European Appeal for a Peaceful Solution of the Kosovo Crisis
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Date: Tue, 1 Jun 1999 19:20:17 +0300 (EET DST)
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Subject: European Appeal for a Peaceful Solution of the Kosovo Crisis
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Original sender: Greek Helsinki Monitor <[email protected]>
European Appeal for a Peaceful Solution of the Kosovo Crisis
ISCOMET
ISCOMET - INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE MINORITIES FOR EUROPE OF
TOMORROW
ISCOMET - MEDNARODNA ZNANSTVENA KONFERENCA MANJSINE ZA JUTRISNJO
EVROPO
NGO enjoying consultative status with the Council of Europe
ISCOMET ima posvetovalni status pri Svetu Evrope
Mladinska 9, SI-2000 Maribor, Slovenia; Tel.: +38 62 221 709, Fax:
+386 62 222 240
E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]
==================================================================
STATEMENT
ON THE PEACEFUL RESOLUTION OF THE KOSOVO CRISIS
ISCOMET - The International Scientific Conference of Minorities for
the Europe of Tomorrow, faithful to its moral and legal principles
concerning peace, democracy, human rights, reconciliation between
peoples and the protection of minorities, being convinced that the use
of violence can not be a means for resolving ethnic conflicts,
continuing its activities undertaken since 1990 for the realisation of
these principles in the territory of the successor states of the
former Yugoslavia and with regard to the relations between them, has
adopted the following Statement on the Peaceful Resolution of the
Kosovo Crisis:
General considerations. The NATO bombing of Yugoslavia has apparently
had the opposite effect of that which was intended, that is to prevent
the further expulsion of the Albanian population from Kosovo and to
make possible a political settlement of the conflict, in line with the
requirements of the international community. The continuation of
bombing has resulted in a severe deterioration of the situation not
only for the population of Kosovo, but also for other parts of
Yugoslavia, irrespective of their ethnic, religious or political
affiliations. In addition to the humanitarian catastrophe that has
been caused by the expulsion or exodus of the Albanians and,
proportionally, of members of other ethnic groups from Kosovo, a human
catastrophe is emerging that effects the entire Yugoslav population,
which is composed not only of Serbs (64 per cent of the total) but
also of Albanians, Hungarians, Montenegrins, Romanians, Croats,
Slovaks, Ruthenians and other ethnic groups who have their kith and
kin in neighbouring countries.
It is essential to be aware of the number of civilian casualties,
which is increasing day by day (at least 500 killed and even more
injured by now), of other "collateral damage" which has now achieved
disastrous proportions and of the real danger of a major ecological
catastrophe, which could affect the whole geographical area, etc. As
things now stand, the final outcome could be the total destruction of
the economic, social and cultural foundation of a European nation and
of the international infrastructure in this part of Europe, on the one
hand, and the additional exodus of Albanians from a devastated Kosovo,
who will probably remain for an uncertain time in neighbouring
countries which are either unable or are unwilling to host them, on
the other hand.
The existing regime in Serbia has been reinforced by NATO attacks
against Yugoslavia due to the natural response of people to "rally
round the flag" at a time of external aggression. Contrary to the
NATO's intention, democratic forces in Serbia have been weakened and,
in addition, the democratic government of Montenegro finds now itself
between the NATO "hammer" and the Serbian regime's "anvil"; it is also
confronted with a large pro-Serbian oriented population with the
potential for violent conflict between the two groups.
Proposals. In order to stop the further deterioration of the situation
it is necessary, with political wisdom and human dignity, to undertake
the following measures:
1. The immediate and simultaneous cessation of any action by Serbian
military, paramilitary and police units which leads to the harassment
and expulsion of the Albanian population remaining in Kosovo, a
cease-fire between Serbian forces and the KLA, the withdrawal of
Yugoslav forces from Kosovo, cessation of NATO bombing of targets in
Yugoslavia, and the suspension of economic and symbolic sanctions
directed against Yugoslavia and its constituent republics.
2. The immediate sending of humanitarian aid to Kosovo and other parts
of Yugoslavia affected by the present conflict and to the
approximately half a million refugees from previous conflicts in
Croatia and Bosnia Hercegovina who have not received international aid
in the past, and whose resentment and unequal treatment could
jeopardise long-term prospects for peace in the region.
3. The development of an international peace-keeping force in Kosovo
organised and co-ordinated by the UN.
4. The return of the OSCE verifiers to Kosovo and their introduction
into other parts of Yugoslavia affected by the war in order to
investigate the amount of damage and to identify the urgent needs of
the population with the aim of avoiding a further major human
catastrophe.
5. The persecution and punishment of persons, whoever they are, who
committed, collaborated with the perpetrators of, or instigated the
crime of genocide, crimes against humanity, the crime of ethnic
cleansing and war crimes.
6. The organisation of the safe return of the Albanian and other
peoples of Kosovo to their homes.
7. The immediate start of Serbian/Albanian negotiations under the
aegis of the Secretary General of the UN with the participation of all
parties involved in the conflict, European neutral states and states
who have a connection with the region, leading to the adoption, by the
Parliament of Serbia, of clearly worded legislation for the broadly
autonomous status of Kosovo within Yugoslavia and a detailed programme
of legislative, educational and other measures to be taken to improve
inter-ethnic relations within Kosovo and for a better understanding of
the culture, history and traditions of Albanians and other minorities
living in Yugoslavia.
8. The convening of a donor's conference aimed at discussing and
proposing plans for the adoption of economic, social and logistical
measures for war affected areas and war affected populations including
refugees and displaced persons from the present and previous
conflicts, and the restoration of navigation on international
waterway, the river Danube.
9. The convening of an international conference within the framework
of the OSCE dealing with security, stability, human rights and the
protection of ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities in
south-eastern Europe leading to the repatriation of all refugees and
displaced persons and the development of programmes of assistance for
the strengthening of democratic institutions and the culture of
democracy. The representatives of the relevant NGOs, religious
communities and organisations as well as other entities of civil
society should be invited to take part and give their contributions to
the deliberations of the conference.
Prof.Dr. Silvo Devetak, President of ISCOMET - International
Scientific Conference on Minorities for the Europe of Tomorrow
(Slovenia)
Romedi Arquint, President of FUEN - Federal Union of European
Nationalities (Switzerland)
Dr. Ludwig Elle, Vice-President of FUEN - Federal Union of European
Nationalities and Vice-President of DOMOWINA (Germany)
Hans Heinrich Hansen, Vice-President of FUEN - Federal Union of
European Nationalities (Denmark)
Bojan Brezigar, President of EBLUL - The European Bureau for Lesser
Used Languages (Belgium)
Prof.Dr. Winfried Bottcher, Vice-President of ISCOMET (Germany)
Prof.Dr. Peter Roberts, Vice-President of ISCOMET (United Kingdom)
Dr.Lyuba Shishelina, Vice-President of ISCOMET (Russian Federation)
Prof.Dr.Emil Kirchner, President of the Scientific Council of ISCOMET
(United Kingdom)
Jasmina Klojcnik, Secretary General of ISCOMET (Slovenia)
Prof.Dr. Semyen Appatov (Ukraine)
Prof.Dr. Jan Berting (Netherlands)
Prof.Dr. Thomas Bremer (Germany)
Costa Carras, Vice-president, Europa Nostra (Greece)
Prof.Dr. hab. Wladyslaw Czaplinski, Jean Monnet Professor of
International and European Law (Poland)
Richard Danitza (Poland)
Dr. Vladimir Dubovik (Ukraine)
Miljenka Fischer Devetak, M.A. (Croatia)
Prof. Karsten Fledelius (Denmark)
Angus Fowler M.A. (Germany / United Kingdom)
Hermann Heil (Denmark)
Prof.Dr. Henry R. Huttenbach (United States of America)
Dr. Zivojin Jazic (FR Yugoslavia)
Prof.Dr. Igor Koval (Ukraine)
Karl Kring (Germany)
Bostjan Lovsin, M.A.Ph. (Slovenia)
Maire Mattinen, arch. (Finland)
Igor Mekina (Slovenia)
Dr.Dahlia Moore (Israel)
Jasna Murgel M.A. (Slovenia)
Elisabeth Naucler, The Aland Islands (Finland)
Hon. Francis Noel Baker (Greece / United Kingdom)
Letas Palmaitis (Lithuania)
Dr. Franc Perko, Belgrade Archbishop and Metropolitan (FR Yugoslavia)
Prof.Dr. Remigio Ratti, (Ticino, Switzerland)
Donall O Riagain (Ireland)
Prof. Andras Roman PhD Architect (Hungary)
Prof.Dr. Dominique Rosenberg (France)
John Sell, RIBA, DipCons (United Kingdom)
Dr.Vasile Sandru (Romania)
Dr.Julija Spiridonova (Bulgaria)
Maja Uzelac M.A., Director, A Small Step, Centre for the Culture of
Peace and Non-violence (Croatia)
Prof. Vera Varsa - Szekeres, MA (Hungary)
Svetlana Vasovic-Mekina (Slovenia)
Boze Vuleta, Franciscan Institute for the Culture of Peace
(Croatia-Bosnia Herzegovina)
Jane Wade, MFA, DipCons (United Kingdom)
Bojana Weiss-Hatic (Slovenia / Croatia)
(The list of supporters is continuously being updated with new
signatures)
Maribor, 5 May 1999
ISCOMET - is an international NGO with about 250 members from all
European countries and is enjoying the consultative status with the
Council of Europe
FUEN - is an international NGO which includes representatives of
minorities from all European countries and has the consultative status
with the Council of Europe and the UN
EBLUL - was established in the framework of the EU with the aim to
protect and ensure the development of the lesser used languages within
the EU
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