Minister: There'll be no ethnic regions

Albanians should learn how to live with other people. There will never be any ethnic regions in Presevo. A lot of other people live here as well so accept those facts and get on with life.

Keep dreaming, Arta. The north is Serbian and you and your quasi-government cannot do anything to stop it. Try and send your Albanian KPS to Zvecan:)

Kosovo is not a state so do not compare it to Serbia's Presevo issue... you have so much to learn about politics.

Drink Water

Why don't albs give kosovo Serbs ethnic regions then?

Come on my fellow Serbian citizens (mainly of Albanian ethnicity). You guys seem a little distressed and seem to shout a lot. Calm down a little and learn to negotiate and face reality. Remember that Serbians are loyal to Belgrade and do not recognise an independent Kosovo, along with the overwhelming majority of the world. Do you think you will gain control by force, intimidation, threats and so on? Learn to live in peace with your neighbours my fellow citizens.

When I see the actions coming from the temporary institutions in Pristina I can sense much frustration. Remember, it was the US that promised something it cannot deliver and not the Serbians so please don't take it out on us.

Kosovo will never become independent so it's better to negotiate based on reality and put an end to your frustration - which means more than autonomy, less than independence with ethnic Albanian self-rule. Now that is the deal of the century!

"So Serbia can create the RS, but turns down a peaceful resolution???"
Drink Water

Why don't you take a look at how many croats and muslims live in RS and see if you can find any serbs in the Croat/Muslim federation.

Unfortunately, Kosovo WAS designed to be ethnically segmented by the EUrocratic witch-doctors. Even if the Ahtisaari Plan were forced down Mitrovica's throat, Pristina almost immediately loses the direct control of at least 5 municipalities to the Serbs (as if they had control over them in the first place).

Presevo is a different story as it is part of Serbia Proper. Vojvodina isn't ethnically segmented and no one has any real problems living together. Some Albanians want special privileges when it suits them but seek to deny these privileges when it doesn't.

"...Serbia but at the same time they keep pushing for the "RS" province in Bosnia and Herzegovina to have the status of a "SERBIAN Republic".
Balkan Justice

Mr Tadic has said on numerous occasions that Serbia respects the borders of Bosnia so go and lie to someone else. RS was created by your masters the Americans. Complain to them if you have something to say. Besides why shouldn't the Serbs in Bosnia be masters in their own house? You would like muslims to control all of Bosnia so all Christians could be expelled.

So Serbia can create the RS, but turns down a peaceful resolution???
"What" friends do you have left?

"So Serbia can create the RS, but turns down a peaceful resolution???"
Drink Water

Peaceful resolution!!! By setting of bombs and attacking Serb police on Serb territory. You call that a peaceful resolution?

I agree 100%, no Serbian, Turkish or Albanian munis in Kosova!!!

--" Marković also commented on ethnic Albanians' complaints about the presence of the Serbian police (MUP) elite Gendarmerie (Žandarmerija), to say that its officers are present "only in numbers necessary to secure personal safety and property of citizens". "

The same will be valid for the North Kosova very, very soon. Just to secure the personal safety of citizens

There will BE ethnic regions and HOW.

Wait and see.

Hank the tank,

Kosovars of Serb ethnicity need to learn to live with other Kosovars!!!

Wow can the Serbian government be any more hypocritical? It says that there should be "no ethnic regions" in Serbia but at the same time they keep pushing for the "RS" province in Bosnia and Herzegovina to have the status of a "SERBIAN Republic". So it's acceptable for the Serbian government that Bosnian Serbs have an ethnic province (which was created by force) while the Albanians, Bosniaks, and Hungarians living in Serbia can't have their own ethnic provinces created through a democratic agreement. What do they base these double standards on? Can they be any more hypocritical? There should be no ethnic provinces in Bosnia and in Serbia, instead there should be a strong central government (in both countries) which protects all CITIZENS of the state equally regardless of their ethnicity or religious affiliation.

“So it's acceptable for the Serbian government that Bosnian Serbs have an ethnic province (which was created by force) while the Albanians, Bosniaks, and Hungarians living in Serbia can't have their own ethnic provinces”

As Hank pointed out, the Federation in Bosnia has a 2% minority population, and Croatia has even less. If Serbs did not have RS, they probably wouldn’t exist in Bosnia at all, that is why they need it. After the genocide of WWII against the Serbs, you’d better believe they’d fight to protect their lives. Everywhere they lost (Croatia, Federation and most of Kosovo) they are no more.

Presevo has not been ethnically cleansed, nor are there plans to do so.

That being said, Presevo is small. I see no harm in giving the Albanians living there extensive “more than autonomy – less than independence” with a promise to join it with Kosovo once the situation is worked out.

However, the Serbian government is justly concerned that this is just an attempt at carving off more territory. Unfortunately, judging from many of the comments from Albanians here about Macedonia and Montenegro and even Greece, I’d say there’s certainly support to enlarge Albania further any time a government does not fully agree with their demands.

It’s a dangerous situation and we need a solution that works in all countries and for all peoples. Why not divide the Balkans into voting districts in the EU based on ethnicity? It would benefit us both more than anyone else.

Start thinking about the future and not the past. The larger economies in the EU will only benefit from a poor and divided Balkan region.

“Bosnia is a multi-ethnic state and every part of the country needs to be multi-ethnic and needs to ensure that the rights of all CITIZENS are protected equally regardless of their ethnicity or religious affiliation. (BalkanJustice, 8 August 2009 10:01)”

BalkanJustice, RS has a 12% minority population and growing, while the Federation has 2% and shrinking. I was in RS a couple of months ago, and nearly every city and village I visited had brand new Mosques built. If you have complaints about multi-ethnic regions, you should be complaining about the Federation.

I am NOT saying there needs to be an ethnically clean RS, I’m saying that Serbs need an area where they can be safe and free from persecution.

I do feel badly for the way that Bosniaks suffered during the war, for half of it, their allies the Croatians brutally attacked them as well. I’ve seen Mostar with my own eyes, and that was the most destroyed city I personally saw in Bosnia. Where’s your condemnation of the Croatian behavior? They not only carried out crimes against the Bosniaks, but claimed to be their allies as well. Personally, I think Serbs acted with more honor, at least they did not back stab their allies.

“There is absolutely no proof that the well-being of Bosnian Serbs was ever endangered in Serbia.”

I suggest you study WWII a little more. Bosnia was under the Ustashe regime at that time. The Bosniaks allied with the Ustashe. The Ustashe killed hundreds of thousand, possibly a million Serbs in their Death Camps. Look up Petar Brzica and the srbosjek (Serb-cutter). He claims to have killed 1300 Serbs.

Now Tudjman brought back the Ustasha symbols and invited members of the Ustasha regime to return to Croatia and participate in the government and named streets after Ustashe “Heroes”.

Can you imagine how German Jews would feel if there was a return of the Nazi’s? Do you think maybe they would feel endangered? Tudjman’s actions were clearly designed to inflict the greatest amount of fear into the Serbian population of the area.

Unfortunately, the Bosniaks allied themselves with the Croatians.

Regardless of whether you personally felt the Serbs had no reason to fear the Croatians and Bosniaks, the fact is the Federation and Krajina are completely cleansed of Serbs. If they had no reason to fear, why were they cleansed?

The “proof” they were endangered is shown by what actually happened. They were wiped out.

Srebrenica was a disgrace, I acknowledge that. It was wrong, and I strongly disapprove of what happened there. There is no excuse for that kind of war crime. Personally, I don’t care what Oric and his buddies did before that (2,000 Serbs killed), there is no excuse for that kind of crime, period.

I personally worked with Bosniak Humanitarian groups because I wanted to do whatever I could to build bridges between the two communities.

I still think Serbia should be doing all they can to build bridges between her Albanian and Serbian populations.

Unfortunately there are still a large number of people like you who insist on viewing the situation as purely Black & White and that only Serbs committed crimes. There can be no peace until all sides can view the situation objectively and accept blame where blame is due.

There is absolutely no proof that the well-being of Bosnian Serbs was ever endangered in Serbia. If you look at what happened in Bosnia you will discover that it was the Bosnian Serbs who endangered the survival of the Bosniaks and to a lesser degree that of the Bosnian Croats (it is the Bosnian Serbs who committed the Srebrenica Genocide against Bosniak civilians). There never was, currently isn't, and never will be a need for an ethnically Serbian republic within Bosnia and Herzegovina (least of all one created by force). Bosnia is a multi-ethnic state and every part of the country needs to be multi-ethnic and needs to ensure that the rights of all CITIZENS are protected equally regardless of their ethnicity or religious affiliation. The same principle should apply to Serbia as well. There is no need for ethnic provinces within Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia- there is only a need to ensure that all their citizens rights, especially those of minority groups, are protected by the state. There should be NO territorial divisions based on ethnicity or religion, this will only increase tensions and instability.

Kosovars of Serb ethnicity need to learn to live with other Kosovars!!!
(genti, 7 August 2009 13:12)

There is no such race as Kosovar. They are either Serbs or Albanians but not Kosovars.

Show me something which points to a race called Kosovars beside your ridiculous statement.

Kosovars of Serb ethnicity need to learn to live with other Kosovars!!!
(genti, 7 August 2009 13:12)

There is no such race as Kosovar. They are either Serbs or Albanians but not Kosovars.

Show me something which points to a race called Kosovars beside your ridiculous statement.
(Peggy, 8 August 2009 13:54)

Hold your horses, Genti never mentione the word "race". We are all of same race, obviously we are not asians, blacks or hispanics. We are a different nationality, and that is all.

Matthew, can you please list one single international non-governmental or governmental organization that has ever stated that the Bosnian Serbs were in any way endangered in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the 90s (WWII took place too long ago to be relevant in current political discussion)? The only sources that ever state that the Bosnian Serbs are in "danger" are those from Serbia and the "RS", no internationally respected organization or government for that matter has ever come to that conclusion. The Srebrenica Genocide which the Bosnian Serbs carried out against defenseless Bosniak civilians should be enough to convince you that the existence of Bosniaks was in fact endangered since Genocide by definition is the destruction of an entire people. Committing Genocide is not an honorable deed and your claims that the Bosnian Serbs fought with honor are simply baseless and false. Bosnian Serb troops purposefully targeted non-Serb civilians and carried out hundreds of atrocities which have been proven in court. Bosnia and Herzegovina can only function as a multi-ethnic state in which all CITIZENS enjoy the same protections and privileges regardless of their ethnicity or religious affiliation. I believe that the same is true for Serbia since it has substantial amounts of localized ethnic minorities living within its borders. Only by ensuring that all state and local institutions are fully democratic and protect all citizens and residents equally can long term stability and peace be ensured in the Balkans, especially in Bosnia, Serbia, and Kosovo.

Hank the tank,

Kosovars of Serb ethnicity need to learn to live with other Kosovars!!!

I agree 100%, no Serbian, Turkish or Albanian munis in Kosova!!!

--" Marković also commented on ethnic Albanians' complaints about the presence of the Serbian police (MUP) elite Gendarmerie (Žandarmerija), to say that its officers are present "only in numbers necessary to secure personal safety and property of citizens". "

The same will be valid for the North Kosova very, very soon. Just to secure the personal safety of citizens

There will BE ethnic regions and HOW.

Wait and see.

So Serbia can create the RS, but turns down a peaceful resolution???
"What" friends do you have left?

Come on my fellow Serbian citizens (mainly of Albanian ethnicity). You guys seem a little distressed and seem to shout a lot. Calm down a little and learn to negotiate and face reality. Remember that Serbians are loyal to Belgrade and do not recognise an independent Kosovo, along with the overwhelming majority of the world. Do you think you will gain control by force, intimidation, threats and so on? Learn to live in peace with your neighbours my fellow citizens.

When I see the actions coming from the temporary institutions in Pristina I can sense much frustration. Remember, it was the US that promised something it cannot deliver and not the Serbians so please don't take it out on us.

Kosovo will never become independent so it's better to negotiate based on reality and put an end to your frustration - which means more than autonomy, less than independence with ethnic Albanian self-rule. Now that is the deal of the century!

Wow can the Serbian government be any more hypocritical? It says that there should be "no ethnic regions" in Serbia but at the same time they keep pushing for the "RS" province in Bosnia and Herzegovina to have the status of a "SERBIAN Republic". So it's acceptable for the Serbian government that Bosnian Serbs have an ethnic province (which was created by force) while the Albanians, Bosniaks, and Hungarians living in Serbia can't have their own ethnic provinces created through a democratic agreement. What do they base these double standards on? Can they be any more hypocritical? There should be no ethnic provinces in Bosnia and in Serbia, instead there should be a strong central government (in both countries) which protects all CITIZENS of the state equally regardless of their ethnicity or religious affiliation.

Keep dreaming, Arta. The north is Serbian and you and your quasi-government cannot do anything to stop it. Try and send your Albanian KPS to Zvecan:)

Kosovo is not a state so do not compare it to Serbia's Presevo issue... you have so much to learn about politics.

"So Serbia can create the RS, but turns down a peaceful resolution???"
Drink Water

Why don't you take a look at how many croats and muslims live in RS and see if you can find any serbs in the Croat/Muslim federation.

"...Serbia but at the same time they keep pushing for the "RS" province in Bosnia and Herzegovina to have the status of a "SERBIAN Republic".
Balkan Justice

Mr Tadic has said on numerous occasions that Serbia respects the borders of Bosnia so go and lie to someone else. RS was created by your masters the Americans. Complain to them if you have something to say. Besides why shouldn't the Serbs in Bosnia be masters in their own house? You would like muslims to control all of Bosnia so all Christians could be expelled.

Drink Water

Why don't albs give kosovo Serbs ethnic regions then?

There is absolutely no proof that the well-being of Bosnian Serbs was ever endangered in Serbia. If you look at what happened in Bosnia you will discover that it was the Bosnian Serbs who endangered the survival of the Bosniaks and to a lesser degree that of the Bosnian Croats (it is the Bosnian Serbs who committed the Srebrenica Genocide against Bosniak civilians). There never was, currently isn't, and never will be a need for an ethnically Serbian republic within Bosnia and Herzegovina (least of all one created by force). Bosnia is a multi-ethnic state and every part of the country needs to be multi-ethnic and needs to ensure that the rights of all CITIZENS are protected equally regardless of their ethnicity or religious affiliation. The same principle should apply to Serbia as well. There is no need for ethnic provinces within Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia- there is only a need to ensure that all their citizens rights, especially those of minority groups, are protected by the state. There should be NO territorial divisions based on ethnicity or religion, this will only increase tensions and instability.

Unfortunately, Kosovo WAS designed to be ethnically segmented by the EUrocratic witch-doctors. Even if the Ahtisaari Plan were forced down Mitrovica's throat, Pristina almost immediately loses the direct control of at least 5 municipalities to the Serbs (as if they had control over them in the first place).

Presevo is a different story as it is part of Serbia Proper. Vojvodina isn't ethnically segmented and no one has any real problems living together. Some Albanians want special privileges when it suits them but seek to deny these privileges when it doesn't.

"So Serbia can create the RS, but turns down a peaceful resolution???"
Drink Water

Peaceful resolution!!! By setting of bombs and attacking Serb police on Serb territory. You call that a peaceful resolution?

Kosovars of Serb ethnicity need to learn to live with other Kosovars!!!
(genti, 7 August 2009 13:12)

There is no such race as Kosovar. They are either Serbs or Albanians but not Kosovars.

Show me something which points to a race called Kosovars beside your ridiculous statement.

Albanians should learn how to live with other people. There will never be any ethnic regions in Presevo. A lot of other people live here as well so accept those facts and get on with life.

Matthew, can you please list one single international non-governmental or governmental organization that has ever stated that the Bosnian Serbs were in any way endangered in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the 90s (WWII took place too long ago to be relevant in current political discussion)? The only sources that ever state that the Bosnian Serbs are in "danger" are those from Serbia and the "RS", no internationally respected organization or government for that matter has ever come to that conclusion. The Srebrenica Genocide which the Bosnian Serbs carried out against defenseless Bosniak civilians should be enough to convince you that the existence of Bosniaks was in fact endangered since Genocide by definition is the destruction of an entire people. Committing Genocide is not an honorable deed and your claims that the Bosnian Serbs fought with honor are simply baseless and false. Bosnian Serb troops purposefully targeted non-Serb civilians and carried out hundreds of atrocities which have been proven in court. Bosnia and Herzegovina can only function as a multi-ethnic state in which all CITIZENS enjoy the same protections and privileges regardless of their ethnicity or religious affiliation. I believe that the same is true for Serbia since it has substantial amounts of localized ethnic minorities living within its borders. Only by ensuring that all state and local institutions are fully democratic and protect all citizens and residents equally can long term stability and peace be ensured in the Balkans, especially in Bosnia, Serbia, and Kosovo.

“So it's acceptable for the Serbian government that Bosnian Serbs have an ethnic province (which was created by force) while the Albanians, Bosniaks, and Hungarians living in Serbia can't have their own ethnic provinces”

As Hank pointed out, the Federation in Bosnia has a 2% minority population, and Croatia has even less. If Serbs did not have RS, they probably wouldn’t exist in Bosnia at all, that is why they need it. After the genocide of WWII against the Serbs, you’d better believe they’d fight to protect their lives. Everywhere they lost (Croatia, Federation and most of Kosovo) they are no more.

Presevo has not been ethnically cleansed, nor are there plans to do so.

That being said, Presevo is small. I see no harm in giving the Albanians living there extensive “more than autonomy – less than independence” with a promise to join it with Kosovo once the situation is worked out.

However, the Serbian government is justly concerned that this is just an attempt at carving off more territory. Unfortunately, judging from many of the comments from Albanians here about Macedonia and Montenegro and even Greece, I’d say there’s certainly support to enlarge Albania further any time a government does not fully agree with their demands.

It’s a dangerous situation and we need a solution that works in all countries and for all peoples. Why not divide the Balkans into voting districts in the EU based on ethnicity? It would benefit us both more than anyone else.

Start thinking about the future and not the past. The larger economies in the EU will only benefit from a poor and divided Balkan region.

Kosovars of Serb ethnicity need to learn to live with other Kosovars!!!
(genti, 7 August 2009 13:12)

There is no such race as Kosovar. They are either Serbs or Albanians but not Kosovars.

Show me something which points to a race called Kosovars beside your ridiculous statement.
(Peggy, 8 August 2009 13:54)

Hold your horses, Genti never mentione the word "race". We are all of same race, obviously we are not asians, blacks or hispanics. We are a different nationality, and that is all.

“Bosnia is a multi-ethnic state and every part of the country needs to be multi-ethnic and needs to ensure that the rights of all CITIZENS are protected equally regardless of their ethnicity or religious affiliation. (BalkanJustice, 8 August 2009 10:01)”

BalkanJustice, RS has a 12% minority population and growing, while the Federation has 2% and shrinking. I was in RS a couple of months ago, and nearly every city and village I visited had brand new Mosques built. If you have complaints about multi-ethnic regions, you should be complaining about the Federation.

I am NOT saying there needs to be an ethnically clean RS, I’m saying that Serbs need an area where they can be safe and free from persecution.

I do feel badly for the way that Bosniaks suffered during the war, for half of it, their allies the Croatians brutally attacked them as well. I’ve seen Mostar with my own eyes, and that was the most destroyed city I personally saw in Bosnia. Where’s your condemnation of the Croatian behavior? They not only carried out crimes against the Bosniaks, but claimed to be their allies as well. Personally, I think Serbs acted with more honor, at least they did not back stab their allies.

“There is absolutely no proof that the well-being of Bosnian Serbs was ever endangered in Serbia.”

I suggest you study WWII a little more. Bosnia was under the Ustashe regime at that time. The Bosniaks allied with the Ustashe. The Ustashe killed hundreds of thousand, possibly a million Serbs in their Death Camps. Look up Petar Brzica and the srbosjek (Serb-cutter). He claims to have killed 1300 Serbs.

Now Tudjman brought back the Ustasha symbols and invited members of the Ustasha regime to return to Croatia and participate in the government and named streets after Ustashe “Heroes”.

Can you imagine how German Jews would feel if there was a return of the Nazi’s? Do you think maybe they would feel endangered? Tudjman’s actions were clearly designed to inflict the greatest amount of fear into the Serbian population of the area.

Unfortunately, the Bosniaks allied themselves with the Croatians.

Regardless of whether you personally felt the Serbs had no reason to fear the Croatians and Bosniaks, the fact is the Federation and Krajina are completely cleansed of Serbs. If they had no reason to fear, why were they cleansed?

The “proof” they were endangered is shown by what actually happened. They were wiped out.

Srebrenica was a disgrace, I acknowledge that. It was wrong, and I strongly disapprove of what happened there. There is no excuse for that kind of war crime. Personally, I don’t care what Oric and his buddies did before that (2,000 Serbs killed), there is no excuse for that kind of crime, period.

I personally worked with Bosniak Humanitarian groups because I wanted to do whatever I could to build bridges between the two communities.

I still think Serbia should be doing all they can to build bridges between her Albanian and Serbian populations.

Unfortunately there are still a large number of people like you who insist on viewing the situation as purely Black & White and that only Serbs committed crimes. There can be no peace until all sides can view the situation objectively and accept blame where blame is due.