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ERP KiM Newsletter 22-07-04 Serbia says no independence for Kosovo By HANNAH K. STRANGE, United Press International WASHINGTON, Jul 21, 2004 (United Press International via COMTEX) --Serbian President Boris Tadic said Wednesday that independence for Kosovo is unacceptable and that the region will always be part of Serbia. However, he reported "a very positive reaction" to the decentralization plan for the region in his meetings with the U.S. administration in Washington. Tadic, who took office only 13 days ago, met with Secretary of State Colin Powell and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld Tuesday. He told a Washington
conference Wednesday that the meetings had been very successful, although
there had not been any "specific offer" from the administration. Under the decentralization plan, Kosovar Serbs would be given autonomy within the region, which in turn would be given autonomous status as a province of Serbia. Many ethnic Albanians, the majority of whom favor independence, criticize the plan as cleaving the province apart along ethnic lines. The Serbian minority and Albanian majority suffer sporadic outbreaks of inter-ethnic violence, including clashes last March in the divided town of Mitrovica, during which 19 people were killed and 800 homes destroyed. The violence, which prompted the United States and NATO to send troop reinforcements to the region, was the worst since the ethnic cleansing of Albanians under former president Slobodan Milosevic ended in 1999. Currently Kosovo is under the protection of the United Nations, which under Security Council Resolution 1244 in 1999 formed an interim civilian administration whose mandates included promoting self-government, coordinating humanitarian efforts, reconstructing key infrastructures and facilitating the process of status resolution. Earlier this year, both the United Nations and the European Union endorsed the decentralization plan, although details such as the level of autonomy in specific areas have yet to be worked out. International policymakers have also voiced fears that the plan may be the first step towards the physical partitioning of the region, which could have immense ramifications for all minorities in the Balkan states. Tadic, widely lauded as a reformist, said he fully believes in a multiethnic society, and that he will push for a solution for all people in the region through a process of negotiation. His priority, he said, is to protect minorities and bring "lasting and just peace" to the province. However, there are issues, he
said, which must be resolved. Arrangements for the return of Kosovar Serb
refugees, an estimated 200,000 of whom fled the region after the end of
the war, must go ahead, and the homes and estimated 30 churches and
monasteries razed in the recent violence must be rebuilt. He announced Serbia's intention to cooperate fully with the war crimes tribunals at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, with which, he said, the Serbian government is in daily contact. Denouncing ethnic cleansing as "an enemy of civilization (and) of democracy," he called for the international community to fight this "global problem," wherever it exists. The Balkans region in particular must work together, he said, to protect minorities in each country. Cooperation with the
international community and improving relations was clearly high on
Tadic's agenda. He emphasized his wish for Serbia to take its place "in
the constellation of Western democracies," and to develop a strong
transatlantic relationship with the United States. Membership of the
European Union was also a primary goal that he wished to see fulfilled
before the end of his presidency, he said. Tuesday, Powell said that the
United States would work with Serbia to assure Mladic's capture and
extradition to The Hague. Mladic has been indicted by the court for the
genocide of thousands of Muslims in the town of Srebrenica in 1995.
A State Department official said that the two statements were not "mutually exclusive." "We've been encouraging discussion of decentralization (as) ... an important factor," he said, particularly in ensuring effective local government and the participation of the Kosovar Serb community. However such negotiations, he said, do not "predetermine the future disposition" of the final status of the region.
Belgrade Media Update July 21-22 Serb remarks to the Law against
discrimination accepted (Beta)
UNMIK has announced that a special arbitrary council, made up Serb, Kosovo government and UNMIK representatives, has accepted KP remarks to the amendment of the Law against discrimination in Kosovo. The Presiding member of the Special commission was Paul Miller, UNHCR Head in Pristina, who adopted, with two other members of that body, seven proposals of Serb AMs, a statement reads. Acting UNMIK Head Charles Brayshaw needs to sign the Law with the remarks of Serb AMs. US diplomat visits south Serbia
(B92/Beta)
Political advisor for the US embassy in SCG, Steven Ji, visited the southern Serbian town of Bujanovac. He met separately with the town’s mayor Nagip Arifi and Coordination Centre representative Mica Markovic. “Our interests are the economic development of this region and maintaining peace. The incidents that have occurred in this region over the past ten days were a topic of discussion with Coordination Centre officials." Ji said. He said that the US embassy hopes that the local government will find the culprits responsible for the violent incidents of the past weekend as soon as possible. Serbian police arrested Arifi
(RTS)
Serbian Police members arrested and brought before the judge in the District Court in Vranje former member of the terrorist Liberation Army of Presevo, Bujanovac, and Medvedja, Bajram Arifi from the village of Turi near Bujanovac in the south of Serbia. Arifi was arrested while the police was working on criminal acts of robbery and terrorism in the municipality of Bujanovac. After hearing, a 30-day detention has been ruled. Police suspects that Arifi committed several crimes in that area. Another member of the Liberation Army of Presevo, Bujanovac, and Medvedja Valjdet Ibisi from the village of Turi, who was on the run, was arrested for several criminal acts. Disguised perpetrators shot at a car in the area of Bujanovac municipality in the night between Saturday and Sunday, when they wounded several persons. UN Human Rights Committee content
with Belgrade report (RSCG)
The UN Human Rights Committee has expressed its content at the session in Geneva, regarding the Belgrade authorities' report on the respect of human rights in SCG from 1992 to 2002, stated members of the SCG delegation upon their return from Switzerland. They have emphasized that now the most important step is that UNMIK accepts the making of a report on the situation of human rights in Kosovo, which would be the first step towards more efficient protection of Serbs and other non-Albanian inhabitants in the province. NATO not thinking of withdrawing
from Kosovo (Tanjug)
The results of the latest public poll in Kosovo, implemented by UNDP, have been assessed as “very encouraging” at NATO headquarters in Brussels, because they show a high degree of trust that the citizens of this province have in NATO forces. Such a conclusion is drawn from the key result of that poll, according to which 83% of the polled stated that they were “satisfied or very satisfied” with the work and performance of NATO’s mission KFOR in Kosovo. Precisely in view of those results are the proposals, addressed first by the deputy of Commander of NATO forces for Europe, German General Reiner Feist, who visited Kosovo on 15 and 16 July, and then by the Chairman of NATO’s military committee, German Admiral Harald Kujat, who also visited the province with the military representatives of other 25 NATO member-countries, of key importance. Feist and Kujat have conveyed three essential messages to Kosovo citizens – that NATO is not even thinking of withdrawing from Kosovo nor is it planning the reduction of its present forces in the near future. Kamerhoff congratulates over Decane (FoNet) KFOR Commander, General Holger Kamerhoff, has congratulated Kosovo President Ibrahim Rugova and the Raska-Prizren bishop Artemije for the Visoki Decani Monastery being included on the list of the world cultural heritage, the international forces announced. “That monastery is an important part of the history of Kosovo and this region, and it should be the pride and responsibility of all inhabitants, regardless of their ethnicity or religioun,” said Kamerhoff. To maintain sovereignty of Serbia
and SCG within existing borders (Tanjug)
The Raska-Prizren and Kosovo-Metohija Eparchy of the Serbian Orthodox Church has announced that the “protection of so-called minority rights of Serbs in the province” should not have “political priority over the issue of maintaining state territory and defining Kosovo as an autonomous region inside Serbia.” “The Serbian government has not come forward with a specifically defined proposal as to what level of autonomy is Serbia offering Kosovo as an integral part of its territory,” reads the statement that expresses deep concern over the accent among the Serb and world public on the mechanisms of minority rights protection. “Instead of opening a discussion on the position of the Albanian community within Serbia, the public is exclusively talking about the protection of Serb rights in Kosovo,” it is underlined in the statement by Raska-Prizren Eparchy. Five years in detention over false
accusations by Albanians (Tanjug)
After five years in prison and twice-repeated trial proceedings, the Supreme Court of Kosovo has canceled detention for two Serbs – former President of Orahovac Andjelko Kolasinac and driver of the hospital in Kosovska Mitrovica Miroslav Vuckovic, their attorneys announced. Kolasinac and Vuckovic spent almost 5 years in UNMIK prisons, charged of genocide and a war crime against civilians only on the basis of anonymous reports of Albanians. Contact Group in Kosovo
(RSCG)
During their visit to Pristina, representatives of six member states of the Contact Group have expressed their concern over poor progress in implementation of the international community standards in the field of democracy, security, and rule of law in Kosovo. In their talks with representatives of UNMIK, KFOR, and political leaders of Albanians and Serbs, officials of the US, Britain, Russia, France, Germany, and Italy have pointed that much greater efforts must be exerted regarding implementation of standards and creation of conditions for the return of refugees. The contact Group representatives have underlined the need for urgent continuation of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue. Kosovo support group meets
(B92)
Members of the International Group for the Support of Kosovo are to meet in Pristina, for the third time since the eruption of ethnic violence in March. The agenda will cover the general situation in Kosovo as well as the draft plan of the Working Group for the decentralization of power in Kosovo. The International Group includes diplomats from Contact Group countries and representatives of the EU and NATO. General Kuyat: March violence in
Kosovo shall not be repeated (RTS/Tanjug)
The President of the NATO Military Committee Harald Kuyat has stated in Pristina that he cannot guarantee safety to each citizen of Kosovo, but that the March violence shall not be repeated. We are ready to deploy additional forces to Kosovo within a few hours and thus prevent any violence, Kuyat told a press conference at the Slatina Airport in Pristina. He rejected the possibility of reducing the number of KFOR troops as well as speculations that KPC could soon take over the role of KFOR, underlining that Kosovo would remain NATO’s priority. Ivanovic: Talks on Kosovo status to
take a while (RTS/Beta)
Kosovo Assembly Presidency member Oliver Ivanovic stated that even if talks about the final status would begin in 2005, they would not be finished the same year, but would go on for much longer. Ivanovic told Beta that the international Support Group for Kosovo has conveyed similar views, during its third visit to Kosovo since the eruption of ethnic violence in March. “I have warned them of consequences on issues such as the return of IDPs if the timing of talks would be inappropriate,” stated Ivanovic following the meeting with the international officials held at the European Agency for Reconstruction Office in Pristina. Ivanovic added that the sequence of moves was such that the level of the standards implementation would be reviewed in mid-2005, which would have direct implications on whether the talks on the final Kosovo status could be initiated at that time or not. Ivanovic said that the representatives of the Support Group have noted that there was some progress in the reconstruction of homes destroyed in March, but also assessed it as insufficient. “We all have to work on the decentralization, which should be our main priority at this point. This process should be initiated before the elections, so that we can implement pilot projects aimed at fine-tuning the entire concept within one-year time. The Support Group has pointed out that the election campaign cannot be used as an excuse for avoiding the decentralization and the implementation of standards.” Ivanovic said that the international officials have expressed their astonishment over the fact that Serbs are not participating in the making of the decentralization plan, having in mind that they urged the process themselves. Ivanovic: Serbia and SCG competent
for discussion on final status (Tanjug)
Kosovo Assembly Presidency member Oliver Ivanovic said following his meeting with a delegation of German parliamentarians that a decision on the opening of a debate on the province's final status may be made only by the government of the Republic of Serbia and the SCG leadership. Ivanovic told Tanjug that during their meeting with KP representatives, a four-member delegation of German parliamentarians requested an answer to a question as to whether the Serb national community was ready to start a dialogue on the province's final status. He underlined that the question was addressed to "the wrong address" and that a decision on opening talks on the province's final status was in the competency of the Republic of Serbia and the state union. Jocic warns of possible new attacks
in south of Serbia (Tanjug)
In reaction to the latest terrorist attacks in the south of Serbia, Serbian Interior Minister Dragan Jocic said that the Ministry has information indicating that further escalation of conflicts in the area is possible. "According to the information available, deterioration of the security situation, in the context of attacks and instigation of such incidents, may be expected in the municipalities of Bujanovac and Presevo in the coming period," Jocic said in a statement to RTS. Gracanica - pilot municipality
(Blic)
The draft plan for decentralization of power in Kosovo stipulates setting up new municipalities as well as sub-municipal units, Blic learned. Representatives of Kosovo government, UNMIK, CoE and USAID participated in making this draft. At the end of the month the plan should be presented to UNSC. According to the draft plan, in the first phase, new municipalities and sub-municipal units will be at the level of pilot projects that should confirm the principles of local autonomy. It is certain that Gracanica would be a pilot municipality. The draft further stipulates that each municipality should have a statute of its own. SCG pointed to importance of human
rights issue in Kosovo (RTS)
The Head of the SCG delegation at the UN Human Rights Committee conference in Geneva Jelena Markovic has stated that the SCG delegation had insisted in the report it presented on Monday on the human rights violations in Kosovo since it became obvious that, in a certain way, the UN Committee set this issue on the side. “The SGC delegation has presented in detail human rights violations in Kosovo. In that context, a supporting fact was that the report by Kosovo ombudsman Marek Nowicki, published in 12 July, was in accordance with the SCG report,” said the Aide to SCG foreign minister for human and minority rights Jelena Markovic. She told BBC that these two things made the UN Committee become interested in that issue, so one of the conclusions of the gathering in Geneva will be to draft a joint platform on the basis of which a report on Kosovo should be composed. “UNMIK will be invited to make a report on the human rights situation in Kosovo, and to present it together with the SCG delegation, since at issue is an integral part of a territory, at the next UN Human Rights Committee session. Police arrest illegal immigrants
(Srna)
Montenegrin police say that have arrested thirteen people attempting to cross the SCG border illegally. Ten are from Albania and three from Kosovo. All have been taken to a district magistrate with a request to initiate proceedings, according to a police statement. Road blockade as sign of protest
against extradition of generals to The Hague
(Tanjug)
The Kosovska Mitrovica-Raska highway was under total blockade from 12 to 2 p.m. as a sign of protest over possible extradition of our citizens to the ICTY. The organizers of the blockade, Citizens Association “Defenders of Fatherland” and citizens of northern Kosovo underlined that this is pressure on the state leadership not to extradite the four indicted generals to the ICTY. This way, as some of the participants told Tanjug, support was also given to a large rally that will be held in Nis regarding the same problem.
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