FM Alert, Vol II, No. 33, 34
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Subject: FM Alert, Vol II, No. 33, 34
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Original sender: Paulette Layton <[email protected]>
FM Alert, Vol II, No. 33, 34
FM Alert, Vol. II, No. 33
August 21, 1998
OSI SUIT SUCCEEDS IN HALTING REFUGEE RETURNS IN THE BAHAMAS
The OAS Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, acting in response
to pressure from the Forced Migration Projects (FMP) of the Open
Society Institute and the Center for Justice and International Law
(CEJIL), has ordered the Bahamas to halt the deportation of Cuban
asylum seekers. A joint FMP-CEJIL petition, filed August 13, charges
that the Bahamas has an inadequate adjudication mechanism for the
review refugee protection claims. A CEJIL mission had identified
several Cubans detained at the Carmichael Road Detention Center as
having legitimate refugee claims. The petition asserts that Cuban
detainees face "irreparable harm" to their moral and physical
integrity if they are deported. The Inter-American Commission on
August 14 agreed with the FMP and CEJIL, deciding that possible
refugees should not be returned until adequate determination
procedures were in place. The broader case, which will be filed within
the next several weeks, will ask the Inter-American Commission to
order improved policies and conditions at the Carmichael Road center
for all detainees, not just Cubans. The FMP and CEJIL additionally are
urging the establishment of a forum to explore a potential
international burden-sharing arrangement for asylum seekers in the
Bahamas. "We hope to draw attention to the need to address asylum
emergencies comprehensively, so that small countries like the Bahamas
receive appropriate measures of support," FMP Director Arthur C.
Helton said.
(For additional information see FM Alert of August 14)
KOSOVO TURMOIL THREATENS NEIGHBORING MONTENEGRO
The conflict in Kosovo is posing a serious threat to stability in the
neighboring Yugoslav republic of Montenegro. A scorched-earth policy
employed by Yugoslav security forces, who are battling ethnic Albanian
separatists in Kosovo, has created a forced migration emergency
throughout the region. By the beginning of August, over 20,000
displaced persons, the overwhelming majority of them ethnic Albanians,
had sought refuge in Montenegro after fleeing Kosovo. The province,
governed by a reformist coalition led by Milo Djukanovic, has been
hard pressed to accommodate Kosovars. Most newcomers have been able to
find shelter with friends or family in Montenegro. However, the
province's social infrastructure has been strained, as the rapid
influx has virtually doubled overnight its number of displaced
persons. Warfare in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the early
1990s prompted approximately 27,000 persons, mostly Serbs, to resettle
in the province. Djukanovic's regional government, which maintains a
slim regional parliamentary majority, has pursued policies independent
of the Serbian-dominated Yugoslav government in Belgrade, particularly
in the area economic reforms. The governing coalition also features
ethnic Albanian representatives. The humanitarian crisis endangers the
governing coalition's viability, human rights observers say, adding
that if a more Belgrade-oriented government were to assume power in
Montenegro, the climate of receptiveness for Kosovar newcomers would
significantly worsen.
(For additional information see FM Alerts of June 26, June 5 and April
15).
FMP URGE NEW APPROACHES IN PROGRAM OF ACTION IMPLEMENTATION
Forced Migration Projects (FMP) Director Arthur C. Helton urged that
the international community adopt new and innovative approaches in
Program of Action implementation, in particular finding a greater role
for nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). NGOs "are a fundamental part
of civil society. Among their many benefits are contributions to
pluralism, support for democratic institutions, social stability and
the rule of law," Helton wrote in an analysis published by the Moscow
Times on August 4. Implementation of the Program of Action, adopted by
the 1996 CIS Conference on migration-related issues, has been hindered
by a variety of factors, including a lack of donor government support.
NGOs have the potential to help overcome some of the difficulties in
implementation. However, Helton said, NGO potential is underutilized.
One approach that could foster greater NGO activity, Helton suggested,
is legislative reform in CIS countries. "Many laws in the region on
NGOs hinder their formation and operation," Helton wrote. "Another
problem is that they are vaguely worded and thus open to
interpretation."
(For additional information see FM Alerts of June 26, June 12 and May
29).
---------------------------
FM Alert, Vol II, No. 34
August 28, 1998
AID WORKERS FACING INCREASING DANGERS IN KOSOVO
A Forced Migration Projects (FMP) consultant who has just visited
embattled Kosovo reports that aid workers are increasingly concerned
for their personal security. The recent killings of three Mother
Teresa relief organization representatives underscore the dangers that
humanitarian aid workers face in Kosovo, where Serbian security forces
are fighting to quash ethnic Albanian separatists. Representatives of
the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) told the FMP
consultant that relief operations are greatly hampered because roads
and other means of transport are unsafe. The ICRC estimates that
roughly 120,000 people displaced by fighting are forced to live in
remote hillside locations completely exposed to the elements. Overall
estimates have put the number of displaced as high as 300,000. The
ability of international aid organizations to help the displaced,
especially those hiding in the hills, is limited. The FMP consultant
also reports that prospects for promoting the return of internally
displaced persons (IDPs) appear slim. Many IDPs, the overwhelming
majority of whom are ethnic Albanians, are afraid to return to their
original places of residence out of fear of reprisals, including
arrest, by Serb authorities. Local journalists have reported that Serb
security forces have engaged in a campaign of intimidation against the
few ethnic Albanians who have returned, subjecting them to unwarranted
document checks and arbitrary interrogations. The FMP consultant
visited Kosovo on August 21-22.
(For additional information see FM Alerts of August 21, June 26 and
June 5).
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS MONITOR KOSOVO DISPLACEMENTS
United Nations agencies are looking to expand their presence in the
war-torn Yugoslav republic of Kosovo. At present, the United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has eight representatives
working in Kosovo. Other UN agencies - including United Nations
Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Food Program (WFP), World Health
Organization (WHO) and the High Commissioner for Human Rights (HCRC) -
have one representative each in Kosovo, where Serbian security forces
are fighting to crush ethnic Albanian separatists. UNHCR is seeking to
double the amount of its staff in Kosovo, as well as increase
cooperation with other relief organizations, including the
International Committee for the Red Cross. Fighting in Kosovo has
forcibly displaced an estimated 300,000 persons, mostly ethnic
Albanians. UNHCR has prepared an internal report on conditions and
needs, which is being incorporated into a presentation that the
Secretary General will give to the Security Council on August 31.
UNHCR is expected to make a $52.3 million appeal for Kosovo-related
programs for the remainder of 1998. The internal report estimates that
the war is likely to develop into a protracted guerrilla struggle, it
also argues against the establishment of safe havens as a means to
protect displaced persons. Among other topics covered in the report
are; emergency action to house displaced persons; providing security
for humanitarian aid workers; and expanding UNHCR activities. UNHCR
regards all those displaced by Kosovo fighting as being deserving of
assistance and protection, even if they have not crossed international
borders.
(For additional information see FM Alerts of August 21, June 26, and
June 5).
UNHCR OFFICIAL WELCOMES FMP CALL FOR ABKHAZIA POLICE FORCE
UNHCR has praised a Forced Migration Projects (FMP) appeal for the
creation of a UN civilian police force in the separatist Abkhazia
region of Georgia. "UNHCR very much shares your concerns," Anne Willem
Bijleveld, UNHCR's director of the Bureau for Europe wrote in a
response to FMP Director Arthur C. Helton's appeal, made in a July 15
letter sent to concerned diplomats. Helton said in his letter that a
police force could possibly improve the security environment in the
region. "At present there are no guarantees of safety for refugees and
internally displaced persons seeking to return to Abkhazia," continued
Bijleveld, adding that the civilian police concept would nonetheless
be difficult to realize. "We would have to work to overcome such
potential resistance from probably (the Russian Federation and
Abkhazia)." In July, the UN Security Council approved an extension of
the UN Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) until January 31, 1999,
but it declined to take action on the civilian police proposal,
Fighting between Georgian government forces and Abkhanzian separatists
has flared in recent months, causing renewed dislocation of the
civilian population. While cautious on Abkhazia, Bijleveld expressed
hope that steps can be taken to facilitate durable solutions in the
South Ossetia region of Georgia.
(For additional information see FM Alerts of August 14 and July 23).
For more information contact:
The Forced Migration Projects
400 West 59th Street, 4th floor
New York, NY 10019
tel: (212)548-0655
fax: (212) 548-4676
e-mail: [email protected]
website: www.soros.org/migrate.html
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