Belo Polje, Belgrade, 23 Aug (Danas) Representatives of Serbian returnees from the village of Belo Polje near Pec, are claiming that Behxhet Brajshori, the ministry of culture in the Kosovo interim government, who at the same time is in charge for the renovation of the houses destroyed in the March violence, misused some old people from this village by using them for a photo op in which he hands out keys to renovated houses even though works have still not finished. Footage of this act was presented on the first program of Kosovo television.
If they had good intentions why didnt they talk to the village official representatives, but instead used our absence and talked with elders which cannot see, nor hear good. Kosovo government is working on the renovation of 24 houses in our village, but they are not finished. If they are just as they claim they are they would have paid us damages and repaired everything that has been destroyed and burned on 17th of March, stated Vinko Arsenijevic, one of the representatives from Belo Polje. Arsenijevic does not deny the fact that locals are also partly to be blamed for this because they could not handle the situation good, and so keys of the taped house handed over by representative of the Kosovo government were received by an old man who is not the owner of the estate.
Everything happened so fast that neither the younger people which were in the village did not had a chance to react. They just came took photos and left, claims Arsenijevic.
He also points out that in then past couple of days water heaters (boilers) and other electric appliances and installations were stolen from couple of houses from this village.
According to Arsenijevics words, Serbs returnees from Belo Polje, are protected by very strong force of Italian KFOR, and are basically cut off from the rest of the world so they did not have the possibility to directly send a protest to TV Kosovo whose first channel aired the report on the renovating of the 24 Serbian houses in Belo Polje. They informed The Diocese of Raska-Prizren and the Coordination center for Kosovo and Metohija on Brajshoris visit. No one in the Kosovo interim government could be reached on Sunday so there are no comments on the developments in Belo Polje.
In the Albanian attack on Belo Polje on the 17th of March, two Serbs were injured and all 25 houses renovated since the arrival of the returnees in the middle of July of last year, were torched. They once more set on fire the church of the Theodtokos (Mother of God)which was set on fire in 1999, and all grave monuments were destroyed. During March violence KFOR evacuated the Serbs to the Italian Military base in Pec. They have no returned to Belo Polje.
Security Situation Still Unfavorable For Kosovo Serbs - Serbian Interior Ministry Official
Belgrade, 23 Aug (Tanjug) - The security of Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija has not significantly improved after March 17, threats, blackmail and attacks at Serbs continue and organized crime and illegal arming are being stepped up, which does not provide any guarantees to Serbs that they should take part in the October elections, Serbian Interior Ministry Department for Struggle against Terrorism and Organized Crime head Dragomir Asanin.
Submitting a report on the security situation in Serbia's southern province to the Serbian parliament's committee for Kosovo-Metohija, Asanin said that " after March 17 security structures of KFOR and UNMIK have taken a series of measures aimed at finding the perpetrators and organizers of the March unrest."
Kosovo Attack Warning
Belgrade, 23 Aug (B92) - Belgrades top terrorist investigator today warned that Albanian extremists in Kosovo are preparing a serious attack on Serbs, UN administrators and international peacekeepers I the province.
Dragomir Asanin, who heads the terrorist and criminal division of the Security Intelligence Agency, said that the attack would go ahead if Kosovo Albanians did not achieve their goal of an independent Kosovo.
He told a meeting of the Serbian Parliaments kosovo.netmittee that the security situation for Serbs in Kosovo had not essentially improved since a wave of anti-Serb violence swept the province in March this year, because the people behind those incidents were still at large.
Vienna, 22 Aug (B92) - An article published in Viennas highly-read daily Noje Kronen Cajtung, proclaimed Kosovo as Europes worst nightmare, stating that all organized criminal activity in Europe starts from or leads to Kosovo.
Drug smuggling, cigarette smuggling, secret bordellos, car theft, burglary; all trails lead back to Kosovo gangs. according to the article.
Kosovo is the black hole of Europe, devoid of law and order. Europe put this situation on itself when it separated Kosovo as a region from Serbia and made it a protectorate of the UN and NATO. The UN shows no authority in the region and KFOR runs away when Albanians become violent. the article said. (Beta)
Kosovo Future Depends On KLA Leaders
Pristina, 23 Aug (B92) - The political successors of the former Kosovo Liberation Army guerrilla movement must depart from the provinces authorities if the people of Kosovo are to have any future, the leader of the New Kosovo Party said today.
Bujar Bukoshi told media that the leading parties in Kosovo are a disease for the country because they are supported by mafia organizations.
The voters must send these irresponsible politicians home, said Bukoshi. (Beta)
UN, Council of Europe sign human rights accords in Kosovo Source: Deutsche Presse Agentur
Date: 23 Aug 2004
Pristina (dpa) - The U.N. administration in Kosovo and the Council of Europe Monday signed two agreements on the monitoring of human rights in the Kosovan capital of Pristina.
Council of Europe Secretary General Walter Schwimmer and the U.N.
administrator in the breakaway Serb province, Soren Jessen-Peterse, signed the agreements, in terms of which the U.N. Interim Administration in Kosovo
(UNMIK) will provide the Council of Europe with information.
"The agreements are a significant milestone providing practical monitoring arrangements which extend coverage of important human rights protections under Conventions of the Council of Europe to Kosovo,'' UNMIK said.
Human rights groups and the international ombudsman in Kosovo, Polish lawyer Marek Nowicki, have warned Kosovo is a black hole for human rights, noting that UNMIK holds sway over legislative, executive and judicial power.
Since the end of the war in June 1999, Kosovo has been a U.N. protectorate.
It has formally remained part of Serbia and Montenegro, which last year joined the Council of Europe, but its final status has yet to be resolved.
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UNMIK/PR/1216
Monday, 23 August 2004
SRSG Sřren Jessen-Petersen and Walter Schwimmer, Secretary-General of the Council of Europe sign two agreements
PRISTINA - today Mr. Walter Schwimmer, Secretary-General of the Council of Europe, and Mr. Sřren Jessen-Petersen, UNMIK Special Representative of the Secretary-General, signed two agreements between UNMIK and the Council of Europe.
The agreements provide for arrangements for monitoring the implementation in Kosovo of important human rights principles established by the Council of Europe.
Under the agreement on technical arrangements related to the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers will monitor compliance with the Framework Convention in Kosovo and UNMIK will provide the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers with relevant information.
The agreement on technical arrangements related to the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment allows an independent committee of experts to examine the treatment of persons deprived of their liberty in Kosovo by UNMIK.
The signature of the two agreements marks the successful conclusion of more than 18 months of negotiations on the texts and follows a decision of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers on 30 June 2004.
The agreements are a significant milestone providing practical monitoring arrangements which extend coverage of important human rights protections under Conventions of the Council of Europe to Kosovo.
Belgrade Media Update, August 24, 2004
Two agreements on human rights signed (Tanjug)
In Pristina, Secretary General of the CoE Walter Schwimmer and UNMIK Head Sřren Jessen-Petersen have signed two agreements on human rights in Kosovo. According to these agreements, the UNMIK is obliged to report to the CoE on the situation in the field of human rights in the province. UNMIK has announced that these documents represent a significant turning point because they provide practical follow-up of the implementation of the said agreements, thus increasing protection of human rights in accordance with the convention of the CoE.
Sřren Jessen-Petersen on the agreement (Beta)
The agreement is the result of the 18-month-long activity of CoE and UNMIK experts, said Jessen-Petersen. The CoE Ministerial Council will observe the implementation of conventions in Kosovo, while UNMIK will offer the Council all the necessary information, said Jessen-Petersen, underlining the readiness and engagement of Kosovo institutions in realizing duties stemming from those conventions, especially those on the protection of minorities. PISG in many cases demonstrated readiness in protecting minority rights, said Jessen-Petersen.
Asanin: Underway preparations for attacks in Kosovo (RTS)
Head of the department terrorism and organized crime of the Security-Information Agency of the Serbian Ministry of Interior, Dragomir Asanin stated that illegal arming of Albanian extremists was taking place in Kosovo for carrying out armed attacks against Serbs and UNMIK and KFOR representatives in September if their goal on an independent Kosovo is not achieved. In Kosovo there are no conditions for Serbs to vote in the Assembly elections in October, and the Serbian government plan for a political solution to the situation in Kosovo remains the only serious plan of decentralization of power and a firm guarantee for the survival of Serbs, it was assessed at the session of the Serbian Parliament Committee for Kosovo.
Loncar on Kosovo elections (Tanjug)
Minister for State Administration and local government Zoran Loncar has pointed out that since the adoption of the plan for Kosovo, in all talks with representatives of the EU, the CoE, the OSCE, the UN and the Contact Group, the government adhered to that document as a starting point and framework for the talks. He has reminded that a draft reform of the local government has been prepared in the meantime by the Kosovo government, UNMIK and the CoE experts, without Serbs, assessing that that plan does not offer Serbs guarantees for safe living in the province. The boycott of the elections is, unfortunately, the only way to attract the attention of the international public to the catastrophic situation of Serbs in Kosovo, Loncar underlined.
No change in Serbias election stance (B92)
Dusan Prorokovic, president of the Serbian Parliamentary Council for Kosovo, said that there is no back up plan as far as the participation of Serbs in Kosovos regional elections is concerned. Prorokovic said that the Serbian government will not change their stance and will not encourage Serbs to vote. This is not a concern right now. Our main concerns are the level of security in the region, and guaranteeing Serbs a peaceful living atmosphere in Kosovo." Prorokovic said. He said that, in his opinion, the various guarantees given to Kosovo Serbs will not change much in the region, and expects that more and more Serbs will be leaving the region within the next three years.
Rexhepi: Break-up of SCG also to influence Kosovos status (Tanjug)
Kosovo Premier Bajram Rexhepi has said that the disassociation of Serbia and Montenegro would be reflected also on the status of Kosovo. "If Montenegro breaks away from Serbia that would reflect indirectly on Kosovo," he said, pointing out that Pristina would respect everything agreed by Belgrade and Podgorica.
Rexhepi: Belgrade-Pristina talks possible following Serbian and Kosovo elections (RSCG)
Kosovo Prime Minister Bajram Rexhepi stated that talks between Belgrade and Pristina could be expected after the local elections in Serbia and Assembly elections in Kosovo. Rexhepi once again called upon Kosovo Serbs to take part in the elections, stating that otherwise they could remain isolated. He did not wish to say whether a Serb boycott of the elections could burden the future dialogue of Belgrade and Pristina.
Bukosi: Kosovos future depends on departure of KLA leaders (Beta)
The future of Kosovo citizens depends on the departure from power of the political heirs of the disbanded KLA, stated former Prime Minister of the Kosovo government in exile Bujar Bukosi. Assessing that the ruling parties in the province rely on mafia structures, Bukosi accused Albanian leaders of nepotism and stated that they were the most responsible for the bad economic and political situation in Kosovo.
Davinic and KFOR commander meet in Merdare (RTS)
KFOR Command has proposed that the possibility be examined of forming mixed patrols, composed of members of the SCG Army and KFOR soldiers, which would patrol along the boundary line between Serbia and Kosovo, SCG Defense Minister Prvoslav Davinic stated following the meeting with KFOR Commander Holger Kammerhoff in Merdare. Davinic stated that he had received assurances from him that the safety situation in Kosovo was improving. Davinic said that Kamerhoff confirmed to him that the elections in Kosovo can be held and that the international forces would provide full safety to the Serbs who wish to vote. Participation of the Serb community in the parliamentary elections in Kosovo depends largely on safety conditions, as well as to what degree the international community and the Albanian leaders were ready to accept the Serbian government plan, Minister Davinic underlined.
Serbs not safe to appear before Kosovo courts (Tanjug)
Kosovo courts, before which Serbs are seeking justice for destroyed or damaged property, have started scheduling hearings, but KFOR and UNMIK do not provide escort for Serbs or CCK representatives, so they cannot come to the trials, announced the head of CCKs Return Sector Vladimir Cucic. He reminded that the first hearing, recently scheduled in Vucitrn was not held, as KFOR did not provide escort to the Serbs seeking compensation.
Database containing charges of Serbs for damaged property in preparation (RTS/Tanjug)
Upon the request of UNMIKs judiciary department, the UNMIK Office for relations with Kosovo courts in Gracanica is currently working out a data-base containing charges that Serbs have filed for the compensation of destructed property in Kosovo from 1999 to 2004, Tanjug was confirmed in that office. So far, 5.800 charges have been filed, and the complete database will be finished within a month, stated Trifun Jovanovic, the Head of the Central Office for relations with Kosovo courts.
US does not stand behind concept of independent Kosovo, says US Ambassador Michael Polt
In an interview with Politika, the US Ambassador to Belgrade Michael Polt said that it was completely wrong to believe that the US stand behind the concept of an independent Kosovo: "The US position on Kosovo is: standards first. I speak about standards of relations among the people and administration in Kosovo that must be in accordance with the standards that we demand for us in the US and that we demand from free societies throughout the world: the respect of minorities, responsibilities and rights of the majority, safety for individuals. As regards the concept of multi-ethnicity, the US is perhaps more than any other country founded on this concept. Standards are necessary in order to establish whether a society can justly administer. That is why we first want to see that standards are implemented and solidly established in Kosovo before we discuss the future status. The US, the international community, the UN, UNMIK, and our European friends share the same stand. Polt said that the categorical position of the US and international community was that the March violence must not be awarded in any way: "Violence doesnt pay off and that isnt a way to reach goals. The interests of the Albanian majority have been seriously damaged with such activities. Speaking about the upcoming Assembly elections in Kosovo and possible Serb participation, the US Ambassador underlined that the democratic process functions only if people take part in it: "There is no benefit from the elections if nobody shows up. I dont think it is a good decision for Serbs not take part in the elections, but it is not up to America to decide on that. The decision is on Kosovo Serbs, on Serbs in Serbia, on the Government in Belgrade which has given its stand on this issue, US Ambassador in Belgrade Michael Polt told Politika.
