Russia Raps West Over Kosovo
MOSCOW, Aug 18, 1999 -- (Reuters) Russia
blamed the Western powers on Tuesday for
neglecting what it described as "ethnic cleansing" of
Serbs by ethnic Albanian forces in Kosovo and
urged swift action to disarm local guerrillas.
"In fact 'ethnic cleansing' is going on full steam in
Kosovo. This is a result of 'the policy of appeasing'
Albanian separatism pursued by a number of
Western countries," a Foreign Ministry statement
said.
The statement clearly referred to widespread
reprisals by ethnic Albanians against small
communities of Serbs still in Kosovo who are being
held responsible for the terror of Serb forces
against Kosovo Albanians earlier this year.
"One should not turn a blind eye to the terrorism,
separatism and 'ethnic cleansing' which are taking
place in violation of the will of the international community.
"The situation in Kosovo demands energetic and responsible actions to
correct it," the statement added.
Russia fiercely opposed NATO air strikes against its Slavic, Orthodox
Christian brethren in Serbia but also played a key role in negotiating a deal
between the alliance and Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic.
Moscow has also sent more than 3,000 peacekeepers to the NATO-led
international force in the province. Its troops are hated by many local
Albanians who see them as Serb allies.
The Foreign Ministry statement said Moscow was worried over the slow
pace of disarming Albanian guerrillas in Kosovo and added that there were
reasons to believe that deadlines set for the process would not be met.
It called for the accelerated deployment of a U.N. police mission, expected
to number more than 3,000, in Kosovo. One of its duties will be to
supplement peacekeepers' efforts to provide additional security for
minorities there.
The statement said Russia was also stunned by the "passivity" of the
international tribunal on former Yugoslavia over the atrocities committed by
ethnic Albanians in Kosovo.
Serb ethnic cleansing of ethnic Albanians in 1998 and 1999 displaced more
than 1.5 million people from their homes inside Kosovo, driving hundreds of
thousands across international borders into neighboring Albania and
Macedonia.
Non-ethnic Albanian civilians - Serbs, Gypsies and even Serb-speaking
Moslems - are now being frequently attacked by recently returned Kosovo
Albanian refugees.
On Monday evening armed ethnic Albanian thugs locked an elderly Serb
woman in her kitchen in the Kosovo capital Pristina while they beat, robbed
and tried to rape her daughter-in-law in the next room.
(C)1999 Copyright Reuters Limited. |
