MINELREL-L Archive (06101999-20:21:19-7085)

Romanian Helsinki Committee Answers Serb, Greek and Bulgarian NGOs


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Date: Thu, 10 Jun 1999 20:21:18 +0300 (EET DST)
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Subject: Romanian Helsinki Committee Answers Serb, Greek and Bulgarian NGOs


From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>

Original sender: Greek Helsinki Monitor <[email protected]>

Romanian Helsinki Committee Answers Serb, Greek and Bulgarian
NGOs


LETTER BY THE ROMANIAN HELSINKI COMMITTEE
 
10 June 1999
 
Dear friends and colleagues,
 
We have followed with special interest the dialogue that began with 
the "Appeal by the Belgrade Non-governmental Organizations" (April 6)
and continued with replies to the appeal, then with replies to the
appeal's replies. We were particularly interested in the response of
the Norwegian Helsinki Committee and of the International Helsinki
Federation for Human Rights, then in the letter of June 1, signed by
the members of the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, Greek Helsinki
Monitor and other Bulgarian and Greek organizations. Given that many
of those involved in this dialogue are our colleagues and friends,
whose activity we have always appreciated and respected, we feel it is
our duty to voice our opinion regarding this exchange of letters, in
particular the reaction of the Greek and Bulgarian organizations.
 
1. We are familiar with the activity of the Association of Citizens
for Democracy, Belgrade Circle, Belgrade Women Studies Centre, Centre
for Democracy and Free Elections, Centre for Transition to Democracy -
TOD, Civic Initiatives, EKO Centre, European Movement in Serbia, Forum
for Ethnic Relations, Group 484, NEZAVISNOST Trade
Union Confederation, The Student Union of Yugoslavia, Union for Truth
About Anti-Fascist Resistance, VIN - Weekly Video News, Women in
Black, YU Lawyers' Committee for Human Rights (we are also familiar
with the latest stands regarding the involvement of the Helsinki
Committee for Human Rights in Serbia) and we are directly acquainted
with some of the members of these important organisations. We can
testify to the fact that, as the authors of the appeal remind, they
"have courageously and rationally fought against war and nationalistic
propaganda"; that they "always raised their voices against the
repression against Kosovo Albanians and demanded the respect of their
liberties and guarantee for their rights"; that they "also requested
the return of the autonomy of Kosovo" and "stressed that the only
connection and co-operation of
Serbs and Albanians during all these years have been preserved among
civil society institutions". These organisations have greatly
contributed to Serbia's democratization and represent the hope for
Serbia to further its democratic development. We welcome their appeal
for an "end of the ethnic cleansing process and immediate return of
all refugees"; for the "support to the citizens of FR Yugoslavia to
preserve peace and stability, solve serious consequences of the
refugee catastrophe and resume with the democratic processes that are
under way"; for "resuming of the peace process with international
mediation at the regional (Balkan) and European level, as well in the
framework of the United Nations".
 
2. Expressing our respect for the Serbian NGOs coalition, we wish to
stress at the same time that there are several obvious truths related
to the developments in the Federative Republic of Yugoslavia. In order
to assess correctly these events, one should be aware of the following
facts:
- the NATO military intervention in the Federative Republic of
Yugoslavia did not aim to kill civilians and was not launched against
the Serbian people. It focused against the forces that practice ethnic
cleansing in Kosovo and violate democratic values in Serbia, values
that the signing organisations fight for. The casualties and material
losses that accompanied the NATO strikes are to be pitied. But they
are inevitable in times of war;
- the hundreds of thousands of refugees who left Kosovo did not
abandon their homeland because they feared the NATO attacks, but
rather because of the enforcement of a plan to chase away the
Albanians from Kosovo, engineered by the Serbian military and
para-military forces;
- the NATO intervention in Serbia has not undermined the efforts made
on behalf of the Serbian NGOs; on the contrary, it creates the
pre-requisites to prevent the Miloshevich regime, which practices
ethnic cleansing on a large scale, from continuing to apply its
criminal policy.
 
3. Given the remarks above, it is obvious that we are solidary with
the analysis made by the Norwegian Helsinki Committee and the
International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights in their letter. We
believe that the authors of this letter have expressed convincingly
their solidarity with the signers of the appeal made by the 16 Serbian
NGOs. We feel that the letter written by the Norwegian Helsinki
Committee and the International Helsinki Federation expresses sympathy
both for the victims of ethnic cleansing on a large scale and for the
fate of innocent Serbians.
 
4. Obviously, the Yugoslavian war raises a moral aporia for the
organisations that have dedicated their activity to respect for human
rights. They cannot overlook the fact that any armed conflict,
irrespective of its developments, results in the loss of human lives
and great suffering. Therefore, we appreciate the deep instinct that
made the members of Bulgarian and Greek associations remind the fact
that a human rights organisation can hardly get over the terrible
realities of war. Still, we believe that, if they are strictly
consistent, the organisations that promote human rights cannot confine
themselves to invoking in abstracto norms of conduct or the value of
peaceful solutions as a principle. Human rights organisations cannot
pretend not to understand that the great criminals - Hitler, Stalin or
Miloshevich - do not mind criticism, appeals to decency, to humanism.
They have no scruples to use crime and will only yield to force.
 
The members of the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, of the Greek Helsinki
Monitor and of the other Bulgarian and Greek organisations felt they
ought to draw attention on the innocent victims of NATO strikes. It
would be unnatural for human rights activists to overlook this fact.
We find it unnatural, however, for them to make conjectural charges
instead of using opinions and arguments - as the 16 Serbian NGOs, the
Norwegian Helsinki Committee and the International Helsinki Federation
do. It is incorrect and unjust to accuse the authors of this letter of
"reminiscence of the NATO propaganda", "unfairness", "manipulations",
"arrogance and insulting" positions, of the intention to "make steps
towards political confrontation". We believe that this kind of hurtful
accusing epithets do not help promote dialogue. They run counter to
the fundamental human rights value, human dignity.
 
As friends and colleagues, we make in our turn an appeal to the
community of the organisations dedicated to civic and democratic
values to watch over the principles of our solidarity. Solidarity is
essential as long as crimes such as those in Kosovo are still possible
in the world.
 
Gabriel Andreescu                The Board of APADOR-CH
Ion Iacos
Monica Macovei
Valerian Stan
Manuela Stefanescu
Renate Weber
 
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