Serb National Council of Kosovo and Metohija
Serb National Council of Northern Kosovo

September 21, 2002
Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God

Konculj Monastery

PUBLIC COMMUNIQUÉ

At today's meeting of representatives of the Serb National Council of Kosovo and Metohija and the Serb National Council of Northern Kosovo the following resolutions were unanimously adopted:

1. It was irrefutably proven, despite Mr. Steiner's claims that "there exists certain knowledge and evidence regarding the guilt of the president of the SNC of Northern Kosovo, Dr. Milan Ivanovic," that the indictment is false and that it is about notorious falsehood and political manipulation, and we decisively demand that the indictment be immediately withdrawn. It is tragic that according to the Albanian recipe Serbs are now also being falsely accused by the UNMIK judiciary.
We remain categorical in the demand that political prisoners who are Serbs such as Slavoljub Jovic and others be immediately released from prison.

2. It is essential to create an association of all Serb political subjects in Kosovo and Metohija for full coordination of all activities directed toward better protection of vital Serb national and state interests.
Insistence was placed on unity on the Serb side. All political parties and all political subjects in Kosovo and Metohija and in Serbia must have a common political program for Kosovo and Metohija.

3. Full support was given to the legitimate demands and efforts of expelled Serbs to return to their extinguished ancient homes, to their destroyed and burned down houses which must be restored, to their illegally appropriated apartments which need to be freed of Albanian intruders and to their occupied land. Since nothing has been done in this respect by those responsible from UNMIK, UNHCR and KFOR, the self-organization of Serbs and announcement of mass returns is a desperate attempt and cry for the process of returns to finally be initiated.

4. It was pointed out that the approach of UNMIK and KFOR and especially of UNMIK head Michael Steiner toward the implementation of the fundamental provisions of UN Security Council Resolution 1244 with respect to the return of expelled persons and security for all, including the Serbs, is inadmissible.
Mr. Steiner's statement "of drastic improvements in security" when necessary to affirm the "achievements" of UNMIK and KFOR sound cynical. When it is necessary to realize the return of expelled Serbs the claim is made that security conditions do not exist for such an undertaking.
Steiner's claims of improved security, and that Serbian can be spoken in Pristina, are disproved by violence against two Serb elderly ladies in the center of Pristina, in front of Steiner's office, who were beaten up two days ago only because they were speaking Serbian.
Also hypocritical is his statement that "the process of returns of expelled Serbs has begun" when it is general knowledge that during the course of this year only a few dozen Serbs were returned.
These facts best demonstrate the discrimination and improper approach of the UNMIK head with respect to the Serb question.

5. It was stated that due to the catastrophic position of the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija and the ongoing lack of interest of UNMIK and KFOR in resolving the numerous problems of the Serbs, the Serb people in Kosovo and Metohija are increasingly further from the possibility of participating in the upcoming local Kosovo elections.
We wish to publicly state that the Kosovo and Metohija parliament and government are not carrying out the function of realizing broad autonomy within the framework of Serbia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and that Serb representatives in these institutions do not have a mandate before the people to participate in the creation of an ethnic Albanian state.
We demand the urgent beginning of talks regarding the creation of mechanisms which would prevent (the recurrence of) past discrimination and marginalization. We demand from UNMIK a sharp course of action toward the behavior of Albanian leaders, who are using present multiethnic institutions for lobbying for independence, and the return of institutions within the framework of Resolution 1244.
In the event that this is not done, the deputies and representatives of the Serb people will be forced to withdraw from provisional Kosovo institutions.

6. We emphasize the necessity of beginning a process for rapid decentralization of Kosovo and Metohija at local, regional and provincial levels. If Mr. Steiner does not urgently respond to the proposal for decentralization submitted to him in a timely manner, the participation of the Serb community in the elections will not be possible.

7. We repeat our readiness with regard to the necessity of talks on transformation of security structures in the north of Kosovo and Metohija as part of comprehensive solution to all problems.

8. The intention of Mr.Steiner to have Albanian Kosovo Police Service policemen patrolling Serb-inhabited areas is yet another attempt to instill fear among the Serbs and further destabilize an already serious security situation. It can only suit the Albanian terrorists and further ethnic cleansing of the remaining Serbs.

9. It is essential to adopt the demand of the Serb people in Kosovo and Metohija for the return of the Serb army and police in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1244.

10. We ask the state of Serbia and Yugoslavia to strengthen Serb institutions in Kosovo and Metohija.

President of the Serb National Council of Kosovo and Metohija
Bishop of Raska and Prizren
Dr. Artemije Radosavljevic

President of the Serb National Council of Northern Kosovo
Dr. Milan Ivanovic

In Serbian

SNV Kosova i Metohije
SNV severnog Kosova i Metohije

21.09.2002.
Rozdestvo Presvete Bogorodice

Manastir Konculj

SAOPSTENJE ZA JAVNOST

Na danasnjem sastanku predstavnika Srpskog Nacionalnog Veca Kosova i Metohije i Srpskog Nacionalnog Veca severnog Kosova i Metohije jednoglasno su doneti sledeci zakljucci:

1. Nepobitno je dokazano, i pored tvrdnje Stajnera da «postoje sigurna saznanja i dokazi o krivici predsednika SNV-a severnog Kosova i Metohije Dr Milana Ivanovica», da je optuznica lazna i da se radi o notornoj neistini i politickoj manipulaciji, i odlucno zahtevamo da se optuznica odmah ukine. Zalosno je da se po albanskom receptu Srbi sada lazno optuzuju i od strane UNMIK pravosudja.
Ostajemo kategoricni u zahtevu da se politicki zatvorenici Srbi, poput Slavoljuba Jovica i drugih odmah oslobode iz zatvora.

2. Neophodno je stvaranje saveza svih srpskih politickih subjekata na Kosovu i Metohiji radi pune koordinacije svih aktivnosti usmerenih ka boljoj zastiti vitalnih srpskih naconalnih i drzavnih interesa.
Insistira se na jedinstvu na srpskoj strani. Sve stranke i svi politicki subjekti na Kosovu i Metohiji odnosno u Srbiji, moraju imati zajednicki politicki program za Kosovo i Metohiju.

3. U potpunosti su podrzani legitimni zahtevi i nastojanja prognanih Srba za povratak na svoja ugasena ognjista, u svoje razrusene i spaljene kuce koje se moraju obnoviti, u uzurpirane stanove koje treba osloboditi od albanskih uljeza i na svoju okupiranu zemlju. Kako u tom pogledu od strane odgovornih iz UNMIK-a, UNHCR-a, i KFOR-a nije nista uradjeno, samoorganizovanje Srba i najavljen masovni povratak je ocajnicki pokusaj i vapaj da se proces povratka konacno pokrene.

4. Ukazano je na nedopustiv odnos UNMIK-a i KFOR-a a posebno sefa UNMIK-a Mihaila Stajnera prema ispunjavanju osnovnih odredbi iz Rezolucije 1244 Saveta Bezbednosti o povratku prognanih i bezbednosti za sve, pa i za Srbe.
Cinicno zvuci konstatacija g. Stajnera «o drasticnom poboljsanju bezbednosti» kada treba afirmisati «dostignuca» UNMIKA-a i KFOR-a, a kada treba realizovati povratak prognanih Srba tvrdi se da nema bezbedonosnih uslova za takav poduhvat.
Stajnerove tvrdnje o poboljsanju bezbednosti, i da se u Pristini moze govoriti srpski, demantuje nasilje nad dvema srpskim staricama u centru Pristine, ispred Stajnerovog kabineta, koje su pretucene pre dva dana samo zato sto su govorile srpski.
Licemerna je i njegova izjava da je «krenuo proces povratka prognanih Srba», kada se zna da je u toku ove godine vraceno svega nekoliko desetina Srba.Ove cinjenice najbolje govore o diskriminaciji i nekorektnom odnosu sefa UNMIK-a prema srpskom pitanju.

5. Konstatovano je da zbog katastrofalnog polozaja Srba na Kosovu i Metohiji i dalje nebrige UNMIK-a i KFOR-a prema resavanju brojnih problema Srba, srpski narod na Kosovu i Metohiji sve dalje je od mogucnosti ucesca na predstojecim lokalnim kosovskim izborima.
Javno saopstavamo da parlament Kosova i Metohije i Vlada nisu u funkciji ostvarivanja siroke autonomije u okviru Srbije i SRJ, i da srpski predstavnici u tim institucijama nemaju mandat pred narodom da ucestvuju u stvaranju etnicke albanske drzave.
Trazimo da se hitno zapocnu razgovori o stvaranju mehanizama koji bi sprecili dosadasnju diskriminaciju i majorizaciju. Zahtevamo od UNMIKA ostri kurs prema ponasanju albanskih lidera, koji koriste sadasnje multietnicke institucije za lobiranje za nezavisnost, i vrate institucije u okvire Rezolucije 1244.
Ukoliko se to ne ucini poslanici i predstavnici srpskog naroda bice primorani da napuste privremene kosovske institucije.

6. Naglasavamo neophodnost pristupanja procesu ubrzane decentralizacije Kosova i Metohije na lokalnom, regionalnom i pokrajinskom nivou. Ukoliko se gospodin Stajner hitno ne izjasni o predlogu decentralizacije koji mu je blagovremeno dostavljen, ucesce srpske zajednice na izborima nece biti moguce.

7. Ponavljamo spremnost o potrebi razgovora o transformaciji bezbedonosnih struktura na severu Kosova i Metohije u sklopu sveobuhvatnog resavanja svih problema.

8. Namera Stajnera da u srpskim sredinama patroliraju albanski KPS policajci je jos jedan pokusaj zastrasivanja Srba i dalje destabilizacije ionako teskog bezbedonosnog stanja i moze ici samo na ruku albanskim teroristima i daljem etnickom ciscenju preostalih Srba.

9. Neophodno je potrebno usvojiti zahtev srpskog naroda sa Kosova i Metohije za povratak srpske vojske i policije u skladu sa Rezolucijom 1244 Saveta Bezbednosti.

10. Od drzave Srbije i Jugoslavije trazimo jacanje srpskih institucija na Kosovu i Metohiji.

Predsednik SNV Kosova i Metohije
Episkop Raskoprizrenski
Dr Artemije

Predsednik SNV severnog Kosova i Metohije
Dr Milan Ivanovic