[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 155 Engrossed in House (EH)]


  2d Session

                            H. CON. RES. 155

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                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Concerning human and political rights and in support of a resolution of 
                         the crisis in Kosova.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
104th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 155

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                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Whereas the Constitution of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, 
        adopted in 1946 and the amended Yugoslav Constitution adopted in 1974, 
        described the status of Kosova as one of the 8 constituent territorial 
        units of the Yugoslav Federation;
Whereas the political rights of the Albanian majority in Kosova were curtailed 
        when the Government of Yugoslavia illegally amended the Yugoslav federal 
        constitution without the consent of the people of Kosova on March 23, 
        1989, revoking Kosova's autonomous status;
Whereas in 1990, the Parliament and Government of Kosova were abolished by 
        further unlawful amendments to the Constitution of Yugoslavia;
Whereas in September 1990, a referendum on the question of independence for 
        Kosova was held in which 87 percent of those eligible to participate 
        voted and 99 percent of those voting supported independence for Kosova;
Whereas in May 1992, a Kosovar national parliament and President, Dr. Ibrahim 
        Rugova, were freely and fairly elected, but were not permitted to 
        assemble in Kosova;
Whereas according to the State Department Country Reports on Human Rights for 
        1995, ``police repression continued at a high level against the ethnic 
        Albanians of Kosova . . . and reflected a general campaign to keep 
        [those] who are not ethnic Serbs intimidated and unable to exercise 
        basic human and civil rights'';
Whereas over 100,000 ethnic Albanians employed in the public sector have been 
        removed from their jobs and replaced by Serbs since 1989;
Whereas the government in Belgrade has severely restricted the access of ethnic 
        Albanians in Kosova to all levels of education, especially in the 
        Albanian language;
Whereas the Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe observers 
        dispatched to Kosova in 1991 were expelled by the government in Belgrade 
        in July 1993, and have not been reinstated as called for in United 
        Nations Security Council Resolution 855 of August 1993;
Whereas following the departure of such observers, international human rights 
        organizations have documented an increase in abuses;
Whereas the United Nations announced on February 27, 1995, that Serbia had 
        granted it permission to open a Belgrade office to monitor human rights 
        in Serbia and Kosova;
Whereas Congress directed the State Department to establish a United States 
        Information Agency (U.S.I.A.) cultural center in Prishtina, Kosova, in 
        section 223 of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 
        1992 and 1993;
Whereas Secretary of State Warren Christopher announced on February 27, 1996, 
        that Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic has agreed to the establishment 
        of such center and that preparations for the establishment of the center 
        are proceeding;
Whereas, with the signing of the Dayton agreement on Bosnia, future peace in the 
        Balkans hinges largely on a settlement of the status of Kosova; and
Whereas the President has explicitly warned the Government of Serbia that the 
        United States is prepared to respond in the event of escalated conflict 
        in Kosova caused by Serbia: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of the Congress that--
            (1) the situation in Kosova must be resolved before the 
        outer wall of sanctions against Serbia is lifted and Serbia is 
        able to return to the international community;
            (2) the human rights of the people of Kosova must be 
        restored to levels guaranteed by international law;
            (3) the United States should support the legitimate claims 
        of the people of Kosova to determine their own political 
        future;
            (4) international observers should be returned to Kosova as 
        soon as possible;
            (5) the elected government of Kosova should be permitted to 
        meet and exercise its legitimate mandate as elected 
        representatives of the people of Kosova;
            (6) all individuals whose employment was terminated on the 
        basis of their ethnicity should be reinstated to their previous 
        positions;
            (7) the education system in Kosova should be reopened to 
        all residents of Kosova regardless of ethnicity and the 
        majority ethnic Albanian population should be allowed to 
        educate its youth in its native tongue;
            (8) the establishment of a United States Information Agency 
        cultural center in Prishtina, Kosova, is to be commended; and
            (9) the President should appoint a special envoy to aid in 
        negotiating a resolution to the crisis in Kosova.

            Passed the House of Representatives July 29, 1996.

            Attest:

                                                                 Clerk.