Five Years of Ethnic Cleansing of Roma, regarded as "Gypsies" from Kosovo

www.errc.org ^ | June 10, 2004

[joan]

Budapest, 10. 6. 2004, 16:00, (ERRC)

Today marks the fifth anniversary of the beginning of the ethnic cleansing of Roma, Ashkaelia, Egyptians and other persons regarded as "Gypsies" from Kosovo. In the wake of the cessation of NATO action against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in June 1999 and the subsequent return of predominantly ethnic Albanians from abroad, ethnic Albanians violently expelled approximately four fifths of Kosovo's pre-1999 Romani population -- estimated to have been around 120,000 -- from their homes. In the course of the ethnic cleansing campaign, ethnic Albanians kidnapped Roma and severely physically abused and in some cases killed Roma; raped Romani women in the presence of family members; and seized, looted or destroyed property en masse. Whole Romani settlements were burned to the ground by ethnic Albanians, in many cases while NATO troops looked on. A number of Romani individuals who disappeared during the summer months of 1999 remain to date missing and are presumed dead.

Today, most Kosovo Roma, Ashkaelia and Egyptians are refugees outside Kosovo, or are displaced within the province. To date, according to international administrators in Kosovo, not one single person has been brought to justice for anti-Gypsy crimes occurring since 1999 as part of the on-going ethnic cleansing campaign. A number of EU governments have disregarded international arrest warrants for persons wanted in connection with crimes of ethnic cleansing in Kosovo.

International policy toward Kosovo, endorsed by the UN Security Council specifies that Kosovo must become "a multi-ethnic society where there is democracy, tolerance, freedom of movement and equal access to justice for all people in Kosovo, regardless of their ethnic background." As if to emphasise how far from that target today's Kosovo is, in March of this year, Kosovo's ethnic Albanians redoubled efforts to rid the province of minorities including Roma, Ashkaelia and Egyptians. During the upsurge in violence, nineteen people were killed, around 4,100 people were forced to leave their homes, and for the most part are currently displaced either in Kosovo itself or in neighbouring Serbia and Montenegro. Around 360 of those forced to flee during recent violence were reportedly Romani or from another group regarded as "Gypsies".

The latest wave of violence in Kosovo brought international media attention to the province. However, even prior to the recent violence, all was not well in Kosovo. The international administrators of Kosovo had not managed to end once and for all grenade attacks and other extreme forms of assault against minorities and their property. The destruction of building sites targeted for minority returns was frequent enough not to be listed as a major crime for the purposes of tracking racially motivated crime. Racial discrimination was then close to total and is still so today. And, as noted above, the organs of justice in Kosovo have been extremely inefficient with respect to bringing to justice those responsible for wholesale ethnic cleansing. At the same time, in an effort to maintain the fiction that all was well in Kosovo, as well as due to intense pressure for returns exercised by a number of governments of EU Member States, international administrators downplayed persistent indications that ethnic Albanians intend an ethnically pure province.

Thus, the events of March 2004 frequently referred to as "renewed violence", are more properly regarded as an intensification of an ethnic cleansing campaign ongoing since June 1999. The ethnic cleansing by ethnic Albanians of Roma, Ashkaelia, Egyptians and others regarded as "Gypsies" from Kosovo is the single biggest catastrophe to befall the Romani community since World War II.

The ERRC urges that:

· Without delay, the security situation of Romani and Ashkaeli communities throughout Kosovo be assessed and measures appropriate to the specific situation of each community, as well as to local community perceptions of the actual and potential risks in the given community, are swiftly undertaken;

· Prompt and impartial investigations into all acts of violence to which Romani, Ashkaeli and Egyptian individuals and other persons regarded as "Gypsies" in Kosovo have been subjected are carried out; all perpetrators of racially-motivated acts of ethnic cleansing are brought swiftly to justice and victims or families of victims receive adequate compensation; justice is done and seen to be done;

· The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia redoubles its efforts to bring to justice individuals guilty of the persecution of Roma, Ashkaelia, Egyptians and other persons regarded as "Gypsies" in Kosovo;

· All governments honour the international warrants for the arrest of a number of persons wanted in connection with crimes of ethnic cleansing occurring in Kosovo;

· Sustained efforts be undertaken by all authorities in Kosovo and involved in the administration of Kosovo to ensure that no discussions of Kosovo's final status are embarked upon until such a time as all stakeholders achieve durable and lasting consensus in practice that Kosovo is a multi-cultural society in which all individuals can freely exercise in practice all of their fundamental human rights;

· Any forced returns of Kosovo Romani, Ashkaeli or Egyptian individuals to Kosovo are rendered impossible and impermissible until such a time as authorities in Kosovo are able to demonstrate durable and lasting security and freedom from racial discrimination for all in all parts of the province.

· Any persons factually residing in a host country for a period of five years or longer be provided with real possibilities for integration in the host country if that person so chooses, including by making available the possibility of acquiring the citizenship of the host country.

· Suitable arrangements be made for the recovery of -- or compensation for -- any and all property destroyed or confiscated by force or coercion, including any property sold under conditions of duress.

The international community undertook military action in Kosovo and the rest of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to reverse the "humanitarian emergency" facing ethnic Albanians in early 1999. Failure to reverse the humanitarian emergency facing Roma, Ashkaelia, Egyptians, and also Serbs and other minorities would mean that in practice, NATO acted, with UN Security Council endorsement, in effect to assist ethnic cleansing. The preservation of an international human rights order requires that this status quo be swiftly ended. The ethnic cleansing of Roma, Ashkaelia, Egyptians and others regarded as "Gypsies" from Kosovo cannot stand.

[joan]

bump

[TheSpottedOwl]

Bump.

WWII was the first thing that crossed my mind when I started reading this article. Someone needs to give these people guns to fight back with.

[LiteKeeper]

read later

[MarMema]

Bump!!

[Jane_N]

And Nato bombed Yugoslavia to "stop ethnic-cleansing". Well when are they going to realise that they failed miserably? When there are only Albanians left in Kosovo or? Either they do something soon or NATO/EU/UN will always be remembered for their hypocrisy.

[FormerLib]

Didn't mark just tell us that NATO stopped the ethnic cleansing in Kosovo?

Well, so much for that fairy tale.

[FormerLib]

Nice "work," guys.

[NYC Republican]

This is why I gave up on these dumb threads. Totally unrealiable, biased sources... Who ever heard of this BS site? That, and a$$e$ like yourself implying that WE performed this act. Get a life.

[mark502inf]

Didn't mark just tell us that NATO stopped the ethnic cleansing in Kosovo?

No, although that was their goal, NATO did not stop it. The Serbs forced over a million Albanians from their homes and destroyed 120,000 Albanian houses, over 600 schools and 200 mosques; all in conjunction with the human misery and suffering caused by mass murders, rapes, and robberies. However, when NATO ruled out ground troops, ruled out a punishing strategic bombing campaign, and then placed altitude and targetting restrictions on the NATO ground attack aircraft; the result was that Serb forces could continue their work for too long a period of time. Slobo eventually folded anyway and, under the protection of NATO forces, over a million Kosovar Albanians returned to what was left of their homes and towns. At that point, they were not in a charitable mood and the Kosovo Serbs took it on the chin for Slobo.

Unfortunately, NATO & UNMIK did not do much better protecting the Serbs. Most fled or were forced out of Kosovo by the end of the summer of 1999; and the remainder have lived in a state of uncertainty and fear ever since.

So, Former Lib, NATO did not stop the ethnic cleansing in Kosovo--in either direction.

[FormerLib]

And I see you are still quoting disproved numbers.

What, no claims of 100,000 murdered Albanians? It's the only one you missed.

Peace will return to Kosovo with the Serb Army. The only question is when they will return.

[ma bell]

Later proven that the number of million was misstated for propoganda purposes. Many of the albanians later chimed in stating they left due to NATO bombing.

That is the standard M.O in press statements, use your own words and by the way, when was the last time you were in Kosovo to speak what you write about? You rely solely on NATO/UNMIK information alone? Enlighten us, please.

[FormerLib]

...until such a time as authorities in Kosovo are able to demonstrate durable and lasting security and freedom from racial discrimination for all in all parts of the province.

And this can only be achieved by the return of the Serb Army with international observers in place and on the ground (to counter the inevitable Muslim claims of violence propagated by their PR firms and willingly passed along by the Clinton kneepad-wearing Western media).

[ma bell]

ALBANIAN TERRORISM IN KOSOVO AND METOHIA IN FIGURES

Actions of Albanian separatists in the territory of the Autonomous Province Kosovo and Metohia from January 01, to August 30, 1998.

During the period from January 01, to August 30, 1998 the Albanian separatists have committed altogether 1126 terrorist attacks in the territory of the AP Kosovo and Metohia. Among these, 616 terrorist attacks were committed against police officers and the objects of the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Serbia: (Decani 234 ; Srbica 81 ; Klina 76; Djakovica 61 ; Orahovac 28; Suva Reka 27; Kosovska Mitrovica 15; Pec and Istok 13 each; Glogovac 12 ; Stimlje and Prizren 8 each; Pristina, Kijevo and Urosevac 6 each; Lipljan, Podujevo and Vucitrn 5 each; Obilic 3; Kacanik 2; Kosovo Polje and Vitina 1 each ), in which 74 police officers were killed, 166 severely wounded, 116 lightly wounded, and 10 police officers kidnapped (Orahovac 4; Decani 2 ; Pec,Glogovac, Klina and Srbica 1 each). In 600 cases the attacks were committed against the police officers while they were performing their duties (in three cases even against the helicopter of the Ministry) in 10 cases against the objects and houses of the Ministry's officers , and in 5 cases disguised armed terrorists stopped private cars.

510 terrorist attacks were committed against citizens and objects in which 81 citizens were killed, 30 Serbs and Montenegro nationality, 47 Albanians, 3 Gypsies and one unknown person (in Klina - 5 Albanians, 8 Serbs and one Gypsy; in Orahovac - 8 Serbs and 7 Albanians; in Glogovac - 5 Albanians and one Serb; in Decani - 3 Albanians and 3 Serbs; in Srbica - 3 Serb and one Albanian; in Djakovica - 8 Albanians and 3 Serbs; in Pec - 5 Albanians and 3 Serbs; Suva Reka - 7 Albanian and 1 Gypsy, Istok - 1 Serb and 2 Albanian; Lipljan,Obilic and Prizren 1 Albanian each; Kosovska Mitrovica 1 Serbs and 1 Albanian; Stimlje - one unknown person) 49 citizens were severely wounded (in Klina - 6 Serbs and 2 Albanians; in Decani- 4 Serbs, 1 Albanian and 1 muslim;in Pec - 4 Serbs and 1 Albanian; in Djakovica - 5 Albanian; in Srbica - 3 Serbs and 1 Albanian; in Obilic - 1 Serb and 2 Albanian; in Suva Reka - 2 Serbs and 1 Muslim; in Orahovac - 4 Serbs; in Vucitrn - 3 Serbs; Zubin Potok 2 Serbs; in Istok - 2 Albanians; in Glogovac 1 Serb; Podujevo - 1 Albanian and Prizren - 1 Gypsy, 47 citizens were lightly injured (23 Serbs and Montenegro nationality, 22 Albanians, 1 Gypsy and 1 Russian citizens).

The terrorists kidnapped 208 citizens (157 - Serb and Montenegro nationality, 42 - Albanian nationality who were loyal State citizens, 6 - Gypsies, 1 - Muslim, 1 - Bulgarian citizens and 1 citizen of FYR Macedonia. Among these, 16 were killed, 146 disappeared, 7 escaped, until 39 persons were released.

In individual and group attacks Albanian separatists were using automatic weapons in 592 cases, in 164 cases automatic weapons and bazookas, in 87 cases snipers, in 24 cases hand grenades, in 14 cases explosive devices, and in 6 cases pistols. In 6 cases terrorists burned a few Serbian houses, and in the rest of 230 cases the Albanian terrorist threatened to use firearms.

Besides the committed criminal acts of terrorism, in 23 cases of stopping and searching vehicles, asking for identity, such as 31 of intruding up private houses and other objects by masked and armed persons, have been charged as serious acts of terrorism.

SURVEY OF TERRORIST ATTACKS CARRIED OUT THE TERRITORY OF AUTONOMOUS PROVINCE OF KOSOVO AND METOHIA
1991 - August 30, 1998.

	In total	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	30.08. 1998
On police officers and the police buildings	706	11	11	8	3	7	19	31	616
On the refugee buildings	25						8	1	16
On citizens and other buildings	529		1		3	4	4	23	494
In total	1260	11	12	8	6	11	31	55	1126

CONSEQUENCES1. Killed

	In total	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	30.08. 1998.
Police officers	87	1	3	2		2	4	1	74
Citizens	107				5	4	6	11	81
In total	194	1	3	2	5	6	10	12	155

2. Wounded

	In total	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	30.08. 1998.
Grave bodily harm	263	2	8	11	2	7	3	15	215
Light bodily harm	185	2	1	1		2	4	12	163
In total		448	4	9	12	2	9	7	27	378

2.1. Police officers

	In total	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	30.08. 1998.
Grave bodily harm	201	2	5	11	1	5	3	8	166
Light bodily harm	130	2	1	1		2	3	5	116
In total	331	4	6	12	1	7	6	13	282

2.2. Citizens

	In total	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	30.08. 1998.
Grave bodily harm	62		3		1	2		7	49
Light bodily harm	55						1	7	47
In total	117	0	3	0	1	2	1	14	96

TERRORIST ATTACKS ON CITIZENS OF ALBANIAN NATIONAL MINORITY - LOYAL TO THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA

	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	30.08. 1998.	In total
Attacks in total				2	4	2	13	226	247

CONSEQUENCES

	In total	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	30.08. 1998
Killed	64				2	4	1	10	47
Grave bodily harm	22					2		4	16
Light bodily harm	25						1	2	22
In total	111	0	0	0	2	6	2	16	85

 

[ma bell]

these acts were done prior to the NATO bombing, and you wonder why the Serb defensive forces fought back?

Village of Glodjane, September 8th 1998. Six mass graves and execution grounds, where Albanian terrorists murdered Serbian civilians, were found near the village of Glodjane. According to the testimonies given by the apprehended Albanian terrorists, members of the KLA brought kidnapped Serbian civilians to the banks of the channel connecting Bistrica River and Radonjic Lake, shot them and dumped their bodies into the channel. Several other shallow graves were discovered near Glodjane, with mutilated, beheaded or castrated bodies. By September 13th, bodies of 37 Serb civilians were discovered