"Last apartheid stands in Kosovo" - Vulin

GRACANICA Aleksandar Vulin said on Tuesday morning that it was only through dialogue and discussion that a lasting and sustainable solution can be found in Kosovo. The minister without portfolio in charge of Kosovo spoke on Orthodox Christmas Day in the Serbian monastery of Gracanica. "Last apartheid stands in Kosovo" - Vulin He stressed that the international community has an obligation to ensure a smooth return to all those driven out of their homes. "The international community has an obligation, that is an obligation above all others, to ensure a smooth return of all those who were expelled from Kosovo and Metohija. They did this for Albanians and I do not regret it, but I cannot not regret that for Serbs it is still not possible," said Vulin. Vulin for RTS that he came to Gracanica with a message of peace, "that it is time that Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija can live like any other people in Europe, and to enjoy all the human rights as others." He said yesterday that "the face of Europe sustained one indelible stain, a terrible disgrace" when hundreds of Serbs from Djakovica - of the total of 12,000 who had been driven out of the town - came under attack when they attempted to spend Christmas Eve in a local church. "Today it is peaceful, I hope it will remain so, but again the question remains what will happen to those who lynched the Djakovica citizens, those who organized and inspired them, those who carried out the stoning of the Djakovica citizens yesterday," said Vulin . (Tanjug, file) "Last apartheid" Aleksandar Vulin said on Monday that the ban on the visit of displaced Serbs to the Djakovica church for Christmas shows that "Europe's last apartheid" still holds ground in Kosovo. Addressing reporters in Gracanica, Vulin said that his visit to Djakovica was first granted and then denied, adding that Serbs displaced and expelled from the city were prevented from visiting the Church of the Assumption of the Holy Virgin Mary where they were supposed to attend the celebration on Christmas Eve. “Serbs are the only nation in Europe who cannot visit their church and take part in the traditional ceremonies on Christmas Day,” Vulin said. “This shows that apartheid against Serbs still holds ground in Kosovo and Metohija,” he said and added that this is “Europe's last apartheid.” Vulin said that the two buses transporting Serbs displaced and expelled from Djakovica were targeted by stoning in the city and blamed representatives of the Kosovo interim institutions in Pristina for the incident. He said that before the clashes in the southern Serbian province where ethnic Albanians constitute the majority population nowadays, Djakovica was a home to 12,000 Serbs while their number there now boils down to as few as four Serb elderly women. “Nobody wants us to remember this,” Vulin said and added that Serbs displaced and expelled from Djakovica received a clear message today that they cannot return although they have every right to it. “Is Djakovica a forbidden city for Serbs? If so, then apartheid holds ground in Djakovica,” Vulin underscored and called on Albanians to stop dividing people into 'us' and 'others' and let displaced Serbs return to their homes. He said that the normalization of the Belgrade-Pristina relations entails, among other matters, the return of internally displaced people to their homes. Vulin noted the Kosovo authorities and representatives of the international community in the province that they have the obligation to ensure the return for all expelled and displaced people, including the Serbs from Djakovica. RTS Tanjug

"Last apartheid stands in Kosovo" - Vulin

He stressed that the international community has an obligation to ensure a smooth return to all those driven out of their homes.

"The international community has an obligation, that is an obligation above all others, to ensure a smooth return of all those who were expelled from Kosovo and Metohija. They did this for Albanians and I do not regret it, but I cannot not regret that for Serbs it is still not possible," said Vulin.

Vulin for RTS that he came to Gračanica with a message of peace, "that it is time that Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija can live like any other people in Europe, and to enjoy all the human rights as others."

He said yesterday that "the face of Europe sustained one indelible stain, a terrible disgrace" when hundreds of Serbs from Đakovica - of the total of 12,000 who had been driven out of the town - came under attack when they attempted to spend Christmas Eve in a local church.

"Today it is peaceful, I hope it will remain so, but again the question remains what will happen to those who lynched the Đakovica citizens, those who organized and inspired them, those who carried out the stoning of the Đakovica citizens yesterday," said Vulin .

"Last apartheid"

Aleksandar Vulin said on Monday that the ban on the visit of displaced Serbs to the Đakovica church for Christmas shows that "Europe's last apartheid" still holds ground in Kosovo.

Addressing reporters in Gračanica, Vulin said that his visit to Đakovica was first granted and then denied, adding that Serbs displaced and expelled from the city were prevented from visiting the Church of the Assumption of the Holy Virgin Mary where they were supposed to attend the celebration on Christmas Eve.

“Serbs are the only nation in Europe who cannot visit their church and take part in the traditional ceremonies on Christmas Day,” Vulin said.

“This shows that apartheid against Serbs still holds ground in Kosovo and Metohija,” he said and added that this is “Europe's last apartheid.”

Vulin said that the two buses transporting Serbs displaced and expelled from Đakovica were targeted by stoning in the city and blamed representatives of the Kosovo interim institutions in Priština for the incident.

He said that before the clashes in the southern Serbian province where ethnic Albanians constitute the majority population nowadays, Đakovica was a home to 12,000 Serbs while their number there now boils down to as few as four Serb elderly women.

“Nobody wants us to remember this,” Vulin said and added that Serbs displaced and expelled from Đakovica received a clear message today that they cannot return although they have every right to it.

“Is Đakovica a forbidden city for Serbs? If so, then apartheid holds ground in Đakovica,” Vulin underscored and called on Albanians to stop dividing people into 'us' and 'others' and let displaced Serbs return to their homes.

He said that the normalization of the Belgrade-Priština relations entails, among other matters, the return of internally displaced people to their homes.

Vulin noted the Kosovo authorities and representatives of the international community in the province that they have the obligation to ensure the return for all expelled and displaced people, including the Serbs from Đakovica.