IHF Recommends an Urgent 'Dayton-like' Conference on Kosova

PRISHTINA, Jan 21 (KIC) - The situation in Kosova has reached an unprecedented
danger level, threatening to escalate into a bloody military confrontation, the International
Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF) said in a written statement issued today.
The IHF statement entitled "Kosovo: Urgent Appeal for Courage, Leadership and
Cooperation" said that a delegation of IHF and its affiliates in Kosova, Montenegro,
Norway and Serbia has recently toured in Kosova where they had discussions with
Kosovar leaders, experts, human rights groups and local residents in central Kosova
where armed incidents with the Serbian police were reported to have occurred last
November.
The IHF statement underlined that "the resolve of Kosova Albanians to deal non-violently
is reaching the point of exhaustion. Other ominous indications of possible forthcoming
dangerous escalation of violence are the appearance of the so-called 'Kosovo Liberation
Army' that has assumed responsibility for at least 17 killings of Serbian related targets".
The IHF delegation  said it has received numerous reports of preparations by the Serbian
military and police forces, including special police exercises in several places in Kosova.
"Increased militarization of Kosovo reportedly includes arming of Serb civilians with
additional weapons. Notorious Serb paramilitary leader 'Arkan' has also reportedly been
observed in the area, an indication of possible violence against Albanians" the statement
reads.
The IHF recommends that international organizations express solidarity with Kosovar
students and their legitimate demands for release of the premises of the university. It
recalled that the Serb police has violently broken up peaceful protest of students who plan
to stage similar manifestations to see that they are allow access to university facilities. The
Education Agreement must be implemented immediately as a first step towards
normalization in the Kosova education.
The IHF recommends an immediate initiative to convene an international "Dayton-like"
conference on Kosova to resolve the present crisis which threatened to escalate into a
bloody conflict. "Concern is not a policy", the statement quoted an expert observer as
remarking, probably referring to a phrase repeatedly expounded by various diplomats and
organizations. "The critical situation in Kosova requires urgent, determined efforts to
convince FRY President Slobodan Milosevic to agree to a process of international
mediation about the future political status of Kosovo".
The statement further said the IHF and its affiliates in Kosova, Montenegro, Norway and
Serbia raised the question of Kosova in the meetings they had in Montenegro. "All the
political figures with whom the IHF spoke, including the representative of the Bulatovic
fraction, supported a negotiated political solution  to the 'Kosovo problem'".

Helsinki Federation says war looms in Kosovo

12:37 p.m. Jan 21, 1998 Eastern
By Mark Thompson

VIENNA, Jan 21 (Reuters) - An international human rights group said on Wednesday that
rising tension in Serbia’s southern province of Kosovo threatened to deteriorate into a
bloody military confrontation.
     The Vienna-based International Helsinki Federation (IHF) said a team of head office
staff and representatives from Norway, Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo found “ominous
indications” of an escalation of violence during a week-long visit which began on January
15.
     “The situation in Kosovo has reached an unprecedented danger level, which requires
urgent determined efforts to convince Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic to agree to
a process of international mediation about the future political status of Kosovo,” IHF said.
     A wave of violence over the past year has prompted concern among Western
governments that Kosovo could become the next flashpoint in the Balkans after the
devastating wars in Croatia and Bosnia.
     The IHF said the resolve of the Kosovo Albanians to deal non-violently with Serb
oppression was nearly exhausted and the emergence of the Kosovo Liberation Army
(KLA), which has claimed responsibility for 17 killings, was particularly worrying.
     “The delegation...recommended an immediate initiative to convene an international
‘Dayton-like’ conference to resolve the present crisis, which threatens to escalate into a
bloody military confrontation.” The U.S. air base at Dayton, Ohio, was host to peace talks
which brought an end to the war in Bosnia.
     Greece last Friday offered to host a dialogue between rump Yugoslavia and Albania
over the troubled province, where ethnic Albanians outnumber Serbs nine to one but are
denied autonomy.
     Efforts by the West to draw Milosevic into negotiations on Kosovo have so far been
rebuffed by Belgrade, which regards the issue as purely internal.
     Western officials say they are concerned that the moderate leader of the ethnic
Albanians, Ibrahim Rugova, is being undermined by lack of progress and the shadowy
KLA guerrilla group is gaining ground by killings Serbs and attacking police stations.
     The IHF team, which met Rugova and other prominent local figures, said a recent
upsurge in violence could be attributed to the KLA, individuals desperate to defend their
homes and families or the Serbian secret police as a pretext for increased military
intervention.
     “In any event, the level of violence has increased dramatically and there are areas,
visited by the IHF delegation, which are now avoided by Serb police.”
     IHF said it had received numerous reports of special exercises by the Serbian police
and the arming of Serb civilians with weapons “apparently aimed at intimidating the
Albanian population and in preparation for a large-scale military crackdown.”

REUTERS@

GREEK HELSINKI MONITOR
                                    (Greek National Committee of the International Helsinki Federation)
& MINORITY RIGHTS GROUP - GREECE
                                    (Greek Affiliate of Minority Rights Group International)
P.O. Box 51393, GR-14510 Kifisia, Greece; tel. 30-1-620.01.20; fax: 30-1-807.57.67;
        e-mail: office@greekhelsinki.gr       web site: http://www.greekhelsinki.gr/
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PRESS RELEASE

23/1/1998

Topic: Serious Human Rights Problems in Kosovo and Montenegro

We distribute the latest press release of the International Helsinki Federation on Kosovo and Montenegro.
 

Kosovo: Urgent Appeal For Courage, Leadership, and Cooperation

Belgrade, Pristine, Podgoriza, 21 January 1998

The situation in Kosovo has reached an unprecedented danger level, which requires
urgent, determined efforts to convince FRY President Slobodan Milosovic to agree to a
process of international mediation about the future political status of Kosovo.

A delegation of the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights and its affiliates in
Kosovo, Montenegro, Norway, and Serbia* , recommend an immediate initiative to
convene an international, "Dayton-like" conference to resolve the present crisis, which
threatens to escalate into a bloody military confrontation.

As an expert observer in Kosovo remarked, "Concern is not a policy."

Our organizations urgently call attention to the following:

- The resolve of Kosovo Albanians to deal non-violently with Serb oppression is reaching
the point of exhaustion. Other ominous indications of possible forthcoming dangerous
escalation of violence are the appearance of the so-called "Kosovo Liberation Army" that
has assumed responsibility for at least 17 killings of Serbian related targets, as well as the
massive and peaceful protests of Albanian students, which have been violently broken up
by  Serbian police.

- The IHF held discussions with numerous observers and leaders, including President of
the self-proclaimed Republic of Kosovo, Dr. Ibrahim Rugova, and other prominent figures,
as well as interviews with local human rights defenders and villagers from the region of
Drenica, where a Serbian police convoy was ambushed in November 1997. The IHF has
been given three possible explanations for acts of armed violence in this region:
 acts by a coherent organization, referred to in the media as the "Kosovo Liberation Army";
 cases of individual armed resistance by desperate groups, defending their homes and
     families;
 and acts perpetrated by Serbian secret police as a pretext for increased military
     intervention in Kosovo, in order to tighten their grip on the already oppressed region.
In any event, the level of violence has increased dramatically, and there are areas, visited
by the IHF delegation, which are now avoided by Serb police.

 - The IHF delegation received numerous reports of preparations by Serbian military and
police forces, including special police exercises in the Denica villages of Kuchiche and
Golesh, and in the vicinity of the villages of Peja and Lipjan, as well as the special police
training site at Ajvalia, apparently aimed at intimidating the Albanian population, and in
preparation for a large-scale military crack-down. Increased militarization of Kosovo
reportedly includes arming of Serb civilians with additional weapons. Notorious Serb
paramilitary leader "Arkan" has also reportedly been observed in the area, an indication of
possible violence against Albanians.

- Organizations of Albanian students plan more non-violent demonstrations, which the IHF
commends as a brave and peaceful approach, but which must not be broken up by violent
intervention of Serbian police forces.

The IHF recommends that international organizations express their solidarity with these
students and their legitimate demands for release of the premises of the university. The
Education Agreement must be implemented immediately as a first step toward
normalization.

Furthermore, international institutions should support confidence-building measures on the
level of civil society, which will facilitate implementation of an international political solution.
 

Montenegro:

The IHF delegation urges respect for the outcome of the recent Montenegrin Presidential
elections, which were found to be fair by OSCE and other international observers.

We strongly recommend that OSCE monitor the upcoming parliamentary elections.
Representatives of the People’s Party (Novak Kilibarda), the Liberal Alliance (Ranco
Demovic), the Democratic Union of Albanian’s (Ferhat Dinosha) and the Bulatovic fraction
of the Democratic Party of Socialists (Milatin Ojdanic), as well as the Montenegrin Minister
of Foreign Affairs (Branko Perovic) all expressed support for this recommendation.

Furthermore, the IHF urges an OSCE presence in Montenegro aimed at strengthening
democratic institutions and the rule of law.

We believe a positive process has begun, under which minorities in Montenegro can begin
more fully to exercise their rights and participate in political life. We reject efforts by some
media to mobilize Montenegrins against their fellow citizens through "hate speech."

At this time, the freedom of movement of Montenegrin citizens is limited by the closure of
borders with Albania and Croatia. This policy of the Federal authorities is baseless and
suggests political manipulation.

All the political figures with whom the IHF spoke, including the representative of the
Bulatovic faction, supported a negotiated political solution to the "Kosovo problem."

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* The delegation included Aaron Rhodes, Executive Director of the IHF;
Jennifer Lincoln-Lewis, IHF Secretariat;
Bjorn Engesland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee;
Sonja Biserko, Chairman of the Serbian Helsinki Committee;
Gazmend Pula, Chairman of the Kosovo Helsinki Committee;
Slobodan Franovic, Chairman of the Montenegrin Helsinki Committee;
and Branislav Pantovic, Montenegrin Helsinki Committee.
Obrad Savic of Belgrade Circle also took part.
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The International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF) is a non-governmental
organization which monitors compliance with the human rights provisions of the Helsinki
Final Act and its follow-up documents. In addition to supporting and providing liaison
among 34 Helsinki committees, the IHF has direct links with human rights activists where
no Helsinki committees exists. It criticizes human rights abuses regardless of the political
system of the state where these abuses occur.