"Monastery decision won't improve security"

The minister for Kosovo says the KFOR decision to turn over the protection of Serbian Orthodox monasteries to the Kosovo police, KPS, will not improve security.

Izvor: B92

Friday, 06.08.2010.

09:51

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The minister for Kosovo says the KFOR decision to turn over the protection of Serbian Orthodox monasteries to the Kosovo police, KPS, will not improve security. The move will breed more uncertainty and mistrust among Kosovo Serbs, Goran Bogdanovic stated on Thursday, when the security of the Gracanica monastery near a Serb enclave in central Kosovo was entrusted to KPS. "Monastery decision won't improve security" Bogdanovic noted that KFOR's decision, made without the consent of Belgrade and the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC), "encourages Pristina to keep making unilateral moves and is an attempt to paint the poor security situation in the southern Serbian province in a much better light before the world". The Serbian Orthodox Church said yesterday that the security of the churches and monasteries given to KPS to guard will be at risk, as will the safety of the clergy. The Church said that it did not give its consent to the decision described as politically motivated, and aimed at promoting the supposed improvement of the security situation and obscure the truth about serious violations of human and religious rights of Serbs in Kosovo. The statement also said that the Church will now be forced to secure its holy places by introducing a stricter regime toward visitors, and by putting in place "new walls, and barbed wire". The Serb Orthodox Christian shrines in the province, many dating back to medieval times, and some on the UNESCO World Heritage list, have been targeted by ethnic Albanians in 1999 and 2004, and were for this reason placed under KFOR's protection. A view of the SPC monastery of Gracanica (Beta)

"Monastery decision won't improve security"

Bogdanović noted that KFOR's decision, made without the consent of Belgrade and the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC), "encourages Priština to keep making unilateral moves and is an attempt to paint the poor security situation in the southern Serbian province in a much better light before the world".

The Serbian Orthodox Church said yesterday that the security of the churches and monasteries given to KPS to guard will be at risk, as will the safety of the clergy.

The Church said that it did not give its consent to the decision described as politically motivated, and aimed at promoting the supposed improvement of the security situation and obscure the truth about serious violations of human and religious rights of Serbs in Kosovo.

The statement also said that the Church will now be forced to secure its holy places by introducing a stricter regime toward visitors, and by putting in place "new walls, and barbed wire".

The Serb Orthodox Christian shrines in the province, many dating back to medieval times, and some on the UNESCO World Heritage list, have been targeted by ethnic Albanians in 1999 and 2004, and were for this reason placed under KFOR's protection.

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