UNMIK/FR/029/01
FEATURE RELEASE - 13 April 2001

Minorities
Ethnic Minorities in Kosovo: A Grim Scenario

Last week the seventh OSCE/UNHCR report was presented by Ambassador Daan Everts, OSCE Head, and Lennart Kotsalainen, UNHCR Head at a joint OSCE/UNHCR press conference.  Alexandra George discusses the report.

The latest OSCE/UNHCR report, Assessment of the Situation of Ethnic Minorities in Kosovo, gives little cause for optimism that a democratic, multiethnic state commensurate with European standards is being built in Kosovo.  The report notes that the "bewildering number, and variety of violent attacks& falls short of telling the whole story." Today the Serb community is living in a 21st century ghetto; it is literally under siege, (the situation for other minorities like the Roma is not qualitatively much better), it says.

A chronological account of the violence from October 2000 to February 2001 - the period covered by the report - is akin to treading in a minefield: one hears the bursts of automatic weapons, the explosions of hand grenades as people are assaulted, and houses and shops set alight, in what the report calls "an unabated pattern of violent attacks against persons and property." 

A few random examples:  on January 24 a mortar attack damages  eight Serbs houses in a village in Orahovac. On 8 February the Serbian Orthodox Church in Livoci I Eperme, Gjilan, is destroyed in an explosion. On 12 January the KFOR-operated passenger train is stoned near Fushe Kosove, a "routine occurrence."  The viciousness of some assaults makes the reader wonder if peaceful coexistence can ever become a reality: for example, on 13 February the regular biweekly escorted convoy between Strpce and Serbia is attacked by sniper fire killing the driver and injuring a number of other passengers. The report notes that apparently the act "was designed to cause maximum damage by targeting the driver in the expectation that the bus would then fall into a ravine, killing or injuring a greater number of passengers."  But for Grainne O'Hara, UNHCR Protection officer, who helped draft the report, the 16 February bomb attack on the Nis Express "took the violence to another realm. It was much more organized, something... to be very worried about."
Apart from the atmosphere of violence and insecurity, the report focuses on four other key issues affecting minorities: 1. The need for a fair resolution of property disputes and for an equitable distribution of reconstruction aid; 2. Participation in political structures; 3. Access to employment; and 4. Access to health. 
 
Forced property sales
Minorities are beset with problems in the property realm: these include lack of adjudication for ownership claims, unlawful occupation, illegal construction on minority-owned property, access to reconstruction aid, and "strategic sales" demonstrating an unabated assault against property. "Strategic sales," a phenomenon perceived by minorities as an attempt to drive them out of Kosovo, have reached alarming levels in some communities, notably in Lipjan.

Strategic sales occur when minority owners of property in important locations within minority areas are induced to sell their property in what appears to be an organized campaign. One such example is in one building in Pristina (under KFOR protection) where Albanians have been constantly attempting to purchase Serb apartments. The reason: once the number of Serbs was reduced, KFOR protection would decrease, prospective buyers informed OSCE, and the remaining Serbs would leave.  According to a senior UNMIK official in civil administration, extremist-criminal elements are the instigators: "It's a systemically orchestrated campaign of blockbusting to pick up some prime properties by intimidating people and buying them out. In Lipjan it's been going on for some time."  In the Pristina region the purchase and coerced sales of Serb properties in both towns and Serb villages near the city continues under both duress and at highly inflated prices.

Out of all the municipalities only two attempts have been made to address the problem of "strategic sales" - in Lipjan and Pristina where the municipal administrator issued a series of instructions requiring approval of all inter-ethnic property sales. However, this measure has been revoked by UNMIK as part of "discriminatory measures of the immediate past."  Certainly such a ban would cause hardship to some Serbs (particularly the elderly) who want to leave, but who would be unable to receive money from  attempted sales.

Property issues are particularly important for minorities. As OSCE Chief, Daan Everts, pointed out, the role of the Housing Property Claims Commission (HPCC) needs to be expanded so no unlawful appropriation of property is condoned.

Regarding reconstruction, aid levels for minorities also fall short of provisions set forth in the JIAS Department of Reconstruction "Guidelines for Housing Reconstruction" which provides that between 5 to 10 per cent of reconstruction assistance funds be set aside for minoirities.  In 2000 the actual figure was around 2 per cent.

One leafs through the report to find figures on the numbers of minorities remaining in Kosovo. But the report explains that such a statistical compilation is beyond the mandate of OSCE and UNHCR, nor are they able "to systematically track all population movements."  The report notes the greatest threat to minorities is security, -- not only physical safety, but freedom of movement -- the primary reason for departures, and limited access to basic services and to employment. Indeed, according to a senior UNMIK official in civil administration: "No concrete programme exists to ensure minorities equal access to public utilities and employment, freedom of movement, human and civil rights."

Given the grim scenario the active return of minorities is not being encouraged as, the report notes, it would engender "false hope and a false sense of security" to minorities.  The policy rather is "one of promoting the creation of conditions conducive to return as opposed to promoting return itself."  In January 2001 the Joint Committee on Return of Kosovo Serbs (principal members - UNMIK, UNMIK Police, KFOR, OSCE, UNHCR and the Serb National Council) issued the "Framework for Return 2001." The document discusses major impediments to safe and sustainable returns and sets forth requisite measures for addressing these obstacles. 

As for the Roma, Ashkaelias and Egyptians the question of their return was first highlighted in the "Platform of Joint Action" adopted in April 2000.

Discrimination - a way of life
Regarding access to political structures, under Regulation 2000/45 two committees -the Communities and Mediation Committees - were stipulated to ensure minorities' interest were addressed at the municipal level. The Communities Committee has among other functions, to ensure that public officials do not engage in discriminatory practices, that fair and equal employment opportunities exist and that all communities are adequately represented in the municipal service. Unfortunately, as of 7 March, ten municipalities had not appointed such a committee. The report asks whether, once established they can have influence, or whether they will be sidelined.
Although the SRSG has appointed minority members to Municipal Assemblies - as of 1 March, of a total of 869 elected and 123 appointed representatives in municipalities, 91 were Kosovo Serb, 14 Muslim Slavs, 10 Ashkalia, 9 Romas, 5 Turks, 4 Egyptians and 1 Croat. One key area where minorities have little representation is in the Policy and Finance Committee, whose powers include proposing the municipal budget, and the Municipal Assembly's Board of Directors, which are dominated by Kosovo Albanians.

Access to employment is crucial if minorities are to remain in Kosovo. Yet in the municipal service no compulsory system to ensure minority representation exists, although the need for a common employment policy was identified by the sixth Minorities report. HABITAT 's "Toolkit for Jobs" prepared in early 2000 and distributed by the Department of Local Administration is a guideline on equal opportunity for advertising and hiring for municipal jobs. However, the Toolkit has not been received by every municipality, and even when received has rarely been used, the report notes. Nor does every Municipality keep disaggregated employment statistics. However, most Municipalities employ workers of different ethnic backgrounds, although the figures are inconsiderable. In Peja/Pec for example, only 0.9per cent of municipal workers are Kosovo Serbs, 0.3 per cent Egyptian and 0.001 per cent Roma.
Meanwhile the absence of a legal framework is greatly impeding proper access to the courts for those who allege discrimination.

Access to health services remains precarious. Hampered by a lack of freedom of movement and security concerns, lacunae have been filled by NGO mobile health services, particularly in isolated rural minority communities. Unfortunately, now that Kosovo is no longer on an emergency footing in the eyes of the international community, many NGOs are leaving. According to Jay Carter, Deputy Regional Administrator, Pristina Region, currently the French NGO, Medecins du Monde, which provide mobile health services to minority villages, is leaving. He says: "Municipalities are supposed to fill the vacuum, but it's difficult to extract money from Kosovar Albanian-dominated Municipal Assemblies for minority health care."

Serbs will be the major victims of such a retrenchment. In one Prizren hospital a Serb patient, recently transferred from a KFOR military field hospital, had to be evacuated following a bomb threat. But the report notes instances of reverse discrimination: in Mitrovica, for example, where Serbians control municipal services, Albanians are excluded from services, largely for security reasons.

A Thaw at hand?
Only inter-ethnic dialogue can bridge the communal divide, OSCE Chief, Daan Everts, told the press conference presenting the report. "You cannot improve relations by way of the military and police. Kosovar Albanians need to start a new chapter and encourage minorities to feel part of society," he said. Here municipal leadership and community counterparts can play an important role.  Minority participation in political structures was essential.  Ambassador Everts told the press conference he had noticed a recent change in the tone of exchanges between Albanian and Serb leaders: "I hope we've reached a turning point," he said.   But a good relation involves reciprocity: "On the Serb side one needs to see signs that they want to participate in society. They have to join the democratisation and institution-building process, notably the elections."  He was optimistic - recently Serbs had made some statements to that effect, whilst Albanian leaders said they did not want a monoethnic state - minorities should have full rights.
Note for Editors

For a selection of photographs, please contact Mr. Ky Chung at 038 504-604 ext. 5467

Contact: Alexandra George
(038) 504 604 Ext. 5792
E-mail: george@un.org