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“SUPPORTING A RESOLUTION OF THE CRISIS IN KOSOVA” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H8629-H8633 on July 29, 1996.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
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SUPPORTING A RESOLUTION OF THE CRISIS IN KOSOVA
Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 155) concerning human and political rights and in support of a resolution of the crisis in Kosova, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Con. Res. 155
Whereas the Constitution of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, adopted in 1946 and the amended Yugoslav Constitution adopted in 1974, described the status of Kosova as one of the 8 constituent territorial units of the Yugoslav Federation;
Whereas the political rights of the Albanian majority in Kosova were curtailed when the Government of Yugoslavia illegally amended the Yugoslav federal constitution without the consent of the people of Kosova on March 23, 1989, revoking Kosova's autonomous status;
Whereas in 1990, the Parliament and Government of Kosova were abolished by further unlawful amendments to the Constitution of Yugoslavia;
Whereas in September 1990, a referendum on the question of independence for Kosova was held in which 87 percent of those eligible to participate voted and 99 percent of those voting supported independence for Kosova;
Whereas in May 1992, a Kosovar national parliament and President, Dr. Ibrahim Rugova, were freely and fairly elected, but were not permitted to assemble in Kosova;
Whereas according to the State Department Country Reports on Human Rights for 1995, ``police repression continued at a high level against the ethnic Albanians of Kosova . . . and reflected a general campaign to keep [those] who are not ethnic Serbs intimidated and unable to exercise basic human and civil rights'';
Whereas over 100,000 ethnic Albanians employed in the public sector have been removed from their jobs and replaced by Serbs since 1989;
Whereas the government in Belgrade has severely restricted the access of ethnic Albanians in Kosova to all levels of education, especially in the Albanian language;
Whereas the Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe observers dispatched to Kosova in 1991 were expelled by the government in Belgrade in July 1993, and have not been reinstated as called for in United Nations Security Council Resolution 855 of August 1993;
Whereas following the departure of such observers, international human rights organizations have documented an increase in abuses;
Whereas the United Nations announced on February 27, 1995, that Serbia had granted it permission to open a Belgrade office to monitor human rights in Serbia and Kosova;
Whereas Congress directed the State Department to establish a United States Information Agency (U.S.I.A.) cultural center in Prishtina, Kosova, in section 223 of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1992 and 1993;
Whereas Secretary of State Warren Christopher announced on February 27, 1996, that Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic has agreed to the establishment of such center and that preparations for the establishment of the center are proceeding;
Whereas, with the signing of the Dayton agreement on Bosnia, future peace in the Balkans hinges largely on a settlement of the status of Kosova; and
Whereas the President has explicitly warned the Government of Serbia that the United States is prepared to respond in the event of escalated conflict in Kosova caused by Serbia: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that--
(1) the situation in Kosova must be resolved before the outer wall of sanctions against Serbia is lifted and Serbia is able to return to the international community;
(2) the human rights of the people of Kosova must be restored to levels guaranteed by international law;
(3) the United States should support the legitimate claims of the people of Kosova to determine their own political future;
(4) international observers should be returned to Kosova as soon as possible;
(5) the elected government of Kosova should be permitted to meet and exercise its legitimate mandate as elected representatives of the people of Kosova;
(6) all individuals whose employment was terminated on the basis of their ethnicity should be reinstated to their previous positions;
(7) the education system in Kosova should be reopened to all residents of Kosova regardless of ethnicity and the majority ethnic Albanian population should be allowed to educate its youth in its native tongue;
(8) the establishment of a United States Information Agency cultural center in Prishtina, Kosova, is to be commended; and
(9) the President should appoint a special envoy to aid in negotiating a resolution to the crisis in Kosova.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Calvert). Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Nebraska [Mr. Bereuter] and the gentleman from New York
[Mr. Engel] each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Nebraska [Mr. Bereuter].
Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
(Mr. BEREUTER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, House Concurrent Resolution 155 notes our continuing concern about the situation in Kosova and its Albanian majority. As we have focused most of our attention on Bosnia, the people of Kosova have suffered under unlawful amendments to their Yugoslav constitution, police repression, employment discrimination, restricted education, expulsion of international observers and more.
Indeed, many believe the seeds of the conflict that erupted in the former Yugoslavia were sown in Kosova.
I hope all Members will join in sending a message to the Kosovan people that we have not forgotten them and that the United States Congress will continue to press for restoration of their civil and political rights. Let us adopt this resolution today.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
It is my honor and pleasure to speak in favor of House Concurrent Resolution 155, which is a resolution which I have authored. I have spent many, many years in this Congress bringing forth the case of the Albanian people in Kosova before this Congress, and I am delighted to see this resolution on the floor.
I want to thank my good friend, the gentleman from Nebraska, Mr. Bereuter, as well as the gentleman from New York, Chairman Gilman, and also the gentleman from New Jersey, Chairman Chris Smith, who has played a major role, a very, very helpful role, in bringing forward the terrible human rights violations so that this Congress understands that.
I also want to thank the cosponsors of the bill, the people who have agreed to sponsor the bill with me, the gentlewoman from New York [Ms. Molinari], the gentleman from California [Mr. Lantos], the gentleman from Illinois [Mr. Porter], the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Levin], the gentleman from New York [Mr. King], the gentleman from New Jersey
[Mr. Torricelli], the gentleman from Virginia [Mr. Moran], the gentlewoman from New York [Mrs. Kelly], the gentleman from Michigan
[Mr. Bonior], the gentleman from California [Mr. Miller], and the gentleman from California [Mr. Rohrabacher]. I want to thank them all for their support as well.
Mr. Speaker, I have recently, just last week, come back from a trip to Kosova where I had the honor of cutting the ribbon and hoisting the American flag at the opening of the new USIA office in Prishtina, which is the capital of Kosova. I can tell my colleagues that, as we hoisted the American flag in our new office, there were throngs of people across the street chanting USA, USA, and free Kosova, free Kosova.
Indeed, the human rights violations in that region of the world are nonexistent. Let me say a little about Kosova. Kosova is an area contained in what is now Serbia, former Yugoslavia, which contains at least 90 percent ethnic Albanians. These ethnic Albanians have no political or civil rights whatsoever. The situation there is very bleak and grim and seems to be getting worse, not better.
I have often said that, if we allow the incidents in Kosova to remain unchecked, Bosnia would be a tea party compared with what might happen to the people in Kosova, because the nationalism there is just as terrible as it was in Bosnia. With the repression of the Albanian majority, I shudder to think what might happen if the United States might turn the other way.
House Concurrent Resolution 155 simply says that the outer wall of sanctions shall remain in place against Serbia until there are improvements in the human rights situation in Kosova. The outer wall of sanctions prevents Serbia from joining certain international organizations, including monetary organizations, which they are eager to join.
I must say that in visiting Kosova I also visited Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, and met with Serbian President Milosevic and made it clear to him as well that the United States was not prepared to lift the outer wall of sanctions until we saw substantial improvement in the human rights situations in Kosova. I relayed this to the Serbian authorities in Kosova as well.
The resolution also demands the restoration of all human and political rights in Kosova. I must say that the Albanian Parliament there was elected more than 4 years ago and was never allowed to meet, under threat of jail and repression. None of its leaders were allowed to meet. The 4 years have come and gone, and, as a result, they have never met and have no political rights.
It also commends the opening of the United States Information Agency office. This is a small step but a step in the right direction. I have often said that we need to have an American presence on the ground in Kosova with the American flag flying. It sends very important messages to two parties, one to the ethnic Albanians there, again comprising over 90 percent of the population. It tells them this United States has not abandoned them, that the United States stands by them, that the United States will continue to monitor the situation and that we will not tolerate lack of human rights for all peoples in Kosova.
It also sends a very important message to the Serb Government, particularly Serb President Milosevic. It says to him again that the United States is engaged; the United States is watching; that the United States will not tolerate the abuses, human rights abuses of the majority in Kosova.
So I believe it sends a very, very important message. It is also significant, the fact that, since we are closing consulates and closing offices around the world due to budgetary constraints, here is the one place where we are opening an office. So it further emphasizes the United States concern with the lack of human rights in Kosova.
As my friend from Nebraska said, there was an expulsion of international observers again by the Serbs, so we do not have international observers observing the human rights situation in Kosova. So the United States Information Agency office is all the more important, and we must have international observers back as soon as possible.
The resolution also and very importantly says that the President ought to send a presidential envoy to help mediate the situation there between the Albanians and the Serbs. We have seen in other parts of the world, notably Northern Ireland, where a United states envoy was appointed. We have seen in Bosnia, for instance, where, with United States envoys, the United States is involved, and the United States grabbed the bull by the horns so to speak to prevent further atrocities from happening.
I believe very strongly, and this resolution says very strongly, that the United States envoy there would be very, very important. On the appointment of a presidential envoy, I raised this with Mr. Milosevic the other week in Belgrade. While he rejected it and said it would be meddling in Serbian internal affairs, I believe that it is something that we should continue to pursue and something that we should do.
Now, let us talk about the lack of freedoms that the Albanians have in Kosova. They are constantly harassed by Serbian police and the Serbian presence. There is 80 percent and higher unemployment amongst the Albanian population because there has been wholesale firings and expulsion of Albanian workers in hospitals, in universities, in schools.
So the Albanian population has no hope of getting jobs or being employed. I have said to the Serbian authorities when they talked about wanton actions of terror, I said I was absolutely opposed to terror; but I thought despair breeds terror, and right now the Albanian population is in despair. They are in despair because there is no hope for the future with the situation just the way it is.
With our European allies recognizing Serbia, many of the Kosovars feel even more abandoned. So the United States is the one country in the world that holds the promise of opportunity to them so that they know that the United States has not abandoned them. That is why when they were yelling USA, USA, those American flags were being flown. They were waving American flags and handing me and other members of our delegation flowers. It was really something to behold.
The Albanian language is repressed. Albanian schools are repressed. Albanian health facilities are repressed, so basic health care cannot be gotten by the average Albanian. And again this Congress has provided, other Congresses have provided $6 million of humanitarian assistance to Kosova. I saw firsthand on the ground what our American dollars are doing so that mothers who have never had any kind of health care whatsoever can go to these clinics, helped in large part by American funds and governmental funds and private donations so that these women can have their babies in clean surroundings for the first time attended to by medical doctors.
Again, these Albanian doctors who have been fired from their jobs are all volunteering and have a tremendous spirit of all for one and one for all.
So this resolution, I believe, goes a long way in sending a very, very important message in that area of the world, both to the Albanians, who are repressed by the Serbian authorities, and to the Serbs and Mr. Milosevic that the United States again is engaged and the United States says the sanctions will not end until there are human rights improvements and we demand the restoration of all human and political rights.
Mr. Speaker, I think that this Congress ought to be commended. In some of our other legislation we passed similar legislation involving the points of House Concurrent Resolution 155, but this is the first time that we are actually having a freestanding resolution. For that, I think that the Committee on International Relations, the gentleman from New York, Chairman Gilman, the gentleman from Indiana [Mr. Hamilton], and others are to be commended.
I think that this Congress is about to be commended because the United States again is looked upon as a champion of freedom by so many people in the world, but certainly by the ethnic Albanians in Kosova. They know that the United States is the champion of freedom. This little small effort says to them we have not abandoned you, we will not forget you, we will be there until all human and political rights are restored in Kosova.
Mr. Speaker, I include for the Record documents relating to this topic.
U.S. Department of State,
Washington, DC, July 19, 1996.Hon. Eliot Engel,House of Representatives,Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Engel: Thank you for your June 11 letter to President Clinton regarding the situation in Kosovo. The State Department has been asked to respond on his behalf.
We appreciate and are gratified by your comments concerning the Administration's deep engagement in the search for a peaceful, equitable solution in Kosovo. Like you, the Administration is fully committed to ensuring that all the people of Kosovo have the ability to participate fully in the life of the region.
Early in his term, President Clinton reaffirmed President Bush's ``Christmas Warning'' of a military response to Serb-instigated violence in Kosovo. Likewise, a key requirement for lifting the ``Outer Wall'' of sanctions is progress towards resolving the situation in Kosovo. These sanctions apply to membership in the United Nations and other international organizations; normalization of our bilateral relations; and membership in the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and other International Financial Institutions. Milosevic is very eager to overcome these sanctions and we have left him with no doubts how to do so.
While we share your concern regarding the situation in Kosovo, we do not believe that there is a need for a special envoy to deal solely with this issue. Assistant Secretary John Kornblum, who leads our efforts in the former Yugoslavia, has made Kosovo a priority. He meets frequently with President Milosevic and always makes clear that there must be progress on Kosovo if the ``FRY'' is to emerge from the shadow of the Outer Wall. In fact, every high Administration official who has met with Milosevic has insisted on the need to act on Kosovo.
In addition to continuing pressure on the Belgrade authorities, Secretary Christopher and Ambassador Kornblum have met with Dr. Rugova and other LDK leaders on several occasions. It is our hope that these contacts will lead to serious talks between the parties on the future of Kosovo. We are hopeful that both sides will soon be prepared to sit down and discuss a peaceful solution to the situation in Kosovo.
Sincerely,
Barbara Larkin,
Acting Assistant Secretary,Legislative Affairs.
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House of Representatives
Washington, DC, June 11, 1996.The President,The White House,Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. President: We would like to express our appreciation for the steps your administration has taken to encourage an equitable resolution to the crisis in Kosova, including high level diplomatic meetings with President Ibrahim Rugova and progress toward the establishment of a USIA office in Prishtina.
Unfortunately, in recent weeks the situation in Kosova has deteriorated, with tensions rising significantly following the deaths of two young Albanians. Moreover, Kosovars feel increasingly slighted because the United States and the international community did not place their very legitimate claims on the agenda during the talks in Dayton and have not yet appeared to make Kosova a priority.
We believe that the time has come to afford the situation in Kosova the attention it deserves. This means that the United States must give the highest level of attention to Kosova right now to prevent the situation there from worsening even more.
We, therefore, strongly urge you to appoint a special envoy to help negotiate a settlement of the Kosova crisis.
Thank you for your immediate attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Members of Congress Eliot L. Engel, Tom Lantos, Susan
Molinari, John E. Porter, Sander M. Levin, Eva M.
Clayton, Sue Kelly, James P. Moran, David E. Bonior,
Peter T. King, Martin R. Hoke, Nita M. Lowey, Donald M.
Payne, George Miller, Edolphus Towns, Jose E. Serrano,
Robert G. Torricelli, Dana Rohrabacher, John W. Olver,
Charles E. Schumer.
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Kosova's Albanians Look to U.S. for Help
American Office Opened in Serb-Ruled Region
(By Michael Dobbs)
Prishtina, Yugoslavia.--Ibrahim Rugova, an ethnic Albanian, says he is the duly elected president of Kosova--even though it is a Serbian province whose official leaders are appointed by authorities in Belgrade. Nonsense, insists Aleksa Jokic, a Serb, who recently was appointed governor of Kosova--even though its population is overwhelmingly Albanian.
Today, the two men stood on either side of a U.S. congressman from the Bronx, as the Stars and Stripes rose over the new U.S. information center here in Kosova's capital. Rugova was smiling. Jokic grimaced as a crowd of a hundred or so Albanians changed ``Free Kosova,'' ``Rugova'' and ``USA, USA.'' The two rivals shook hands gingerly but did not exchange a word.
``This is diplomacy at its best,'' murmured Larry Butler, charge d'affairs of the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade, after declaring the first representative office of a foreign power in Prishtina open for business. ``You can't imagine how awkward this occasion is for some people here.''
The scene outside the U.S. information center in this sprawling, dirt-poor town illustrated the complexities of politics in this part of the world and the influence the United States is capable of wielding, when it chooses to do so. Along with Bosnia and Macedonia, Kosovo is one of those proverbial Balkan tinderboxes that only attract the world's attention when there is an almighty explosion. Ninety percent of Kosovo's 2 million people are Albanian. Historically and culturally, however, the region is the cradle of Serbdom.
It was here, in the year 1389, that Serbia's most potent historical image was born, when the Serb Prince Lazar was slain by his Turkish enemies on the Field of Blackbirds, just outside Pristina. For the next 600 years, including more than four centuries of Ottoman rule, Serb children were brought up to avenge Lazar's defeat.
Accordingly, it was here too that Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic began his ascent to power in 1986, when he unleashed the demons of nationalism by promising to defend the rights of the beleaguered Serb minority in Kosovo. In fact, human rights monitors say it is the minority that is oppressing the majority. Over the past five years, more than 125,000 ethnic Albanians have been dismissed from their jobs and deprived of access to state-run health services. Many factories have closed, and there is virtually no investment. Western aid workers in Pristina say Albanians are frightened to open businesses of any significant size, because they fear expropriation by the Serbian authorities.
Kosovo's predominantly Muslim Albanians dream of the day when they will shake off Serbian rule and unite with Albania. In the meantime, their leaders have embarked on a policy of total noncooperation with Belgrade. They boycott Serb-run elections, organize their own schools, universities and medical services, and publish their own newspapers. Rugova heads a shadow government that boasts its own parliament and taxation service.
Key to Rugova's strategy of nonviolent civil disobedience is the support of the outside world. When West European governments extended full diplomatic recognition earlier this year to Yugoslavia--of which Serbia is the dominant republic--many Kosovo Albanians felt abandoned. The United States is the only major country that still refuses to send an ambassador to Belgrade, as long as human rights abuses continue in Kosovo.
The Kosovo cause has been kept alive in Washington by a small group of congressmen led by Rep. Eliot L. Engel (D-N.Y.), whose constituents include 20,000 ethnic Albanians living in the Bronx. Engel, who was on hand for today's ceremonies in Pristina, will sponsor a resolution in the House of Representatives next week urging the Clinton administration to appoint a special envoy to Kosovo to negotiate a settlement between the rival sides.
``Human rights violations here are getting worse, not better,'' said Engel, citing a series of recent arbitrary police beatings and continuing dismissals of Albanian workers. He said that the opening of the U.S. information office, for which he lobbied hard, would send a message both to Milosevic and to the Albanians that the United States had
``not forgotten Kosovo.'' The two-story center contains reference materials and computer terminals that visitors can use to view CD-ROMs.
Despite a generally tense atmosphere in Pristina and other Albanian towns, the Serb police presence on the streets is significantly less onerous than it was several years ago. The Clinton administration, like the Bush administration before it, has privately warned Milosevic that it will react forcefully to any attempt by Yugoslavia to resolve the Kosovo problem through ``ethnic cleansing,'' the forced expulsion of non-Serbs. The result is a political standoff, in which Serbs and Albanians are having little to do with each other.
At a meeting with Engel, Jokic brushed aside allegations of human rights abuses and complained of a series of ``terrorist acts'' by Albanians against the Serb police. He said that over the last few months five Serb policemen have been killed and two injured in Albanian attacks. He also criticized the Albanians for refusing to take part in Serbian elections, saying that they were depriving themselves of the ability to influence the result.
The United States, along with several European countries, has linked relaxation of sanctions still being imposed against Yugoslavia to a ``significant improvement'' in the human rights situation in Kosovo. This ``outer wall'' of sanctions includes membership of international financial institutions and access to international credits. But there is disagreement over precisely what is required of Yugoslavia. Engel argues that the Serbs would have to offer the Kosovo Albanians the right of self-determination. The State Department has suggested that it would be satisfied with some kind of autonomy for Kosovo.
In their isolation, many Albanians have come to look upon the United States as a mythic great power that will come to their aid. Rugovo described the U.S. information center as
``a direct link with the United States''--U.S. diplomats point out that it is actually only an adjunct of the embassy in Belgrade--and said that today was ``a historic day for Kosovo.'' Albanian-language newspapers rarely mention that Washington does not recognize Rugovo as president of Kosovo and is opposed to the region's secession from Yugoslavia.
``The Albanians think that America is their only hope for getting a republic, for getting independence,'' said Lisa Adams, an American physician who has spent the past two years in Kosovo running a medical assistance program. ``People want to see this information center as a mini-embassy.''
Jokic, the Serb provincial governor, sees things very differently. He blames the West for Kosovo's economic plight, arguing that sanctions have deprived the region of investment. As for the chants of ``Free Kosovo,'' he shrugged his shoulders. ``Kosovo is already free,'' he said. ``They are saying what already exists.''
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank and congratulate my colleague, the gentleman from New York [Mr. Engel], for the leadership that he has shown on this issue. It has been extraordinarily important. He approaches these issues related to Albania, the former Yugoslavia Republic of Macedonia, and Kosova in a very responsible and enlightened fashion.
I regret the fact he has left the Committee on International Relations for other responsibilities in the Congress, but we will continue to seek and receive, with gratitude, his outstanding efforts in advising us on this troubled part of the world.
I think that the relationships between the country of Albania, the former Yugoslavia Republic of Macedonia and Kosova are very much related in the southern Balkan region. The relationships between Albania and the United States are improving rather dramatically. I think we now have that opportunity with the former Yugoslavia Republic of Macedonia.
Now we have to focus once more and indeed with additional emphasis, I think, on the abuses that exist toward the Albanian majority in Kosova. Former Members of Congress and Members of Congress have to approach this issue in a very responsible fashion. We have unfortunately, the opportunity also not to do just good and to do what is important in our national interest, but to do things which are provocative and unfortunate.
The gentleman from New York leads the way in an enlightened responsible approach toward our relationship to Serbia with respect to Kosova and the Albanian majority that exists there. What we do in this Congress and what we do outside of this Congress is very important in restoring stability in that part of the world, and that is very crucial, or we may find that we have a deep problem within the NATO alliance.
So I commend once more my colleague for his leadership and look forward to additional examples of it in this and other areas.
Mr. GILMAN. This concurrent resolution of the House concerns the deplorable human rights situation in Kosova, a formerly autonomous republic of the former Yugoslavia. Its autonomous status under the consideration of the former Yugoslavia was revoked by Serbian President Milosevic in 1989, and many cite this action by Serbia as the beginning of the conflict which was to consume most of the former Yugoslavia in the years 1991-95. I commend the gentleman from New York [Mr. Engel] for introducing this resolution, and I am proud to be listed as a cosponsor.
Many in the Congress, myself included, feel that it was a mistake to lift the sanctions against Serbia without linking this action with the situation in Kosova. The prospect for peace in Bosnia has raised hopes all over the region.
However, the people in Kosova do not feel that hope. For them the lesson of Bosnia is that violence is a way to win concessions from the international community. They see the Serbs in Bosnia rewarded for their aggression by the creation of the so-called Republic of Srbska. What is the international community to say to the long-suffering people of Kosova who have seen their autonomy trampled upon by the Serbian authorities, the loss of their civic institutions and the denial of their most basic rights?
Earlier this month the United States Information Agency opened an office in Pristina, Kosova. This will allow for a permanent American presence in the Republic to monitor human rights and the overall situation. As with USIA offices in other parts of the world that have been deprived of fundamental freedoms, this office will also provide a window to a better and fairer system.
The Congress included authorization to open this office in the State Department's fiscal year 1994 and 1996-97 authorization bills adopted by this House. While I commend the administration for finally acting on this expression of congressional intent, it should note the Congress' strong opposition to a further easing of sanctions on Serbia until the situation in Kosova is addressed and resolved.
This resolution will send a message of hope to the people of Kosova, and a message to Serbia that the Congress is keeping the issue of Kosova under review. I also hope that it will serve to strengthen the administration's commitment to improving the human rights situation in Kosova. I urge all of my colleagues to join in adopting House Concurrent Resolution 155.
Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as one of the original sponsors of this resolution to voice my strong support for House Concurrent Resolution 155 which expresses the sense of Congress on the situation in Kosova.
In 1989, Belgrade unilaterally revoked the autonomous status of Kosova. Albanians in Kosova, who make up over 90 percent of the population, subsequently voted for Kosavar independence in 1991. Since that time, Serb security officials have waged a campaign of repression that has included widespread torture, beatings, killings, and harassment of Albanians throughout Kosova. Over half of the more than 250,000 Albanians in the work force have been fired from their jobs and even more have fled the region rather than face certain persecution.
While the administration has taken an active role, including opening of USIA office in Prishtina, more needs to be done. The administration needs to appoint a special envoy to Kosova to help resolve the crisis. Furthermore, the United States along with our European allies must condition the lifting of sanctions against Serbia with clear and concrete progress on the matter of Kosova.
By appointing a full time envoy and linking the lifting of sanctions on Serbia with the restoration of the full spectrum of human and political rights to the people of Kosova, the United States can help to broker a peaceful and lasting resolution to the matter. To not to do so, would be to invite the situation to escalate into a new, even wider conflict in the Balkans. Thereby ending our best chance for peace in the Balkan region.
The resolution presents an effective policy for accomplishing these goals. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the resolution and send a clear statement in support of the rights of the people of Kosova.
Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Nebraska [Mr. Bereuter] that the House suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, House Concurrent Resolution 155, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor thereof) the rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution, as amended, was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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