[A-PAL] A-PAL NEWSLETTER AUG 21, 2001

[Alice Mead]

ALBANIAN PRISONER ADVOCACY (A-PAL)
AUGUST 21, 2001

  A-PAL STATEMENT: HAEKKERUP, DJINDIC, AND KOSTUNICA TO BLAME FOR NOT 
TAKING STEPS TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM OF MISSING AND DETAINED, FAILING 
TO RESTORE BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE REGION.

The NATO war of 1999 was fought to restore human rights and civil 
justice to Kosova and ultimnately Serbia. Yet the Kumanovo Agreement 
left civilians on the ground in Kosova, Albanian prisoners, Roma, 
Serbs, in grave danger. No basic human rights protections were 
established in that agreement. For the first three months after the 
war, there was no rule of law in Kosova. There were robberies, 
looting, arson, abductions, murders. 2,300 Albanian prisoners 
abruptly disappeared. Now the people on the ground are left 
traumatized and uncertain, still trying to sort out and resolve the 
results of these painful crimes. In that sense, the abduction and 
ongoing detention of the prisoners and the fate of the missing is the 
same.

Leadership and resources have changed greatly in Kosova and Serbia 
since 1999. But UNMIK and the FRY and Serb government have completely 
failed to make resolving these issues their top priority, despite 
willingly receiving millions of dollars in financial aid, supposedly 
contingent on restoring justice, lawfulness, and human rights. Under 
Kostunica's government, only about 300 Albanian prisoners have 
received amnesty. The other 230 have been denied release by the same 
courts that Milosevic falsely set up during his unilateral transfer 
of "Serbian courts" from Kosovo to Serbia. Haekkerup has never 
challenged the role of these false courts. No one else has either. 
Yet these falsely created courts defy international law, UN law, the 
Kumanovo Agreement, and other international laws. This is an 
astounding piece of fiction that has continued unchecked during the 
Kostunica government. Djindic's efforts to release the prisoners is 
no better. But then, neither is Colin Powell or Tony Blair's.

At the same time, no world leaders have led the way in resolving the 
painful matter of missing. Various committees here and there have 
sprung up in response to demonstrations, but it is an issue that, 
like the prisoner situation, must receive top priority from ALL 
involved to be resolved. The US has a special role in this problem. 
Having led the way in war, it should be prepared to lead the way in 
peace. That means letting people illegally detained or still in camps 
go home. It means there must be a comprehensive approach from heads 
of state to the smallest villages in locating and determining what 
happened to the missing.

_________________________________________________________________

>              FROM WOLFGANG PLARRE, European A-PAL :
>>
>><#RETURN AND EQUAL CIVIL RIGHTS FOR ALL IN KOSOVO
>>
>>  Please think about:
>>Of the thousands of missing persons from Kosov@ the remain of at 
>>least 230 is known since two years: they are yet detained in 
>>Serbian jails, among them Albin Kurti.
>>
>>Release the about 100 political Albanian prisoners !
>>Transfer the 130 Albanian prisoners convicted for ordinary crime to 
>>prisons in Kosov@ !
>>Faciliate the possibilities of their relatives and friends to visit 
>>them in the jails - without any discrimination and abuse.
>>
>>Some very ugly 'things' happened to them in the past.
>>
>>THERE IS A NEW CAMPAIGN DEMANDING INCREASED EFFORT BY UNMIK, KFOR, 
>>NATO COUNTRIES, AND SERB AUTHORITIES TO PROVIDE ANSWERS REGARDING 
>>MISSING AND DETAINED FROM THE 1999 NATO WAR. FURTHER INFO. ON THIS 
>>EFFORT AND A COPY OF A PETITION CAN BE FOUND AT THE WEBSITE OF 
>>WOLFGANG PLARRE and Grupa 484, email wplarre at bndlg.de.



>>from the petition to Restore Peace and Justice In Kosovo:
>>
>>"IN RECENT YEARS, THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT ETHNIC AND 
>>RELIGIOUS BACKGROUNDS HAVE GONE MISSING IN KOSOVO!
>>
>>Watched helplessly by their loved ones, they were mercilessly taken 
>>away and the fate of most of them remains unknown to date. The pain 
>>of their families is the same and SO MUST BE THE EFFORTS to find 
>>them regardless of whether they are Serbs, Albanians, Roma, 
>>Ashkali, Muslims, Gorani or other. They deserve to be found and 
>>either decently buried or released. The families of the missing are 
>>seeking only truth and justice!"
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