Swett Letter to Colleague

 

Congress of the United States
Wahshington DC 20515
January 29, 1992

Support Diplomatic Recognition
of the Republic of Kosova

Dear Colleague:

We recently introduced IL Con. Res. 264 which expresses the sense of the Congress that the President should recognize the independence of the Republic of Kosova and extend full Uni tited States diplomatic recognition to that Republic.

All of us in Congress have witnessed with horror and dismay the violence and bloodshed which has taken place in the former Yugoslav Federation. This tragedy stems from both the failure of the Communist government to recognize the sovereign rights of the Yugoslav constituent republics and the failure to acknowledge and observe the civil and human rights of these people.

We in Congress must see to it that this tragedy does nut continue in the Republic of Kosova. The Republic of Kosova, with a 90 percent ethnic Albanian population, has laid a sovereign and recognized ized iden ti ty even under the Communist Yugoslav government. Kosova’s very existence, however, is in grave jeopardy.

The Communist-dominated Republic of Serbia has denied the autonomous status of Kosova and suppressed the rights of its people The Republic of Serbia has suppressed the elected government of Kosova and Imposed martial law in the Republic. It has severely restricted the freedom of speech, freedom of movement, freedom to work, and has subjected the Albanian population to illegal imprisonment and violations of their fundamental civil and human rights. The annual Human Rights Reports of the Department of State have documented these abuses.

The people of Kosova have clearly and unequivocally expressed their wish to be independent of Yugoslavia and become a sovereign state. Just as we recognizied and extended diplomatic recognition to other peoples of the former Soviet Union, we should recognize the will of the people of Kosova and extend to them diplomatic recognition. If you would like to join us in cosponsoring this resolution, please contact Michael

Burton at 5-3531.