On President Tadic's visit to Kosovo

ERP KIM Info Service | Feb 16th 2005 | Diocese of Raska and Prizren

[Nennsy]

Dialog and respect for rights of others are fundamental for progress in Kosovo

Diocese of Raska and Prizren assesses visit of President Tadic as successful

ERP KIM Info Service
Gracanica, February 16, 2005

The visit of Serbian president Boris Tadic to Kosovo was an event of the first order for the Serbian community in this region, and consequently also for the Serbian Orthodox Church. By coming here President Tadic not only showed that the Serbian state is concerned for its ethnically discriminated citizens in Kosovo, but also confirmed the existence of sincere readiness and opportunity to legitimately defend the interests of the state and those who need protection with full respect for all international standards, first and foremost, UN Security Council Resolution 1244.

The purpose of President Tadic's visit was primarily so that the President, together with the domestic and international public, could learn first hand about life in the Serbian enclaves and ghettoes where Serbs, Roma and other non-Albanians have been living for almost six years now without the most basic conditions for a free life and in constant uncertainty about their future. Political visitors to Pristina usually confine their area of research to the Kosovo capital in which they conceive a rosy picture of Kosovo's
"booming progress" without even learning that only a handful of Serb families out of 40.000 pre war Serb population still inhabit the city.

The presidential visit very clearly demonstrated that essentially the life of the Kosovo Serbs has not changed for the better, and that despite the indisputable and praiseworthy efforts invested by members of KFOR (especially since last year's March pogrom) and the UN Mission, Serbs still live on the margins of social life without access to institutions of health and education outside of their settlements, and very frequently also at a biological minimum - without electricity and water in freezing winter temperatures. 

Kosovo society is progressively being shaped as an exclusively ethnic Albanian society in which other ethnic communities may only be more or less tolerated but still cannot freely find their true home and preserve their identity. The situation is especially difficult for Serbian and other non-Albanian children, who for more than five years have been denied a free childhood and childhood joys.

In his statements President Tadic has not said anything discriminatory regarding other communities. On the contrary, on several occasions he mentioned the legitimate interests of the Albanian community which, like all other communities in the Province, should enjoy its rights but to which it cannot have a monopoly. 

The President clearly emphasized a vision of society in which Kosovo is Albanian to the same extent that it is Serbian, and where all communities regardless of their ethnic or religious affiliation must be equal. If this is unacceptable to the Albanian community, it is completely logical to ask the question what kind of vision of the future its leaders are offering. The idea of ethnic domination to the detriment of others cannot be accepted by the international community as a legitimate wish of a majority population and granted realization in form of a second ethnic Albanian state.

Shadowy promises of ethnic toleration without concrete changes in the grass root level do not have reliable political validity. Kosovo Serbs must adapt to the new reality, and face blunders of their past, but so must the Kosovo Albanians and other citizens who wish to live in a European democratic society of equal and free citizens. As many times said before democracy is a rule of majority but not the terror of majority against minority. More precisely, being majority bears even particular responsibility for the wellbeing of minority population, their rights, culture and freedom.

It is especially important that President Tadic confirmed the right of the Serbian community to use its legitimate symbols. If the Albanian community is free to use the flag of a neighboring foreign country (Albania) and its symbols (which it freely used even during the time of the Milosevic regime and the previous Tito's rule), it is completely normal that the Serbian community has the right to its own national and religious symbols, language and Cyrillic script, which the Albanian communities persistently denies and even considers a provocation. Many old preserved Kosovo monuments bear cyrillic inscriptions but today's Serb names (of towns and streets) as well as official documents are allowed by UNMIK to be written only in Latin alphabet. Even as such Serb town names are often sprayed by black or simply deleted. In a democratic society it is unfathomable for only one community to have the right to its freedom, culture and symbols, while other communities are expected to live like strangers who are constantly kept on the minimum of bearability.

The Serbian Orthodox Church wishes to express its sincere regret because of the nervous reaction of some Kosovo Albanian political leaders and media which demonstrated immaturity and unwillingness to democratically tolerate the opinions of others. Threats of violence through the press and direct attacks on the presidential convoy with rocks and iceballs in vicinity of holy sites demonstrated the lack of necessary security in Kosovo and Metohija which makes it evident that standards are far from being fulfilled. Kosovo still remains very explosive with high potential for ethnic violence. This violence emanates not so much from social problems of Kosovo Albanians (which exist elsewhere in the Balkans) but rather from the surprising lack of basic tolerance for others who live beside them, share different culture and religion.

Kosovo Serbs therefore quite reasonably fear that boosting Kosovo Albanian national pride with hasty promises of statehood will only increase ethnic pressure on other communities and not bring them long awaited relief. Appalling situation of Serb and other minorities in neighboring Albania may serve as a graphic comparison.

It is high time for Kosovo Albanian ringleaders who encourage a media frenzy against everything Serb to understand that in democracy there is a right to a differing opinion, and that this can no longer be countered by physical threats, blackmail, the torching of Christian churches and looting of Serb property, as in previous years, but only by political counterargument and dialogue. Only in such atmosphere of collegiality Serbs will perceive Kosovo institutions as their own and readily participate in their work. Otherwise these institutions will remain in Serb eyes nothing but Albanian tools for creation of an ethnic Albanian society in which Serbs citizens would not feel as their home. Leaving Serbs with take-it-or-leave-it choice will only discourage legitimate and constructive Serb participation and give opportunity to charlatans.

In the last few weeks leading international factors have frequently emphasized that when the time comes for the process of resolution of the Kosovo status, Belgrade and the Serbian people in the Province must have their legitimate role, and that no solution imposed by a policy of diktat and force is acceptable and longstanding. Arrogant prescriptions of the self-imposed regional troubleshooter - the International Crisis Group only threaten a wider regional destabilization which would shatter into pieces the fragile balance of peace in the Balkans. The real beneficiaries of the Kosovo crisis settlement (either temporary or final) must be its ordinary citizens regardless of their ethnicity and not ambitious political and mafia leaders. Regrettably the ICG report as usual one-sidedly focuses on interests of the Albanian political-elite which amply supports with funds the key ICG members dismissing legitimate Serb interests and regional security consequences as rather insignificant. No, Kosovo deserves a much more thoughtful and comprehensive strategy which will bring pacification to the entire former Yugoslav area and not partial solutions which might ignite the region.

After all, one of the basic indicators of ripeness of Kosovo society for defining the final status must not be the threats of new riots and vandalisms but how ordinary non-Albanians are really free and equal to ethnic Albanian citizens in all spheres of life. The standards cannot be measured in rhetoric and promises, charts and figures, but in concrete actions and their results on the ground. With only 2% of Serb refugees back in Kosovo in last five and a half years, and large part of Serb property still illegally occupied by Albanians one cannot really expect to win Serb confidence in two-three months.

The Diocese of Raska and Prizren wishes to express its special satisfaction with the fact that the UN Mission allowed the visit of President Tadic, and that together with KFOR it ensured safety of movement for the presidential convoy in a very professional manner. President Tadic's visit "cannot be understood as a provocation" (As Gen. Kermabon wisely said) but represents the democratic right of every statesman on the territory of his own country who cares about his citizens who are denied human rights.

[Nennsy]

Ping!

[Nennsy]

Thousands of Kosovo Serbs greeted their president after five and a half years living in inhuman and humiliating conditions, exposed to ethnic discrimination and everyday violence. President Tadic made strong appeals to the international community that Kosovo must not become a society in which only Albanians would enjoy freedom and dignified life but all other communities equally. Great majority of Kosovo Serbs still don't have any access to employment, health institutions, schools in major cities, their language is banned outside of their enclaves, while only 2% of 200.000 Serb refugees after the war in Kosovo were able to return to their homes. 150 of their churches, many of which date from the Middle Ages were turned into ruins by Albanian extremists after the war. Kosovo Serbs live in fear particularly after disastrous last March riots in which 19 people were killed, 30 churches burned and additional 4000 Serbs expelled from their homes in only two days of violence which left even NATO led troops helpless. President Tadic expressed his strong position against secession of the restive Kosovo province from Serbia because that would force all remaining Serbs and other vulnerable non-Albanian communities out of Kosovo. He reiterated that Kosovo society cannot and must not be shaped for one ethnic community but must become a truly multiethnic society in which all its citizens will find their home and safety.

 

LIPLJAN, 14.02.2005. SERBIAN PRESIDENT IN LIPLJAN Serbian President Boris Tadic, right, shakes hands with people during his visit to the town of Lipljan, in central Kosovo, under heavy security by United Nations police and NATO-led peacekeeping troops, on Monday, Feb. 14, 2005. Although the Serbian president came with the message of peace and appeals for tolerance the presidental convoy was attacked today by Kosovo Albanian rioters throwing iceballs and stones near Decani and Djakovica. One window-shield in a bus transporting journalists was broken (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

BATUSE, 14.02.2005. SERBIAN PRESIDENT IN BATUSE Serbian President Boris Tadic visited the Serbian village of Batuse in Central Kosovo. Serb villagers have been disconnected by Albanian run Kosovo Electro-power system for almost two months in freezing cold. Due to inhuman power blacouts dozens of elderly Serbs and children had to be hospitalized from Central Kosovo villages. Serbs refuse to pay to the Company which ethnically purged its personnel after the UN and KFOR came to Kosovo in June 1999. (BETA PHOTO ARMI)

GRACANICA, 14.02.2005. SERBIAN PRESIDENT IN GRACANICA Serbian President Boris Tadic was presented by Bishop Artemije an icon of Mother of God - the patron of Gracanica Monastery. Serbian President addressed in Gracanica a few thousand Serbs who filled the monastery grounds. The president said that Serbs have rights on their own symbols, culture and faith as well as Albanians and other communities and no one has right to deny this right to them. (BETA PHOTO ARMI)

[mark502inf]

Nennsy, nice move by President Tadic. Did you get to see him during the visit? Are you in one of the photos in the story? (for sure not the bottom one!)

Thanks for the note on Ivanovic--I was not familiar with him. And its certainly true that crime knows no nation--we noted that the lash-up between the Albanian & Montenegrin smugglers a couple years back was tighter than the cooperation between the United States Army & United States Air Force.

[Nennsy]

Yes Mark, I saw him, but am not in any of those photos.
Just one correction. It's not Ivanovic, but Petrovic.
Ivanovic is not participating in Kosovo institutions, and Petrovic is the only one who does, as Minister for Returns.

[mark502inf]

Thanks, Nennsy--and I meant to ask about Petrovic--whom I don't know, versus Ivanovic whom I do--but my fingers betrayed me while I was typing!

Here are excerpts from SRSG Soren Jessen-Petersen's address to the UN Security Council yesterday:

Levels of serious crime are low – indeed, not higher than comparably populated areas of Europe – and the trend is positive. Crime rates are showing no evidence of ethnic bias in policing and judicial processes. ... Where additional security measures are required for particularly vulnerable areas, these are taken. Two recent trips by the Prime Minister and by the President of Serbia passed off without incident and confirmed the professionalism and good cooperation between KFOR, UNMIK Police, and the KPS. ... Members of minority communities continue to feel insecure. Kosovo’s Serb community is regrettably often the victim of misinformation that is disproportional to the facts on the ground. Fears – whether fuelled by misinformation or intimidatory acts, and even when not borne out by facts – translate into largely self-imposed limits on freedom of movement ... These perceptions of insecurity also prevent many displaced Kosovo Serbs from returning to their homes.

Later he says no Serb has been killed since June 2004. So, as a Serb living in Kosovo, what is your response to his remarks--is there a problem with ongoing ethnic violence or is the problem simply fear based on past actions and current misperceptions?

[Nennsy]

Mark, the major problem with UNMIK's reports is that they pay attention only to major crimes. Daily intimedation of Serbian and Roma population, if doesn't end as homocide, rape, or kidanpping is "not worth" the paper it's written on. There is an Agency (I'll get back to you later with correct name of the Agency) incharge of transportaion of minorities, that recorder incrise of inter-ethinc incidents for 18% after March 2004.
On the other hand, people do live in fear based from their previous experience, and I wouldn't agree that fear is based on misconseption.
We have a saying "Once you're burned on hot milk, next time you blow into yogurt" (hope you understand it), menaing once you lost trust in people around you, you get even more careful with people you shouldn't fear from.

[mark502inf]

Thanks, Nennsy. Time will tell. I understand your saying on hot milk & yogurt, but it brings back some bad memories about the hospitality in your region. The yogurt in your region tastes horrible to me (sorry!) and whether in Kosovo or Macedonia or Albania, especially in the rural areas--the Balkans hospitality tradition meant it was offered to me everywhere and I regularly had to choke it down. Yuck. But I appreciated the graciousness of the people providing it!

[Nennsy]

Lol! You made me laugh with your remarks on yogurt.
I guess it's just a matter of taste.
I had similar experience with many Americans who would drink Turkish coffee, although they hated it, but they didn't want to offend the hosts. They felt reborn, after I told them they can simply say "no, thank you", and no one will take it badly.
Those were funny moments...