The real face of Serbia: A Response to Djuric

No doubt Marko Djuric makes deliberately wrong and misleading assessment on the situation in the Republic of Kosova. No one expects anything different, considering he is an ambassador from Serbia, an autocratic state, that discriminates against minorities in its own country, and is manipulative towards the Serbian minority in Kosova.

The Ambassador of Serbia to USA, judges the institutional reaction in Kosova for the attack in Shtërpce, without taking into consideration the quick police reaction and the condemnation from all political leaders, including the Prime Minister, Albin Kurti. Also, he did this, after attacker was surrendered, arrested, and taken into custody immediately by the Kosovo Police.

Djuric forgets that condemning and taking measures toward those who violate freedom of others, is quite unknown concept to Serbia’s representative, where fighting crime and punishment are not state’s practice. In Serbia we see the contrary happen. In Serbia honouring and glorifying criminals is institutionalized practice, as proven so far.

Djuric claims that Kosova is trying to “capitalize” on Ukraine, ignoring the tragedy and the fact that the whole world condemns the atrocities committed by Putin! It would have been wiser if he joins the democratic world and calls Russia for what it is, a terrorist state.

Of course, he neither has the courage nor the will, same as his boss Vucic, to call Russia and Putin by the name that the whole democratic world calls them, terrorist country and criminal President.

On the contrary, yesterday near Sarajevo, Republika Srpska honoured aggressor Vladimir Putin for its “particularly patriotic care and love for the RS and for developing and strengthening cooperation and economic and political relations between the RS and Russia.” During the same event, Milorad Dodik declared: “Time has come that All Serbs should live in one country”, clearly expressing continuous expansionist aims of Serbs towards other countries in Western Balkans.

This event had police parading where the Serbs there glorified their criminal past, the genocide they committed against civilians in Bosnia, and to prove that Serbia backs up criminals in such despicable events, is the fact that the event was attended by the son of President Vucic, son of war criminal Ratko Mladic and the Deputy PM and Foreign Minister of Serbia, Ivica Dacic.

Now, imagine Djuric complaining about an isolated event in Kosova, but no word on his bosses attending events where war criminals are glorified and genocide is celebrated!!!

Does he have the courage to condemn their acts? Of course not, he is just a puppet.

Does he remember when just last year the Serbian Foreign Affairs Minister Nikola Selakovic signed an agreement with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for mutual “consultations” on foreign policy matters?!

Unfortunately for the entire Western Balkans, Djuric and his country are the last to talk about democracy and human rights. Officially, Serbia is the last Western Balkans country on the Democracy index. Serbia repressively violates human rights against minority communities.

Serbia misuses its own minority in Kosova. Never have we heard Djuric or anyone from Serbia’s Government react on dozens of attacks from Serbs gangs in the north in recent months towards Kosovo Serbs who comply with Kosovo rules.

Serb gangs supported by Belgrade, attacked, intimidated, and burned property of Kosovo Serbs in municipalities in the north of Kosova, with the sole objective, to prevent them from integrating. These gangs are led by people who are blacklisted by the US treasury, and yet they’re seen standing by Serbia’s President Aleksander Vucic. What is Djurici’s reaction to their presence? Has anyone heard him comment his President’s criminal friends?

Maybe he should first give answers on the above-mentioned questions to H.E. Counselor Derek Chollet, before his trip to the region.

Serbia systematically violates human rights of Albanians living in Presevo valley. Denial of the right to education, deregistration, persecution and unsolved murders, are Serbia's methods against the Albanian minority living in Serbia.

Some of the unsolved murders of Albanians are:

1. Nebi Nuhiu, from Presheva, kidnapped and missing since 2000.
2. Dashnim Hajrullahu, a child from Presheva, killed in 2005 by the Serbian Army, no case has ever been opened.
3. Isuf Azizi, a businessman from Presheva, killed in 2009. There is still no justice for any of the victims.

As the Ambassador to the USA, we didn't hear Djuric’s reaction to the Rolling Stones article about the former member of Arkan tigers, murderer Srđan Golubović, who now works as DJ entertaining youth in Belgrade. This criminal entertainer has never been sentenced for the crimes he committed in Bosnia and Kosova, even though all have been documented. On the contrary, the article explained that Arkan tigers who are also war criminals are tied to the political elite in Belgrade and few of them have joined Russia in the fight against Ukraine. Any word from Djuric on this?

If Serbia is “to seek peace” as Djuric as Djuric falsely claims, it should start by first acknowledging its crimes against humanity in Croatia, Bosnia and Hercegovina and Kosova and apologize for them. 133,000 civilans were killed during these wars, 20,000 in Croatia, 100,000 in Bosnia and 13,000 in Kosova including 1,133 children.

If Serbia is “to seek peace,” it should condemn and arrest all criminals who have ordered and conducted massacres and genocide in previous wars in Ex-Yu.

If Serbia is “to seek peace” it should sign and implement the most delicate and pressing agreement with Kosova, that of persons forcibly disappeared during the war.

If Serbia is “to seek peace,” it should properly align itself with democratic World and move away from Russia in the unjust and genocidal war in Ukraine.

But Serbia is not seeking peace, Serbia is continuing to protect war criminals, destabilize the neighbouring countries, and still seek territory and control on the affairs of its neighbours, where Serbia lost wars and its control decades ago!

This is the real face of Serbia!

Written by: Mimoza Kusari Lila is the parliamentary group leader of the governing party, Self-determination movement