balkans, legalization of ethnic cleansing and domination of the
Albanian community in Kosovo-Metohija. However, if the goal of the
international community is the proclaimed respect of human rights, the
building of democratic institutions and the return of expelees, then it is
evident that the international community has not found the answer to the
set tasks, reports BORBA.
The POLITIKA daily also marks the 4th anniversary of the signing of
the KUMANOVO MILITARY-TECHNICAL AGREEMENT, recalling that only 2 days
after it was signed, about 50 thousand KFOR troops and about 10 thousand
UN Civil Mission members entered the territory of the Serbian province.
This happened after 79 days of continuous and unsparing bombing of mainly
civilian targets in the then Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Since then
and until now, the "Golgotha" of the remaining Serb population in the
territory of Kosovo-Metohija has been lasting permanently during the
4-year protectorate. It may be rightfully said that the Mission of western
powers who have persistently been referring to the UN Security Council
Resolution 1244 - has failed, underlines POLITIKA.
Already after the entry of NATO forces, 800 thousand Albanians returned to
Kosmet within only 3 days. On the other hand, during 4 years of
protectorate, merely 830 people from other minority communities returned
to Kosmet, which is 0,06 % of the total number of expelled non-Albanian
population. During their 4-year mandate, international representatives
have constructed to Albanians 39 thousand houses, and to other ethnic
communities in Kosmet something over 500 houses, out of which 180 to
Serbs. At the same time, thousands of Serb-owned flats, houses and
properties have been usurped and seized.
POLITIKA emphasizes that the number of inhabitants in Kosovo-Metohija has
considerably increased. Albanians from Albania are arriving to this
territory under the UN forces’ protectorate. Within this short period,
only the capital city of Pristina has doubled in number of inhabitants and
now has about 500 thousand, among which there is only a mere hundred of
Serbs. During their 4-year mandate of the international forces, 250
thousand Serbs emigrated from Kosmet, while only about 130 thousand
remained in the entire territory of the Province. Although this year has
been proclaimed a year of return of the displaced and expelled persons,
hardly that anything can be done regarding this issue. For, the funds of
36 million EUR that have been approved for the return of Serbs in the year
2003, can hardly cover the return of 7.000 of them, although it is obvious
that there is no political will of the international representatives and
the Albanian majority to achieve even this number. Within this context, it
should also be recalled that during the bombing of Yugoslavia, the
international community was allocating 31,2 million German Marks only per
one day, writes the POLITIKA daily.
TOP
ERP KIM
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