Kosovo Ministry official on enclave crime

Kosovo Ministry official Oliver Ivanovic has criticized the international community on the anniversary of the murder of two Serb boys in Kosovo. Ivanovic says he was disappointed that seven years after the murders in the Serb enclave of Gorazdevac there was "clearly an unrealistic perception that the international community can and wants to do everything to bring law and order to Kosovo and Metohija". Kosovo Ministry official on enclave crime "It seems to me they neither had the good will, nor did they even insist on this issue, because beside this crime, I also insist on the Staro Gacko crime, the planting of a bomb near Podujevo in 2001, and the murder of the Stolic family in Obilic. None of these crimes received a serious investigation, nor indictments," said he. Most often, the cases are hushed up, Ivanovic believes, and adds that he "cannot escape the impression that this was done on purpose". "Finding out who perpetrated the crimes, I guess, would bring into question the reasons for the (1999 NATO) bombing, the intervention, and the good will of the international community that arrived (in Kosovo) in 1999," said he, and accused "the international community" of fitting into the trend of covering up cases. "A trend was in set, they thought about it and just fitted into the general trend in Kosovo and Metohija of covering up. Police cannot have any serious results unless they have cooperation with the local community, and they never managed to influence the Kosovo (Albanian) leaders to start this initiative," Ivanovic told B92. The reason for this, he believes, is that ethnic Albanians "do not want it": "The dominant opinion they have had since 1999 is that thy cannot build independence in Kosovo with Serbs, so the easiest thing to do is to drive them (Serbs) out. Of course they knew Serbs, like the rest of the world, are most sensitive when it comes to children. That was an attempt to endanger the lives of children. Then, you move your children to safety, and once you do that, a parent accompanies them, while it's easy to pressure the other parent left behind." Belgrade, Ivanovic said, can do little to solve this crime, since it is not in the field. He added that while Serbs gave their statements regarding the murders, ethnic Albanians were not ready to follow suit. "It's impossible that two or three perpetrators fire almost 70 bullets and then walk through two (ethnic) Albanian villages in broad daylight, it's absolutely ruled out that nobody saw them," Ivanovic believes. The group of Serb children were ambushed while swimming in a local river this day seven years ago. Two were killed, while four were seriously injured. Of the survivors, only Bodgan Bukumiric, who is announcing a lawsuit with the European Court for Human Rights, is no longer living in the enclave. Oliver Ivanovic (Tanjug, file)

Kosovo Ministry official on enclave crime

"It seems to me they neither had the good will, nor did they even insist on this issue, because beside this crime, I also insist on the Staro Gacko crime, the planting of a bomb near Podujevo in 2001, and the murder of the Stolić family in Obilić. None of these crimes received a serious investigation, nor indictments," said he.

Most often, the cases are hushed up, Ivanović believes, and adds that he "cannot escape the impression that this was done on purpose".

"Finding out who perpetrated the crimes, I guess, would bring into question the reasons for the (1999 NATO) bombing, the intervention, and the good will of the international community that arrived (in Kosovo) in 1999," said he, and accused "the international community" of fitting into the trend of covering up cases.

"A trend was in set, they thought about it and just fitted into the general trend in Kosovo and Metohija of covering up. Police cannot have any serious results unless they have cooperation with the local community, and they never managed to influence the Kosovo (Albanian) leaders to start this initiative," Ivanović told B92.

The reason for this, he believes, is that ethnic Albanians "do not want it":

"The dominant opinion they have had since 1999 is that thy cannot build independence in Kosovo with Serbs, so the easiest thing to do is to drive them (Serbs) out. Of course they knew Serbs, like the rest of the world, are most sensitive when it comes to children. That was an attempt to endanger the lives of children. Then, you move your children to safety, and once you do that, a parent accompanies them, while it's easy to pressure the other parent left behind."

Belgrade, Ivanović said, can do little to solve this crime, since it is not in the field. He added that while Serbs gave their statements regarding the murders, ethnic Albanians were not ready to follow suit.

"It's impossible that two or three perpetrators fire almost 70 bullets and then walk through two (ethnic) Albanian villages in broad daylight, it's absolutely ruled out that nobody saw them," Ivanović believes.

The group of Serb children were ambushed while swimming in a local river this day seven years ago. Two were killed, while four were seriously injured. Of the survivors, only Bodgan Bukumirić, who is announcing a lawsuit with the European Court for Human Rights, is no longer living in the enclave.