UNMIK Press Briefing Transcript – 1 p.m. 31 May 2000
UNMIK Spokeswoman Susan Manuel
KFOR
Spokesman Scott Slaten
UNMIK Spokeswoman Susan
Manuel
SRSG Bernard Kouchner is in Geneva today, giving a press briefing and an address to the Graduate Institute of International Studies. Tomorrow he will attend a meeting of SRSG’s in the Balkans, chaired by the Deputy Secretary-General, Louise Frechette. Next week he goes onto New York and on 9 June, on the eve of the renewal of the UNMIK mandate, he will address the Security Council. As you may know, Security Council Resolution 1244 which gives UNMIK its mandate will be automatically renewed, unless the Security Council as a whole votes to change it or cancel it. They do not need to vote to renew it as with other peacekeeping mandates.
KTC
The Kosovo Transitional Council met today and was addressed by NATO Secretary-General George Robertson and he apparently gave them a very tough message, which he may repeat here. He urged the members of the KTC to tell the blunt truth. He said, “I bring you a message of support from the international community but also a solemn warning that the international community doesn’t have infinite patience. The international community is committed to a multi-ethnic, democratic and peaceful Kosovo. I bring you a message of hope and a message of caution as well”. He was speaking, of course, about the recent violence against minorities and the KTC today endorsed the statement issued by the IAC yesterday strongly condemning the killings of three Serbs in Cernica.
Regarding that crime in Cernica, police are in the process of interrogating witnesses to build their case. The suspect who was arrested Monday is in prison in Bondsteel, by executive order of the SRSG Kouchner. The suspect will be initially processed by an international investigative judge, who will review the case over the next two days.
Meanwhile, the co-head of the department of judical affairs, Ms. Sylvie Pantz, is in Strasbourg and London interviewing other candidates for posts of prosecutor and judges.
As I mentioned Monday, a trial opens tomorrow in the Pristina district court, with Ms. Klonowiecka-Milart serving on the panel of judges. She will adjudicate trials beginning on the 1 June and 6 June, both involving Serb defendants who have been held in Mitrovica.
Other trials are ongoing around Kosovo. In Gnjilane 17 cases have been completed, the most recent on the 27 May when the accused, Sasa Maksimovic, was found guilty of murder and sentenced to 13 years in prison. This followed a crime committed in Kamenica in September 1999.
Police
In other news from around Kosovo, crime and violence
was high yesterday, with three Kosovo Albanians injured in a shooting incident
in the Agricultural college. A hand grenade thrown at a Serb house in Obilic and
another into a Kosovo Albanian in northern Mitrovica also took place.
We
understand from the police that the owner of the Besa bar in Pristina was
kidnapped yesterday. Also, a large quantity of weapons was found in the Pec
region, where eight Kosovar Albanians were arrested in connection with that
find, and also in the Pristina region.
Postal Service
Today
marks the beginning of international mail service to and from Kosovo. To mark
this occasion, SRSG Bernard Kouchner wrote UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan a
letter, which said, among other things that:
"As we near the completion of a year since the establishment of the mission in Kosovo. I am glad we have been able to build bridges with the rest of the world. Many Kosovar families who are dispersed all over the world will now be brought closer by letters. The road to this achievement was not devoid of hurdles. But step by step, with diligence and care, each problem has been resolved, and we have laid yet another milestone in the establishment of peace."
Currently there are 90 post offices open around Kosovo, compared with 130 before the war. There are about 100 letters a week in circulation internally in Kosovo. The postal service is using 60 motorcycles donated by the European Agency for Reconstruction, with 10 vans waiting at the border. The European Agency for Reconstruction has donated 412,000 Euro to rehabilitation of the postal offices. The postal service is expected to employ 700 people.
Vehicle Registration
Today was meant to be the deadline for registration of motor vehicles and from tomorrow UNMIK police will begin the first phase of enforcement - that is checking to see whether vehicles are properly registered. They will not yet be issuing fines or impounding cars - that will come in a later phase. However, starting 19 June, the cost for registering motor vehicles in Pristina will increase by 25%.
Dubrava Prison
The UNMIK Dubrava Prison at Istok, after being refurbished, will receive the first sentenced prisoners tomorrow. All persons sentenced to three months imprisonment or more will serve their time at Dubrava Prison, which will have a capacity for 520 prisoners.
Ms. Sylvie Pantz and Ms. Nekibe Kelmendi, co-heads of the Department of Judicial Affairs, and other UNMIK officials will visit the prison with Mr. Jari Lohi, Commissioner of Kosovo Correctional Service tomorrow, when the first sentenced prisoners are transferred from Peja/Pec and Prizren Detention Centers and Lipjan Correctional Center. Transfer of other prisoners will follow later.
Regulations
Several regulations have been signed recently, including one regulating the licensing of security services providers in Kosovo. This regulation is aimed primarily at international security companies, which may be relieving UNMIK and KFOR of some of their static duties, such as guarding banks, transferring cash etc.
The regulation requires any business providing security services in Kosovo to be registered with UNMIK and to have a business license from UNMIK. UNMIK will be issuing an administrative directive on how and where to register. Having received a license, the security business then needs to get a permit for each employee from the UNMIK Police Commissioner.
Another regulation has been signed establishing the administrative Department of Environmental Protection.
KFOR Spokesman Scott Slaten
Throughout Kosovo, KFOR soldiers are on the hunt for
illegal weapons and ammunition. The troops from each multinational Brigade are
working closely with the UNMIK police by stepping up the campaign to minimize
the risk of violence and death on the streets of Kosovo.
Using patrols
throughout the countryside, vehicle checkpoints, house searches and information
from local residents, KFOR and UNMIK police are daily reducing the cache of
illegal weapons in Kosovo.
In MNB(C), KFOR Norwegian soldiers in the town of Polusa conducted two house searches yesterday. KFOR military police, UNMIK police an EOD team and a dog patrol participated in the search and the confiscation of three hand grenades and three rifles.
At a vehicle checkpoint last night KFOR soldiers discovered a single cartridge during a routine inspection. The owner of the vehicle was detained while UNMIK police conducted a search of his home south west of Lipljan. Investigators discovered one Beretta 9mm and one Marakov 9mm pistol. An additional resident of the home was also detained after the search.
The 2nd Battalion the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, during a patrol in MNB(C) yesterday confiscated an invalid and invalid weapons authorization card and a Croatian made pistol from a Kosovo Albanian male.
In MNB(W), KFOR Italian soldiers from taskforce Falco assisted in the arrest of five Kosovo Albanian men. The Italian military police confiscated two pistols, two rifles, ammunition and an undetermined quantity of drugs. Three hours later KFOR soldiers in the same sector participated in a large search operation. The inspection resulted in the detention of two men and the seizure of two AK-47 assault rifles, two pistols, one anti-tank mine, one M80 rocket launcher, one 60mm rocket, two bayonets and a large variety of ammunition.
In MNB(E), KFOR Polish, 18th Assault Battalion soldiers conducted a search of two Kosovar Albanian homes in Durra. The search produced two grenades, two rifles and a large variety of ammunition. One man was detained and taken to Camp Bondsteel for questioning.
Extremists and criminals must understand that if they are found in possession of weapons or ammunition they will be detained, and their homes will be searched by KFOR and UNMIK police for additional contraband. They will then be handed over to UNMIK police for arrest and prosecution on criminal charges in a court of law.
Questions
Q.When Kofi Annan, the Secretary-General, came to Kosovo last time - at the end of last year, after his visit he sent a personal thank you letter to the SRSG. The time taken for it leaving Mr. Annan’s desk to arriving in Kosovo was over 19 days. Can you assure us that the UN mail system is going to be faster for Kosovar Albanians?
SM. Hopefully the UNMIK mail system will not be under the same administration as the UN mail system. We’ll see, it will be improving I’m sure.
Q. As far as the Cernica killings are concerned, you say someone has been arrested and is in Bondsteel. Did somebody interrogate or talk to him? What’s the first information on why he did that? Did he have any motives or was he mentally disturbed? What’s all behind this?
SM. The case is under investigation and I’m sure he’s
being interrogated, as are witnesses.