Appeal on Kosovo

From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Date: Mon, 9 Mar 1998 12:10:06 +0200 (EET)
Message-Id: <[email protected]>
Subject: Appeal on Kosovo 

From: MINELRES moderator  <[email protected]>

Original sender: Francesco Strazzari  <[email protected]>

Appeal on Kosovo


To the U.N. General Secretary and to the members of the Security Council
To the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights
To the OSCE Chairman in Office
To the Presidency and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
To the Presidency of the European Union
To the President of the European Parliament
To the Foreign Affairs Ministers of the European Union
To the Contact Group
To all International media

WE, Non Governmental Organizations and grassroots Associations,
committed for many years to a peaceful and non-violent solution of the
Kosovo issue, gathered in Bolzano to examine the situation in Kosovo,
very shocked by the recent violent acts causing deaths, injuries and
arrests of defenseless citizens, that exacerbate the tension and provoke
a real threat to regional peace

WANT TO STRESS THAT

1. It is not possible to justify the Serbian police and army attacks that
have been taking place since the 28th of February in the Drenica area
as anti-terrorism operations. The shelling of private houses, the killing
of civilians, including a pregnant woman and people from 16 to 70 years
old, the mutilation of corpses, are patent violations of Human Rights.

2. The foreseeable effect of this operation is not the elimination of the
so-called Kosova Liberation Army (U=C7K), but the strengthening of
the popular sympathy among the Kosovo Albanians for an armed and
violent struggle. The 10 years long non-violent policy has up to now
prevented the spreading of war to the Kosovo region. The lack of
improvements of the situation and the recent attacks may seriously
damage this non-violent option.

3. Still, there are forces that can continue the non-violent policy, but
their task is impossible without a radical change in the practical
attitude, support and effective help from the International community.

4. The (violently repressed) peaceful protests organized by the
Independent Students' Union of the University of Prishtina (SIUUP)
are a clear example of a non-violent movement to achieve their
return into the educational premises. This goal is in fact the same
envisaged by the Milosevic-Rugova Education agreement, of which
many governments and International organizations have asked the
implementation over the last 18 months.

5. It is very important that the elections in Kosovo (of the Parliament
and the Presidency of the self-styled Kosova Republic) scheduled for
the 22nd of March take place in a peaceful way. In this critical moment
where the U=C7K is getting more and more visibility, it is essential to
leave a space for expression to the Albanian people for a democratic
alternative.

THE KOSOVO ISSUE IS AN INTERNATIONAL ISSUE
THAT RISKS TO ESCALATE TO A NEW WAR IN THE BALKANS.
THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY SHOULD TAKE THE
FOLLOWING STEPS :

* Put the strongest pressures on the FRY (Serbia and Montenegro)
government to stop immediately the military operations and police
repression in Kosovo, also by reimposing sanctions.

* Demand in strongest terms the withdrawal of police and military
forces recently deployed in Kosovo, and the demobilization of
paramilitary organizations, and of armed civilians and refugees. In the
meantime Kosovo Albanians parties should call for an immediate end
to any act of U=C7K. The perspective should be of a demilitarized Kosovo.

* Organize the access of International humanitarian Organizations to
the whole territory of Kosovo without any restraint, especially in the
areas where urgent medical aid is needed.

* Establish immediately an ad-hoc U.N. commission to find out the
truth around the Drenica massacres, and charge the International
Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia to investigate about them.

* Ensure International presence (members of democratic governments
of the world, Members of Parliaments, International Organizations, civic
associations and political parties, International media) at the scheduled
Friday the 13th of March Students manifestations and at the Sunday
22nd of March elections.

* Urge the return of OSCE monitors, expelled in 1993, and restore their
presence all over Kosovo territory.

* Implement a consistent International presence in Kosovo, through the
settlement of the scheduled EU office in Prishtina, and of other
Governmental and Non-Governmental Organizations in Kosovo.

* Choose an International High Representative to deal with the Kosovo
issue, with a strong mandate to mediate for confidence building
measures to be implemented: normalization in the educational,
health, judiciary, media, public administration fields.

* ORGANIZE AN INTERNATIONAL GOVERNMENTAL CONFERENCE
TO SETTLE BALKAN REGIONAL PROBLEMS STATING COMMON
SHARED PRINCIPLES AND APPLYING THEM COHERENTLY.

Society for Threatened Peoples (South Tyrol, Italy)
Campaign for a non-violent solution in Kosovo (Italy)
Bertelsmann Foundation (Germany)
Helsinki Citizens' Assembly
Movement for an Non-violent Alternative - MAN (France)
Pax Christi International
Peaceworkers (USA)

Bolzano, the 8th of March 1998

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