[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 205 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 205

   Deploring human rights abuses in Kosova and calling for increased 
                         American involvement.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 28, 1998

 Mr. Engel (for himself, Mr. King, Mrs. Kelly, Mr. Moran of Virginia, 
 and Mr. Lantos) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which 
        was referred to the Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
   Deploring human rights abuses in Kosova and calling for increased 
                         American involvement.

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 eight 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 
        1996, ``Police repression continued to be directed against ethnic 
        minorities, particularly the Albanians of Kosovo'';
Whereas Human Rights Watch/Helsinki reports that ``random harassment and 
        beatings is a daily reality for ethnic Albanians in Kosovo'';
Whereas, during 1997, the human rights situation facing Kosova worsened during 
        1997 with the increased use of violence by police against ethnic 
        Kosovars;
Whereas increased repression and despair has allegedly given rise to a new 
        group, the Kosova Liberation Army, which reportedly has a greater 
        willingness to use violence to achieve self-determination and a 
        restoration of human rights;
Whereas, on October 1, 1997, Serb riot police wielding batons and firing tear 
        gas brutally repressed a peaceful demonstration of students of the 
        University of Pristina calling for the right to Albanian-language 
        education;
Whereas scores of non-violent protestors were injured in the crackdown;
Whereas a 1996 agreement on education signed by Yugoslav President Slobodan 
        Milosevic and Kosovar President Rugova provided for return of ethnic 
        Albanians to the classroom;
Whereas the United States Government has called for ``implementation of the 
        agreement at all levels, including at the University level'';
Whereas the agreement has not yet been implemented by the government in 
        Belgrade;
Whereas new elections in Kosova are scheduled for March 22, 1998;
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, pursuant to U.S. section 223 of the Foreign Relations Authorization 
        Act, Fiscal Years 1992 and 1993, the United States opened a United 
        States Information Service Office in Pristina, Kosova in 1996;
Whereas the international outer wall of sanctions against the former Yugoslavia, 
        which links membership in international organizations, access to 
        international financial institutions, and normalization of diplomatic 
        relations with the United States, is conditioned upon significant 
        progress in resolving the problems in Kosova;
Whereas the Contact Group of nations pressing for a resolution to the situation 
        in Bosnia addressed the situation in Kosova directly for the first time 
        in 1997, supporting an enhanced status for Kosova within the Federal 
        Republic of Yugoslavia; one that would fully protect the rights of the 
        Albanian population in accordance with OSCE standards and the U.N. 
        Charter;
Whereas H. Con. Res. 155, which passed the House of Representatives on July 26, 
        1996, called for a resolution to the crisis in Kosova, maintenance of 
        the outer wall of sanctions against Belgrade, and the appointment of a 
        Special Envoy on Kosova; and
Whereas, with the continued implementation of the Dayton agreement on Bosnia, 
        future peace in the Balkans hinges largely on a settlement of the status 
        of Kosova: 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) a solution to the conflict in Kosova can only be 
        achieved through dialogue, not violence;
            (5) the March 22, 1998 elections in Kosova should be 
        permitted to proceed without interference by the Belgrade 
        authorities and, if conducted freely and fairly, the United 
        States should recognize the results of the elections as a 
        legitimate, democratic expression of the will of the people of 
        Kosova;
            (6) international observers should be returned to Kosova as 
        soon as possible and monitors should be dispatched to observe 
        the upcoming elections;
            (7) the elected government of Kosova should be permitted to 
        meet and exercise its legitimate mandate as elected 
        representatives of the people of Kosova;
            (8) all individuals whose employment was terminated on the 
        basis of their ethnicity should be reinstated to their previous 
        positions;
            (9) the agreement on education in Kosova should be 
        implemented immediately, including at the university level, 
        allowing all residents of Kosova regardless of ethnicity to 
        education in their native tongue;
            (10) the students of the University of Pristina have the 
        full support of the United States as they peacefully 
        demonstrate to return to classes at the University;
            (11) efforts of the international Contact Group in support 
        of a resolution of the conflict in Kosova are to be commended; 
        and
            (12) the President should appoint a special envoy to aid in 
        negotiating a resolution to the crisis in Kosova.
                                 <all>