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Harold Hongju Koh Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Statement on Kosovo, Commission on Human Rights 55th Session, Geneva, Switzerland, April 1, 1999

Madam Chair, we all know the severity of the human rights crisis in Kosovo. Two questions arise: Why is there a crisis and what should we do? Over the past decade, the Kosovar Albanians have been denied fundamental human rights -- from restrictions on use of their native language, denial of employment, police harassment, and denial of self-governance.

But the Milosevic campaign against the Kosovar Albanians becomes more brutal with each passing hour. Hundreds of thousands have been internally displaced or forced to flee abroad to Albania, Montenegro, and The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Serb forces are engaged in systematic "identity elimination" to eradicate evidence of the ethnic Albanian presence and discourage returns. Serbian artillery and tanks have attacked thousands. Entire villages are empty, burning, and destroyed. The survivors report ethnic cleansing, assault, rape, and execution.

Madam Chair, these are crimes against humanity. The sheer magnitude of the violence and destruction proves that the Serbs had orchestrated their moves long before the airstrikes began. They are the ones who are responsible for this humanitarian tragedy. The constable should not be blamed for the criminal's sins. Any suggestion that others are responsible for Serbian plans and actions is patently false. During intensive peace negotiations over this past year, the Milosevic regime launched not one, but two offensives.

So the second question: What can we do? Our most urgent needs are three:

• to halt the violence,
• to verify the acts, and
• to assist the victims.

First, President Milosevic must halt this brutal offensive against Kosovo now, withdraw his forces, and accept the Rambouillet Accords as the basis for a settlement. The more that President Milosevic carries out these kinds of atrocities in Kosovo, the less the international community can support his claim to sovereignty over Kosovo.

Second, we urge this Commission to condemn the human rights tragedy in Kosovo. We strongly support the initiatives of the High Commissioners for Human Rights and for Refugees, and the Special Rapporteurs to conduct fact-finding to verify human rights violations and to assist the victims.

Third, yesterday President Clinton authorized $50 million in additional emergency funds to address urgent humanitarian needs and will support the UN High Commissioner and others involved in the relief effort. The U.S. has already sent a disaster assistance relief team to Macedonia and is sending one today to Albania. Please join us in addressing this massive human rights crisis.

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Commission on Human Rights | Kosovo | Policy Remarks
Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration | Department of State

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