104TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 155

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

support of a resolution of the crisis in Kosova.

Concerning human and political rights and in
104TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 155

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Whereas the Constitution of the Socialist Federal Republic of

Yugoslavia, adopted in 1946 and the amended Yugoslav

Constitution adopted in 1974, described the status of

Kosova as one of the 8 constituent territorial units of the

Yugoslav Federation;

Whereas the political rights of the Albanian majority in

Kosova were curtailed when the Government of Yugo-
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slavia illegally amended the Yugoslav federal constitution

without the consent of the people of Kosova on March

23, 1989, revoking Kosova’s autonomous status;

Whereas in 1990, the Parliament and Government of Kosova

were abolished by further unlawful amendments to the

Constitution of Yugoslavia;

Whereas in September 1990, a referendum on the question

of independence for Kosova was held in which 87 percent

of those eligible to participate voted and 99 percent of

those voting supported independence for Kosova;

Whereas in May 1992, a Kosovar national parliament and

President, Dr. Ibrahim Rugova, were freely and fairly

elected, but were not permitted to assemble in Kosova;

Whereas according to the State Department Country Reports

on Human Rights for 1995, ‘‘police repression continued

at a high level against the ethnic Albanians of Kosova

. . . and reflected a general campaign to keep [those] who

are not ethnic Serbs intimidated and unable to exercise

basic human and civil rights’’;

Whereas over 100,000 ethnic Albanians employed in the public sector have been removed from their jobs and replaced

by Serbs since 1989;

Whereas the government in Belgrade has severely restricted

the access of ethnic Albanians in Kosova to all levels of

education, especially in the Albanian language;

Whereas the Organization on Security and Cooperation in

Europe observers dispatched to Kosova in 1991 were expelled by the government in Belgrade in July 1993, and

have not been reinstated as called for in United Nations

Security Council Resolution 855 of August 1993;
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Whereas following the departure of such observers, international human rights organizations have documented an

increase in abuses;

Whereas the United Nations announced on February 27,

1995, that Serbia had granted it permission to open a

Belgrade office to monitor human rights in Serbia and

Kosova;

Whereas Congress directed the State Department to establish

a United States Information Agency (U.S.I.A.) cultural

center in Prishtina, Kosova, in section 223 of the Foreign

Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1992 and

1993;

Whereas Secretary of State Warren Christopher announced

on February 27, 1996, that Serbian leader Slobodan

Milosevic has agreed to the establishment of such center

and that preparations for the establishment of the center

are proceeding;

Whereas, with the signing of the Dayton agreement on

Bosnia, future peace in the Balkans hinges largely on a

settlement of the status of Kosova; and

Whereas the President has explicitly warned the Government

of Serbia that the United States is prepared to respond

in the event of escalated conflict in Kosova caused by

Serbia: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that—

3 (1) the situation in Kosova must be resolved be4 fore the outer wall of sanctions against Serbia is lift5 ed and Serbia is able to return to the international

6 community;
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1 (2) the human rights of the people of Kosova

2 must be restored to levels guaranteed by inter3 national law;

4 (3) the United States should support the legiti5 mate claims of the people of Kosova to determine

6 their own political future;

7 (4) international observers should be returned

8 to Kosova as soon as possible;

9 (5) the elected government of Kosova should be

10 permitted to meet and exercise its legitimate man11 date as elected representatives of the people of

12 Kosova;

13 (6) all individuals whose employment was termi14 nated on the basis of their ethnicity should be rein15 stated to their previous positions;

16 (7) the education system in Kosova should be

17 reopened to all residents of Kosova regardless of eth18 nicity and the majority ethnic Albanian population

19 should be allowed to educate its youth in its native

20 tongue;
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1 (8) the establishment of a United States Infor2 mation Agency cultural center in Prishtina, Kosova,

3 is to be commended; and

4 (9) the President should appoint a special envoy

5 to aid in negotiating a resolution to the crisis in

6 Kosova.

Passed the House of Representatives July 29, 1996.

Attest:

Clerk.