Ethnic cleansing of Serbs in Kosovo under way, protest rally told
BBC Monitoring European. London: Dec 27, 2005. pg. 1

Text of report by Serbia-Montenegrin radio Kontakt Plus on 27 December

[Announcer] Latest incidents in Kosovo-Metohija have shown that an ethnic cleansing of Serbs is under way in Kosmet [Kosovo- Metohija] and that they are the only people resisting it, it was said today at a Serb protest in northern [Serb-populated] part of Kosovska Mitrovica. Let UNMIK [UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo] heads clearly and loudly state if they could guarantee security for Serbs in Kosmet, and if they cannot do it - the Serbian army and police can, the head of [Kosovska] Mitrovica County, Momir Kasalovic, told the gathering.

[Kasalovic] We have heard a whole lot of statements by various UNMIK and NATO representatives - beginning with those by the commander of NATO's south wing and ending with those by lower rank officials - statements declaring security guarantees for the Serbs.

What does this security look like? You can see it for yourself - the consequence is the wounding of Antovic and Maksimovic [shot in Kosovska Mitrovica on 25 Dec]. Can they guarantee security to the Serbs or not? If they cannot or if they do not want to, there are people who want to do it. The Serb army and police will do it, protecting [word indistinct] its own people. [Applause]

[Announcer] A member of the Serb National Council's executive committee, Vladimir Rakic, appealed to the Serbs in the province and Belgrade officials to be united, emphasizing that [Serbian] President Boris Tadic, Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica and [Serbia- Montenegro] Foreign Minister Vuk Draskovic had a single task of preserving the territorial integrity of Serbia and Kosmet within its borders.

[Rakic] We must finally establish unity among the Serbs, both here and in Belgrade, a unity of government, as far as Kosovo- Metohija is concerned. We must finally, all of us, come forth and say it loud and clear: there is no independent Kosovo, we are fighting for the state of Serbia, and not for some other state. We will not fight for some other state, nor will we allow it [another state] to be formed on our territory.

[Announcer] More than 1,000 citizens took part in the protest going under the banner of Against Albanian Terror and Violence Against the Serbs. No incidents were reported during the rally and Kosovo police units secured the gathering.

Credit: Kontakt Plus, Kosovska Mitrovica, in Serbian 1500 27 Dec 05

Kontakt Plus, Kosovska Mitrovica, in Serbian 1500 27 Dec 05/BBCMonitoring/(c) BBC
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