Message from Serbian doctors

We represent a group of young physicians who work at the School of Medicine in Nis, Eastern Serbia, Yugoslavia.

In one day, NATO bombers destroyed all our hopes and faith in humanity and goodwill of western politicians. NATO cannot expect to be accepted and loved in Serbia after destroying normal life in Serbia. If NATO wanted humanitarian disaster and death of a huge number of people, both Serbs and Albanians in Kosovo, then it has fully achieved it by starting this aggression. However, if western politicians want real peace in Kosovo, we ask them to cease war and bloodshed and organize a new peace conference for the Balkan (as proposed by Italian Prime Minister and what was greatly approved by everybody here).

1. Why are Serbs bound to Kosovo?

Kosovo is the soul of Serbian people. There are about 1,500 Serbian Monasteries in Kosovo. Some of them are 12 and more centuries old.

Today, several Serbian Monasteries in Kosovo are under Unesco protection.

The famous battle against the Ottoman Empire took place in Kosovo in 1389. It represented the defense of Europe from Turk invasion. It was the beginning of 500 years long slavery. The Ottomans established the precedent of arbitrary, authoritarian, thoroughly repressive and violent rule for Serbs. Individuals and regions were obliged to pay taxes, offer suitable tribute and provide sufficient sons to meet the levies from the Janissaries. (Turkish soldiers consisting of stolen Serbian sons bred and trained in Muslim tradition and against their own people).

These are the basic facts about Serbian existence in Kosovo and they explain the root of Serbian fear from foreign army presence.

2. What are the reasons for the conflict between Serbs and Albanians?

Albanians as Muslims were flavored by the Ottomans and they took advantage of 500 years of Serbian slavery to settle and increase in number in Kosovo.

After World War I, the Ottoman and Habsbourg Empires disappeared and their territories and nationalities were distributed among the victorious powers or the states within the region. The vast problems left over from the period before World War I as well as the dilemmas generated by the war (every third Serbian man was killed), further divide Serbs and Albanians.

The Kingdom of Serbia, under the influence of European governments, establishes democracy in Kosovo. Albanians were against Serbs during World War I, and killed many Serbs.

During World War II Serbs were second to Jews considering human loss. Again, Albanians were against Serbs and with Hitler's army they killed many Serbs in Kosovo during World War II.

The worst issue for the Serbs in Kosovo was the decision of Josip Broz to forbid the return of Serbs to Kosovo who left during WW II. This additionally disbalanced ethnical composition.

For the reasons said above, we disagree with Western politicians to treat the problem in respect to the last 10 or 50 years. The Serbs have lived in Kosovo for 12 centuries and more and it is necessary to have in mind last 600 years in finding the political solution.

3. Reasons for refusing the Paris political document (our viewpoint).

Today, Albanians make up 60 percent to 90 percent of Kosovo's population, and about 10 percent of the Serbian population. We are not sure about the exact number because Albanians avoided the last three population listings. By the Paris political document, they can make a referendum in three years and we know that they would take that chance to separate from Serbia.

Creation of State structures of Kosovo, and formation of the third Republic in Yugoslavia would enable new expulsions of Serbian people from Kosovo.

DR. BORIS DJINDJIC

and nine colleagues

Serbia, Yugoslavia