Sanda Raskovic-Ivic's letter to Steven Schook

Coordinating Center of Serbia for Kosovo and Metohija, Belgrade, August 10, 2006

 

LETTER OF PRESIDENT OF THE COORDINATION CENTER TO THE HEAD OF UNMIK

 

TERROR OF ALBANIANS IS BEING PERFORMED CONTINUOUSLY AND WITH IMPUNITY

 

The letter was forwarded to the ambassadors of the Contact Group countries

 

Dear Mr. Schook,

 

You are well aware of the fact that seven years have elapsed since the UN Mission was entrusted with the task under Resolution 1244 to ensure peace, security and respect for human rights to persons belonging to all the communities in Kosovo and Metohija. You are likewise well aware of the fact that 230,000 Serbs have been expelled from the Province and that for as many as seven years their return to their homes has been prevented.

 

But what is certainly the worst of all and is, undoubtedly, fully known to you is the fact that the Albanian separatists are practicing terror against the Serbs incessantly and with impunity. When crimes go unpunished, and that has become a rule in the Province over the last seven years, then the perpetrators of crimes - Albanian separatists start to believe that committing crimes against Serbs is the most natural thing to do.

 

You should know that any unpunished crime is in fact a double crime and that the international community is the most responsible for such a deplorable and tragic situation in Kosovo.

 

Regrettably, Albanian separatists have carried out hundreds and hundreds of attacks against the Serbs and nobody has been called to account for these crimes yet. The perpetrators of these crimes are at large and they interpret this as the best encouragement to commit new crimes.

 

I would like to remind you that way back on 22 July 1999 Albanian separatists killed and massacred 14 Serb peasants harvesting the fields in the village of Staro Gacko, Lipljan municipality and that the criminals have never been brought to justice. On 16 February 2001 Albanian separatists planted a bomb under a bus of "Nis Express" in Podujevo. Four people were killed and these criminals remain at large. An even more cruel crime was committed in Obilic on 23 June 2003 when the Albanian separatists massacred the Stolic family. You know full well that even this terrible crime has remained unpunished to this date. You also know that the Albanian terrorists who killed two Serbs with a hand-grenade on 3 February 2000 when a bus transporting the Serbs was hit in the vicinity of the village of Cubrelj have not been identified yet.

 

Many words were uttered and many worthless promises made to the effect that light would be shed on the most serious crime committed at Gorazdevac on 13 August 2003. On that occasion - you certainly know all the details - the criminals killed two Serb boys and wounded another four.

 

Please find enclosed herewith a detailed list of crimes of Albanian separatists that have remained unpunished to this date.

 

Mr. Schook, it is high time clear answers were given to the questions raised by each and every of the crimes committed by Albanian separatists. It is your duty to see to it that these criminals are put behind bars. It is also your duty - if they are not in prison - to give a full explanation why this is the case. It is my duty to persistently remind you should you forget this and I shall do this in the future as well.

 

I would like to ask you to take a careful look at the list of the most serious crimes that Albanian separatists committed with impunity against the Serbs and to do everything within the shortest possible delay for the criminals to be identified and punished.

 

Finally, I wish to underscore in particular that one of the most important tasks of the international mission in the Province today is to make it known to the Albanian separatists who are in action that to commit a crime against Serbs is not a normal thing to do and that every crime will sooner or later be punished.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

PRESIDENT

 

Dr Sanda Raskovic-Ivic