UN RADIO IN KOSOVO

JELENA BJELICA – INTERVIEW

By Zoran CULAFIC

Hello and welcome …

Human trafficking and prostitution in Kosovo and the Balkans is still a significant problem that deserves serious individual and institutional efforts by the whole of society to be solved. Belgrade based journalist Jelena Bjelica has been dealing with this issue for four years. Recently her second book on this topic, “On the footstep of freedom - Human trafficking in Europe”, was published in Belgrade.

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The book is divided into three chapters – the human trafficking issue and prostitution in the Balkans, Central Europe and West Europe.

In this interview with UN Radio in Kosovo Jelena Bjelica explains why she’s chosen the human trafficking issue for her years-long research.

ACTUALITY Jelena – We (in the Balkans) are specific case and we cannot be compared with any other West European country. The problem of prostitution has never been discussed here on an institutional level, in Assembly or Government. Who has the right to treat others as slaves, to sell girls or to keep them locked in a house?!

Her first book addressing the issue of human trafficking and prostitution in the Balkans, titled “Trafficking in human beings”, was awarded in 2003 with the Press Freedom Award - "Signal for Europe", journalists from the transition states of East and South-East Europe.

ACTUALITY Jelena – We are society in transition and all what is happening to us after the year 2000 is a process that is supposed to lead us toward normalization and stabilization of all our societies in the Balkans. This is very important, because during recent 15 years of unlawfulness and wars here, we had a complete change of moral values.

All the transitional countries in the Balkans are faced with number of very serious challenges, ranging from the very sensitive problem of war crimes and extreme abuse of human rights, up to everyday economic problems and huge rates of unemployment.

When above all of these problems you have an additional issue to deal with – human trafficking and prostitution - than the authorities seems to be tired and have no idea how to address it properly, believes Jelena Bjelica. Nevertheless, in many of these countries there are significant signals that things are rapidly improving.

ACTUALITY - Jelena – I think that situation improved significantly during these four years since I started the research. There are some positive effects of the laws adopted in these four years, and police has had many educational training courses on this issue, and I think the relations towards girls was improved essentially. They are recognized now as victims and slowly we see return to normal system of moral values in all these societies, which is necessary for all of us.

Jelena Bjelica believes that the Balkans countries are making some initial positive steps in addressing the issue of human trafficking and prostitution. She reminded us that over the last 3 years in Serbia there were 3 court trails concerning such charges.

ACTUALITY – Jelena – I believe that there is a good will. I met many people here and in Bosnia and in Serbia who are really seriously dealing with this problem. Track 39 – In Serbia there exists very serious determination to address the problem of human trafficking, we had seen three significant trials concerning organized criminal groups I have to say that I’m nicely surprised We are dealing now with huge amount of problems, with thousands of dead bodies and dozens of indicted war criminals, and it is positive that in such positive way we can address the issue of human trafficking too.

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ACTUALITY Jelena – The societies in the Balkans are hypocritical, they consider a prostitution to be a legal offence, while so called “business escort” is still considered as legal. That’s the hypocrisy. Track 35 – I’m for a liberal approach toward the issue of prostitution. It is a right of woman, if she decides to earn money on such way. That is her body and her integrity and there is no Government and no state to say – you dare not do this. And I believe that by legalizing it is going to decrease significantly the problem of human trafficking too, because if prostitution is not hidden, it is transparent, and there are certain places where it is happening … than that means, in that case the prostitution would be under police and state control.

Jelena Bjelica lives in Belgrade and writes regularly for Danas daily, and occasionally for some other media in and outside Belgrade, amongst the others for Check “Hospodarske novini” and Pristina weekly “Java”.

On April 7, 2005 the presentation of Jelena Bjelica’s book is scheduled in Belgrade Cinema Rex.

And with this we end today’s program. Thanks for listening us and stay tuned.