CoE slams Serbia for "discrimination, racism, anti-Semitism"

Why do the western european powers have an oppinion on every thing that is said and done in Serbia. They tell Serbs who to vote for, what the Serbian borders are and every manner of unsolicited advice that they can think of.

Yes there is a bad element in Serbia, but if you consider all the termoil the people of Serbia have faced in the last twenty years,you will realize that Serbs and the minority groups are quite tolerant of each other and they really don't need to take a western advised class to work together as they have already worked together their entire lives.

When countries like France ban muslim girls from attending school because they embrace their modesty and choose to where a hijab, no one in the west voices a concern yet these "western moralists" take pride when they besmearch and humilate Serbia.

look, this isn't the Council of Europe upbraiding Serbia, or suggesting that Serbia should be punished in any way for the discrimination that happens on its soil. This is just a report. It merely defines the problem, then it's up to Serbia to do what it wants/can about it. I agree with those who said that 20 years of turmoil has left Serbian society in a difficult place. No one expects Serbia to be a Scandinavian model country. But if I were a Serb I would still welcome such a report as a useful guide to where further efforts could be made.

Having said all this I would also like to say that Serbia in my eyes is a model country of generosity, warm people and cultural depth. No CoE report can change that impression :)

The CoE seems to be enjoying itself with this slanted report.

Serbia still has significant minorities, unlike 'independent' Kosovo or Croatia.

The CoE report greatly exaggerates the 'problems' in Vojvodina and elsewhere.

It seems that those who collated this report decided to sping the information in the worst light.

What of pan-ex discrimination against the Roma? Germany has been deporting thousands of Roma refugees from Kosovo, back to Kosovo where they are regarded as enemies of the kosovo albanians. How is this safe for them? Or of how Germany can deport a criminal german boy of tukish origin to Turkey eventhough he as no links with the country?

What of czech discrimination of the Roma?

In the UK, local councils discriminate against travellers and do not provide territory for them to camp to which the councils are legally bound.

Clearly Serbia's mistake was to have minorities in the first place, unlike some of its 'pro-western' neighbors...

So let's get this straight, Tom: It happens everywhere in the world, including Serbia, just that it doesn't really happen in Serbia after all, coz it's all just a bunch of lies of these ungrateful nasty minorities, eh? Is it just me or does this sound a teensy-wennsy bit contradictory? But as long as it makes sense to potential SRS voters...

Council of Europe telling Serbia about discrimination when those people little over 50 years ago exterminated 6 million Jews without prejudice.
Rich.
Not to mention that those same people enslaved and continue to enslave economically people of Africa. Then we have France who wages a killing spree on Algerians.

Serbia remains the most multi-ethnic country in whole of Europe. It also remains the one which has never enslaved, mass killed millions of people and economically deprived nations upon nations of basic needs.
Lessons from the oppressors about discrimination. How ironic.

its not just in serbia this happens its all over the world and these people that say that Serbs are discriminating against them are lies anyway to get sympathy from someone.

just one comment about one thing mentioned in this piece of rubbish: albanians don’t have access to police jobs in presevo etc. first of all, not true. there are albanians in gendarmerie even. or at least if a guy is called bajrami for instance i don’t think they're serb ;). second, there is something called multiethnic unit with reg. bujanovac, etc. some of you will like to know peter feith was involved in setting it up in 2001 :) but why all this? well we had a bit of a trouble there in 2001. a bunch of albanians started a terrorist war against serbia. so trust is not running high. understandably in an albanian flag waving area whose political representatives go to tirana for their opinion, mup is not willing to recruit with eyes closed. but to call precautionary measures discrimination is a slander.
btw. climate of hostility. what a pretty example of hot air. this climate is impossible to measure or prove, but its great to use for propaganda and slander in biased reports designed to pressure governments.

It is Serbia's inalienable right to define herself as a state of the Serb people in the constitution. I find it amusing that any criticism directed towards a minority group is automatically branded "hate speech" which needs to stamped out by force. I suppose these people think that defining Serbia as a Serbian state (God forbid) is somehow on a par and should be censored accordingly. Whatever happened to FREEDOM of speech?

Oh give me a break.Since even the days of Jugoslavia the minorities have more rights than the Serbs themselves.One reason we do not hear about things like this in Croatia or Kosovo is because there are no minorities left they were killed or driven out.Serbia is by far the most diverse republic of former Jugo.This is just another attept to try to make Serbs feel guilty and ashamed to be Serbs well it is not gonna work.Hungarians if Toma wins could run the police so Serbs are not blamed anymore.Hey EU keep it to yourself.

Sorry to hear about this.

It does happen all over the world but that does not mean that people should not do anything about it.

However given what has happened in the last 20 years I would be very surprised if there was no discrimination or anything of that kind, although more definitely needs to be done to tackle these problems, as in any country.

The Council of Europe needs to look at the underlying reasons why such things are happening which would usually be economics and uncertainty about the future as it is in other countries with a problem with racism.

I agree that the idea that Tom suggests, that the minorities are "making it up" is ridiculous. Racism is a worldwide problem and happens EVERWHERE including in your country and in mine. I'd be interested to read the report and that of other countries, such as France as mentioned, in full. I would hope similar criticisms would be made of them.

Who cares? I'm Australian and I think Serbia should be for Serbs, not for 'minorities.' If members of minority groups don't like it, I figure they should just move on until they find somewhere they like.

Who cares? I'm Australian and I think Serbia should be for Serbs, not for 'minorities.' If members of minority groups don't like it, I figure they should just move on until they find somewhere they like.
Carl Wernerhoff, 30 April 2008 13:09)

Well said Carl....Because of reports like this primary schools have cancelled Christmas in some areas of Scotland in fear of upsetting ethnic minorities. I had a friend asked to remove the saltire flag from his house...not because of planning laws but in case it upset people.

It is these people that are inflaming ethnic tensions as opposed to averting them.

Kosovo i Metohija je Srbija

The report Bibliography: http://www.coe.int/t/e/human_rights/ecri/1-ecri/2-country-by-country_approach/serbia/serbia_cbc_3.asp#P379_94260

The usual suspects indeed.

While on the subject of minority rights, what of the office of the Ombudsman for Kosovo? It has been suprisingly quiet on abuses and discrimination since UNMIK refuse to renew Marek Anton Nowicki's tenure because he was too vocal about the abject failure of those in authority to do any thing (google his Kosovo: Pro Memoria to get a good idea of his unacceptable behivior of speaking out against abuse and discrimination). Also read Nowicki's reports: www.ombudspersonkosovo.org

In particular, look under 'Public Documents' look at the annual reports: http://www.ombudspersonkosovo.org/?cid=2,74
And 'Other documents':
http://www.ombudspersonkosovo.org/?cid=2,23

His replacement, Hilmi Jashari, has not been heard of and even less effective, or does the Kosovo authorities behavior get a pass because they are the 'right people'??

oh, are we gonna experience a new wave of anti-serbian agitation? it would not be the first time...and we´re all used to it. *snore*

by the way: a friend of mine has just decided to leave Dublin because of the extreme racism he is facing there... some poeple on the streets are even spitting at him! ( he´s black )

how about saying something about this, Mr. CoE...? =)

or is Soros-web only publishing Serb-bashing here?

"Serbia is only country that didn't expel ethnic minorities in that region, and it is being slammed like this."

So, the hundreds of thousands of Albanians who left Kosovo during the 1999 war did so on their own accord? Or are you saying that Kosovo wasn't part of Serbia then?

Also, I think hrb has a valid point. The CoE IS very critical of Croatia as well. Obviously a Serbian news outlet like B92 is mainly concerned with what the CoE says about Serbia, but that doesn't mean other countries aren't getting their fair share of the criticism.

Have you read the report on Croatia or are you just dismissing it out of hand?

If the mighty EU sees a problem with a country defining itself as consisting of serbs and others within the borders because it is divisive and rascist (which is the clear implication) - then why never any objection to Israel being a country, for Jews only.

There's nothing intrinsically wrong with being selective about people's race or ethnic group, nor anything intrinsically wrong in using race or as a definition of a group identity, nor the protection of racial identity within a group or country.

Where recognition and discernment turn into discrimination and abuse is with the concept of master races or chosen people.

How much more land and how many more concessions should Serbia have to make to the ethnic minorities? Until the rest of Europe is ready to say to say "NO MORE" the situation will only get worse and it's only a matter of time before 'Eurabia' is formed by the muslim invasion.

Council of Europe telling Serbia about discrimination when those people little over 50 years ago exterminated 6 million Jews without prejudice. BKK, 30 April"

Right, but don't forget about the Jews killed in your own camp Staro Samjiste, or the fact that Milan Nedic proclaimed Belgrade Judenfrei in 1942. Even B92 is advertising its future documentary on Samjiste.
http://www.b92.net/promo/sajmiste/index-eng.html

Well what do you know, I read the report on the council of europe's website and it actually isn't that bad compared to what the CoE says about some other countries which had some really bad stuff printed about them as well. I think B92 has printed the negative bits of the report and left the other bits out - that's not unusual, it happens with media in this country too.

People complaining about Serbia being criticised should read what the website says about some other countries - like Croatia, and Romania. It's just a report that identifies what areas need to be worked on and what has improved. I don't think that the report is particularly anti-Serb - as others have said it's just a report and similar issues can be found in many, many other countries and also documented by human rights organisations.

I'm not at all surprised about its findings to be honest as it will TAKE TIME. What I would say is that the country has done very, very well in very difficult circumstances and other people I know who have been to Serbia say the same thing. That it is not what the media portray it as and that it is actually a lot LESS racist than what is made out.

As for anti-semitism, it has increased everywhere, and this is because of Israel and attempts to link all Jews with Israel, not just in Serbia or Eastern Europe. I am Jewish myself and I realise the terrible effect which the actions of Israel have had on people's opinion of Jews because its actions are shameful and it's no surprise that some ignorant and hateful people will use this as an excuse to attack Jews. It happens in this country so it would probably happen in yours too. No surprises there!

Didn't an ethnic minority recently wage guerrilla warefare against Serbia and conquer the heartland of Serbia? The globalists in the EU do not want Serbia to survive.
I do not think the globalistswant any nation to survive. They want no borders and free movement of labor and capital annd this will be controlled by the political and corporate elites. Rule by the few is totalitarianism.

Brian; you claim "Serbia is the only country to not have expelled minorities..." The is a lie and total nonsense.Actually, the Serbs perfected the act of ethnnic cleansing. Where were you throughout the 1990's?? you're still confused as to what ethnic group bares full reponsibility just ask everyone in the former Yugoslavia ,other than the Serbs, to get the truth.

well thank you, council of europe. the criticisms are honest and fair, and quite regardless of the sins of other countries. i am just sorry that when some of us make even a fraction of such criticisms, we are edited out.

never mind. we all need to strive for human rights and justice, wherever we live, and none of us has a monopoly on perfection or utopia...

peace.

roberto from frisco

If you would like more REAL and accurate info about Jehovah's Witnesses on the web be sure to check out the official web site at http://www.Watchtower.org

This is a joke, right? I mean the EU has countries like Poland who hold rabidly racist and anti-semitic politicians at the helm of their country despite the fact that Poland has a Jewish population of 0.7%. And countries like France where Jacques Chirac calls the African immigrants "scum" who "smell". Does the CoE say anything about their friends the Croats for their glorification of their Nazi past or their cleansing of 200,000 Serbs from their country? How about their buddies in the Baltics who discriminate against their Russian and Polish speaking minorities in the most flagrant way?

I don't think the European project could be more hypocritical if it tried. Serbia is only country that didn't expel ethnic minorities in that region, and it is being slammed like this.

I read the comments here and I am convinced that the CoE report is right!

People left Kosovo during 1999 because of the NATO bombing. There was no campaign of expulsion whatsoever. NATO bombed entire refugee columns if they didn't leave Kosovo. The KLA also killed refugees who did not leave Kosovo, in order to concoct this hideous lie of "expulsion", which never occurred. Many refugees fled to BELGRADE, from Kosovo. Albanians, Jews, Roma, Egyptians fled to Serbia. Ironic if Serbia was supposedly expelling people. Albanian refugees told stories of how the KLA was forcing them out, for being "traitors" for not supporting their neo-fascist agenda. This is documented.

100,000 Albanians in Belgrade, not one expelled. Not one Albanian business vandalized. Hungarians have their own schools and newspapers and political parties. So do Croats. Serbia has always been a model of multi-national tolerance. Something the western European hypocrites would do well to emulate.

So let's get this straight, Tom: It happens everywhere in the world, including Serbia, just that it doesn't really happen in Serbia after all, coz it's all just a bunch of lies of these ungrateful nasty minorities, eh? Is it just me or does this sound a teensy-wennsy bit contradictory? But as long as it makes sense to potential SRS voters...

its not just in serbia this happens its all over the world and these people that say that Serbs are discriminating against them are lies anyway to get sympathy from someone.

It is Serbia's inalienable right to define herself as a state of the Serb people in the constitution. I find it amusing that any criticism directed towards a minority group is automatically branded "hate speech" which needs to stamped out by force. I suppose these people think that defining Serbia as a Serbian state (God forbid) is somehow on a par and should be censored accordingly. Whatever happened to FREEDOM of speech?

Why do the western european powers have an oppinion on every thing that is said and done in Serbia. They tell Serbs who to vote for, what the Serbian borders are and every manner of unsolicited advice that they can think of.

Yes there is a bad element in Serbia, but if you consider all the termoil the people of Serbia have faced in the last twenty years,you will realize that Serbs and the minority groups are quite tolerant of each other and they really don't need to take a western advised class to work together as they have already worked together their entire lives.

When countries like France ban muslim girls from attending school because they embrace their modesty and choose to where a hijab, no one in the west voices a concern yet these "western moralists" take pride when they besmearch and humilate Serbia.

Who cares? I'm Australian and I think Serbia should be for Serbs, not for 'minorities.' If members of minority groups don't like it, I figure they should just move on until they find somewhere they like.
Carl Wernerhoff, 30 April 2008 13:09)

Well said Carl....Because of reports like this primary schools have cancelled Christmas in some areas of Scotland in fear of upsetting ethnic minorities. I had a friend asked to remove the saltire flag from his house...not because of planning laws but in case it upset people.

It is these people that are inflaming ethnic tensions as opposed to averting them.

Kosovo i Metohija je Srbija

The CoE seems to be enjoying itself with this slanted report.

Serbia still has significant minorities, unlike 'independent' Kosovo or Croatia.

The CoE report greatly exaggerates the 'problems' in Vojvodina and elsewhere.

It seems that those who collated this report decided to sping the information in the worst light.

What of pan-ex discrimination against the Roma? Germany has been deporting thousands of Roma refugees from Kosovo, back to Kosovo where they are regarded as enemies of the kosovo albanians. How is this safe for them? Or of how Germany can deport a criminal german boy of tukish origin to Turkey eventhough he as no links with the country?

What of czech discrimination of the Roma?

In the UK, local councils discriminate against travellers and do not provide territory for them to camp to which the councils are legally bound.

Clearly Serbia's mistake was to have minorities in the first place, unlike some of its 'pro-western' neighbors...

Council of Europe telling Serbia about discrimination when those people little over 50 years ago exterminated 6 million Jews without prejudice.
Rich.
Not to mention that those same people enslaved and continue to enslave economically people of Africa. Then we have France who wages a killing spree on Algerians.

Serbia remains the most multi-ethnic country in whole of Europe. It also remains the one which has never enslaved, mass killed millions of people and economically deprived nations upon nations of basic needs.
Lessons from the oppressors about discrimination. How ironic.

The report Bibliography: http://www.coe.int/t/e/human_rights/ecri/1-ecri/2-country-by-country_approach/serbia/serbia_cbc_3.asp#P379_94260

The usual suspects indeed.

While on the subject of minority rights, what of the office of the Ombudsman for Kosovo? It has been suprisingly quiet on abuses and discrimination since UNMIK refuse to renew Marek Anton Nowicki's tenure because he was too vocal about the abject failure of those in authority to do any thing (google his Kosovo: Pro Memoria to get a good idea of his unacceptable behivior of speaking out against abuse and discrimination). Also read Nowicki's reports: www.ombudspersonkosovo.org

In particular, look under 'Public Documents' look at the annual reports: http://www.ombudspersonkosovo.org/?cid=2,74
And 'Other documents':
http://www.ombudspersonkosovo.org/?cid=2,23

His replacement, Hilmi Jashari, has not been heard of and even less effective, or does the Kosovo authorities behavior get a pass because they are the 'right people'??

Council of Europe telling Serbia about discrimination when those people little over 50 years ago exterminated 6 million Jews without prejudice. BKK, 30 April"

Right, but don't forget about the Jews killed in your own camp Staro Samjiste, or the fact that Milan Nedic proclaimed Belgrade Judenfrei in 1942. Even B92 is advertising its future documentary on Samjiste.
http://www.b92.net/promo/sajmiste/index-eng.html

How much more land and how many more concessions should Serbia have to make to the ethnic minorities? Until the rest of Europe is ready to say to say "NO MORE" the situation will only get worse and it's only a matter of time before 'Eurabia' is formed by the muslim invasion.

well thank you, council of europe. the criticisms are honest and fair, and quite regardless of the sins of other countries. i am just sorry that when some of us make even a fraction of such criticisms, we are edited out.

never mind. we all need to strive for human rights and justice, wherever we live, and none of us has a monopoly on perfection or utopia...

peace.

roberto from frisco

If you would like more REAL and accurate info about Jehovah's Witnesses on the web be sure to check out the official web site at http://www.Watchtower.org

This is a joke, right? I mean the EU has countries like Poland who hold rabidly racist and anti-semitic politicians at the helm of their country despite the fact that Poland has a Jewish population of 0.7%. And countries like France where Jacques Chirac calls the African immigrants "scum" who "smell". Does the CoE say anything about their friends the Croats for their glorification of their Nazi past or their cleansing of 200,000 Serbs from their country? How about their buddies in the Baltics who discriminate against their Russian and Polish speaking minorities in the most flagrant way?

I don't think the European project could be more hypocritical if it tried. Serbia is only country that didn't expel ethnic minorities in that region, and it is being slammed like this.

Brian; you claim "Serbia is the only country to not have expelled minorities..." The is a lie and total nonsense.Actually, the Serbs perfected the act of ethnnic cleansing. Where were you throughout the 1990's?? you're still confused as to what ethnic group bares full reponsibility just ask everyone in the former Yugoslavia ,other than the Serbs, to get the truth.

People left Kosovo during 1999 because of the NATO bombing. There was no campaign of expulsion whatsoever. NATO bombed entire refugee columns if they didn't leave Kosovo. The KLA also killed refugees who did not leave Kosovo, in order to concoct this hideous lie of "expulsion", which never occurred. Many refugees fled to BELGRADE, from Kosovo. Albanians, Jews, Roma, Egyptians fled to Serbia. Ironic if Serbia was supposedly expelling people. Albanian refugees told stories of how the KLA was forcing them out, for being "traitors" for not supporting their neo-fascist agenda. This is documented.

100,000 Albanians in Belgrade, not one expelled. Not one Albanian business vandalized. Hungarians have their own schools and newspapers and political parties. So do Croats. Serbia has always been a model of multi-national tolerance. Something the western European hypocrites would do well to emulate.

Sorry to hear about this.

It does happen all over the world but that does not mean that people should not do anything about it.

However given what has happened in the last 20 years I would be very surprised if there was no discrimination or anything of that kind, although more definitely needs to be done to tackle these problems, as in any country.

The Council of Europe needs to look at the underlying reasons why such things are happening which would usually be economics and uncertainty about the future as it is in other countries with a problem with racism.

I agree that the idea that Tom suggests, that the minorities are "making it up" is ridiculous. Racism is a worldwide problem and happens EVERWHERE including in your country and in mine. I'd be interested to read the report and that of other countries, such as France as mentioned, in full. I would hope similar criticisms would be made of them.

just one comment about one thing mentioned in this piece of rubbish: albanians don’t have access to police jobs in presevo etc. first of all, not true. there are albanians in gendarmerie even. or at least if a guy is called bajrami for instance i don’t think they're serb ;). second, there is something called multiethnic unit with reg. bujanovac, etc. some of you will like to know peter feith was involved in setting it up in 2001 :) but why all this? well we had a bit of a trouble there in 2001. a bunch of albanians started a terrorist war against serbia. so trust is not running high. understandably in an albanian flag waving area whose political representatives go to tirana for their opinion, mup is not willing to recruit with eyes closed. but to call precautionary measures discrimination is a slander.
btw. climate of hostility. what a pretty example of hot air. this climate is impossible to measure or prove, but its great to use for propaganda and slander in biased reports designed to pressure governments.

look, this isn't the Council of Europe upbraiding Serbia, or suggesting that Serbia should be punished in any way for the discrimination that happens on its soil. This is just a report. It merely defines the problem, then it's up to Serbia to do what it wants/can about it. I agree with those who said that 20 years of turmoil has left Serbian society in a difficult place. No one expects Serbia to be a Scandinavian model country. But if I were a Serb I would still welcome such a report as a useful guide to where further efforts could be made.

Having said all this I would also like to say that Serbia in my eyes is a model country of generosity, warm people and cultural depth. No CoE report can change that impression :)

Who cares? I'm Australian and I think Serbia should be for Serbs, not for 'minorities.' If members of minority groups don't like it, I figure they should just move on until they find somewhere they like.

oh, are we gonna experience a new wave of anti-serbian agitation? it would not be the first time...and we´re all used to it. *snore*

by the way: a friend of mine has just decided to leave Dublin because of the extreme racism he is facing there... some poeple on the streets are even spitting at him! ( he´s black )

how about saying something about this, Mr. CoE...? =)

or is Soros-web only publishing Serb-bashing here?

Didn't an ethnic minority recently wage guerrilla warefare against Serbia and conquer the heartland of Serbia? The globalists in the EU do not want Serbia to survive.
I do not think the globalistswant any nation to survive. They want no borders and free movement of labor and capital annd this will be controlled by the political and corporate elites. Rule by the few is totalitarianism.

If the mighty EU sees a problem with a country defining itself as consisting of serbs and others within the borders because it is divisive and rascist (which is the clear implication) - then why never any objection to Israel being a country, for Jews only.

There's nothing intrinsically wrong with being selective about people's race or ethnic group, nor anything intrinsically wrong in using race or as a definition of a group identity, nor the protection of racial identity within a group or country.

Where recognition and discernment turn into discrimination and abuse is with the concept of master races or chosen people.

Oh give me a break.Since even the days of Jugoslavia the minorities have more rights than the Serbs themselves.One reason we do not hear about things like this in Croatia or Kosovo is because there are no minorities left they were killed or driven out.Serbia is by far the most diverse republic of former Jugo.This is just another attept to try to make Serbs feel guilty and ashamed to be Serbs well it is not gonna work.Hungarians if Toma wins could run the police so Serbs are not blamed anymore.Hey EU keep it to yourself.

Well what do you know, I read the report on the council of europe's website and it actually isn't that bad compared to what the CoE says about some other countries which had some really bad stuff printed about them as well. I think B92 has printed the negative bits of the report and left the other bits out - that's not unusual, it happens with media in this country too.

People complaining about Serbia being criticised should read what the website says about some other countries - like Croatia, and Romania. It's just a report that identifies what areas need to be worked on and what has improved. I don't think that the report is particularly anti-Serb - as others have said it's just a report and similar issues can be found in many, many other countries and also documented by human rights organisations.

I'm not at all surprised about its findings to be honest as it will TAKE TIME. What I would say is that the country has done very, very well in very difficult circumstances and other people I know who have been to Serbia say the same thing. That it is not what the media portray it as and that it is actually a lot LESS racist than what is made out.

As for anti-semitism, it has increased everywhere, and this is because of Israel and attempts to link all Jews with Israel, not just in Serbia or Eastern Europe. I am Jewish myself and I realise the terrible effect which the actions of Israel have had on people's opinion of Jews because its actions are shameful and it's no surprise that some ignorant and hateful people will use this as an excuse to attack Jews. It happens in this country so it would probably happen in yours too. No surprises there!

"Serbia is only country that didn't expel ethnic minorities in that region, and it is being slammed like this."

So, the hundreds of thousands of Albanians who left Kosovo during the 1999 war did so on their own accord? Or are you saying that Kosovo wasn't part of Serbia then?

Also, I think hrb has a valid point. The CoE IS very critical of Croatia as well. Obviously a Serbian news outlet like B92 is mainly concerned with what the CoE says about Serbia, but that doesn't mean other countries aren't getting their fair share of the criticism.

Have you read the report on Croatia or are you just dismissing it out of hand?

I read the comments here and I am convinced that the CoE report is right!