UNMIK/PR/382

PRESS RELEASE - 5 October 2000

SRSG announces establishment of Detained and Missing Persons Bureau

Pristina--SRSG Bernard Kouchner announced in Podujevo yesterday that UNMIK has established a Bureau for Detained and Missing Persons, which will open on 12 October. The Bureau will work closely with the Interim Administrative Council, the Kosovo Transitional Council and other entities.

Speaking at a town hall meeting, Dr. Kouchner said that the issue of detained and missing persons has been a  major concern for UNMIK from the beginning of the mission 15 months ago. He said that he had addressed the UN Security Council on the issue, which he will also bring before the 15 members of the European Union next week in Luxembourg.

Dr. Kouchner deplored the lack of dialogue with Belgrade authorities on the issue, but said a solution may be found soon, as the presidential candidate Vojislav Kostunica had declared that the detained people would be one of the first issues to address if he is elected.

The international community has been very sensitized on the issue, Dr. Kouchner said,  including the Council of Europe, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights who nominated recently a Special Envoy and US Senator Bob Dole. Dr. Kouchner said that  funds were just received to help to identify exhumed human remains of some missing people, and that he felt confident that sooner or later, UNMIK and people of Kosovo will succeed in getting detainees released.

The people of Podojevo said 61 persons among the detained and missing persons were from their municipality.
 
Other issues residents raised included pensions, employment and social welfare for  war invalids. Dr. Kouchner said that in order for the international community to support Kosovo and to release funds for the social welfare system that UNMIK is establishing, Kosovo people must prove that they are ready for democracy by fair and free elections. 

“Offer me democratic elections without violence and discrimination, and I’ll help you find money to rebuild Kosovo. UNMIK will help you to get self-governance. This is the pact I offer you”, he said. He invited the people of Kosovo not to ruin their future with ethnic hatred or violence inside community, between parties or between people.

The town hall meeting was preceded by the visit to a housing project funded by a Kuwaiti NGO Islamic World Committee, which had provided houses for more than 800 persons, or 145 families of widows and orphans. The project had also built a health centre and a school.

SRSG also visited representatives of the Ashkali community who confirmed that the 1,000 residents live peacefully with their Albanian neighbors in Podujevo.