| Customs protests continue in north Kosovo |
| 26 June 2009 | 10:27
| Source:
B92 |
LEPOSAVIĆ --
Leposavić and Zubin Potok residents in north Kosovo are continuing a blockade of roads in protest of the new customs control at administrative crossings.
The road will be blocked until EULEX changes its decision for implementing customs on the administrative line with central Serbia, protesters say.
This action by the Serbs in north Kosovo does not have the backing of officiall Belgrade.
Residents of Leposavić and Zubin Potok that have been organizing the protests since Monday have been joined by people from Kosovska Mitrovica and Zvečane as well.
Citizens, businesspeople and transporters have threatened that they will continue protesting until the customs are abolished.
“The municipal assembly in the north has passed a decision related to the customs that have been introduced, stating that it will not allow customs to be set up on those crossings in any circumstances. The people are on the street and want to show in this way that we will not accept the implementation of customs in any way that would separate us from Serbia,” Serb official in north Kosovo Časlav Sofronijević said.
The Ministry for Kosovo criticized the way in which Serbs in north Kosovo are protesting, stating that it is a promotion of the personal political interests of individuals.
Minister for Kosovo Goran Bogdanović called on dialogue and cooperation for solving the problem.
“The Serbian government does not support this form of disobedience by the people. The moment that customs start being charged at gates 1 and 2 without Serbia’s go-ahead, I will be the first to stand and protest,” Bogdanović said.
Participators in the protest reminded that the fact that they refuse to go to the customs terminals in south Kosovska Mitrovica, which EULEX is telling them to go to, does not mean that Bogdanović’s claims that there are no customs are true.
EULEX introduced measures at the Jarinje and Brnjak crossings on May 20 that are meant to help stop smuggling activities by requesting photocopies of personal identification cards and driver’s licenses from truck drivers who are transporting products, also calling for paperwork that states what kind of products are being brought in and how much they are worth.
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