LETTERS Kosovar rights
From Mr Agron Loxha Sir: I read Tom Walker's article (`Give the Serbs their Kosovo', 14 October) with inter- est, though he does seem a little selective as to his facts.
One international convention that both Milosevic and Tom Walker are willing to ignore is the principle of self-determina- tion. Albanians constituted over 90 per cent of Kosova's population before the war. Their wish was and is for independence rather than union with Albania. Milosevic also rode roughshod over national conven- tions, such as Yugoslavia's constitution and Kosova's autonomy.
Tom Walker would have us believe that, as a result of Nato's actions, the army and the police `justifiably' pushed out the Alba- nians, Turks and others. Strangely enough, the refugees themselves blamed the Serbs rather than Nato for their predicament.
If democratic change in Serbia does not seem to Tom Walker to be an issue worthy of comment, Kosovars are interested in democratic change in Kosova. On 28 Octo- ber, Kosovars will have their first free elec- tions ever, thanks to the UN. Nineteen par- ties will be participating, four of which have Serbian names. Not one of the 19 parties favours union with Albania.
The prime concern of all in Kosova is peace. Madeleine Albright referred to Thagi (the KLA's political leader) as being like Gerry Adams because he was willing to con- cede much of the Albanian position in order to secure peace at Rambouillet — some- thing the Serbs were not prepared to do. Far from being impossible to sign, Rambouillet was barely different from the agreement signed by Milosevic in October 1998.
For the sake of peace, I would be happy to welcome the thousands of Serb exiles back to Kosova, even though a Serb killed my brother during the war. Perhaps we could also welcome back the 1,000 Albanian politi- cal prisoners spirited away by the retreating army when it withdrew from Kosova.
However, the solution promoted in the article would be impossible. The `federal' army has not been trusted in Kosova for the last 20 years. How can the Kosovars trust it, when it is not even trusted in Montenegro?
Tom Walker has taken a strong stand for the protection of sovereignty as a moral principle above human rights and popular will. If this reflects the stance of The Specta- tor, I look forward to reading robust defences of Russia's actions in Chechnya, Iraq's position on the Kurdish 'safe havens', and, most obviously, the right of the govern- ment of Zimbabwe to determine what hap- pens on the farmland of its own country.
Agron Loxha
Director, Kosova Information Centre, London WI
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