SUMMARY OF CONVERSATION ON TREATMENT OF ETHNIC ALBANIANS IN

YUGOSLAVIA (TOM LANTOS’ OFFICE, SEPTEMBER 15, 1988, 11 am to

12:10)

Ben Gilman

Bill Broomfield

Joe DioGuardi

Ambassador Zivorad Kovacevic

Mr. Milutin Rogic, Counselor Officer for Political and Congressional Relations

AMB: Begins meeting by describing many cases of crimes by Albanians against Serbs in Kosovo, citing many rapes of Serbian women by Albanians. He stated that mass rallies/solidarity rallies are a new phenomena in Serbia/Montenegro. He said that Serbs and )ontenegrians are “angry people” who are fed up with lack of success in Kosovo and very angry about being pushed out of Kosovo by Albanians. He concluded his opening statement by saying that even Albanians joined with Serbs and Montenegrians in the rally in Serbia condemning pressure on Serbs in Kosovo, and that Kosovo/Macedonia/Montenegro are all hot spots.

BEN: Who was committing crimes?

AMB: Undisputed facts reported by open press that it was Albanians.

JOE: Ambassador, with all due respect, your presentation is one- sided! Big issue here has to do with all the ethnic minorities. Reports from ethnic Albanians in N.Y. and Detroit confirm widespread prejudice against Albanians in many areas, especially educational and economic opportunity. Limits on family size oflbanians and school closings point to a subtle genocide!

Reports from Amnesty International describe outrageous prison conditions in detail. We must hold Yugoslavia to no less a standard on human rights than we bold the Soviet Union, another signatory of the Helsinki accord. As Congressmen, who represent many ethnic Albanians and as an ethnic Albanian myself, we want a dialogue! We have to be careful that recent events don’t get out of hand. With 200% national inflation in Yugoslavia, I am concerned that Albanians can be a scapegoat for your worsening economic and political situation. My concern, however, is not geo—political. It is rather the equal treatment of all ethnic groups in Yugoslavia as provided by your own constitution and the tenets of the Helsinki Agreement. Everything I see and hear