By Prof. Dr. Lisen Bashkurti*
With all these articles published in the media and dirty agreements reached between Hashim Thaçi and Aleksandar Vučić, facilitated and supported by a few hidden parrots in Tirana, Pristina and across the Atlantic is truly shocking. Merchant, despicable politicians want to leave the people of Kosovo, without a fatherland, without dignity and without justice.
Through the ups and downs, serpentine language, lies and infinite provocations going on for a few years, only recently we encountered the substance of the Thaçi – Vučić agreement towards the ‘normalization’ of relations between Kosovo and Serbia.
To acknowledge this move, some statements made by an undercover envoy that concocts all dirty tricks in the axis of Belgrade – Pristina – Tirana, were fundamental to ascertain the dirty deals reached behind the public’s eye. We hope this will not take shape, however there are no solid reasons that would encourage us to ignore such an agreement that has earned a bad reputation…
1. A gambit with the land and treasures of Kosovo
The agreement prepared by the merchants of politics aims above all to give northern Kosovo’s territory (with rare minerals) to Serbia. Such a deal with the concept of giving territories has started many years ago with North Macedonia, was further developed with Montenegro and now is take shape with Serbia.
The merchant politicians are betraying and handing-in Kosovo in parts, just like their own backyard. Albanians, over the last two centuries have lost more than fifty thousand square kilometers of territories, taken by force and from outside pressure.
It is the first time in the history of Albanians that on the three occasions in a row with the neighboring countries, relinquishing territories has been a priority with a willingness from within. Such a failure of political leadership in Kosovo is unprecedented at the national and international levels.
With these territorial perks offered to North Macedonia, Montenegro and the most recent territorial deal of North Kosovo offered to Belgrade, the state of Kosovo is losing its viability, sustainability as an independent nation; it is becoming an agricultural farm without any resources, lack of potential, without an economic valor in order to survive as a country. Dirty dealmakers of Kosovo’s territory are turning the country into a smaller country, increasing poverty, weak and overall uncapable to stand on its feet; obviously vulnerable and highly fragile to handle accordingly any domestic or international crisis.
One of the international principles for the independence of states and their international recognition, in addition to their sovereign territory, people, sovereign institutions is also the economic potential to ensure sustainability and international socio-economic development. Debilitating one of these principles would result in a weak state, poor, highly susceptible and problematic in the region and domestically. Furthermore, this route makes it impossible for Kosovo to ensure a greater international acceptance and recognition. Kosovo is not poor. Kosovo is not rich either. Currently, Kosovo is in a very subtle economic equilibrium. Its territory, resources, population are in proportionate equilibrium and for this reason they must not be altered. If this territorial balance, resources are plundered and its people are subjugated, as Thaçi’s aims are more than evident in cooperation with Vučić, including some plebeians roving from Tirana to Pristina or towards other obscure niches, the future of Kosovo’s State will be in great trouble.
2. Dirty deals with Kosovo’s heroes and victims
When we have a politics of deals without principles everything becomes a commodity that is purchased and sold from merchant politicians. In this case, the spokesperson that pokes his nose everywhere in Pristina – Belgrade – Tirana, has informed us that such an agreement would include a general amnesty for the crimes committed by Serbia and Kosovo.
Therefore, behind the deal of relinquishing Kosovo’s territories, there is also a deal that berates the heroes and victims of Albania’s in Kosovo. In the scale of joined ventures between Pristina and Belgrade, with the silence of Tirana, are terribly discriminated the victims of Prekaz, Recak, Krusha, all those heroes, war victims, missing Albanians, and those civilians violated. These shameless merchants are offending the Jashari Family, Ukshin Hoti, Fehmi Agani and many national emblematic figures that have written with their flesh the glorious history of Kosovo’s Independence.
The Amnesty of Serbian crimes against Kosovo means the demolition of Kosovo’s history. The amnesty of Serbian crimes in Kosovo is in fact the dismantling of a sovereign Kosovo. There were these crimes, brutal genocide, and ethnic cleansing against Albanians committed by the Serbian armed forces; that shaped the principle legal reason for the NATO forces and International Community to intervene in Kosovo. Serbian crimes, genocide, and Serbian ethnic cleansing are the main reasons why NATO and the west intervened to separate Kosovo from Serbia.
Modern History of humanity after WWII has given us plenty of examples with the Courts of Nuremberg, Tokyo, Rwanda, based on the International Law of Geneva Convention and their protocols, so that all genocides, crimes against humanity or ethnic cleansing in times of war or peace must be condemned, punished and not tolerated. The Merchant Politicians in Serbia and Pristina, in concert with others in Tirana or even further, while demanding amnesty for the Serbian genocide against civilians, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing in Kosovo are violating the basic principles of international laws, on this platform humanity has established peace, security, democracy, human rights and minority rights in the world. If the territorial deals would impoverish Kosovo up to a point where she cannot survive as an independent country, the amnesty of genocide, crimes and ethnic cleansing in Kosovo would humiliate the dignity, humanity and sacrifice of the people of Kosovo in their aspirations for freedom and independence. Such a humiliation would erase Kosovo’s past, indeed without acknowledging its bloody foundations the country would vanish and even become extinct.
3. A gambit with justice
The last ploy that would become prey of political merchants is the gambit with justice. from the nose poking spokesperson that roves between Belgrade – Pristina – Tirana, we learn that Special Court of Justice is also part of the Thaçi – Vučić agenda. This Special Court of Justice was assigned to investigate the crimes committed by Serbian Forces in 1998-1999 and bring into justice exponents of Kosovo Liberation Army that had killed innocent Serbian citizens. Such a mercantilist gambit is a threat, orchestrated on purpose and manipulates the public opinion.
This is dangerous because it could cover crimes committed by certain individuals that taint the people of Kosovo and its image in the world. The incriminated individuals always and from any country must face justice. Kosovo does not need a fragile peace, but a just peace. Kosovo needs a just peace. This means that all incriminated individuals, Serbians, or Albanian must face justice. It has a negative backbone, as it attempts to secure an underground support from the top leadership that controls key institutions of Kosovo, this tactic will serve them well to avoid personal responsibilities while reaching state and national concessions.
These are manipulative practices because they are trying to use, to continuously abuse the values of Kosovo Liberation Army, whose contribution is well known internationally and nationally. The illuminated and historic contributions of Kosovo Liberation Army will not be faded by anyone that has committed indecency and tarnished international rules of law.
It has an evil concept, pursued indirectly, secretly, it aspires to reach a reciprocal amnesty of criminals. Which means, this agreement of merchant politicians is tackling the agreement of war criminals that were active in 1998-1999. Serbia will secure a full amnesty for the genocide, massive crimes and ethnic cleansing committed against Kosovo, and Kosovo would receive the amnesty for certain individuals that are getting ready to face the Special Court of Justice established (for this purpose) in Kosovo.
In conclusion, such a ‘reciprocal amnesty for criminals’ while being part of a bilateral international agreement brings into equal terms the internationally ratified crimes of Serbian State into Kosovo with the fictional (imaginary) crimes that may have taken place in Kosovo, led by certain individuals (while there are no facts discovered yet in order to ascertain such actions) against the Serbian innocent population in Kosovo. As a result, here we have attempts to purposely intertwine a State Crime committed by Serbia against Albanians with imaginary crimes committed by sporadic, isolated Albanian fighter against the Serbian population in Kosovo.
Over the last weeks, the political discourse in Kosovo is increasingly focused on the agreement to normalize the relations with Serbia. Contradictory voices, some of them are already confirmed, in the hallways of Brussels and Washington, are very articulate regarding the Thaçi – Vučić agreement, being supported by others. In this discourse we are introduced not only with the existence, but also with the content of this agreement. Its framework appears distorted and embraces unfair principles, containing the exchange of territories and promotion of a general amnesty for Serbian criminals that had committed massive crimes in Kosovo. Therefore, the Serbia – Kosovo agreement prepared by Thaçi – Vučić, unfolded recently in the political discourse, public opinion and information media; appears to be an agreement that has two objectives: the butchering of Kosovo’s territory and implement an overall amnesty for all crimes of war committed in the two countries./eurasiareview.com/
* Assoc. Prof. Dr. Lisen Bashkurti is the Dean of the Faculty of Law and Social Sciences, Epoka University,Tirana – Albania.
