Date: Mon, 31 May 1999 21:09:29 -0400 From: Eric Fawcett <•••@••.•••> Subject: sfp-91: Mary Robinson, UN HR Commissioner critiques NATO bombing U.N. official criticizes bombings for causing death of civilians ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Philadelphia Inquirer, May 1, 1999 [a month old, but important esp. in view of the indictment of Milosevic] By Stephanie Nebehay REUTERS GENEVA - U.N. human-rights chief Mary Robinson criticized the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia yesterday for killing "large numbers of civilians," and said that all forces in the conflict could be investigated for war crimes. In a speech at the end of the annual session of the U.N. Commission on Human Rights, the former Irish president also denounced a "pattern of ethnic cleansing" by Serb forces in Kosovo. She called for fresh diplomatic and political efforts to resolve the Balkan conflict. Speaking later at a news conference, Robinson said that she planned to meet Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic during a 12-day trip to the Balkans scheduled to begin tomorrow. Her first stop will be in Skopje, Macedonia, followed by visits to Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and Yugoslavia. "I envisage that I will have an opportunity to meet Mr. Milosevic," she said. "I am very keen that those with responsibility be brought to justice. Therefore, I would not envisage that it would necessarily be an easy meeting with President Milosevic, for obvious reasons." In her speech, Robinson urged the NATO alliance to adhere to the "principle of proportionality" and "weigh the consequences" of its bombing campaign on Yugoslav civilians. She said that Yugoslav authorities had told her that more than 500 civilians had been killed and 4,000 wounded during the NATO air strikes. "Unless diplomacy succeeds, Kosovo will be thoroughly cleansed of Albanians while Serbs will, on present performance, be bombed without end. There must be a better way," she told the forum ending its six-week session. "I call for reason to prevail on all sides, and for a return to diplomacy and peacemaking." Referring to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, she said: "Under the tribunal's statute, the prosecutor may investigate war crimes committed by any of the parties to the armed conflict. "The actions of individuals belonging to Serb forces, the Kosovo Liberation Army, or NATO may therefore come under scrutiny if it appears that serious violations of international humanitarian law have occurred," she said. Robinson later made clear that her statement referring to potential war-crimes indictments had been taken from a letter from Louise Arbour, chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal. Asked whether she believed that NATO generals should be indicted, she replied: "No, I have not made any assessment or judgment in that regard." Robinson, citing crimes by Serb forces - including killings, rapes and forced expulsions of ethnic Albanians from Kosovo - said that it was "hard to avoid the conclusion of a pattern of ethnic cleansing carried out with cold-blooded determination." She also criticized NATO air strikes, which yesterday hit Serbian defense headquarters, two homes, and a television transmitter in the heaviest overnight raids so far on Belgrade, the Yugoslav capital. "In the NATO bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, large numbers of civilians have incontestably been killed, civilian installations targeted on the grounds that they are or could be of military application, and NATO remains sole judge of what is or is not acceptable to bomb," Robinson said. "In this situation, the principle of proportionality must be adhered to by those carrying out the bombing campaign," she said. "It surely must be right to ask those carrying out the bombing campaign to weigh the consequences of their campaign for civilians in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia." **************************************************************************** Date: Mon, 31 May 1999 21:36:52 -0400 From: Eric Fawcett <•••@••.•••> Subject: sfp-91: POSTSCRIPT UN slams both sides in Kosovo conflict ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ WebPosted Mon May 31 11:46:24 1999 UNITED NATIONS - The United Nations high commissioner for human rights has criticized both Yugoslavia and NATO in the Kosovo conflict. In a report released Monday, Mary Robinson accused the Yugoslav army and police of committing executions and rapes in the mass expulsions of ethnic Albanians from Kosovo. Robinson called on the Yugoslav government to remove all its forces from the province and allow an international peacekeeping force to monitor the return of refugees. She also criticized NATO's use of cluster bombs and the destruction of schools and hospitals in its air war against Yugoslavia. Robinson's report follows a trip she took to the region earlier this month. It is based on information from thousands of refugees. LINKS: http://www.unhchr.ch UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
