The West fears that the disturbances in Kosovo will spill over to neighbouring Macedonia, and eventually such Albania, Greece and Turkey into a new Balkan conflict that would be far more vicious than anything that happened in Bosnia. The U.S. is particularly worried that Greece and Turkey, both NATO members, will get involved on opposition sides in the conflict and threaten the alliance's cohesion ... The West blames (Yugoslavia) for the recent violence.
The present disturbances in Kosovo, which have seen the deaths of between 20 and 40 ethnic Albanians and Serb policemen, were sparked by an ambush ten days ago of Serb policemen by suspected members of the UCK, an organistion that is fighting for independence of the province from ... Serbia. The Serb authorities then began a military crackdown against UCK strongholds, forcing the evacuation of several thousand villagers. Serbian authorities said that a prominent rebel leader, Adem Jasheri, was killed in the crackdown. The Serbian action has, in turn, sparked demonstrations by ethnic Albanians throughout Kosovo demanding independence. The flood of refugees has also worried the Europeans, who fear they will have to play host to them.
Kosovo has long been a thorn in the side of Serbia, and in the early 1990s, many analysts thought that it, rather than Bosnia, would be the main point of conflict in the former Yugoslavia. Kosovo has a population that is 90 per cent Albanian, and has grown increasingly restive at being part of Serbia. Demands for independence or merger with neighbouring Albania have grown. The local population is more or less completely alienated from the rest of Serbia, and over the years have declared a "Republic of Kosovo" under a president, Mr. Ibrahim Rugova. They have also formed a parallel system of education in the Albanian language, boycotting Serb educational institutions. At the same time, armed separatist groups have sprung up, the most prominent of which has been the UCK, or Albanian Liberation Army.
Serb nationalists, however, cannot conceive of independence, or even autonomy for Kosovo, which holds a special (historic) significance for them ...
The US has called for strong, united action, but has not specified the precise nature of this action. (UK) has called on Yugoslavia to begin a dialogue with the people of Kosovo to provide greater autonomy. "Repression must stop, and Belgrade must open a political process to provide increased autonomy in Kosovo". President Milosevic himself has rejected expressions of Western concern, and has said that what happened in Kosovo was purely an internal matter. (Source: The Hindu, 10 March, 1998)
