Serb leaders from northern Kosovo send open letter to Ban

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA Heads of the four north Kosovo municipalities sent on Thursday an open letter to the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon ahead of his tour of the region. In it, they underlined that the entire Serb community and the four Serb municipalities in the northern part of the province are at serious risk, and that in the process of finding a solution for the Kosovo issue, the UN and UN SC Resolution 1244 must not be circumvented. Serb leaders from northern Kosovo send open letter to Ban Taking into account numerous killings, incidents and pressures, the security situation in Kosovo and Metohija gives a cause for concern, the letter reads, adding that the lives, human rights and freedoms of members of the Serb ethnic community are at particular risk. Underscoring that in the last 13 years, more than a thousand Serbs were killed, while tens of thousands Serb houses and apartments are still usurped, or were burnt down or demolished, four municipal presidents claim that several hundred thousand Albanians still possess arms, and that they have not been disarmed as was stipulated in UN SC Resolution 1244. “The fact that more than a thousand (ethnic) Albanians, who committed murders and serous crimes against Serbs, have the full freedom of movement and take part in the political life, as they have not been prosecuted, is yet another cause for concern,” the letter reads. Warning that attacks on Serbs continue, as well as killings, they stress that numerous reports compiled by various steering and monitoring groups observe the progress achieved by the so-called Kosovo institutions. Together with Albanian leaders from Pristina, certain international actors and power centers intend to the complete the project of Kosovo's independence by using force, the letter adds. Municipal presidents point to the violation of the UN SC Resolution 1244 and misuse of the UN and its documents, and claim that the Serbs and four Serb municipalities in the northern part of Kosovo are subjected to organized attacks which are aimed at reinforcing the sovereignty of the state of Kosovo. The reality on the ground must be taken into consideration, as well as the democratically expressed will of the Serbian people in the northern part of the province, and political solutions found for all outstanding issues, the letter adds. The international missions have to act in line with the granted mandates, take the status-neutral position in all practical matters, and take care of the security of Serbs and other people in the province, they add. Ban's forthcoming visit to Serbia is an excellent opportunity to look into the problems, stressed presidents of the municipalities of Kosovska Mitrovica, Zvecan, Zubin Potok and Leposavic, voicing hope that during his visit, the UN secretary-general would also meet representatives of the Kosovo Serbs and UNMIK, and that the visit would result in the improvement of the political and security situation in the northern part of Kosovo. Tanjug

Serb leaders from northern Kosovo send open letter to Ban

Taking into account numerous killings, incidents and pressures, the security situation in Kosovo and Metohija gives a cause for concern, the letter reads, adding that the lives, human rights and freedoms of members of the Serb ethnic community are at particular risk.

Underscoring that in the last 13 years, more than a thousand Serbs were killed, while tens of thousands Serb houses and apartments are still usurped, or were burnt down or demolished, four municipal presidents claim that several hundred thousand Albanians still possess arms, and that they have not been disarmed as was stipulated in UN SC Resolution 1244.

“The fact that more than a thousand (ethnic) Albanians, who committed murders and serous crimes against Serbs, have the full freedom of movement and take part in the political life, as they have not been prosecuted, is yet another cause for concern,” the letter reads.

Warning that attacks on Serbs continue, as well as killings, they stress that numerous reports compiled by various steering and monitoring groups observe the progress achieved by the so-called Kosovo institutions.

Together with Albanian leaders from Priština, certain international actors and power centers intend to the complete the project of Kosovo's independence by using force, the letter adds.

Municipal presidents point to the violation of the UN SC Resolution 1244 and misuse of the UN and its documents, and claim that the Serbs and four Serb municipalities in the northern part of Kosovo are subjected to organized attacks which are aimed at reinforcing the sovereignty of the state of Kosovo.

The reality on the ground must be taken into consideration, as well as the democratically expressed will of the Serbian people in the northern part of the province, and political solutions found for all outstanding issues, the letter adds.

The international missions have to act in line with the granted mandates, take the status-neutral position in all practical matters, and take care of the security of Serbs and other people in the province, they add.

Ban's forthcoming visit to Serbia is an excellent opportunity to look into the problems, stressed presidents of the municipalities of Kosovska Mitrovica, Zvečan, Zubin Potok and Leposavić, voicing hope that during his visit, the UN secretary-general would also meet representatives of the Kosovo Serbs and UNMIK, and that the visit would result in the improvement of the political and security situation in the northern part of Kosovo.