Tr 08: (Shala) Covic’s call for repent ion from both sides is simply a hypocrisy that he is playing for political gains

UNMIK ON AIR

CALL FOR FORGIVENESS FALLS ON DEAF EARS

MAY 5 2003

LUAN QORRAJ

Forgiveness of crimes committed during a conflict is an essential step towards building a lasting peace. But so far this is a topic that has been studiously ignored by authorities in both Belgrade and Pristina.

The closest it got was when Sava Janjic, a Decani monastery monk, asked for forgiveness from the Albanians for the crimes committed by the Serb forces. But he didn’t seek forgiveness in the name of the nation, but only in the name of his church.

Last week, though, Serbian deputy PM, Nebojsa Covic, called for a meeting between Prishtina and Belgrade politicians where both sides could seek forgiveness for the crimes committed against civilian population. Serbs, for mass murders of Albanians during the 98-99 war. Albanians for the crimes committed against Serb population after NATO troops walked into kosovo.

A worthy suggestion, you would think. But so far there has been no official reply. And Mr. Covic’s call was met by certain unease in Prishtina.

Behxhet Shala, from the council for defense of Human rights and liberties, for example, believes it is nothing but a political stunt aimed towards getting points from the international community.

Behxhet Shala: Covic’s call for repentence from both sides is simply a hypocrisy that he is playing for political gains. And he makes the call after the mafia regime that ruled Serbia has been unmasked. If he would have made this call right after the war was over then it would have carried more weight.

While Natasa Kandic, a Belgrade-based human rights activist, also finds the Serbian deputy pm’s invitation out of place, though her reasons differ from Mr. Shala’s. For her the issue of seeking forgiveness is just a formality that has to come after other issues have been settled.

Natasa Kandic: The issue of seeking forgiveness, apologizing, reparation and other means of setting up the process of reconciliation come naturally after results are achieved in talks that have to do with serious issues that are a burden for both kosovo and Serbia.

And the issues in question are the ones that have to do with the feelings of the population since, in order to have peace; there should be a feeling that justice has been served amongst the ordinary people.

Natasa Kandic: I think that the issue of the missing, war crimes responsibilities, cooperation of courts in processing war crimes are very important. And without solving them there is no possible forgiveness, there is no road to reconciliation. That is the starting point.

But isn’t any attempt at reconciliation a good thing – regardless of people’s skepticism about the motives? We asked Mr. Covic for his comments – but he told us he didn’t have the time.

Meanwhile the K-Albanians say another problem they face in accepting this call is that Mr. Covic calls for mutual repentence from both governments. Behxhet Shala says such an invitation implies Kosovar institutions accepting responsibility for crimes that happened when those institutions were not even in place. And, adds Mr. Shala, although Albanians are no angels when it comes to crimes, there is one very important difference between the crimes committed by the Serb military and police, and the crimes committed against Serbs:

Behxhet Shala: These weren’t crimes that were backed by an institution, or a government, therefore that institution, or government, cannot ask for forgiveness for the crimes committed by certain individuals who are still unknown. With the Serbs it is different, they know who committed those crimes- it was the military and the police under direct command of the Serbian political elite from Milosevic downwards.

While Natasa Kandic says that before people feel that they are ready to forgive they have to feel that justice has been served. This applies to both Serbs and Albanians since, until the real perpetrators of crimes are arrested and tried, there will always be a generalization of the guilt by the other side:

Natasa Kandic: That apology or forgiveness comes after a certain level of justice is reached. Without justice there will be no peace, no stability. Four years after there are still very strong emotions about what happened and that’s why it has to start with issues that have to do with the war.

And with this comment from Natasa Kandic we close today’s program. Thanks for tuning in.