2008 Woodie Awards
Long live Kosovo
Liza Atamy
Issue date: 2/28/08 Section: Opinion
In 2005, the World Summit adopted the "responsibility to protect," known by the initialism R2P, to "protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity," according to the United Nations Web site.
Chapters VI and VIII of the charter state that the international community, through the United Nations, also has the responsibility to use "appropriate diplomatic, humanitarian and other peaceful means to help protect populations from these crimes." And if crimes against humanity persist, and the state is unwilling to protect its people, it becomes imperative for the international community to intervene - with military force, if necessary.
With that said, Sunday, Feb. 17, 2008, marked one of the most important and joyous days in the lives of Albanians. The world's newest nation was born. Kosovo, a region in the Balkans, unilaterally declared independence from Serbia - and rightfully so.
Regardless of what deniers (Russia and Serbia) say, Serbia has oppressed the ethnic Albanians of Kosovo for decades, claiming that Kosovo is their ancestral heartland and wanting the lands exclusively for ethnic Serbs.
According to a New York Times article published June 3, 1999, the leader of the United Nations mission to Kosovo found "'indisputable evidence' of Serbian 'ethnic cleansing' of Kosovars."
In order to understand the history between Albanians and Serbians in Kosovo and why an independent Kosovo was long overdue, and is absolutely justified, let's take a few steps back in the historical timeline and outline some major factors.
Yugoslav president, Slobodan Milosevic abolished Kosovo's autonomy in the 1980s, fired tens of thousands of Albanians from their jobs, suppressed Albanian language education and controlled their territory with heavy force, according to a Feb. 18, 2008, New York Times article.
A campaign of ethnic cleansing against Kosovo Albanians was initiated by Serbian forces. Hundreds of thousands of refugees fled to Albania, Montenegro and Macedonia. More than 2,000 ethnic Albanians were killed since Milosevic began his offensive in February 1998, trying to reinforce government control over the Albanian-majority province, according to a profile on Kosovo on the BBC News Web site.
Chapters VI and VIII of the charter state that the international community, through the United Nations, also has the responsibility to use "appropriate diplomatic, humanitarian and other peaceful means to help protect populations from these crimes." And if crimes against humanity persist, and the state is unwilling to protect its people, it becomes imperative for the international community to intervene - with military force, if necessary.
With that said, Sunday, Feb. 17, 2008, marked one of the most important and joyous days in the lives of Albanians. The world's newest nation was born. Kosovo, a region in the Balkans, unilaterally declared independence from Serbia - and rightfully so.
Regardless of what deniers (Russia and Serbia) say, Serbia has oppressed the ethnic Albanians of Kosovo for decades, claiming that Kosovo is their ancestral heartland and wanting the lands exclusively for ethnic Serbs.
According to a New York Times article published June 3, 1999, the leader of the United Nations mission to Kosovo found "'indisputable evidence' of Serbian 'ethnic cleansing' of Kosovars."
In order to understand the history between Albanians and Serbians in Kosovo and why an independent Kosovo was long overdue, and is absolutely justified, let's take a few steps back in the historical timeline and outline some major factors.
Yugoslav president, Slobodan Milosevic abolished Kosovo's autonomy in the 1980s, fired tens of thousands of Albanians from their jobs, suppressed Albanian language education and controlled their territory with heavy force, according to a Feb. 18, 2008, New York Times article.
A campaign of ethnic cleansing against Kosovo Albanians was initiated by Serbian forces. Hundreds of thousands of refugees fled to Albania, Montenegro and Macedonia. More than 2,000 ethnic Albanians were killed since Milosevic began his offensive in February 1998, trying to reinforce government control over the Albanian-majority province, according to a profile on Kosovo on the BBC News Web site.
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 16
Astonished
posted 2/28/08 @ 6:57 AM PST
Do you not own a book on history prior to the 90ties??? Read that and than comment who Kosovo belongs to! You ought to be ashaimed of yoursef.
Besides, if Alabanians do not like Serbian rule, they are welcome to exercise their independence back home in ALBANIA. (Continued…)
Steven
posted 2/28/08 @ 7:26 AM PST
WOW - I doubt I have read such a biased and one sided piece of 'journalism' in years! Does Liza have relations of Albanian extraction? A good question to ask after reading this drivel! Factually wrong, and without ANY subjective reality at all. (Continued…)
Dila
posted 2/28/08 @ 7:59 AM PST
On behalf of all Albanians. Thank you!
mj
posted 2/28/08 @ 8:09 AM PST
This article only points out the necessary facts to support its view however the problem between Albanians and Serbs started long before Milosevic. Albanians have throughout the 20th century terrorized Serbs and cleansed them from their own region. (Continued…)
Cufi
posted 2/28/08 @ 1:45 PM PST
This is so clear and very true about the Serbian Regime towards Kosovar ALbanains civilins. No wonder why all the Republics of Yugoslavia didnt want to live under the brutal most violent and worst Terrorist regime of Serbia. (Continued…)
EKastrioti
posted 2/28/08 @ 6:42 PM PST
That's very typical of the mentality from the opposition, Astonished. The writer doesn't need to go beyond the nineties. If he did he could go back before 1389, before 700AC or even into BC where Serbs were nowhere to be found in the region. (Continued…)
James McMillan
posted 2/28/08 @ 7:18 PM PST
Point well said Liza. How can Serbian polititians claim such a biased nationalist statement that Kosovo is their ancestral heartland?! According to history Kosovo used to be part of Dardania in the Roman empire as part of the province of Moesia Superior, thus Dardania is a proto-Albanian word meaning "peer tree" or (dardhe in Albanian). (Continued…)
Mike Z
posted 2/28/08 @ 7:50 PM PST
Thank you to the journalist for putting everything into perspective !
The readers of this article must understand that although the journalist tried her best to tell the true history about the suffering of the Kosovar Albanian people , their just simply is no way that someone could list all of the attrocities commited by the serbs onto the Albanians in just one article! Everything in this article is true and can be proven ! This story is in no way shape or form one sided . (Continued…)
Carmine
posted 2/28/08 @ 7:57 PM PST
I'm no expert on this subject but this article seems to go against the grain of much of what I've learned. Have to agree with Steven that this does not qualify as "journalism" - perhaps commentary. (Continued…)
Mediawatcher
posted 2/28/08 @ 8:08 PM PST
Nowadays arrogant and ignorant incompetents populate Department of State. But one wonders, what ignorance is doing on campus? Ignorance is curable trait. (Continued…)
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