Human Rights Violations against Non-albanian Kosovars

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# Orthodox Press: Kosovo and Metohija Chronicle, September 17
# ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE PUBLIC
   from the extraordinary session of the Holy Assembly of the Serbian Orthodox Church
   held in Belgrade September 13-18, 1999

Information Service of the Serbian Orthodox Church
PRAVOSLAVLJE PRESS

Belgrade, September 17, 1999

The Work of the Holy Assembly Finished

Late this evening, the Holy Assembly of the Serbian Orthodox Church completed its extraordinary session that had started on September 13. The Holy Assembly issued an announcement to the public, displaying one part of the issues that it dealt with, as well as the conclusions reached.
   [ http://spc.org.yu/Saopstenja/sabor-vanred99_e.html - see below ]

Kosovo&Metohia Events

On Wednesday night, September 15, four Albanian terrorists, three women and one man, killed ex-president of the District Court in Gnjilane Dusan Petkovic (aged 65), the Church-National Board of this city stated through amateur radio operators. Dusan was killed in his apartment, shot by four bullets, two of which hit him in the head. Before committing that crime, the Albanians had hurt Dusan's son Branislav, who was later transported into the hospital in Vranje.

On September 16, the Albanian terrorists launched 12 grenades at the Serbian village Pasjane. Fortunately, no one was hurt in this attack.

Today, on a little hill near Gnjilane, the Albanians fabricated mass funeral of the allegedly killed 18 KLA members. The aim of this false ceremony was to deepen animosity and hate towards the Serbs and other non-Albanian population. It was expected that several tens of thousands of demonstrators should come, but the estimation as to the number of those present went to no more than 2000, which means that many Albanians are overly saturated with lies fabricated by their bad country-fellows.

The Serbs in Pristina were again killed, their apartments and possessing looted. Nikola Plecas's house was attacked, as well as Persida Trajkovic's (this woman was beaten couple of days ago), and many others'.

The bus that operated on Belgrade-Gorazdevac line was stoned in Pec.Several Serbs in this bus were hurt, and many were frightened, children especially.

The dwellers of the Patriarchate of Pec Monastery did not go out of the Monastery, since they were warned by KFOR soldiers not to exit the gate. KFOR officer visited the Monastery three times during the day; they were interested in the imprisoned Serbs from Pec and the vicinity. They were given precise data about the people they should look for. The Monastery was also visited by an Italian television crew and Civil Mission policemen, headed by their chief who made records on the yesterday's bus stoning in Pec, 600 m away from the bus station.

Bishop of Hvosno
Atanasije

THE HOLY ASSEMBLY OF THE SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH

ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE PUBLIC

from the extraordinary session of the Holy Assembly of the Serbian Orthodox Church
held in Belgrade September 13-18, 1999

The Holy Assembly of the Serbian Orthodox Church, having completed the extraordinary session held in Belgrade from September 13 till September 18, 1999, presided over by His Holiness Pavle the Serbian Patriarch, and attended by all the bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, issues the following statement:

Apart from the current church issues which the Holy Assembly was striving to settle, the hierarchs of the Serbian Orthodox Church also considered all circumstances that our Church and our people, especially the people in Kosovo and Metohia, found themselves in, particularly after the aggression of NATO pact on our country. It was concluded that we, as the people, have been in peril of spiritual and biological extermination.

Holy Assembly members, first of all, express true sorrow for all the people innocently victimised in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and in the Republic of Serbia, and especially in its southern region - Kosovo and Metohia, regardless of their religious affiliation or nationality; they, crucifed with their people in this territory and worried about the destiny of hundreds of thousands of the people expelled from their centuries-long hearths, as well as about the future both of their people and of those who live with it, invite the leaders of all political parties, all the people and all of those who have confidence in the Serbian Orthodox Church - the institution above all political, national, and other differences, by its intristic nature interested in good and prosperity of all the people - to listen to its voice and its previous appeals, to stand up in this tragic moment and elevate themselves over all individual interests and interests relating exclusively to a party, and to offer themselves for the common good, for the sake of their own salvation, the salvation of their people and the future of their children. At the same time, the Assembly Fathers appeal to the international community to observe the basic principals of the human rights and freedoms, that it verbally strives for very much and applies in its member countries, when it comes to our people also. They expect from and request the international forces in Kosovo and Metohia to prevent further suffering of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Serbian people and other non-Albanian population, as well as to do everything to enable the return of all the persecuted and expelled people to their centuries-long hearths. The Assembly also expects from the international forces to help the Serbian people to exercise its right to live, at least on the territory on which it has existed for more than 15 centuries.

In order that the ethnic cleansing of the Serbian people and of some other ethnic communities in Kosovo and Metohia should be stopped - the cleansing that unfortunately happens at the dawn of the third millenium after the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, in the presence of the military and civil forces (KFOR and UNMIK) from the countries that consider themselves to be Christian and very civilized - the Assembly has addressed an appropriate protest to the United Nations, as well as an appeal to the UNESCO, to stop immediately any further destruction and seizing of the Orthodox churches and monasteries in Kosovo and Metohia, and to prevent the destruction of the remaining spiritual and cultural treasure which represents not only Serbian heritage but also the heritage of the European and world culture.

The Serbian Orthodox Church hopes that the present afflictions of all people, and of our people too, will stop through the efforts of all men who nurture the same desire in their hearts. It prays to God of peace and love to give us strength to endure these afflictions, and when they have passed to create the atmosphere of mutual respect and of joint life in freedom and tolerance. The Serbian Orthodox Church has always striven to achieve those spiritual values, and it will unselfishly continue to do so in future also.

The Holy Assembly accepted voluntary withdrawal (done for health reasons) of Rt. Rev. Atanasije, who was up to now the Bishop of Zahumlje and Herzegovina, from the position and function of a diocese hieararch, and for the said empty position the Holy Assembly appointed Rt. Rev. Grigorije, who was up to now the auxiliary bishop and the Bishop of Hum.

The Holy Synod of Bishops will in the next session work in the following structure: Serbian Patriarch Pavle as the president of the Holy Synod, and Rt. Rev. Jovan, the Metropolitan of Zagreb and Ljubljana, Rt. Rev. Amfilohije, the Metropolitan of Crna Gora and Primorje, Sumadija Bishop Sava, and Banat Bishop Hrizostom as the members.

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