12th anniversary of massacre of 14 Serb farmers

The 12 th anniversary of the massacre of 14 Serb farmers in the village of Staro Gracko, central Kosovo, was marked on Saturday. The massacre is one of the worst crimes against the Serb population in Kosovo after the arrival of the international peacekeeping force in 1999. 12th anniversary of massacre of 14 Serb farmers No one has been indicted for the killings. The commemoration today was held by SPC Bishop of Raska and Prizren Teodosije. The victims' families and friends attended the ceremony. Head of the Serbian government commission Veljko Odalovic, Assistant Minister for Kosovo Dragan Petkovic, NATO's Kosovo Force (KFOR) Commander Erhard Buehler, head of the Kosovo district Goran Arsic and member of the Kosovo assembly in Pristina Radmila Trajkovic attended the ceremony. Buehler told those gathered today that "police are doing all they can to bring the perpetrators to justice". "I will personally see to one case, about which I learned today. Next week I will initiate several meetings and discussions about solving this case," stated the German general. The Staro Gracko killings took place July 23, 1999, at a time when many Serbs requested KFOR escort while harvesting their fields, in fear of attacks by ethnic Albanians. However, KFOR did not provide protection on time. The massacre occurred just hours before the end of the deadline for the ethnic Albanian so-called Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) to turn over its weapons, Tanjug news agency reports. The commemoration (Tanjug) "Forget about it" Slavica Popovic, whose family members was among the victims on July 23, 1999, said today that when she previously asked a KFOR officer to help find the killers, he responded by saying that she should "forget about it". "So, he wanted me to forget about my brother, my father, my uncles, my neighbors and all the others. That was his answer," Slavica said. She also recalled that then UNMIK chief Bernard Kouchner visited her family after the massacre to promise that "no stone would be left unturned in order to find the perpetrators". "Where is Mr. Kouchner now, to come here and say what he has achieved. I wish he would stand before me and have a conversation with me," Slavica Popovic said.

12th anniversary of massacre of 14 Serb farmers

No one has been indicted for the killings.

The commemoration today was held by SPC Bishop of Raska and Prizren Teodosije. The victims' families and friends attended the ceremony.

Head of the Serbian government commission Veljko Odalović, Assistant Minister for Kosovo Dragan Petković, NATO's Kosovo Force (KFOR) Commander Erhard Buehler, head of the Kosovo district Goran Arsić and member of the Kosovo assembly in Priština Radmila Trajković attended the ceremony.

Buehler told those gathered today that "police are doing all they can to bring the perpetrators to justice".

"I will personally see to one case, about which I learned today. Next week I will initiate several meetings and discussions about solving this case," stated the German general.

The Staro Gracko killings took place July 23, 1999, at a time when many Serbs requested KFOR escort while harvesting their fields, in fear of attacks by ethnic Albanians.

However, KFOR did not provide protection on time.

The massacre occurred just hours before the end of the deadline for the ethnic Albanian so-called Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) to turn over its weapons, Tanjug news agency reports.

"Forget about it"

Slavica Popović, whose family members was among the victims on July 23, 1999, said today that when she previously asked a KFOR officer to help find the killers, he responded by saying that she should "forget about it".

"So, he wanted me to forget about my brother, my father, my uncles, my neighbors and all the others. That was his answer," Slavica said.

She also recalled that then UNMIK chief Bernard Kouchner visited her family after the massacre to promise that "no stone would be left unturned in order to find the perpetrators".

"Where is Mr. Kouchner now, to come here and say what he has achieved. I wish he would stand before me and have a conversation with me," Slavica Popović said.