[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 43 (Wednesday, March 31, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3461-S3462]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

                                 ______
                                 

      SENATE RESOLUTION 326--CONDEMNING ETHNIC VIOLENCE IN KOSOVO

  Mr. VOINOVICH (for himself, Mr. Biden, Mr. Lugar, Mr. Lieberman, and 
Mr. Brownback) submitted the following resolution; which was referred 
to the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 326

       Whereas ethnic violence erupted in Kosovo on March 17, 
     2004, claiming the lives of 20 individuals, including 8 
     Kosovo Serbs, 8 Kosovo Albanians, and 4 unidentified victims, 
     injuring more than 600 others, and displacing more than 4,000 
     Kosovo Serbs and other minorities;

[[Page S3462]]

       Whereas the violence also resulted in the destruction of 
     more than 500 homes belonging to Kosovo Serbs, Ashkali, and 
     other minorities, and in the destruction of, or damage to, 
     more than 30 churches and monasteries belonging to the 
     Serbian Orthodox Church;
       Whereas historic mosques in Belgrade and Nis, and an 
     Islamic center in Novi Sad, were also destroyed or damaged;
       Whereas in response to the violence, Commander in Chief of 
     the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Allied Forces 
     South, Admiral Gregory Johnson, concluded, ``This kind of 
     activity, which essentially amounts to ethnic cleansing, 
     cannot go on.'';
       Whereas Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, General James 
     Jones ordered the deployment of NATO's Strategic Reserve 
     Force on March 19, 2004, to calm the violence and end the 
     destruction;
       Whereas Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage and 
     Foreign Minister of Serbia and Montenegro Goran Svilanovic 
     met in Washington on March 19, 2004, and called for an 
     immediate end to the violence, concurring that no party in 
     Kosovo can be allowed to profit or advance a political agenda 
     through violent measures;
       Whereas a stable, secure, and functioning multiethnic 
     society is in the best interest of all people of Kosovo, the 
     broader region of Southeast Europe, and the world;
       Whereas it is essential that political leaders in Kosovo 
     support efforts to establish an environment in which all 
     people in Kosovo have freedom of movement and the ability to 
     live free from fear;
       Whereas the United States and members of the international 
     community have called on the people of Kosovo to implement 8 
     standards outlined by the United Nations Interim 
     Administration in Kosovo (UNMIK), which are to be met prior 
     to the consideration of the question of final status for 
     Kosovo, including: the existence of effective, 
     representative, and functioning democratic institutions; 
     enforcement of the rule of law; freedom of movement; 
     sustainable returns of refugees and displaced persons, and 
     respect for the rights of communities; creation of a sound 
     basis for a market economy; fair enforcement of property 
     rights; normalized dialogue with Belgrade; and transformation 
     of the Kosovo Protection Corps (KPC) in line with its 
     mandate; and
       Whereas it is in the long-term interest of all people of 
     Kosovo that the UNMIK standards are achieved in order to 
     promote peace, stability, and economic development, and to 
     ensure a better future for all people in Kosovo: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) urges all people in Kosovo to immediately stop the 
     violence, end the destruction of homes, churches, and other 
     cultural and religious sites, and cooperate with North 
     Atlantic Treaty Organization's Kosovo Force (KFOR), the 
     United Nations Interim Administration in Kosovo (UNMIK), and 
     the Kosovo Police in identifying for prosecution the 
     perpetrators of violence and the destruction of property;
       (2) expresses its deep condolences to the families of those 
     who have been killed in the recent violence;
       (3) strongly condemns the destruction of personal and 
     religious property in Kosovo, including more than 500 homes 
     belonging to Kosovo Serbs, Ashkali, and other minorities, and 
     of 30 churches and monasteries belonging to the Serbian 
     Orthodox Church, adding to the more than 100 churches that 
     have been destroyed since June 1999;
       (4) strongly condemns the destruction of historic mosques 
     in the cities of Belgrade and Nis, and of an Islamic center 
     in Novi Sad;
       (5) recognizes the commitment made by the Kosovo Assembly 
     to establish a fund for the reconstruction of property, 
     including homes and churches, destroyed during the attacks;
       (6) recognizes the commitment made by Serbian officials to 
     provide funds for the reconstruction of mosques in Belgrade 
     and Nis, and an Islamic center in Novi Sad;
       (7) urges political leaders to fulfill their commitment to 
     rebuild what has been destroyed and to take all possible 
     action to allow the more than 4,000 Kosovo Serbs and other 
     minorities displaced during the violence to return quickly 
     and safely to their homes and communities;
       (8) encourages all political leaders in Kosovo to renounce 
     the use of violence, and to proceed with efforts to establish 
     a secure, peaceful, multiethnic society, which protects the 
     rights of all people in Kosovo, and to take action to proceed 
     with the implementation of the standards or ``benchmark 
     goals'' outlined by UNMIK;
       (9) strongly recommends that the United Nations review the 
     structure and organization of UNMIK; and
       (10) urges reinvigoration of dialogue between Belgrade and 
     Pristina in an effort to move toward the establishment of a 
     peaceful and secure environment guaranteeing freedom of 
     movement and human rights for all people in Kosovo.

  Mr. VOINOVICH. Mr. President, as many of my colleagues are aware, I 
continue to pay close attention to developments in Southeast Europe. 
During my time as a member of the Senate, I have been deeply concerned 
with the situation in Kosovo--particularly the situation for Kosovo's 
ethnic minorities.
  I have traveled to Kosovo three times since the end of the military 
campaign in 1999, most recently in May 2002. At that time, I met with 
Kosovo Albanian leaders, including President Rugova and Prime Minister 
Rexhepi, as well as leaders of the Kosovo Serb community. In my 
conversations with all political leaders, I stressed the importance of 
moving forward with efforts to promote the rule of law and refugee 
return, as well as work to provide for the protection of human rights 
and freedom of movement for all people in Kosovo.
  At that time, I reiterated a plea that I made during a trip to 
Pristina in February 2000, urging Kosovo's leaders to start a new 
paradigm of peace and stability for all people in Kosovo. I continue to 
believe it is essential that minorities in Kosovo, including Serbs, 
Roma, Egyptians, Bosniaks, Croats, Turks, Ashkalia, and others, are 
able to move about as they wish and live lives free from fear.
  I could not agree more with a statement made in the Ninth Assessment 
of the Situation of Ethnic Minorities in Kosovo, a joint report 
released in May 2002 by the Organization for Security and Cooperation 
in Europe, OSCE, and the U.N. High Commission on Refugees, UNHCR. The 
report concludes, ``Only when Kosovo's minorities feel confident in 
their long-term future and when all of Kosovo's displaced persons are 
able to exercise the choice to return to their homes, feeling assured 
of their safety and confident in their ability to access institutions 
and participate in social, economic and political life in Kosovo on a 
non-discriminatory basis, will it be possible to say that the situation 
of minorities in Kosovo is acceptable.''
  The latest round of ethnic violence in Kosovo, which erupted on March 
17, 2004, resulted in the deaths of 20 people, including 8 Kosovo 
Serbs, 8 Kosovo Albanians, and 4 unidentified victims. It displaced 
more than 4,000 people, including Kosovo Serbs, Ashkalia, and others, 
and led to the destruction of more than 500 homes and more than 30 
churches or monasteries belonging to the Serbian Orthodox Church--
adding to the more than 100 churches that had already been destroyed 
during the last 5 years.
  This is a tragic and urgent reminder of the work that remains to be 
done in Kosovo. I believe we must redouble our efforts and do all that 
we can to prevent continued violence in Kosovo. While the violence 
appears to be calming, the situation on the ground remains tense. There 
is a long road ahead as we look to work with the people of Kosovo not 
only to rebuild what has been destroyed, but also to secure an 
environment where respect for human rights and the rule of law are 
protected. Continued U.S. leadership is critical in this regard.
  Today, I submit a resolution condemning the recent ethnic violence in 
Kosovo and calling for a renewed effort to promote long-term peace and 
stability there. I am joined by a number of my colleagues, including 
Senator Joe Biden, Senator Dick Lugar, Senator Joe Lieberman, and 
Senator Sam Brownback.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting swift passage of this 
important measure, which reminds us of unfinished business in this part 
of the world.

                          ____________________