Press-Release: Associations and NGO's about Kosovo
 
Bolzano, the 8th of March 1998

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 9 Mar 1998 02:54:28 +0100
From: Simone Ginzburg <ginzburg@AREA.BO.CNR.IT>
Subject: Associations and NGO's about Kosovo

To the U.N. General Secretary and to the members of the Security Council
To the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights
To the OSCE Chairman in Office
To the Presidency and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
To the Presidency of the European Union
To the President of the European Parliament
To the Foreign Affairs Ministers of the European Union
To the Contact Group
To all International media

WE, Non Governmental Organizations and grassroots Associations, committed for many
years to a peaceful and non-violent solution of the Kosovo issue, gathered in Bolzano to
examine the situation in Kosovo, very shocked by the recent violent acts causing deaths,
injuries and arrests of defenseless citizens, that exacerbate the tension and provoke a real
threat to regional peace

WANT TO STRESS THAT

1.   It is not possible to justify the Serbian police and army attacks that have been taking
      place since the 28th of February in the Drenica area as anti-terrorism operations. The
      shelling of private houses, the killing of civilians, including a pregnant woman and
      people from 16 to 70 years old, the mutilation of corpses, are patent violations of
      Human Rights.
2.   The foreseeable effect of this operation is not the elimination of the so-called Kosova
      Liberation Army (UÇK), but the strengthening of the popular sympathy among the
      Kosovo Albanians for an armed and violent struggle. The 10 years long non-violent
      policy has up to now prevented the spreading of war to the Kosovo region. The lack of
      improvements of the situation and the recent attacks may seriously damage this non-
      violent option.
3.   Still, there are forces that can continue the non-violent policy, but their task is
      impossible without a radical change in the practical attitude, support and effective help
      from the International community.
4.   The (violently repressed) peaceful protests organized by the Independent Students'
      Union of the University of Prishtina (SIUUP) are a clear example of a non-violent
      movement to achieve their return into the educational premises. This goal is in fact the
      same envisaged by the Milosevic-Rugova Education agreement, of which many
      governments and International organizations have asked the implementation over the
      last 18 months.
5.   It is very important that the elections in Kosovo (of the Parliament and the Presidency
      of the self-styled Kosova Republic) scheduled for the 22nd of March take place in a
      peaceful way. In this critical moment where the UÇK is getting more and more visibility,
      it is essential to leave a space for expression to the Albanian people for a democratic
      alternative.

THE KOSOVO ISSUE IS AN INTERNATIONAL ISSUE THAT RISKS TO ESCALATE TO A NEW WAR IN THE BALKANS.

THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY SHOULD TAKE THE FOLLOWING STEPS :

*  Put the strongest pressures on the FRY (Serbia and Montenegro) government to stop
    immediately the military operations and police repression in Kosovo, also by reimposing
    sanctions.
*  Demand in strongest terms the withdrawal of police and military forces recently deployed
    in Kosovo, and the demobilization of paramilitary organizations, and of armed civilians
    and refugees. In the meantime Kosovo Albanians parties should call for an immediate
    end to any act of UÇK. The perspective should be of a demilitarized Kosovo.
*  Organize the access of International humanitarian Organizations to the whole territory of
    Kosovo without any restraint, especially in the areas where urgent medical aid is
    needed.
*  Establish immediately an ad-hoc U.N. commission to find out the truth around the
    Drenica massacres, and charge the International Criminal Tribunal for Former
    Yugoslavia to investigate about them.
*  Ensure International presence (members of democratic governments of the world,
    Members of Parliaments, International Organizations, civic associations and political
    parties, International media) at the scheduled Friday the 13th of March Students
    manifestations and at the Sunday 22nd of March elections.
*  Urge the return of OSCE monitors, expelled in 1993, and restore their presence all over
    Kosovo territory.
*  Implement a consistent International presence in Kosovo, through the settlement of the
    scheduled EU office in Prishtina, and of other Governmental and Non-Governmental
    Organizations in Kosovo.
*  Choose an International High Representative to deal with the Kosovo issue, with a
    strong mandate to mediate for confidence building measures to be implemented:
    normalization in the educational, health, judiciary, media, public administration fields.
*  ORGANIZE AN INTERNATIONAL GOVERNMENTAL CONFERENCE TO SETTLE
    BALKAN REGIONAL PROBLEMS STATING COMMON SHARED PRINCIPLES
    AND APPLYING THEM COHERENTLY.

Society for Threatened Peoples (South Tyrol, Italy)
Campaign for a non-violent solution in Kosovo (Italy)
Bertelsmann Foundation (Germany)
Helsinki Citizens' Assembly
Movement for an Non-violent Alternative - MAN (France)
Pax Christi International
Peaceworkers (USA)

Bolzano, the 8th of March 1998