[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 24 (Tuesday, March 10, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H917]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      STOP THE VIOLENCE IN KOSOVA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 21, 1997, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Bonior) is 
recognized during morning hour debates for 3 minutes.
  Mr. BONIOR. Madam Speaker, our morning papers carried the grim news 
of the makeshift morgue in Kosova where Serbian authorities displayed 
the remains of 51 ethnic Albanians who died in an attack on their 
village. Bodies were proudly displayed by the Serbian police, showing 
the world the results of their destruction of a tiny village in Kosova. 
Some of the dead were women and children, and many were innocent 
civilians. The men had been executed by the police, often in front of 
their wives and their children.
  Although this news has come as quite a shock to most of the world, we 
should have all seen it coming. For 9 years Serbia has repressed and 
harassed the people of Kosova and dozens have died. But within the past 
10 days this campaign of terror has escalated into full-scale violence. 
Seventy-seven have died and scores more have been beaten and jailed and 
harassed.
  We must say strongly and forcefully that this repression and this 
violence cannot continue. The lessons we learned from Serbian 
aggression in Bosnia cannot be forgotten now. We and our allies cannot 
sit idly by on the sidelines. We cannot allow Milosevic to carry out 
his campaign of ethnic intimidation, violating the human rights of the 
people of Kosova.
  Imposing an arms embargo and sanctions is the least we can do. 
Milosevic must know that any more bloodshed will not be tolerated. He 
must also know that the wishes of the people of Kosova cannot be 
ignored.
  Madam Speaker, in the past we have taken to the floor to make the 
case for giving the people of Kosova greater freedom and independence, 
but today we come to the floor with a more urgent purpose, to make a 
plea for their lives. We must remember the commitments that have been 
made to protect ethnic Albanians in Kosova. We must not stray away from 
those commitments now, even though it means making difficult decisions.
  We brought peace to the people of Bosnia only after we showed 
Milosevic that his brute force would be countered with swift and 
decisive military action. Now is the time to make sure he knows that he 
faces the same consequences if the violence in Kosova is not put to a 
stop.
  This crisis has far-reaching implications but we must also keep it in 
focus. The people of Kosova are being brutalized and we must not allow 
it to continue.

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