APADOR-CH - ROMANIAN HELSINKI COMMITTEE

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10 June 1999

Dear friends and colleagues,

We have followed with special interest the dialogue that began with the "Appeal by the Belgrade Non-governmental Organizations" (April 6) and continued with replies to the appeal, then with replies to the appeal's replies. We were particularly interested in the response of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee and of the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights, then in the letter of June 1, signed by the members of the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, Greek Helsinki Monitor and other Bulgarian and Greek organizations. Given that many of those involved in this dialogue are our colleagues and friends, whose activity we have always appreciated and respected, we feel it is our duty to voice our opinion regarding this exchange of letters, in particular the reaction of the Greek and Bulgarian organizations.

1. We are familiar with the activity of the Association of Citizens for Democracy, Belgrade Circle, Belgrade Women Studies Centre, Centre for Democracy and Free Elections, Centre for Transition to Democracy - TOD, Civic Initiatives, EKO Centre, European Movement in Serbia, Forum for Ethnic Relations, Group 484, NEZAVISNOST Trade Union Confederation, The Student Union of Yugoslavia, Union for Truth About Anti-Fascist Resistance, VIN - Weekly Video News, Women in Black, YU Lawyers' Committee for Human Rights (we are also familiar with the latest stands regarding the involvement of the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia) and we are directly acquainted with some of the members of these important organisations. We can testify to the fact that, as the authors of the appeal remind, they "have courageously and rationally fought against war and nationalistic propaganda"; that they "always raised their voices against the repression against Kosovo Albanians and demanded the respect of their liberties and guarantee for their rights"; that they "also requested the return of the autonomy of Kosovo" and "stressed that the only connection and co-operation of Serbs and Albanians during all these years have been preserved among civil society institutions". These organisations have greatly contributed to Serbia's democratization and represent the hope for Serbia to further its democratic development. We welcome their appeal for an "end of the ethnic cleansing process and immediate return of all refugees"; for the "support to the citizens of FR Yugoslavia to preserve peace and stability, solve serious consequences of the refugee catastrophe and resume with the democratic processes that are under way"; for "resuming of the peace process with international mediation at the regional (Balkan) and European level, as well in the framework of the United Nations".

2. Expressing our respect for the Serbian NGOs coalition, we wish to stress at the same time that there are several obvious truths related to the developments in the Federative Republic of Yugoslavia. In order to assess correctly these events, one should be aware of the following facts:

- the NATO military intervention in the Federative Republic of Yugoslavia did not aim to kill civilians and was not launched against the Serbian people. It focused against the forces that practice ethnic cleansing in Kosovo and violate democratic values in Serbia, values that the signing organisations fight for. The casualties and material losses that accompanied the NATO strikes are to be pitied. But they are inevitable in times of war;

- the hundreds of thousands of refugees who left Kosovo did not abandon their homeland because they feared the NATO attacks, but rather because of the enforcement of a plan to chase away the Albanians from Kosovo, engineered by the Serbian military and para-military forces;

- the NATO intervention in Serbia has not undermined the efforts made on behalf of the Serbian NGOs; on the contrary, it creates the pre-requisites to prevent the Miloshevich regime, which practices ethnic cleansing on a large scale, from continuing to apply its criminal policy.

3. Given the remarks above, it is obvious that we are solidary with the analysis made by the Norwegian Helsinki Committee and the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights in their letter. We believe that the authors of this letter have expressed convincingly their solidarity with the signers of the appeal made by the 16 Serbian NGOs. We feel that the letter written by the Norwegian Helsinki Committee and the International Helsinki Federation expresses sympathy both for the victims of ethnic cleansing on a large scale and for the fate of innocent Serbians.

4. Obviously, the Yugoslavian war raises a moral aporia for the organisations that have dedicated their activity to respect for human rights. They cannot overlook the fact that any armed conflict, irrespective of its developments, results in the loss of human lives and great suffering. Therefore, we appreciate the deep instinct that made the members of Bulgarian and Greek associations remind the fact that a human rights organisation can hardly get over the terrible realities of war. Still, we believe that, if they are strictly consistent, the organisations that promote human rights cannot confine themselves to invoking in abstracto norms of conduct or the value of peaceful solutions as a principle. Human rights organisations cannot pretend not to understand that the great criminals - Hitler, Stalin or Miloshevich - do not mind criticism, appeals to decency, to humanism. They have no scruples to use crime and will only yield to force.

The members of the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, of the Greek Helsinki Monitor and of the other Bulgarian and Greek organisations felt they ought to draw attention on the innocent victims of NATO strikes. It would be unnatural for human rights activists to overlook this fact. We find it unnatural, however, for them to make conjectural charges instead of using opinions and arguments - as the 16 Serbian NGOs, the Norwegian Helsinki Committee and the International Helsinki Federation do. It is incorrect and unjust to accuse the authors of this letter of "reminiscence of the NATO propaganda", "unfairness", "manipulations", "arrogance and insulting" positions, of the intention to "make steps towards political confrontation". We believe that this kind of hurtful accusing epithets do not help promote dialogue. They run counter to the fundamental human rights value, human dignity.

As friends and colleagues, we make in our turn an appeal to the community of the organisations dedicated to civic and democratic values to watch over the principles of our solidarity. Solidarity is essential as long as crimes such as those in Kosovo are still possible in the world.

The Board of APADOR-CH