Movement for Self-Determination!

1. EULEX – the direct restriction of internal self-determination, in the sense that Kosova will not be able to govern itself in the future
2. The Package of Ahtisaari – the creation of an autonomous Serb entity inside Kosova under the direct control of Serbia
3. The party – the euphoria created by the announcement is being exploited to distract attention from:
- The reaction of the parallel structures of Serbia (the burning of the police and customs stations of Kosova in Leposaviq and Zveçan)
- The hurried smuggling of the flag, emblem and laws which derive from the package of Ahtisaari which began to be approved without debate starting on Tuesday 19th February.

The Declaration was an investment in encouraging the ignorance and oblivion of people for the reality of what is happening on the ground. Politicians continuously talked about the date and the hour of independence in order not to talk about the contents and the quality of the independence they were declaring; they focused the media on the party before, during and after the declaration in order to silence any discussion about what Serbia might do with its parallel structures which control one quarter of the territory of Kosova. The Declaration included the Package of Ahtisaari which will create a Serb Republic inside Kosova (similar to that of Bosnia) and will install the executive and un-democratic rule of EULEX (again similar to Bosnia).
The Package of Ahtisaari was accepted by the Negotiation Team and the Assembly of Kosova a year ago because it was interpreted as the price for independence which would be accepted by Serbia and Russia, and consequently the UN Security Council. Now even though the independence declared has not been accepted by Serbia or Russia (and consequently not by the UN Security Council), the Government and Assembly of Kosova have promised to implement the Package of Ahtisaari (which was refused permanently by the never satisfied Serbia). This is a stab in the back for the people of Kosova.

The independence described in this declaration does not include an army and will not guarantee territorial integrity or a seat in the UN. Thus Kosova remains without the factual ability to defend itself through its own army, and without legal defence that comes from becoming an international subject, won through a seat in the UN. Any eventual attack by Serbia against a Kosova which is not an intern-ational subject, according to international law, will not be considered as aggression. Not being a member of the UN means that Kosova cannot be a signatory to any of the United Nations Conventions dealing with political, economic, social, security, ecological, health, educational and other forms of cooperation necessary for a healthy society.

The impossibility of being an equal member of this international circle means that the citizens of Kosova will be constrained in their rights and poss-ibilities of exploiting this cooperation for continual emancipation and at the same time they will not have the possibility to contribute in global devel-opments. A Kosova that is not a UN member will not be able to use this Organization which is above all nations for its own needs at all.

In no place does the Declaration mention explicitly our separation from Serbia. It mentions the ‘non-consensual breakup of Yugoslavia’. However it is known across the world that Serbia was made the direct inheritor of Yugoslavia in Resolution 1244 after the dissolution of the Union of Serbia and Mont-enegro. The Declaration of independence has been trumpeted as an historic act however it does not mention the history of Kosova. This declaration absolves Serbia of guilt by not mentioning anywhere Serbia’s aggression and occupation of Kosova and the century of crimes and genocide that Serbia has committed against the people of Kosova.

The Declaration focuses on the obligations and duties of Kosova and not on its rights or freedoms. It sees Kosova only as a tool of regional and interna-tional interests. Above all, this declaration focuses on the promise to implement the Ahtisaari Plan. Ahtisaari is mentioned eight times, whilst independ-ence just three times (including the title). ‘Free’ is not mentioned once, ‘freedoms’ just once, as is ‘freely’. This shows that the Ahtisaari Plan in fact was not the price that politicians had to pay for independence, but the Declaration of independence was the price that international diplomatic officials had to pay for the implementation of the Ahtisaari Plan. Because of the opposition of Serbia and Russia towards the Ahtisaari Plan, this remained the only way that the EU and the US could implement it.

This Declaration of independence is considered as an issue of agreement between some local politicians with some internationals and not as the independence of a country of a free people. Only self-determination will bring true independence for each and all in Kosova, because such an independ-ence would be the decision of the people.
The Declaration of the 17th February is one step forward for Kosova in the aspect of external self-determination. But not for internal self-determination. In this aspect nothing has changed. Kosova will continue to be a country governed by an un-democratic mission installed from outside and not chosen from inside.

The Romanian Police should be expelled
A police force is meant to serve its people by creating a secure environment for all to live. The Romanian police violated this principle last year, when they murdered peaceful demonstrators, and they violated it once again yesterday, when they refused an order to go to the North of Kosova. They clearly serve interests other than those of the people of Kosova. They have long outstayed their welcome. It is time for them to be expelled from Kosova and never to return.

A year ago, the Romanian unit policing the peaceful demonstration of 10th February 2007, fired rubber bullets indiscriminately into the crowd. They killed two young men, Arben Xheladini and Mon Balaj, the latter whom they shot in the back of the head. With UNMIK’s agreement, this unit secretly left Kosova before the publication of the Dean Report which identified them as the unit responsible for these murders. Romania has done nothing to bring these police to justice. The Romanian Minister of the Interior has never responded to two letters sent by Amnesty International calling upon it to return these police to Kosova to face trial. Instead, the President of Romania awarded them medals for their service, and at the end of last year, UNMIK allowed the Minister of the Interior to visit Kosova to give medals of service to its currently serving police in Kosova.

Their actions last year should have been sufficient to expel all Romanian police from Kosova. But this did not happen. And so yesterday, the Romanian Special Police Unit assigned to Kosova were ordered to move to the North of Kosova in response to the burning of two border posts by Kosova Serbs organized by the Serbian Ministry of the Interior and the Coordination Centre. They refused. With this act, they refused not just an order, but an order to protect the territ-orial integrity of Kosova. This occurred not surpris-ingly on the same day that the Romanian govern-ment stated that it will not recognize the declaration of Kosova’s independence and that it will close its Liaison Office in Prishtina. Here we have a clear example of why Kosova has no need of a mixed international or European police force which takes orders first from its masters overseas, second from UNMIK, or EULEX, and never from Kosova’s institut-ions. Kosova needs its own army and a police force with the right to protect its people and its territory.

The people of Kosova have no need to be policed by internationals, let alone representatives from a country which clearly intends to harm them, rather than protect them, and who at the same time enjoy an immunity which protects them from the consequences of their crimes. We have enough problems to deal with. It is time for the Romanian police to be told to get out of Kosova and never return.

The new flag of Kosova
While the people of Kosova were celebrating in the streets outside the Assembly with the Albanian flag, inside the Deputies were approving a new state flag, which they could not have smuggled in on any other day, or any other time. This new flag shows the map of Kosova, representing its territorial integrity (the reality of which is division) The only other country with a flag which shows its territory is that of Cyprus, which as of 1974 was also divided into two political entities. The new flag includes two colours, yellow and white, which are colours from the Serbian flag. None of the Albanian colours (red and black) are included. It also has six stars which are meant to represent the six communities of Kosova . This implies that Albanians, who make up 90%  of the population, are a community, rather than a majority!

Alexandra Channer is an activist of the Vetevendosje! (Selfdetermination!) movement in Kosovo.

Comments (1)

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Maria said:

... I agree with the larger part of the text, but.... I don't understand how someone who's a PhD candidate in political science can say that yellow color from the new Kosovar flag is included on the Serbian flag too... or, the author maybe meant the Coat of Arms. My opinion is that Kosovo Albanians have tried to create an "interim" flag that would seem dear and visually appealing to the EU's eyes. I kind of doubt flag was really adopted to be used Kosovo-wide. I fear none of the Kosovo citizens will accept and cherish it as their own. Sadly. No matter what my opinion is, i have to congratulate Albanians for fighting this battle by twisting the whole world around their little finger. Also, I overheard rumors that those 6 white stars symbolize something other than communities ;-) ... Peace for all ethnicities and hope that Europe will grow united one day...

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February 25, 2008
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