Posted on 08/07/2006 4:41:05 AM PDT by kronos77
LONDON (Reuters) - "Ethnic cleansing" could happen again in Kosovo unless negotiations on the province's future lead to strong legal safeguards for minority communities, a minority rights group warned on Monday.
Legally part of Serbia, the majority Albanian province has been run by the United Nations since 1999, when NATO bombs drove out Serb forces accused of ethnic cleansing in a two-year war with separatist guerrillas.
Ethnic Albanians, who make up 90 percent of the population, are pushing for independence from Serbia, a goal Serbia rejects.
London-based Minority Rights Group International said in a report that after seven years of U.N. and international governance, the deeply segregated communities in Kosovo have fallen into a situation that is "little short of disastrous".
"The danger is that the patterns of segregation that are accepted in Kosovo, and that leads to the terror of ethnic cleansing, will be enshrined in the constitution and will be played out again over the next decade," the group said.
It criticised the United Nations and the international community for failing to protect the rights of Kosovo's minorities and said the situation was the worst in Europe.
Half the pre-war Serb population fled a wave of revenge attacks after the 1998-99 war. Hundreds more fled Albanian mob riots in March 2004 that killed 19 people.
Kosovo also has Bosniak, Croat, Turk, Ashkalia and Roma minorities, according to the report.
The report said talks on Kosovo's "future status" offered the best hope, but also the greatest danger for peace.
It called for a radical move away from segregation of communities and recommended that minority rights be guaranteed by the rule of law and that all minorities, including women from minority groups, be consulted about their future.
It said Kosovo will need a new constitution and this should guarantee the equality of all citizens and communities and safeguard rights to languages, religions and cultures.
© Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved. | Learn more about Reuters
Finaly some "humanrightist" group is standing for Christians, but sadest is that Christians in part of Serbia (85% Christian country) are proclaimed for minority.
The only reason we helped the Kosovan's were because they were muslim, NATO rained hellfire down on the Serbs when all they were doing is trying to hold their country together; this was a case of the West fighting on the wrong side, Tony Blair should be ashamed of himself!!
Look where it got you Mr Blair, the muslims hated you for helping them and you still can't see it!!
Slobadan Milosevic died an innocent man!
How about clinton? Can't forget billybob.
The problem is that the end of segregation would only hasten the genocide.
"Slobadan Milosevic died an innocent man!"
I'm with you, but, Milo wasn't innocent, that you can be sure. However, neither was Clinton from Bosnia to kosovo and more to come. Milo had a plan of his own.....and that is one reason the Serbian government arrested him. The Serbs did murder POW's, and they did commit some war crimes. They were mostly done by the paramilitaries. There were NO rape camps, nor was there any ethnic cleansing...there was ethnic cleansing and still going on by Albanian extremist.....today...but systematic and not traditional ethnic cleansing. Otherwise, we are agreeing. Reference www.savekosovo.org.....
It didn't happen the first time, so I fail to see how it could happen 'again'.
But Tom, the drama of rape camps was required in order to build up the "Serbs = nazi" mythology so useful idiots like Hoplite can openly display their bigotry.
The sad part is; people actually still believe it.
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