Human Rights Violations against Non-albanian Kosovars

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# Minority Serbs and Roma under threat in Kosovo - UNMIK 17 August 1999
# Two Serb teenagers killed in Kosovo
# Russia raps West over Kosovo - Free Serbia 17 August 1999
# Orthodox Press: Kosovo and Metohija Chronicle, August 17
# UNHCR - Briefing Notes 17 August 1999

UN INTERIM ADMINISTRATION MISSION IN KOSOVO (UNMIK)
Developments today, 17 August 1999
Updated 3:30 p.m. EST
(...)
Humanitarian

Minority Serbs and Roma under threat in Kosovo: On 16 August, Deputy Special Representative for Humanitarian Affairs, Dennis McNamara, indicated that some 180,000 Serbs and Montenegrins, Roma and other non-Albanian populations had left Kosovo, some 50,000 of whom had moved out before the arrival of KFOR. Of the 20,000 pre-war Serb population in Pristina, less than 2,000 remained. Meanwhile, announcing measures to protect Serbs and Roma including evacuation, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) remained extremely concerned at continuing attacks despite preventive efforts by KFOR and the UN, according to a spokeswoman in Geneva.

Tuesday, August 17th, 1999

Two Serb teenagers killed in Kosovo

Two Serb teenagers were killed and five other people were wounded in a mortar attack on Klokot village. KFOR said about nine shells were fired into the mainly Serb village of Klokot, 45 km (27 miles) southeast of the provincial capital Pristina, in the United States sector of Kosovo. A 14-year-old girl and 16-year-old boy died in the attack on Monday evening.
"The Serbs here are scared. They're worried for their livelihoods, they're worried for their children, they're worried for their grandparents," said Senior Medic Raymond Lester of the 177 Armored Battalion. "They're seeing that everything that KFOR does is not protecting them and they're leaving by the truckload."

Russia raps West over Kosovo

Russia blamed the Western powers on Tuesday for neglecting what it described as "ethnic cleansing" of Serbs by ethnic Albanian forces in Kosovo and urged swift action to disarm local guerrillas. "One should not turn a blind eye to the terrorism, separatism and ethnic cleansing which are taking place in violation of the will of the international community. The situation in Kosovo demands energetic and responsible actions to correct it," a Foreign Ministry statement said.

Information Service of the Serbian Orthodox Church
PRAVOSLAVLJE PRESS

Kosovo & Metohia Events
Belgrade, August 17, 1999

This day has been one of the most difficult days for the Serbs in Prizren since the moment when KFOR soldiers have replaced Serbian security forces in Kosovo and Metohia with the goal to provide security for all inhabitants of the region (thus they have taken the responsibility for the task, at least moral responsibility). A greater number of the Serbian houses has been destroyed by fire in the vicinity of St. George's cathedral. Many Serbs have gone north today, the way they knew how, and some pushed their way to the Seminary, where there are 300 souls again. During the last week, 7 Serbs were killed and 18 were kidnapped in Prizren.

The Orthodox church of the Holy Trinity in Petric village, near Pec, which was not completely destroyed in the previous mining, has been burned to the ground today. In the centre of Pec, where there is not a single Serb anymore, the Albanians, whose number has significantly increased when compared to the situation before their conflict with the Serbian forces, have demonstrated today asking that the Albanian terrorists who are in Serbian prisons should be set free. Last evening, the Albanians attacked Klokot village, near Gnjilane, casting 9 grenades at it. Thereat, Silvana Spasic and another, still unidentified person were killed. Even some KFOR soldiers were hurt, since their military base is located in the vicinity of the place attacked.

It has been communicated in The Centre for Peace and Tolerance in Pristina that four Albanians killed Zorka Zizic in her apartment yesterday, and that today, around 11:00,  five Albanians have beaten and robbed Vidosava Vojvodic at the market (she has managed to reach her apartment afterwards). Last night, many Serbs in Pristina were threatened to: it was said that they would be killed unless they left their apartments.

Rt. Rev. Artemije, the Bishop of Raska and Prizren, and Rt. Rev. Atanasije, the Bishop of Zahumlje and Herzegovina, have met today Mr Bernard Kuchnaire and talked with him about the security of the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohia. Rt. Rev. Amfilohije, the Metropolitan of Crna Gora and Primorje, has arrived today into the monastery of the Patriarchate of Pec.

Bishop Atanasije
Rakita

UNHCR - Briefing Notes 17 August 1999

 This is a summary of what was said by the UNHCR spokesperson at today's press briefing at the Palais des Nations. Quoted text from this briefing note may be attributed to the UNHCR spokesperson named below left

Judith Kumin

(...)

4. Kosovo/Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

UNHCR remains extremely concerned at the continuing attacks against Serbs in Kosovo, and particularly against the elderly,  despite the extensive measures taken by the UN and KFOR to protect them.
     In an incident on the night of 15/16 August, a 78-year-old woman was beaten to death in her apartment in Pristina. Tragically, she had been identified by UNHCR protection staff as a vulnerable case for possible evacuation.
     UNHCR’s position has always been to make every effort to enable people to stay in their homes. However, when people are at extreme risk, live-saving measures need to be taken. This can include evacuation.
     It is thought that no more than 2,000 Serbs remain in Pristina town, which had a pre-war population of 20,000. Most of those remaining are elderly, disabled or isolated and have difficulty looking after themselves.
     Last week, a UNHCR team led by Special Envoy Dennis McNamara, visited the Kraljevo area of Southern Serbia, where many of the 179,000 Kosovo Serbs and Roma who fled into Serbia and Montenegro are staying.  In meetings in Belgrade at the ministerial level, he discussed UNHCR’s  assistance program to the newly displaced as well as to the refugees from Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
     In his high-level discussions, Mr. McNamara urged the immediate release of the three CARE-Australia staff who are imprisoned in Serbia. The three were arrested in late March, accused and convicted of espionage.
     The treatment of NGOs is of vital concern to UNHCR in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia,  in view of their importance in providing assistance to the existing refugee caseload of about half a million, and the new displaced population from Kosovo. CARE-Australia has played a major role in UNHCR’s programs in Serbia over the past years. We hope this issue can be resolved as soon as possible.
     Yesterday the joint UNHCR/WFP food aid needs assessment mission presented its summary conclusions.  It recommended food assistance for 770,000 persons in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro), not including Kosovo. This number includes 140,000 displaced people from Kosovo, 330,000 refugees from Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina and 300,000 pensioners and other social welfare cases. The report estimated that between two and three million people in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (between one-quarter and one-third of the population) live near or below the poverty line.

This document is intended for public information purposes only. It is not an official UN document.

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