IV
105TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. CON. RES. 205
Deploring human rights abuses in Kosova and calling for increased American
involvement.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 28, 1998
Mr. ENGEL (for himself, Mr. KING, Mrs. KELLY, Mr. MORAN of Virginia, and
Mr. LANTOS) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was
referred to the Committee on International Relations
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Deploring human rights abuses in Kosova and calling for
increased American involvement.
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 eight constituent territorial units of
the Yugoslav Federation;
Whereas the political rights of the Albanian majority in
Kosova were curtailed when the Government of Yugo-
slavia illegally amended the Yugoslav federal constitution
without the consent of the people of Kosova on March
23, 1989, revoking Kosova’s autonomous status;
HCON 205 IH
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 Re-
ports on Human Rights for 1996, ‘‘Police repression con-
tinued to be directed against ethnic minorities, particu-
larly the Albanians of Kosovo’’;
Whereas Human Rights Watch/Helsinki reports that ‘‘ran-
dom harassment and beatings is a daily reality for ethnic
Albanians in Kosovo’’;
Whereas, during 1997, the human rights situation facing
Kosova worsened during 1997 with the increased use of
violence by police against ethnic Kosovars;
Whereas increased repression and despair has allegedly given
rise to a new group, the Kosova Liberation Army, which
reportedly has a greater willingness to use violence to
achieve self-determination and a restoration of human
rights;
Whereas, on October 1, 1997, Serb riot police wielding ba-
tons and firing tear gas brutally repressed a peaceful
demonstration of students of the University of Pristina
calling for the right to Albanian-language education;
Whereas scores of non-violent protestors were injured in the
crackdown;
HCON 205 IH
Whereas a 1996 agreement on education signed by Yugoslav
President Slobodan Milosevic and Kosovar President
Rugova provided for return of ethnic Albanians to the
classroom;
Whereas the United States Government has called for ‘‘imple-
mentation of the agreement at all levels, including at the
University level’’;
Whereas the agreement has not yet been implemented by the
government in Belgrade;
Whereas new elections in Kosova are scheduled for March 22,
1998;
Whereas the Organization on Security and Cooperation in
Europe observers dispatched to Kosova in 1991 were ex-
pelled 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;
Whereas, following the departure of such observers, inter-
national human rights organizations have documented an
increase in abuses;
Whereas, pursuant to U.S. section 223 of the Foreign Rela-
tions Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1992 and 1993, the
United States opened a United States Information Serv-
ice Office in Pristina, Kosova in 1996;
Whereas the international outer wall of sanctions against the
former Yugoslavia, which links membership in inter-
national organizations, access to international financial
institutions, and normalization of diplomatic relations
with the United States, is conditioned upon significant
progress in resolving the problems in Kosova;
Whereas the Contact Group of nations pressing for a resolu-
tion to the situation in Bosnia addressed the situation in