Serbianna.com, MI
Feb 17 2008

PRESS RELEASE
Institute President Denounces Kosovo Unilateral Declaration of
Independence

February 17, 2008

Washington, D.C. – Institute on Religion and Public Policy President
Joseph K. Grieboski released the following statement on today’s
unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo from Serbia:

"The decision of the Kosovo Provisional Authorities to declare
unilateral independence is illegal and in direct contravention to
international law, the United Nations Charter, and UN Security
Council Resolution 1244, and sets a dangerous precedent which can
potentially lead to serious international destabilization.

Kosovo’s independence will quickly expose the weakness of the
province’s institutional infrastructure. Given Kosovo’s limited
participation in the U.N.’s administrative structure, it is simply
illogical to assume that an amateur regime would possess the
necessary expertise to dramatically improve the province’s poor
record of dealing with organized crime, drug trafficking and human
rights abuses.

The present record of rule of law, protection of the rights of
religious and ethnic minorities, and the return/resettlement of
internally displaced persons by the Provisional Authority of Kosovo –
all of which are indispensable for democratic governance – have been
gravely unsatisfactory since the establishment of the KPA.

How can the United States and European powers expect viable political
self-rule of Kosovo unless there is a well-demonstrated, long-term
commitment on the part of Kosovo powerholders to the preservation of
peace and ethnic diversity through both legislative and institutional
means?

Since 1999 the Kosovo Provisional Authority has, on many occasions,
acted contrary to pertinent democratic commitments and norms, and
therefore cannot be trusted as the sole independent guarantor of
rights and freedoms for all peoples of Kosovo.

Furthermore, today’s declaration is a grave violation of the UN
Charter itself, which affirms the territorial integrity,
inviolability, sovereignty and national unity of states. Not only
does the declaration shatter that principle, it further violates the
Helsinki Final Act of 1975 and U.N. Security Council Resolution 1244,
which also makes clear that Kosovo is part of Serbia.

The imminent threat of global destabilization calls for an
internationally supported resolution that upholds legal precedent,
recognizes the need for mutual compromise, and reflects a serious
commitment to the protection of human and minority rights. Neither
Russia nor China will accept a cosmetically altered "blank check" for
independence.

The international community’s recognition of Kosovo’s independence
would set a dangerous precedent for secessionist movements worldwide.
Would-be breakaway regions like Abkhazia and South Ossetia in
Georgia, Nagorno-Karabakh in Azerbaijan, the Turkish Republic of
Northern Cyprus, Tibet and Taiwan with China, and numerous others
will demand independence, against which Western diplomats will have
very little political or historical leverage.

As Mahmoud Othman, a Kurdish member of the Iraqi parliament,
observes, "just like Kosovo, Iraqi Kurdistan has also been under
international protection." For nationalistic groups, there is no
difference between an independent Kosovo and an independent
Kurdistan.

The international community must avoid planting a failed state in
Southeast Europe."

About Institute on Religion and Public Policy

Nominated for the 2007 Nobel Prize in Peace, the Institute on
Religion and Public Policy is an international, inter-religious
non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring freedom of religion as
the foundation for security, stability, and democracy.

The Institute works globally with government policymakers, religious
leaders, business executives, academics, international and regional
organizations, non-governmental organizations and others in order to
develop, protect, and promote fundamental rights – especially the
right of religious freedom – and contributes to the intellectual and
moral foundation of the fundamental right of religious freedom. The
Institute encourages and assists in the effective and cooperative
advancement of religious freedom.

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