IV

105TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 235

Calling for an end to the violent repression of the legitimate rights of the

people of Kosova.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MARCH 5, 1998

Mr. GILMAN (for himself, Mr. ENGEL, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. ROHRABACHER,

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. TRAFICANT, Mrs. KELLY, Mr. PAXON,

Mr. OLVER, Mr. PAYNE, Mrs. LOWEY, Mr. MORAN of Virginia, Mr.

KING, and Mr. HOYER) submitted the following concurrent resolution;

which was referred to the Committee on International Relations

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Calling for an end to the violent repression of the legitimate

rights of the people of Kosova.

Whereas the Albanian people of Kosova constitute more than

90 percent of the total population of Kosova;

Whereas the political rights of the Albanian people of Kosova

were curtailed when the Government of Yugoslavia illegally amended the Constitution of Yugoslavia without the

consent of the people of Kosova on March 23, 1989, revoking the autonomous status of Kosova;

Whereas in 1990, the Parliament and Government of Kosova

were abolished by further unlawful amendments to the

Constitution of Yugoslavia;
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Whereas the State Department’s 1997 Country Report on

Human Rights in Serbia notes violations of civil liberties

in Kosova particularly in the following categories: political and other extra-judicial killing; torture and other

cruel inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; arbitrary arrest, detention or exile; denial of fair public

trial; and arbitrary interference with privacy, family,

home, or correspondence;

Whereas on the night of February 28, 1998, Serbian paramilitary policy units, reported to number in excess of

25,000 men, swept through the Drenica region of Kosova

killing more than 20 Albanian citizens, many of who died

from being beaten to death;

Whereas on March 2, 1998, 30,000 demonstrators peacefully

marched in Pristina to protest the massacre of February

28 and were brutally attacked by Serbian police;

Whereas a group calling itself the Liberation Army of Kosova

has threatened to retaliate against the atrocities committed by Serbian authorities;

Whereas new elections in Kosova have been scheduled for

March 22, 1998; and

Whereas the President of the United States and other officials have warned the Government of Serbia that there

would be serious consequences if Serbian policies led to

an escalation of violence in Kosova: 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) efforts of the international Contact Group

4 (the United States, United Kingdom, France, Ger5 many, Russia, and Italy) in support of a resolution
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1 of the conflict in Kosova are to be commended and

2 intensified;

3 (2) no international or United States sanctions

4 currently in force against the Government of Serbia

5 and Montenegro should be terminated at this time,

6 unless such termination serves to support a peaceful

7 resolution to the repression in Kosova;

8 (3) the United States should consult with its al9 lies and other members of the United Nations on re10 imposing those sanctions against Serbia-Montenegro

11 that were terminated following the signing of the

12 Dayton Peace Agreement in 1995 if Serbian au13 thorities continue to use unlawful violence against

14 the Albanian people of Kosova;

15 (4) the United States should acknowledge re16 cent developments in the Republic of Montenegro

17 that indicate that the new leadership of the Republic

18 is seeking a peaceful resolution to the repression in

19 Kosova, particularly the statement by Montenegrin

20 President Milo Djukanovic that Kosova must receive

21 a certain degree of autonomy, and his call for a dia22 log between the Government of Serbia and Montene23 gro and ethnic Albanians in Kosova;

24 (5) the United States should, to the extent

25 practicable, recognize positive actions by the Govern-
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1 ment of the Republic of Montenegro with regard to

2 repression in Kosova through exclusion from those

3 sanctions that may be applied to the Government of

4 Serbia;

5 (6) the elections in Kosova scheduled on March

6 22, 1998, should be allowed to proceed unimpeded

7 by Belgrade, as they represent the opportunity for a

8 peaceful expression of the political will of the Alba9 nian people of Kosova;

10 (7) all parties should refrain from acts that

11 could lead to heightened tensions in Kosova;

12 (8) the agreement on education in Kosova

13 should be implemented immediately, including at the

14 university level, allowing all residents of Kosova re15 gardless of ethnicity to receive education in their na16 tive tongue; and

17 (9) that the elected leaders of Kosova should

18 begin a dialog with the authorities in Belgrade to re19 solve the present situation, and to provide for the ex20 ercise of the legitimate civil and political rights of

21 the Albanian people of Kosova.

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