[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 16 (Wednesday, February 23, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: February 23, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                 DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS FOR KOSOVO

                                 ______


                        HON. BENJAMIN A. GILMAN

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 23, 1994

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, on February 3 numerous dignitaries from 
around the world attended the National Prayer Breakfast here in 
Washington. Among those dignitaries and officials was Dr. Ibrahim 
Rugova, who represents the predominantly Albanian population of Kosovo, 
one of the regions lying within the borders of the former Yugoslavia.
  In elections held by the Albanian majority, Dr. Rugova was 
overwhelmingly supported for the Presidency of Kosovo. In that 
capacity, he delivered a statement here on Capitol Hill to Members and 
others who share an interest in the events taking place in Kosovo and 
the rest of the former Yugoslavia.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to insert at this point in the Record Dr. 
Rugova's statement on the situation in Kosovo. I am hopeful that it 
will assist my colleagues in understanding events in the southern 
Balkans and the aspirations of the ethnic Albanian residents of Kosovo 
for democracy and human rights.

  Statement by Dr. Ibrahim Rugova, President of the Republic of Kosova

       I wish to express my sincere appreciation for the active 
     concern shown by the US Administration in the tragic 
     situation in our Republic. At the same time, we feel 
     constrained to emphasize the following points:
       The situation in Kosova is ready to explode. Since the 
     refusal by Belgrade authorities to permit the operation of 
     the CSCE long-term monitoring mission in our territory, 
     repression has increased significantly. Over the past months 
     human rights abuses have grown even worse. There are numerous 
     well-documented instances of arbitrary arrests followed by 
     torture, which have resulted in several deaths in the last 
     five months. The people of Kosova are faced with a campaign 
     of ``quiet'' ethnic cleansing by the Belgrade regime. 
     Arrests, torture, and intimidation are coupled with a 
     campaign to disenfranchise the Albanian people within their 
     own homeland. The already grave situation is furthermore 
     burdened with a heavy presence of police, military, 
     paramilitary, and various armed gangs from Serbia hovering 
     all over Kosova.
       With the expulsion of international monitoring the people 
     of Kosova now feel abandoned by the international community. 
     For them, the only option left seems to be leave their 
     homeland or an urgent need for concrete international 
     support. Unless the international community, guided by US 
     leadership, acts in a decisive manner, instability in Kosova 
     will rapidly transform itself into an open and ever-widening 
     conflict. Such a conflict will lead to massive bloodshed. It 
     will be impossible to control and it may well result in 
     widespread hostilities among states in the region, possibly 
     even involving NATO members. Rather than waiting for such a 
     horrendous outcome, it is essential to act now, while it is 
     still possible to influence events. We believe that the 
     following actions should be taken by the United States 
     government.
       The United States should restate its pledge that an armed 
     intervention of the Belgrade government in Kosova would be 
     met with a decisive US military response:
       The United States should press for the re-establishment of 
     the CSCE long-term monitoring mission in Kosova;
       The United States should press for a United Nations 
     protectorate and for the deployment of a UN preventive force 
     in Kosova, including a human rights component with a mandate 
     to monitor developments, assist in the process of restoring 
     local control over state institutions, and preclude human 
     rights violations;
       The United States should press for serious dialogue between 
     the Kosova authorities and the Belgrade government, with a 
     view to achieving a peaceful solution towards the realization 
     of the rights of the people of Kosova. Such dialogue must be 
     supported by more vigorous international involvement;
       The United States should seek confirmation in the UN 
     Security Council of the fact that the removal of sanctions 
     against Serbia cannot be contemplated until the situation 
     concerning Kosova has been resolved.

                          ____________________