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Verbatim report of proceedings
Thursday, 15 June 2000 - Strasbourg OJ edition

Basic freedoms in Serbia and Kosovo
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  Haarder (ELDR).(DA) Mr President, a year ago, the current NATO General Secretary, George Robertson, described the task in Kosovo clearly and succinctly in the following terms: "The objective is to get the Serbs out, NATO in and the Albanians home". It was successful and a victory for justice and human rights. I was there before the war began. At that time, the Serbs had already driven 200 000 to 300 000 people from their homes and had ravaged and laid waste whole areas of the country. And I was there again a couple of weeks ago and can testify to the enormous change for the better which has occurred thanks to NATO’s intervention. I can also testify to the incredibly efficient work being done by KFOR, the UN mission (UNMIK) and the UNMIK police. I can, unfortunately, also testify to what the debate here ought especially to be about, namely the fact that it is now the Serbs who are being persecuted by people who act with spite towards them, throw stones at them, burn their houses down and attempt to drive them from their homes. Now, it is the Serbs who need our attention. The police are doing everything possible, but nothing like the promised number of police has arrived. The EU countries, in particular, have gone back on their promise. Only one fifth of the police force comes from EU countries. That is partly why the former liberation organisation, the KLA is all too easily able to engage in anti-Serbian and criminal activities, which presumably also include murder, arson and attempts to drive people from their homes. So, what is now needed may be expressed as succinctly as a year ago: the objective is to get the KLA out, the police in and the Serbs home to those places in which they have always lived in Kosovo. The KLA must be disarmed and stripped of any monopoly position in the coming election campaign. They must also be divested of the special privileges they have evidently been given when it comes to recruiting for the new police force. The KLA’s criminal activity must be brought to an end. The EU countries must send more police and judges. The Serbs must be helped to return home. Attempts must also be made to help groups of Serbs in Serbia itself. In turn, it must be absolutely clear that the election planned for October in Kosovo must be held, irrespective of whether the Kosovan Serbs boycott it, for what are especially needed are Albanians, who are accountable. At the moment, all Albanians have been turned into clients and can blame everyone else for terrorism, street fights etc. What we need is to arrange for the Albanian majority to be held accountable.

 
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