Ethnic Albanian officials upset over courts

So much for a civilized, democratic, international law respecting, human rights respecting, minority rights respecting Serbia. And those Albanians are working under Serbian law, and they want to have a Serbian court there. What if they did what Serbs in Mitrovica are doing? And then you wonder why the Albanians in Kosovo do not want to live under Serbian rule, the answer has always been obvious. Serbs do not respect Albanians, period! Which they never did.

You are in Serbia! Respect and accept that and stop trying to destabilize this part of Serbia as well. Presevo, just like Kosovo, will never become part of great talialbania.

Serbian kids in Kosovo can`t go to school without armed guards protecting them and here albanians are crying about their rights in Serbia.
Serbia should adapt
USA model-english is official language, get translators if you don`t speak the language.
Problem solved,albanians will cry rivers but who cares-they are treated 100% better than Serbs in Kosovo any day.

According to the latest US census, 47 million Americans - one in five - speak a language other than English at home.
(Jovan R., 20 January 2010 17:15)
That`s right-at home.10% of hispanics in Florida, California and the rest of USA don`t even bother learning english,but they will get information in their language(for tax purposes).Some 50 million hispanics can only dream of public schools in hispanic let alone anything judicial.
Albanians had it too good for too long in Serbia.They are more albanians in NY than in all Presevo valley.I`m sure they won`t find albanian speaking college in NY,or albanian speaking courts only,but hand full of them would ask Serbia to obey their wishes.
Please ..

This is another prove that nothing can function under Serbian nationalist/selfish law.

Rational Serbs are gradually beginning to realise that it is no surprise that no nation in the Balkans would like to have anything to do with the serbs.

Serbia is in trasition period from 1876 to present, and I see no end in sight. Reforming will require time, and for Serbia that means centuries.

Presevo valley will invitably unite with Kosovo,...it is NOT IF ...BUT WHEN

This is not going to strengthen the Serbian case for hanging on to Kosovo. If they had any sense they would ensure that the valley Albanians were among the happiest and most prosperous people in the country. Then K-Albanians might question their recent choices. This way, they are only giving credibility to extremists.

"It relates to this community’s right to have courts in their language, he explained." PRN - "This is another prove that nothing can function under Serbian nationalist/selfish law."

Why Serbia must have courts in different languages is beyond me. Maybe PRN can scream and shout like a baby in Germany, the US and UK and demand Albanians also have the right to Albanian language judges (or any other language for that matter). the simple fact is that these "most democratic" countries in all the world, in PRN's view (and many Albanians), conduct their justice system in THEIR OWN language, i.e. English in the UK and US and German in Germany. There are NO EXCEPTIONS. So we can take this for what it really is - Albanian ultranationalism trying to cause yet more trouble. Pity they don't have the intelligence to work out that nobody else is playing ball - must be that rubbish education sytem in Serbia!

rty "This way, they are only giving credibility to extremists." The Albanians like all extremists use BS ideas to justify their means, similar to Hitler blaming the Jews for all of Germany's problems. The problem isn't Serbia, it's the citizens of Albanian ethnicity.

Jovan R (A.N.Other Albanian) "The government's job is to serve the citizens' needs, not to make their lives more difficult or to force them to change their cultural identity." I agree that it's the govt's job to serve it's citizens but Serbia is simply following the model of the US where court proceedings are conducted in the local language, i.e. English in the US and Serbian in Serbia. Can you explain how Serbia is destroying Albanian cultural identity with Serbian language courts, if the US isn't doing the same with it's ethnicminorities?

> Serbia should adapt USA model - English is
> official language

Actually, that is wrong. The USA does not have a single national "official language". Official documents in the US, including election ballots, announcements about public schools or other public services, etc. are printed not only in English, but in a number of other languages, ranging from Spanish and French to Chinese and Navajo. According to the latest US census, 47 million Americans - one in five - speak a language other than English at home. The government's job is to serve the citizens' needs, not to make their lives more difficult or to force them to change their cultural identity.

We dont recognize Serbia as a State.Preseva and Albanians were there long before any one heard about Serbs.The last comer always goes the first.Just give the Srbs more rope so they can hang them selvs.

“Official documents in the US, including election ballots, announcements about public schools or other public services, etc. are printed not only in English, but in a number of other languages (Jovan R., 20 January 2010 17:15)”

Jovan you don’t seem to be familiar with English only laws. It’s the latest trendy thing we do here to alienate our minorities. I also sort of wondered if that meant LA would have to change their name to “City of Angels”?

John is correct, you use translators in court, no courts conducted in Spanish for example.

Regardless, I agree with rty, flower the Ablanian minority in Presevo et al, with milk and honey, it could only help the situation.

Some of the Albanians went to New York from the Albanian region in the Balkans.In Presheva Albanians are in their land and if anyone came to Presheva is your gov of Serbia and if they want to learn Albanian let them learn if not go to Belgrade were they speak Russian.

> There are NO EXCEPTIONS

Actually, what you call "exceptions" is the norm in many countries in Europe.

As just one example: in the largely German-speaking Alto Adige region of northern Italy, the language used by the parties in a court case automatically becomes the language of the court proceedings. German is always used when the person addressing the court is unable correctly to express himself or herself in the language of the State. When the parties speak different languages and insist on the use of their own language, the proceedings are conducted in both languages, with translation where necessary. Citizens also have the right to communicate with the regional authorities in their own language. The regional authorities are fully bilingual, as are any important documents. From an administrative point of view, either German or Italian is used and minutes are drawn up in one or the other of these languages.

The Italian Government has taken steps at various levels to promote German as a language of administration at the regional level. Regional and local authorities have taken similar steps. German/Italian bilingualism is usually de rigueur in public services such as telephone services, health, electricity, postal services and the police.

In 2005, Serbia ratified the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, a European treaty (CETS 148) adopted in 1992 under the auspices of the Council of Europe.

http://conventions.coe.int/treaty/en/Treaties/Html/148.htm

Under Article 9 of this European treaty, the State undertakes the obligation

-- to provide that the courts, at the request of one of the parties, shall conduct the proceedings in the regional or minority languages; and/or

-- to guarantee the accused the right to use his/her regional or minority language; and/or

-- to provide that requests and evidence, whether written or oral, shall not be considered inadmissible solely because they are formulated in a regional or minority language; and/or

-- to produce, on request, documents connected with legal proceedings in the relevant regional or minority language,

The ethnic Albanian residents of the Preševo valley of southern Serbia are entitled to the same rights that ethnic minorities living in many other European countries have as a matter of course.

"An employee of the notary office who spoke both Serbia and Albanian and had a community college degree was sacked, this politician continued, while another, a Serb, was hired instead – “who only finished high school and whose [previous]job still active”."

This sounds to me like 80s in Kosova/o, then you'll come back and blame Albanians again for the outcome of your systematic radicalism oppression against your citizens even tought they have accepted to integrate.
I'm wondering how difficult is for somebody to learn from the past mistakes.

# So much for a civilized, democratic, international law respecting, human rights respecting, minority rights respecting Serbia. And those Albanians are working under Serbian law, and they want to have a Serbian court there. What if they did what Serbs in Mitrovica are doing? And then you wonder why the Albanians in Kosovo do not want to live under Serbian rule, the answer has always been obvious. Serbs do not respect Albanians, period! Which they never did.
(fez, 20 January 2010 13:24)

yes, fez, i agree with you. the govt. in blgd needs to work with these minorities and not just steamroll over them. some people here are demanding "full autonomy" for serbian-majority areas in kosovo/a, which i disagree with -- they need to follow the laws of kosovo/a but still with a degree of autonomy. there needs to be some kind of compromise. also in serbia, a supposedly democratic, pluralistic society (or so we're always being told here.)

and yes, in the US we experiment with a variety of compromises, and some work, some are abandoned. here in frisco, it is not just trilingual ballots (i always work the elections) but a range of protocols for non-english voters, incl a special phone help-line that we and they can access. we really do try to make multi-culturalism and full accessibility work, not just mumble the words.

it is that way, to a greater or lesser degree, around the world.

anyway, greetings to the people of presevo and related areas, just in case any of you are reading this :))

robert-o
frisco

Talk about hypocrisy when speaking of Serbia, be it of international law or of minority rights.

Some 50 million hispanics can only dream of public schools in hispanic let alone anything judicial.
Albanians had it too good for too long in Serbia.They are more albanians in NY than in all Presevo valley.I`m sure they won`t find albanian speaking college in NY,or albanian speaking courts only,but hand full of them would ask Serbia to obey their wishes.
Please ..
(john, 20 January 2010 18:14)


"John",
Unlike the Albanians in NY, those in Presevo Valley are living in the homes of their ancestors.
Don't forget that Serbia is aiming to join EU and not the United States so instead of bringing meaningless comparisons from overseas, it serves you better to read the conditions on minority rights that come with the EU membership.

>anyway, greetings to the people of presevo and related areas......

Bless your tiny heart. Its good you're friendly after so much anti Serb poison. Greetings back to you I guess! Drinks are next I hope not??Anyway about the article. Albanians trying to put politics in everything, fair enough. But it wont work. The court thing is just about saving money. World economic crisis, less administration its happening all over Serbia.
Albanians right to Albanian language that goes without saying. Who's even discussing it? They have it and all other rights. What they cant do is commit crimes including terrorism and anticonstitutional acts. Which they tend to do unfortunately. But lets hope its all in the past!

You are in Serbia! Respect and accept that and stop trying to destabilize this part of Serbia as well. Presevo, just like Kosovo, will never become part of great talialbania.

We dont recognize Serbia as a State.Preseva and Albanians were there long before any one heard about Serbs.The last comer always goes the first.Just give the Srbs more rope so they can hang them selvs.

This is another prove that nothing can function under Serbian nationalist/selfish law.

Rational Serbs are gradually beginning to realise that it is no surprise that no nation in the Balkans would like to have anything to do with the serbs.

Serbia is in trasition period from 1876 to present, and I see no end in sight. Reforming will require time, and for Serbia that means centuries.

Presevo valley will invitably unite with Kosovo,...it is NOT IF ...BUT WHEN

So much for a civilized, democratic, international law respecting, human rights respecting, minority rights respecting Serbia. And those Albanians are working under Serbian law, and they want to have a Serbian court there. What if they did what Serbs in Mitrovica are doing? And then you wonder why the Albanians in Kosovo do not want to live under Serbian rule, the answer has always been obvious. Serbs do not respect Albanians, period! Which they never did.

Serbian kids in Kosovo can`t go to school without armed guards protecting them and here albanians are crying about their rights in Serbia.
Serbia should adapt
USA model-english is official language, get translators if you don`t speak the language.
Problem solved,albanians will cry rivers but who cares-they are treated 100% better than Serbs in Kosovo any day.

Some of the Albanians went to New York from the Albanian region in the Balkans.In Presheva Albanians are in their land and if anyone came to Presheva is your gov of Serbia and if they want to learn Albanian let them learn if not go to Belgrade were they speak Russian.

This is not going to strengthen the Serbian case for hanging on to Kosovo. If they had any sense they would ensure that the valley Albanians were among the happiest and most prosperous people in the country. Then K-Albanians might question their recent choices. This way, they are only giving credibility to extremists.

"It relates to this community’s right to have courts in their language, he explained." PRN - "This is another prove that nothing can function under Serbian nationalist/selfish law."

Why Serbia must have courts in different languages is beyond me. Maybe PRN can scream and shout like a baby in Germany, the US and UK and demand Albanians also have the right to Albanian language judges (or any other language for that matter). the simple fact is that these "most democratic" countries in all the world, in PRN's view (and many Albanians), conduct their justice system in THEIR OWN language, i.e. English in the UK and US and German in Germany. There are NO EXCEPTIONS. So we can take this for what it really is - Albanian ultranationalism trying to cause yet more trouble. Pity they don't have the intelligence to work out that nobody else is playing ball - must be that rubbish education sytem in Serbia!

rty "This way, they are only giving credibility to extremists." The Albanians like all extremists use BS ideas to justify their means, similar to Hitler blaming the Jews for all of Germany's problems. The problem isn't Serbia, it's the citizens of Albanian ethnicity.

Jovan R (A.N.Other Albanian) "The government's job is to serve the citizens' needs, not to make their lives more difficult or to force them to change their cultural identity." I agree that it's the govt's job to serve it's citizens but Serbia is simply following the model of the US where court proceedings are conducted in the local language, i.e. English in the US and Serbian in Serbia. Can you explain how Serbia is destroying Albanian cultural identity with Serbian language courts, if the US isn't doing the same with it's ethnicminorities?

Some 50 million hispanics can only dream of public schools in hispanic let alone anything judicial.
Albanians had it too good for too long in Serbia.They are more albanians in NY than in all Presevo valley.I`m sure they won`t find albanian speaking college in NY,or albanian speaking courts only,but hand full of them would ask Serbia to obey their wishes.
Please ..
(john, 20 January 2010 18:14)


"John",
Unlike the Albanians in NY, those in Presevo Valley are living in the homes of their ancestors.
Don't forget that Serbia is aiming to join EU and not the United States so instead of bringing meaningless comparisons from overseas, it serves you better to read the conditions on minority rights that come with the EU membership.

> Serbia should adapt USA model - English is
> official language

Actually, that is wrong. The USA does not have a single national "official language". Official documents in the US, including election ballots, announcements about public schools or other public services, etc. are printed not only in English, but in a number of other languages, ranging from Spanish and French to Chinese and Navajo. According to the latest US census, 47 million Americans - one in five - speak a language other than English at home. The government's job is to serve the citizens' needs, not to make their lives more difficult or to force them to change their cultural identity.

Talk about hypocrisy when speaking of Serbia, be it of international law or of minority rights.

According to the latest US census, 47 million Americans - one in five - speak a language other than English at home.
(Jovan R., 20 January 2010 17:15)
That`s right-at home.10% of hispanics in Florida, California and the rest of USA don`t even bother learning english,but they will get information in their language(for tax purposes).Some 50 million hispanics can only dream of public schools in hispanic let alone anything judicial.
Albanians had it too good for too long in Serbia.They are more albanians in NY than in all Presevo valley.I`m sure they won`t find albanian speaking college in NY,or albanian speaking courts only,but hand full of them would ask Serbia to obey their wishes.
Please ..

"An employee of the notary office who spoke both Serbia and Albanian and had a community college degree was sacked, this politician continued, while another, a Serb, was hired instead – “who only finished high school and whose [previous]job still active”."

This sounds to me like 80s in Kosova/o, then you'll come back and blame Albanians again for the outcome of your systematic radicalism oppression against your citizens even tought they have accepted to integrate.
I'm wondering how difficult is for somebody to learn from the past mistakes.

# So much for a civilized, democratic, international law respecting, human rights respecting, minority rights respecting Serbia. And those Albanians are working under Serbian law, and they want to have a Serbian court there. What if they did what Serbs in Mitrovica are doing? And then you wonder why the Albanians in Kosovo do not want to live under Serbian rule, the answer has always been obvious. Serbs do not respect Albanians, period! Which they never did.
(fez, 20 January 2010 13:24)

yes, fez, i agree with you. the govt. in blgd needs to work with these minorities and not just steamroll over them. some people here are demanding "full autonomy" for serbian-majority areas in kosovo/a, which i disagree with -- they need to follow the laws of kosovo/a but still with a degree of autonomy. there needs to be some kind of compromise. also in serbia, a supposedly democratic, pluralistic society (or so we're always being told here.)

and yes, in the US we experiment with a variety of compromises, and some work, some are abandoned. here in frisco, it is not just trilingual ballots (i always work the elections) but a range of protocols for non-english voters, incl a special phone help-line that we and they can access. we really do try to make multi-culturalism and full accessibility work, not just mumble the words.

it is that way, to a greater or lesser degree, around the world.

anyway, greetings to the people of presevo and related areas, just in case any of you are reading this :))

robert-o
frisco

>anyway, greetings to the people of presevo and related areas......

Bless your tiny heart. Its good you're friendly after so much anti Serb poison. Greetings back to you I guess! Drinks are next I hope not??Anyway about the article. Albanians trying to put politics in everything, fair enough. But it wont work. The court thing is just about saving money. World economic crisis, less administration its happening all over Serbia.
Albanians right to Albanian language that goes without saying. Who's even discussing it? They have it and all other rights. What they cant do is commit crimes including terrorism and anticonstitutional acts. Which they tend to do unfortunately. But lets hope its all in the past!

“Official documents in the US, including election ballots, announcements about public schools or other public services, etc. are printed not only in English, but in a number of other languages (Jovan R., 20 January 2010 17:15)”

Jovan you don’t seem to be familiar with English only laws. It’s the latest trendy thing we do here to alienate our minorities. I also sort of wondered if that meant LA would have to change their name to “City of Angels”?

John is correct, you use translators in court, no courts conducted in Spanish for example.

Regardless, I agree with rty, flower the Ablanian minority in Presevo et al, with milk and honey, it could only help the situation.

> There are NO EXCEPTIONS

Actually, what you call "exceptions" is the norm in many countries in Europe.

As just one example: in the largely German-speaking Alto Adige region of northern Italy, the language used by the parties in a court case automatically becomes the language of the court proceedings. German is always used when the person addressing the court is unable correctly to express himself or herself in the language of the State. When the parties speak different languages and insist on the use of their own language, the proceedings are conducted in both languages, with translation where necessary. Citizens also have the right to communicate with the regional authorities in their own language. The regional authorities are fully bilingual, as are any important documents. From an administrative point of view, either German or Italian is used and minutes are drawn up in one or the other of these languages.

The Italian Government has taken steps at various levels to promote German as a language of administration at the regional level. Regional and local authorities have taken similar steps. German/Italian bilingualism is usually de rigueur in public services such as telephone services, health, electricity, postal services and the police.

In 2005, Serbia ratified the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, a European treaty (CETS 148) adopted in 1992 under the auspices of the Council of Europe.

http://conventions.coe.int/treaty/en/Treaties/Html/148.htm

Under Article 9 of this European treaty, the State undertakes the obligation

-- to provide that the courts, at the request of one of the parties, shall conduct the proceedings in the regional or minority languages; and/or

-- to guarantee the accused the right to use his/her regional or minority language; and/or

-- to provide that requests and evidence, whether written or oral, shall not be considered inadmissible solely because they are formulated in a regional or minority language; and/or

-- to produce, on request, documents connected with legal proceedings in the relevant regional or minority language,

The ethnic Albanian residents of the Preševo valley of southern Serbia are entitled to the same rights that ethnic minorities living in many other European countries have as a matter of course.