Helsinki Citizens' Assembly Sarajevo Tuzla Banja Luka

STATEMENT ON THE KOSOVO CRISIS AND THE NATO AIR ATTACKS

1. We are deeply concerned about the fate of all citizens trapped inside Kosovo. They deserve immediate protection and humanitarian assistance. An international effort to achieve this aim should include amongst others food droppings and full and unhampered access of humanitarian organisations, if needed with the presence of OSCE or UN-monitors.

2. The NATO air attacks have been contra productive as its initial aim - protection of Albanian Kosovars - has not been reached at all. Instead of side-lining Milosevic, the main responsible actor for so much misery at the Balkans, the NATO air attacks have strengthened his position. Moreover, the NATO attacks have killed civilians in Serbia, have silenced the democratic forces and has destabilised neighbouring countries (in particular Bosnia and Herzegovina). NATO should therefore reconsider its strategy and stop its air campaign immediately.

3. Since we believe that a solution can only be reached if the UN will take the lead, we appeal to the Secretary General of the United Nations to visit the region and to start a new process that should give new incentives leading to peace, in order to make the return of refugees possible and to normalise life. A UN mandated force should be deployed in Kosovo, as well as a UN mandated civic authority. Finally, we appeal to the UN installed ICTY to speed up the process to indict Milosevic and we call upon all governments to provide the ICTY with all the necessary evidence related to war crimes.

Helsinki Citizens' Assembly International Secretariat, Prague, Rep. Czech tel.:**/42/2/20570640) Interchurch Peace Council (Interkerkelijk Vredesberaad), The Hague, The Netherlands (**/31/70/3507100) Helsinki Citizens' Assembly Banja Luka, BiH (tel.:**/387/78/58479) Helsinki Citizens' Assembly Tuzla, BiH (tel.: **/387/75/231480) Forum of Tuzla Citizens, Tuzla, BiH (tel.: **/387/75/231480) Helsinki Citizens' Assembly Sarajevo, BiH (tel.: **/387/71/666372)

Sarajevo, April 26, 1999

For comments or more information on the activities in Kosovo and former Yugoslavia of hCa and its member comities, please send an e-mail to ikv@antenna.nl.

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