August 26, 2004

ERP KIM Newsletter 26-08-04

Bishop Artemije receives Soren Jessen- Petersen and general Holger Kammerhof

The Bishop explained to the new chief of UNMIK that the process of Serbian refugee returns is practically at a standstill while Kosovo and Metohija under an international protectorate is increasingly becoming a monoethnic society exclusively tailored for the Albanians. "Since March 17 not only has the rebuilding of churches not even begun but not a single stone has been moved, not to mention the churches destroyed during the summer of 1999," said Bishop Artemije. He also insisted on the position that the everything damaged must be repaired and not only what was damaged during the March violence.

Bishop Artemije with new UNMIK chief Soren Jessen-Petersen

ERP KIM Info Service
Gracanica, August 26, 2004

Talks with UNMIK chief Soren Jessen-Petersen

Bishop Artemije spoke with new UNMIK chief Soren Jessen Petersen on Wednesday, August 25, in the monastery of Gracanica after Petersen and Kosovo prime minister Bajram Rexhepi's visit to the destroyed monastery of Holy Archangels the preceding day. The UNMIK chief is on his eighth day of touring Kosovo and Metohija in order to become acquainted with the situation on the ground first hand.

Bishop Artemije told the UNMIK chief his view of the situation, saying that in essence it has not changed since March 17. "The March pogrom was just the culmination of a process of violence and ethnic discrimination that the Serbian community has endured since the arrival of the UN mission and KFOR peacekeeping forces," said Bishop Artemije. He reminded Petersen of the number of murdered and kidnapped Serbs, over 200,000 refugees, numerous Serbian houses and 150 churches in ruins under the eyes of the whole democratic world. "Even though the number of incidents has decreased, the potential for violence remains high and the apparent peace that reigns is illusory because the main organizers and perpetrators of violence against Serbs remain free. If violence continues to be tolerated as in the past and extremists continue to be tolerated instead of confronted, the situation will get even worse."

The new UNMIK chief said that he is familiar with Bishop Artemije's views and aware of his criticism, which he finds understandable and justifiable to some extent. Petersen repeated that UNMIK is implementing a policy of zero tolerance for criminal activities and crimes against minorities and he described the riots in March as a evil that must not be repeated. Expressing his personal respect for the Bishop, his advice and wisdom, Petersen admitted that he is aware of the situation in which Serbs and other minorities are living. "Nevertheless," emphasized the new UNMIK chief, "we have to be optimists and live in the hope that this difficult situation can and must be rectified."

Talks with general Holger Kammerhof

Yesterday Bishop Artemije also received a farewell visit from the KFOR commander, German general Holger Kammerhof, who will replaced in the near future by French general Yves de Kermabon as head of international peacekeeping forces.

Bishop Artemije told the KFOR commander of his deep dissatisfaction with the reaction of KFOR forces during the March riots. "I am personally convinced that KFOR commanders and soldiers have the capability of confronting the violence and protecting Serbs, their houses and churches. However, in the majority of cases this was not done during the March violence because of KFOR's erroneous policy in New York, Brussels and Washington. The violence in which 19 people were killed, hundreds wounded, over 4,000 expelled, most of them Serbs, and 30 churches and close to 900 homes destroyed is an enormous humiliation for NATO forces. Unless urgent measures are taken to reorganize KFOR by giving them greater authority and the further reduction in the number of troops is not stopped, KFOR will not be able to perform its task," said the Bishop.

General Kammerhof assured Bishop Artemije of his conviction that during the March riots he did "everything within his power". The KFOR general said that the two primary reasons contributing to the inadequate reaction of KFOR were that every national contingent has its own rules and that troop reduction was carried out too early, a decision with which he personally disagrees. General Kammerhof also expressed his dissatisfaction that the process of rebuilding houses and especially churches is taking too long.

Bishop Artemije also received the head of the UNMIK legal service, Jacques Cady, with whom he discussed the justice system in connection with the March riots. Bishop Artemije expressed his dissatisfaction with the situation in the justice system in general and emphasized the unprofessional and sometimes inhuman and anti-Serbian attitude of members of the Kosovo Police Service during the riots.

Abbot Herman of Holy Archangels Monastery shows Petersen and Rexhepi the tomb of Emperor Dusan, which was desecrated by Albanian rioters on March 17, 2004

Diocese of Raska and Prizren condemns desecration of cemetery in Dragodan

ERP KIM Info Service
Gracanica, August 26, 2004

The Diocese of Raska and Prizren most strongly condemns the desecration of the cemetery in Dragodan where Serbs and Roma who perished in Kosovo and Metohija since the arrival of KFOR and the UN mission are buried.

UNMIK spokesman Neeraj Singh confirmed that about 100 graves of Serbs and Roma have been desecrated and condemned this vandalism. At a press conference in Pristina Singh explained that these were graves used by the UN to bury persons of Serbian and Roma nationality after autopsy who have yet to be identified. According to Serbian pathologists 140 people killed throughout Kosovo and Metohija have been temporarily buried here since the arrival of international KFOR forces.

UNMIK chief talks with Bishop Artemije

GRACANICA, August 24, 2004 (Beta) - New UNMIK chief Soren Jessen Petersen stated this afternoon after talks with Bishop Artemije that he was advised of concern for the security of the Serbian community in Kosovo and Metohija.

"The Bishop is concerned and critical because of the situation and the inadequate engagement of the international community," said Soren Jessen Petersen.

The UNMIK chief also said that he understands the Bishop's concern and emphasized that he is "absolutely dedicated" to the task at hand and determined to do "everything possible in Kosovo to enable Serbs to live there and have not only security and freedom of movement but to live normal lives".

Jessen Petersen said that he expects his upcoming visit to Belgrade to be "a very good beginning, which will be the beginning of dialogue I intend to maintain" because dialogue can move Kosovo.

(Bishop) Artemije said after their meeting that the UNMIK chief did not discuss Serbian participation in upcoming October elections.

The Bishop added that after his first meeting with the UNMIK chief he had the impression that Petersen "is very familiar with the situation and wants to learn about the real situation on the ground".

"During our talks I emphasized that Serbs expect the international community to repair the damage done not only during the March pogrom but everything that has occurred since 1999 to today," emphasized Bishop Artemije.

Jessen-Petersen: We will do everything possible for Serbs to return to Svinjare

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA, August 25, 2004 (Beta) - UNMIK chief Soren Jessen-Petersen said today in the village of Svinjare near Kosovska Mitrovica that UNMIK in cooperation with the Kosovo government and KFOR will ensure security for the return of all Serbs who fled from the village after the March violence.

"I am content when I see that people are ready to return, that they want their homes to be rebuilt and to live here. We will do everything within our power to make this a safe place and to finish building the houses that are not just houses but their homes," said Jessen-Petersen.

The UNMIK chief said that he wants these houses to be places where one can live and that he will therefore ensure that utility buildings are also built and that locals receive 2,000 euros apiece to obtain essential home furnishings.

We are working on speeding up this process. We intend to secure funds and to turn from destruction toward construction, to build a physical and social infrastructure, he said.

In a press conference the UNMIK chief said that the violence which occurred in Kosovo in March must never happen again and that UNMIK together with the Kosovo government and KFOR will undertake necessary measures to ensure that it does not happen.

Nenad Radosavljevic, the advisor to the UNMIK chief for returns, said that people have told him that they do not feel safe in Svinjare and that those responsible for security have to become more engaged in this respect.

After security they will need jobs because that is a basic precondition for returns, said Radosavljevic, adding that not enough has been done to rebuild the homes destroyed during the March violence.

In Kosovo 394 houses have been restored and these are homes where the damage was slight, noted Radosavljevic.

Milorad Radivojevic, the representative of the village of Svinjare, said that the situation in Kosovo will grow worse if the UNMIK chief refuses to acknowledge what happened to the Serbs on March 17.

Our neighbors would even return to the burned ruins of their homes if only they knew they would be safe, said Radivojevic. He added that out of 137 houses destroyed in Svinjare only 30 have been rebuilt but the construction was not done well and just living in them represented a risk.

Jessen-Petersen was accompanied on his visit to Svinjare by Kosovo prime minister Bajram Rexhepi and the advisor to the UNMIK chief for returns, Nenad Radosavljevic.

[All quotations have been translated from Serbian.]

TOP

Our Newsletters in html format are available on the Web at: Photo Galleries of the March pogrom are available at: http://www.kosovo.net/pogrom.html

Readers' comments:

Your name + Country

Your e-mail (optional):

Comment:

ERP KIM Info-Service is the official Information Service of the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Raska and Prizren and works with the blessing of His Grace Bishop Artemije.
Our Information Service is distributing news on Kosovo related issues. The main focus of the Info-Service is the life of the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Serbian community in the Province of Kosovo and Metohija. ERP KIM Info Service works in cooperation with www.serbian-translation.com as well as the Kosovo Daily News (KDN) News List

Disclaimer:
The views expressed by the authors of newspaper articles or other texts which are not official communiqués or news reports by the Diocese are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of the Serbian Orthodox Church

Additional information on our Diocese and the life of the Kosovo Serb Community may be found at: http://www.kosovo.net

If you want to unsubscribe go to the page: http://www.kosovo.net/erpkiminfo.html

Copyright 2004, ERP KIM Info-Service

Suscribe to our mailing lists: