[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 40 (Thursday, April 14, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: April 14, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                      ALBANIAN-AMERICANS TO MARCH

 Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, on April 15, members of the 
Albanian-American community will march in front of the United Nations 
seeking support for the Albanians in Kosovo.
  The human rights of ethnic Albanians, who comprise 90 percent of the 
population in Kosovo, continue to be violated and their personal safety 
threatened. The Serbs have tried to recolonize Kosovo with Serbs from 
elsewhere. Paramilitary forces harass ethnic Albanians and have 
reported engaged in random beatings of the population. These conditions 
make life difficult for the ethnic Albanians on a day-to-day basis and 
encourage many Albanians to leave Kosovo. Indeed, many Albanian males 
flee Kosovo to avoid being drafted into the Serb dominated Yugoslav 
army.
  More subtle forms of repression permeate the lives of the ethnic 
Albanians in Kosovo. Hundreds of thousands of ethnic Albanians have 
been fired from their jobs, and professors of Albanian decent have been 
dismissed form the local university. Additionally, Albanian children 
suffer educationally as the Serbs control the curriculum at schools, 
effectively keeping Albanian children away from school. These 
conditions should not persist.
  The international community must not forget about the ethnical 
Albanians in Kosovo. Their human rights must be guaranteed Human rights 
monitors, such as the CSCE monitors who were expelled by the Serbian 
Government in 1993, should be redeployed to the region. Additionally, 
resolution of Kosovo and the rights of the ethnic Albanians should be 
addressed as part of any broader agreement on the Balkans.
  Mr. President, I commend all the Albanian-Americans who are marching 
in front of the United Nations to show their support for the people of 
Kosovo, and I hope that someday the Albanian community in Kosovo will 
live in peace.

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