[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 67 (Tuesday, May 11, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H2968-H2969]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     WE CANNOT HAVE DEMOCRACY IN SERBIA IF WE BLOW UP THE CIVILIAN 
                             INFRASTRUCTURE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kucinich) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, the impersonality of the Balkan War and of 
the NATO bombing deprives all of us of a necessary deeper understanding 
of the powerful human dimension of the conflict of people on both sides 
whose fragile lives are ripped apart. A month ago I wrote an opinion 
piece in the New York Times editorial pages challenging the logic of 
the bombing, its impact on civilians, their lives, their communities. 
Tonight I have two reports to submit to this House. The first report 
comes from a pro-democracy group in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, 
and it is an appeal in the form of a letter to Albanian friends from 
nongovernmental organizations, and I would like to read from it:
  ``Dear Friends: We are writing to you in these difficult moments of 
our shared suffering. Convoys of Albanians and other citizens of 
Kosovo, among whom many of you were forced to leave their homes, the 
killings and expulsions, homes destroyed and burnt, bridges, roads and 
industrial buildings demolished paint a somber and painful picture of 
Kosovo, Serbia and Montenegro as indicating that life together is no 
longer possible. We, however, believe it is necessary and possible. The 
better future of citizens of Kosovo, Serbia and Montenegro, of Serbs 
and Albanians, as citizens of one state or closest neighbors will not 
arrive by itself or over night, but it is something we can and must 
work on together as we have many times in the past not so long ago.

[[Page H2969]]

 We know that it will now be very difficult and sometimes very painful. 
The example of the German-French post-war reconciliation and 
cooperation could serve as a model and stimulus. In the sake of future 
life together the pain of crime has to be revealed so that it is with 
forgiveness remembered. This tragedy, yours and ours, personal and 
collective, is a result of a long series of erroneous policies of the 
most radical forces among us and in the international community. The 
continuation of these policies will take both Serbs and Albanians into 
abyss. Also, the road of collective guilt is a road of frustration, 
continuation of hatred and endless vengeance. That is why this road has 
to be abandoned. Our first step of distancing from hatred, ethnic 
conflict and bloody retaliations is a public expression of our deepest 
compassion and sincere condemnation of everything that you and your 
fellow citizens are experiencing,'' and keep in mind, Mr. Speaker, this 
is a letter from members of a Serbian nongovernmental organization pro-
democracy group.

                              {time}  1930

  They go on to say, and this is a letter to their Albanian brothers 
and sisters, ``As citizens of Serbia we today suffer destruction and 
casualties as a result of NATO bombing, armed conflict in Kosovo and 
long-lasting economic and social tumbles under the burden of the 
dictatorship's deadly policies. Ethnic cleansing, NATO bombing and 
armed conflict should stop because they are not contributing to the 
solution of the Kosovo crisis but only making it deepen. There should 
be no more casualties. All refugees should be allowed to return safely 
to their homes and live in the manner appropriate for free and proud 
people. We are convinced that together we will find strength and 
courage to step on the road of peace, democracy, respect of human 
rights, mutual reconciliation and respect. Dialogue, political 
negotiations and peace process have no alternative. For all of us, it 
is the only way out of the war conflict. It is the safest way to secure 
the return of refugees to their homes, to renew normal life and 
activities and find a solution to the status of Kosovo. In order to 
make this happen, we have to join our efforts to end the war conflict, 
revitalize the peace process and reconstruct, economically and 
democratically, the development of Kosovo, Serbia and the entire Balkan 
region. We are convinced that by joining forces we can contribute to 
the reaching of a just and rational political solution to the status of 
Kosovo and build confidence and cooperation between Serbs and 
Albanians.''
  This heartfelt letter comes from the Alternative Academic Education 
Network; the Association of Citizens for Democracy, Social Justice and 
Support for Trade Unions; the Belgrade Circle; the Belgrade Women 
Studies Center; the Center for Policy Studies Center; Center for Policy 
Studies NEZAVISNOST; Center for Transition to Democracy; Civic 
Initiatives; District 0230 Kikinda; EKO Center; European Movement in 
Serbia; Forum for Ethnic Relations and Foundation for Peace and Crisis 
Management; Foundation for Peace and Crisis Management; Group 484; the 
Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia; Society for Peace and 
Tolerance (Backa Palanka); Sombor's Peace Group (Sombor); the Student 
Union of Yugoslavia; the Trade Union Confederation; the Union for Truth 
about Anti-Fascist Resistance; the Urban Inn (Novi Pazar); VIN Weekly 
Video News; Women in Black; YU Lawyersi Committee for Human Rights.
  This comes from Belgrade, dated April 30, 1999.
  Mr. CAMPBELL. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. KUCINICH. I yield to the gentleman from California.
  Mr. CAMPBELL. Mr. Speaker, I ask the indulgence of the House simply 
to put on record that the citizens of Ohio and the citizens of 
Cleveland in particular ought to recognize the courage and wisdom of 
their representative, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kucinich), that 
alone, in the midst of a lot of pressure, he stood up for the 
constitutional obligation that this body go on record before we commit 
our troops to war, and in a bipartisan way I wish to recognize that 
this evening during his special order.
  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Campbell) for those remarks.

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