As for the improved situation: some of the articles I linked to are very recent. Yet none sees improvement. I think that you are confusing the general improvement after the post-war anarchy with the lack of improvement in inter-ethnic relations.

After the war the UN had a “confidence zone” in Mitrovica and it gave much publicity to remaining mixed villages like Cernica. But after some time they gave up as Serbs tended to leave those zones and Cernica saw quite a few incidents. I have yet to see a new model that does work.

I saw Ahtisaari once in a discussion panel. He was repeatedly asked about the position of the Serbs in Kosovo and each time he ignored the question and started some general promotional talk about his plan. I don’t have any trust in this man.

I don’t believe that the Ahtisaari Plan will work. There aren’t many Serbs who believe so either. It is my impression that Kosovo’s Albanian leaders are well aware that the plan will not work and that for that reason they want to “solve” the Serb question now before the world becomes aware of how the plan really works.

A short look at the plan makes it deficiences easily clear: it does nothing to solve the security problems that there are. It leaves Albanians in control of of nearly everything. Even basic requirements like that the Serb schools should prepare for higher education in Serbia are not taken into account.

The only way to solve an ethnic conflict is a balance of power. The Ahtisaari Plan instead foresees a total capitulation by the Serb side with the effects temporarily mitigated by some international custodians.

The Gorani star? It’s not the first time something like this has been tried in Kosovo. Here’s something I wrote after a visit to Prishtina a few years back:

http://www.bookcase.com/~claudia/mt/archives/000817.html

Doug M.

Please don’t put words into my mouth. I would never justify a crime because of another crime. However, if a person is biased and asks only about the suffering of one side then it should be pointed out that they are not the only side to have suffered in this conflict. There is nothing stale about pointing out that while one side of the conflict suffered state and institutional discrimination and repression, today the state and the institutions of Kosovo are working to accommodate the rights and the needs of minorities.

Second, I beg to differ with you regarding the Gorani star in the new Kosovar flag. It might be trivial to you, but what better message to send to all communities in Kosovo than to include them into the design of the flag and national anthem etc. And, why did you leave out the Ahtisaari plan? Is Ahtisaari plan also trivial according to you? All these things are symbolic and won’t improve the everyday lives of people, but the message is strong and it’s a step in the right direction.

I also disagree with you regarding the fair treatment of Gorani community by the Kosovar police and courts. Could you please let me know what exactly is the unfair treatment of Gorani community by the Kosovar police? Personal safety has also improved over the last years and I am hopeful that there will be more jobs in the future for Gorani community and all others. The situation is far from perfect and I am not trying to paint a rosy-rosy picture, but the Kosovar and international authorities are working to improve the post-war situation and they must be given some credit. So, the answer to your questions is not “no” — not as simple as that.

Borders. “Why is the border of a former autonomous region okay, but the border of — say — a municipality, not?” I am glad you asked that question. Kosovo was a constitutional part of SFR Yugoslavia and its borders were clearly defined in the Yugoslav institution. “A municipality” was not. Kosovo had a seat in the state council of Yugoslavia and the right of veto on state matters. “A municipality” did not. Kosovo was part of the rotating Yugoslav presidency (post-Tito). “A municipality” was not. There many more reasons why, but those three to begin with provide a clear enough answer, particularly the first one.

Moreover, no other republic of the former Yugoslavia had autonomous regions except Serbia. If Macedonia or Slovenia had autonomous regions they might as well have become independent. Now, you might not appreciate me saying this, but it is a fact. The name Republika Srpska did not even exist in the former Yugoslavia, let alone have clearly defined borders, powers and so on. Today, following the break-up of former Yugoslavia Republika Srpska from a non-existing entity has become a republic, albeit within Bosnia and Herzegovina. Kosovo was an autonomous region during the former Yugoslavia with clearly defined borders, powers and so on. Kosovo had most of the powers that the Yugoslav republics had. Following the break-up of Yugoslavia surely the status of Kosovo must be more “advanced” than that of Republika Srpska — and it is, an independent state with its pre-1991 borders.

Finally, the Macedonia issue also falls within this no-border change issue. It’s really rather simple. If the internal borders of former Yugoslavia can change — a change of Kosovo borders implies a change of Serbia borders — then Macedonia borders can change too. I would personally not advocate such a change, lets clarify that now, but there will be a lot of people who will think along these lines. If Serbs in Bosnia on the back of genocide got a republic within Bosnia, why can’t Albanians in Macedonia get at least a republic within Macedonia? This is what a lot of people will be asking. Now, I don’t want the borders of Bosnia, Macedonia or Kosovo to change. Finally, regarding the threats of Serbs and their supporters: they would say that wouldn’t they? Serbian forces in Bosnia committed the worst war crimes in Europe since the end of WW2, were responsible for genocide and still got a republic within Bosnia. But when it comes to Kosovo getting at least what they got in Bosnia, of course they protest. Now, that stinks of hypocrisy! That’s the difference Doug.

The “Serbs did worse to us!” argument is getting stale. Kosovo’s treatment of its minorities today cannot be justified on these grounds.

The “some have suffered more than others” argument is even worse. It’s exactly the argument the Serbs have been making since forever, and it has crippled their ability to think clearly.

The Gorani get a star: this is trivial. The real issue is whether the Gorani can get jobs, houses, personal safety, actual as well as legal equality, and fair treatment by the police and courts. Up to now, the answer is “no”.

Internal borders: Kosovo’s independence was the first not to follow a republican border. Why is the border of a former autonomous region okay, but the border of — say — a municipality, not?

Macedonia: maybe, and maybe not. Again, you’re repeating an argument the Serbs and their supporters were making. Go back just a few months and you’ll find dozens of alarmist predictions claiming that Kosovar independence would destabilize the region. It hasn’t. If dividing Kosovo from Serbia hasn’t energized separatism in Bosnia and Macedonia, why would dividing the north from Kosovo be different?

Doug M.

Please read what I wrote before you decided to join the discussion. David described NATO as imperialist and I asked a legitimate question: if NATO were imperialist and Serbia should not surrender to these imperialists then why is Serbia planning to joint it? The argument that it wants to avoid being bombed was easily debunked by the Swiss and Irish cases. EU is another case entirely.

*****

Ron,

Apply some logic and these complicated matter might just become a little less complicated. If any country treats its people or a section of its people as terribly as Serbia has done in the case of Kosovars then there is a strong case that that section of the people should be given the choice to separate from its abusive [in the case of Serbia, far more than abusive, a national leadership full of war criminals] authorities or remain part of that country.

What makes the Kosovo case even more particular is the fact that the territory was ran by the United Nations of over 8 years and functioned completely independently of Serbia. It even had its own criminal civic code, taxation laws, customs, police, courts and so on set up and controlled by the United Nations and entirely independent of Serbia. Making Kosovo go under Serbian rule would completely undo all the work and the progress achieved during that period, not to mention the very real possibility of another war.

If you think a similar case exists, let me know — I will either debunk the case by pointing out significant differences or otherwise fully and wholeheartedly support their case for secession.

*****

Wim,

I am so pleased that you’re ever so concerned about the situation of the Goran community. May I ask whether you were also as much concerned about the situation of the ethnic Albanians in Kosovo that suffered at the very least a thousand times worse treatment under the Serbian regime of Milosevic?

Now, to answer your question:

1.
The Kosovar authorities are doing a lot towards accommodating all the different minorities and communities of Kosovo. The most important step they have taken is to accept the Ahtisaari proposal and adopt laws that provide some of the highest standards of minority rights, particularly for the region in question. As a testament to this the Goran minority is represented by one star of the same size and colour as that of the Albanian majority in the new flag of Kosovo. It is precisely for communities like the Goran one that the new national anthem of Kosovo has no words so that they don’t have to sing in a language that is not theirs. These are all signs that all the communities of Kosovo are being considered when the new state institutions are being build, and since Kosovo is only into her first months of independent more will follow. Furthermore, a number of seats (over 20% to be more precise) in the Kosovo parliament are reserved for the Kosovar minorities in addition to all seats they may win in the election to ensure that the voice of these communities is heard at the highest national level. Not bad for a start Wim, I just wish Albanians in Macedonia, for example, received a similar treatment.

2.
All the communities of Kosovo have suffered as a result of the war. Some have suffered more than others, namely the Kosovar Albanians. No community can be immune to war and its consequences. The Goran community as a minority that cooperated closely with the Serbian regime of Slobodan Milosevic could not possibly have expected to remain unaffected. Innocent people have suffered, but so have innocent people from all sides.

*****

Doug,

One feature of all Balkan wars has been that the internal borders of the former Yugoslavia have not been redrawn, and for a good reason. All the seven states that have emerged from the ashes of former Yugoslavia have the same borders that they have had according to the Yugoslav constitution, including Kosovo. It is a good idea that this principle does not change, although it would appear as a quick’n'easy solution to some of the current problems. Any suggestion of the possibility of partition would result in two very serious and real consequences:

1.
The position of the Serb minority in the rest of Kosovo would change immediately, and not for the better. The Ahtisaari plan would be out of the window to start with and the Serbian heritage, which we are told is so important to Serbia and none of which is in the north of Kosovo, would remain at the mercy of extremists. The entire progress towards a multi-ethnic society in Kosovo which, Serbs excluded, is much greater than people give credit to would be at risk. The partition is so bad for the Serbs in the rest of Kosovo that many Kosovar Serbs, including some from the north, are even against the association of Serb municipalities, which some are trying to call a parliament of Kosovar Serbs.

2.
Any such partition would have real and immediate effects in Macedonia, particularly in western Macedonia. Throw into the mix the fact that the country is having what amounts to an identity crisis with Greece blocking its NATO membership and the situation becomes explosive. But then this is exactly what certain elements in the Serbian political scene would like to see happen. The crisis is Macedonia would undoubtedly have side-effects in Bosnia and the whole business become very nasty.

The state of the art of the perception of an average (even educated) Serb about recent Serb history can be pretty summed up as “The imperialistic West bombed Serbia”. To me it sounds similar to the “Stab in the back” theory that Germans came up with after WW1.

Pointless and useless: have you been following just what’s happening there?

Richard, I’d be cautiously in favor of partition. Alas, at the moment it’s completely unacceptable to both sides.

Doug M.

The fate of the Gorani is a good example of what would happen to Kosovo’s Serbs if Belgrade left them alone. The reports are not good: more than half have left and people keep leaving; many reports of robberies and thefts of houses, schools closed for using the Serbian curriculum and widespread discrimination.

For this reason I don’t understand Doug when he writes that Mitrovica is a “pointless and useless conflict”. For the Serbs who live their it certainly is about something.

@Cyrus: principles start in my opinion with basic human rights for housing, physical safety and work. “Higher” principles that do not respect those basics are in my opinion worthless.

And do you also support the Scottish nationalists who want to withdraw Scotland out of the united kingdom?
If you are in favour of drawing borders along ethnic lines, how far are you prepared to go?
When we look more closely toward that what we call ethnic troubles in Europe, what does it really is about? Physical ethnic differences don’t play a big role in Europe, because most of the native Europeans derived from the same indo-European tribe that once lived in the Crimean region (Ukraine). Its obvious a cultural problem. The two most important cultural qualities are religion and language. When people differ in one of those from their surrounding people, it’s hard for them to feel themselves as being part of their surrounding community. So maybe it will be a good idea to renew the country’s borderlines on the maps according to the using of the same language and religion. Of course this will be segregation and oppose the ideal of the multi cultural society. The ideal that all kinds of different people can live together in peace and harmony. But then again, maybe is such a solution more in line with the nature of man, which has proofen to be not so peacefully as we wish.
Ron.