Tragedy of Kosovan Muslims.
By Dr. Samiullah Koreshi.

As long as the news was confined to the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia and Kosovo, it did not invoke that strong reaction as did the view of pouring out of Albanian Muslims-refugee, mothers with infants in their arms, innocent children, women young and old, decrepit women and men dragging their half alive bodies to the safe havens in wide open fields covered with snow in the neighboring countries of Albania Montenegro and Macedonia. They all tell the stories of being forcibly pushed out of their homes - innocent victims of the ethnic cleansing policy of Milosevic.

The immediate reaction among Pakistanis to these scenes of horror and human disaster is to ask themselves in what way can we help the Albanian Muslims? Any human being in such plight irrespective of colour, race or creed would like to help such victims of brutality. But when such victims are Muslims of the hearts of Pakistani go out to them in sympathy and the urge is to do the maximum we can do.

There is no eye witness account of the atrocities of Serbs ethnic cleansing on Kosovan Muslims, but the interviews carried out of these refugees corroborate the reports that the Serbs in particular Arkan organization is indulging in massive ethnic cleansing by pushing them out of Kosova. They bring a large number of them to the borders and push them out. Earlier reports had claimed that Albanian Muslims were taken out in the fields and shot dead. Some fortunate ones are shown getting away in their trailers.

The main elements in the current crisis include (a) the Conflict between the Albanian Muslims and Serbs (b) ethnic cleansing and (c) the Refugees.

The priorities in our attempts to help the Albanian Muslims would depend where we can really be effective on our own. That is first addressing the problems of the refugees meeting their immediate requirements, second help in effort to stop ethnic cleansing and third joining diplomatic efforts in resolution of the conflict that is adding to international efforts through General Assembly in finding a political solution.

Perhaps a little description of the roots of the problems be necessary not for recounting history but for identifying the causes in the immediate active past in an attempt to suggest the lines of action.

The problem did not emerge in 1997 or 1998 or 1999. It resulted in active conflict in 198182. After Tito’s demise. the Albanian ethnic nationalism started to wake up from its slumber. Kosova the only non-Slav part of Yugoslavia is the land of the Southern Slavs poorest. Smallest in area with only two million population with a non-Albanian ethnic minorities (20 percent), a total area of 10,800 s.q. kilometers - about the size of an average Pakistan district - became the hot spot of ethnic Albanian Serb conflict. In 1981, the Army put down the ethnic Albanians uprising using brute forces and tanks.

For the last two decades or so no one took notice of the lava that was building a Mountain for whatever reasons. We need not digress from the main theme.

Ethnic cleansing had continued all along these years not so massively but sufficiently alarmingly. Subsequently two more milestones need be mentioned: 1989 and 1992. When the pope Germany and Austria blessed the two Roman Catholic republics of Yugoslavia to attain independence, in a jiffy almost. This development added a sharp edge to ethnic Albanians movement for independence. Kosovan Albanians boycotted Kosovo elections etc. for their assembly and presidency. They had no representative of their own in the Presidency. In 1998 Milosevic took away the Tito given status of an autonomous province to Kosovo thus touching the hornet’s nest. Attempt has also been made to rename Kosovo as KOSMET, Kos being KOSOVO and MET being METOHlJA the part of Kosovo which the Serbs claim is linked with them historically where they have a monastery claimed to be very sacred to them.

The conflict led to a clash out of which formally cane into existence in 1998 the K.L.A. (Kosovo Liberation Army) which the Serbs claim had existed clandestinely all along and helped by Albania. The contact Group of six, UK. USA. Germany, France Italy and Russia, tried to hammer out an agreement through Paris Agreement March 1999 but to no avail. The Serbs refused to sign saying that the clause of providing 28.000 NATO troops to monitor and enforce the Agreement was an impingement on their sovereignty. The ethnic Albanians agreed to sign it and accepted autonomy for three years followed by a referendum to decide the issue of independence.

NATO might have thought that as Milosevic had been a chauvinistic Serbs suing brutal methods his track record did not create confidence in honestly implementing the Paris Agreement sincerely therefore a military element was required. On Serbs refusal to sign the agreement after making last minute attempts to convince him and telling him that if he did not sign Yugoslavia will be bombarded. NATO ordered air strikes.

Now. without going into merits and demerits of the use of air strikes or of their illegality or otherwise etc. it may be said that these strikes were:

• A means to bring Milosevic to sign the Paris Agreement:
• It was a temporary pressure tactics and not intended to conquer Serbia. However looking at the results of the use of this alternative of diplomacy we see that (a) after eleven days of air strikes they have failed to achieve the desired end. (b) Milosevic, who did not have such support in his public before the strikes began, has now got the whole Serbs nation with him.
• The strikes have developed into a full-fledged war between NATO and Yugoslavia, without any authorization of a war by the legal bodies competent to do so.
• This may well destroy the infrastructure of both Yugoslavia and Kosova making it difficult for both of them to return Kosova Albanians back, when there will be no means of earning livelihood.
• Create problems of rebuilding Yugoslavia and Kosova for which immense funds will be required and quite a decade or more,
• Create hatred and animosity making solution of the conflict difficult.

Let us say that if the aim of the air strikes was to achieve purpose and not be an end in themselves it was said by NATO that the strikes were not aimed at the people than there should be a threshold beyond which they should not be carried not continuously.

It seems that it is after the air strikes that the extent and intensity of ethnic cleansing has increased to alarming proportions. Under the circumstances it seems the two alternatives before the powers should be:

• To abandon air strikes and go for full economic sanctions and total boycott of Yugoslavia,
• Raise the matter in the UN and General Assembly by a Special Sessions which the OIC should spear head,
• Use Russia after halting air strikes to influence Yugoslav and Milosevic.

The only party to which Milosevic and Yugoslav people can listen to will be Russia alone because of deep historic links between Russia and Serbs and Balkan Slavs particularly. Since the days of the Czars, Russia has been the Big Brother of the Slavs. Let it not be slighted or its role be minimized. There are great risks in ignoring Russian role which even if not seen in immediate future will upset the calmness of the 21st century. Let power not be depended upon beyond a limit.

The Muslim countries or the OIC should however give the highest priority to providing aid and helping the refugees in every manner they can like supplying medical supplies food medicines sending teams of doctors and nurses particularly for children and women.

It Is important that the OIC Countries issue a joint declaration of the Heads of States/Chief Executives condemning genocide, demanding immediate return of the refugees in safety and honour and to end ethnic cleansing declaring that no results achieved by it will be recognized by international community. Nato is using for itself the term "international community" whereas we are greater part of humanity. We must be shown to be part of Intentional community too.

Experience shows that if the refugees do not return to their homes they become rootless. Let this not happen to them. The welcome of the hosts and interest in them fades away as time passes by. They become unwanted in their host countries. The OIC should also send a fact finding mission to Kosova to ascertain facts of ethnic cleansing it should also send Muslim journalists to Kosova after demanding from Serbia due protection and facilities.

NATO does not need our troops. They need no one’s military support. We should confine our activities on refugees’ matter mustering UN support for the Albanian Muslims and support in the UN and through diplomacy. Let NATO look after itself in military matters.

(Note: Dr. S. M. Koreshi was Pakisan's Ambassador to Yugoslavia and Albania for four years from 1980-84, and Chairman of the Group of (21) OIC Ambassadors to Yugoslavia)