Abstract
Kosovo has been experiencing problems as a result of discrimination which was based on religion. The Serbs could not accept Islamic because of their strong Christian faith. This made them to be persecuted by the Turkish, and this increased the number of Albanians who occupied Kosovo in return. The paper has discussed the massive violation of Human Rights in Kosovo, The International Community’s reaction and actions to the Kosovo crisis, and i have given my suggestions to the community on regard to Kosovo crisis.
Introduction
According to reports with regard to Kosovo, the Human Rights are extensively violated in the region. Before the 19th century the Albanians were under Ottoman Empire, and they fought war to get freedom. Later in the century, the region was given over to Serbia, the subsequently vacated their land, and joined Turkey, leaving Serbia to occupy their land.
Human right violation
The Kosovo human rights were violated in very many aspects. The violation did not spare the children’s rights, instead the Kosovo Albanian children are denied the publicized rights. The right holds a lot for the people, and in this case we will consider the violations systematically. Despite the fact that regular investigations were carried out in Kosovo regarding human rights violation by the international communities and and other individuals the Miloservic-the ruling power , he was only given a fake warning. Although the International Community, visited Kosovo they did not visit the Albanians and so they they got little information regarding the violations.
Although Kosovo has most fertile land in Balkans, and with variety of mineral resources, the people in the region had the poorest living standards. The farm products and minerals such as nickel, coal, goal, lead, and gold among others were barely used as raw material for the Serbia industries. When the Ethnic Albanians tried to raise their grievances, they were arrested and the prison term that was usually given was not considerable, because the minimum years one could take was six years and in some cases one can be put in prison for even twenty years. The individual were also subjected to massive convictions and trials which shows the discrimination that existed in the region.
The Serbia parliament dissolved the Kosovo government, assembly and canceled the regions autonomy. This was achieved through army forces and police involvement, and the cancellation had subsequent effects to the Albanians. (Dagmar 2003, pp. 107).Their access to current information was limited by banning the daily newspaper that existed, and stopping the radio and TV broadcasting in the region. This was followed by restricting the Albanians from accessing national and the universities libraries, and abolishment of all scientific institutions. All learning institutions as well as other social facilities were overtaken by Serbs. This was achieved by sacking all Albanians who were working in the institutions and dismissing of all individuals who were suspected to have nationalist sympathy from their workplace, and replacing them with the Serbs. The Albanians living was threatened, and many of them were thrown out of their living places, to the streets. According to the rights, the Albanians had the right to live in state apartments, but due to the violations, they were forced out of the apartments, and their houses in the apartments were occupied by the Serbs.
Between 1990 and 1995, many Kosovos lost their jobs and were forced to migrate from Kosovo to other countries and mostly in western Europe. In cases where the foreign countries tries to send them back or hesitates to offer asylum, the Serb authorities never accepts them back. Once the Albanians have moved out of the Kosovo, the Serbs take total advantage and control over the left property and space to an extent they holding these people at the airport for very long time without caring, and after the duration in airport the Serbs just chase them back to the countries that had sent them back to their original country. In most cases they are not merely held in the airport, rather, they are under arrest, and this means that any other Kosovo prison can be used leave alone the airport. In few cases when these people are allowed back in Kosovo, the people are continually subjected to worse discrimination and intimidation. The acceptance is usually minimal such that even dead bodies of the former Kosovo people are not allowed to be buried in Kosovo. Despite all the above mistreatment of the Kosovo, and their efforts to inform the International community during their frequent visits they were not given a chance, leaving the community ignorant.
International community reaction on Kosovo Human Rights Violation
The international community’s attitude is not clearly defined, thus hard to differentiate human rights and national rights. The interest of the international community in Kosovo are based on institutional ambitions, great power Internet and media attention. The community basis its consideration on government competition thus producing exaggerated and biased arguments. The international community views the massive violation of human rights as a matter that requires the international concern (HRFDC 1992).The international concern expressed by the international community has raised a number of rules networks and institution in the various organizational levels, but the international community attention was not adequate and this led to further violation of the rights. The humanitarian and refugees law’s principles were further breached. The Kosovo massive human rights violation took long to be addressed reducing the acquisition of the cause and effect of the Kosovo crisis.
The international community took the Serbs side. The community which is led by the United States opposes the Kosovo independence, and also opposed to disarm the violent secessionist in Kosovo by opposing Belgrade force (Johnstone 2000). Although the community has no independent stand in the issue and this has not helped Kosovo because secessionist continue to use arms, fearing Serbs on the blame. This has been evidenced in the case where the Kosovo population united and participated against Germans to achieve liberation, in accordance to the promises which had been made to them concerning self determination especially after the second world war, the promise was broken, and the Kosovo people were subjected to twenty one years of neglect, despite the fact that they had won, and their rights were consequently violated. There was a period of weapon collection which was carried out to the ethnic Albanians between 1954 and 1957, an activity which coerced about one hundred and ninety five thousand of the Kosovo Albanian population to emigrate to Turkey. The ethnic Albanian went into riot which made the region to be declared autonomous. Although the ethnic Albanian have been demanding international intervention and the international community argue to be on their side. This has brought contradictions because the Serbs also argue that the community is on their side.
My suggestions
The humanitarian and political causes of the human rights violation in Kosovo need to be determined, and the Yugoslavian federal republic should be reconstructed not on the basis of other issues but basically on the human rights. This should be achieved by a governance that is effective and efficient not only on its rules and mandates but all aspects that are likely to involve legal protection of human rights and enhance freedom in the region. The rights should not discriminate any individual regardless of religion, race or ethnic identity. This means that the Albanians and Serbs should have equal consideration. Unlike in the past where the international communities monitored the human rights on Serbs perspectives, the communities should access the entire Kosovo as well as other Yugoslavia regions.
Long term peace can only be achieved by understanding considering and protecting all people, especially the displaced and refugees. This understanding should not be limited to the rights adherence, but should also enable the asylum seekers and other displaced individuals to freely return to their original country without.
The international community should enhance compensation of the victims to enable them recover their property. The community need to come up with better mechanisms that readily. The refugees should be provided with security that guarantees them safety and dignity.
The international community need to take one side and mainly target at helping in adherence of human right law for the sake of the Kosovo people, because as long as their position is ambiguous, the violation continues and the Kosovo people continue to suffer.
The International community need to base their international relations free from use of force and threat in political independence of state or its territorial integrity, and should developed international law to handle, the human rights violations that are as massive as the Kosovos. These international law should be set in a way that will enable states to respond to the crisis using a wide range of peaceful responses whether individually collectively or by engaging in international organizations. The law should take non threatening counter measures which are free from aimed forces.
References
Dagmar, Skrpec. ”American and European’s reaction to Kosovo.” SAIS Review 23 (2003): 93-111.
Human Rights and Freedom defense council. ”Knocking on Europe’s Conscience”. NewYork.
Johnstone, Diana. ” Kosovo Problem and the International Community”. 2000. Serbian Orthodox Dioceses. 2008. Web.