It is a fact that human rights of Kosovar Albanians were violated. But human rights of other ethnic and national groups living under Tito’s communist regime in former SFR of Yugoslavia were violated too. We, the human rights activists in Serbia, know very well about the systematic violations. It was the same in other former communist countries, including Enver Hodja’s Popular Republic of Albania. There, the human rights violations were much more severe than in the former SFR of Yugoslavia. Kosovar Albanians enjoyed many more rights in Yugoslavia than Albanians in Albania under Hodja.
... ... Kosovar Albanians chose the wrong way to struggle for their human rights–arms, war, and terrorism–and as such were abused by nationalist and other profiteers. Albanians and Serbians should struggle together for their rights in their homeland, but in a peaceful manner, on the basis of facts and international law .... ...
Albanians who were victims of drastic violations of human rights would naturally be angry if somebody criticizes them for opposing tyranny. We have been in similar situations various times. But we tried to avoid violence and adopt peaceful and intellectual responses to state oppression and persecution.
We are aware now that the worst method of opposing tyranny is resorting to another tyranny ... ... The best alternative is to recognise the human rights of Albanians, Serbians and all others based on international conventions and the principle of full autonomy–to live in peace, freedom and prosperity .... ...
Ayn Rand wrote in Global Balkanization(1977), “If a province wants to secede from a dictatorship in order to establish a free country–it has the right to do so. But if a local gang, ethnic or otherwise, wants to secede in order to establish its own government controls, it does not have the right.” ...... The key to the solution and the only possible lasting solution of the problem in Kosovo and the entire Balkans is the building of democratic institutions and society.
(Tomislav Kresmovic is a human rights activist in Serbia.)
Copyright 1999, Liberty Institute, New Delhi
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