IV

104TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 217

Concerning human and political rights of the Bosniac people of the Sanjak

region of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia/Montenegro).

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SEPTEMBER 24, 1996

Mr. MORAN (for himself, Mr. PORTER, Mr. LANTOS, Ms. MOLINARI, and Mr.

ENGEL) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Concerning human and political rights of the Bosniac people

of the Sanjak region of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia/Montenegro).

Whereas the situation in the Sanjak region of the Federal

Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia/Montenegro) could not be

addressed in the Dayton Peace Accords leaving the

Bosniac people, who are the Muslim population in the region, subject to continuing harassment and repression;

Whereas major international human rights organizations, the

United States Department of State, the United Nations,

and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in

Europe (OSCE) have documented extensive human rights

abuses perpetrated against the Bosniac people of the

Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia/Montenegro);
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Whereas an April 1993 report by the Commission on Security

and Cooperation in Europe referred to the situation in

the Sanjak region as ‘‘an example of how a relatively content, ethnically mixed society can be torn apart by its

proximity to war, both geographically and socially’’;

Whereas the United States pursues a policy known as the

‘‘outer wall of sanctions’’ intended to urge the Federal

Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia/Montenegro) to make

progress on successor state issues;

Whereas the ‘‘outer wall of sanctions’’ policy specifically addresses concerns about Kosova, but does not address the

equally destabilizing situation in the Sanjak region;

Whereas over 17,000 Bosniac people have been subjected to

harsh military-police treatment and physically terrorized;

Whereas the Bosniac people have been expelled in large numbers from their jobs with state-owned companies, producing widespread economic and humanitarian hardship; and

Whereas large numbers of Bosniac people have been forced

to migrate out of fear for their lives, and have witnessed

the destruction of their homes, possessions and institutions: 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 United States should continue its lead4 ership role within the international community in

5 seeking a solution to the problems of the ethnic

6 groups of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Ser7 bia/Montenegro), without which there cannot be per8 manent peace in the Balkans;
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1 (2) the United States should continue to main2 tain its opposition to the lifting of the ‘‘outer wall

3 of sanctions’’ against the Federal Republic of Yugo4 slavia (Serbia/Montenegro) until the situation of the

5 Bosniac people of the Sanjak region, along with that

6 of other ethnic groups of the Federal Republic of

7 Yugoslavia (Serbia/Montenegro), is substantially im8 proved;

9 (3) the United States should raise the issue of

10 human rights violations in the Sanjak region with

11 the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia/

12 Montenegro) at every opportunity and press for full

13 respect for the human rights and fundamental free14 doms of the people of the Sanjak region in keeping

15 with international law;

16 (4) the government of the Federal Republic of

17 Yugoslavia (Serbia/Montenegro) should restore polit18 ical freedom in the Sanjak region, end persecution of

19 political leaders, and guarantee the safe return of

20 those Bosniac people forced to leave the region; and

21 (5) the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia/

22 Montenegro) should permit the return of a perma23 nent mission of the Organization for Security and

24 Cooperation in Europe to the Sanjak region to mon25 itor and report on developments in the region, in-
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1 cluding human rights and economic development,

2 and to help establish the necessary conditions for ob3 serving elections.

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