SERBS IN MONTENEGRO PROTEST U.S. POLICY ON KOSOVO

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PODGORICA 000227 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL MW SR SUBJECT: SERBS IN MONTENEGRO PROTEST U.S. POLICY ON KOSOVO PODGORICA 00000227 001.3 OF 003 SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: SMALL BUT STRIDENT, TWO LOCALLY-BASED ETHNIC SERB ORGANIZATIONS, THE ASSOCIATION OF DISPLACED PERSONS IN MONTENEGRO AND THE SERBIAN NATIONAL COUNCIL OF MONTENEGRO, HAVE STRONGLY OPPOSED THE USG POLICY SUPPORTING INDEPENDENCE FOR KOSOVO. IN LETTERS TO THE EMBASSY, AND A JUNE 21 DEMONSTRATION, THE GROUPS REJECTED THE U.S. POSITION ON KOSOVO. THE ASSOCIATION OF DISPLACED PERSONS IN AN ADDITIONAL HARSH DECLARATION ADOPTED ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE 1389 BATTLE OF KOSOVO, CALLED FOR THE ENTRY OF SERBIAN "SECURITY FORCES" INTO KOSOVO AND "REQUESTED" THAT THE GOM (AND GOS) DECLARE THE U.S. EMBASSY PERSONA NON GRATA. THE GROUPS' ACTIONS, IN CONTRAST TO THEIR WORDS, HAVE BEEN PEACEFUL SO FAR. END SUMMARY. FLORID RHETORIC -------------- ¶2. (SBU) RESPONDING TO PRESIDENT BUSH'S DECLARATION OF USG SUPPORT FOR THE INDEPENDENCE OF KOSOVO, TWO SMALL GROUPS OF ETHNIC SERBS HAVE EMPLOYED FLORID RHETORIC TO REJECT NOT ONLY THE USG POSITION, BUT ALSO TO "REQUEST" THAT THE GOM (AND GOS) DECLARE THE U.S. EMBASSIES PERSONA NON GRATA. THE GROUPS ARE THE ASSOCIATION OF DISPLACED PERSONS IN MONTENEGRO (THE "ASSOCIATION"),WHICH HAS ABOUT 200 DISPLACED KOSOVAR SERBS RESIDENT IN MONTENEGRO AS MEMBERS, AND THE SERBIAN NATIONAL COUNCIL OF MONTENEGRO (SNV),WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY ESTABLISHED AN NGO WITH SEVERAL HUNDRED MEMBERS, ETHNIC SERBS WHO ARE CITIZENS OF MONTENEGRO. THE PRESIDENT OF THE SNV, MOMCILO VUKSANOVIC, WAS ELECTED AS AN MP LAST SEPTEMBER AS A MEMBER OF THE SERBIAN LIST. ¶3. (SBU) THE GROUPS HAVE OPERATED IN TANDEM, DRAFTING LETTERS TO POST AND ORGANIZING A DEMONSTRATION IN FRONT OF THE EMBASSY ON THE EVENING OF JUNE 21. A SUBSET OF THE ASSOCIATION, CALLING ITSELF THE ASSOCIATION OF DISPLACED PERSONS IN MONTENEGRO "KOSMET" [NOTE: I.E., KOSOVO AND METOHIJA. END NOTE.] SENT POST AN ADDITIONAL, MUCH HARSHER, "ST. VITUS'S DAY" DECLARATION ON JUNE 28. (NOTE: ST. VITUS'S DAY, JUNE 28, MARKS THE HISTORIC BATTLE OF KOSOVO IN 1389 - IT IS ALSO THE DAY THAT SERB ASSASSINS KILLED ARCHDUKE FERDINAND IN SARAJEVO IN 1914. END NOTE.) POST ESTIMATES THAT THE ASSOCIATION OF DISPLACED PERSONS IN MONTENEGRO "KOSMET" HAS SOME FIFTY MEMBERS, ALL OF WHOM ARE ALSO MEMBERS OF THE LARGER ASSOCIATION. ¶4. (SBU) THE COMMON THEME IS THAT THE USG, BY SUPPORTING INDEPENDENCE FOR KOSOVO, IS ADVANCING GENOCIDE AND ETHNIC CLEANSING BY ALBANIANS, CREATING AN "OUTLAW" STATE. THE GROUPS CHARACTERIZE THE USG, AND NOT MERELY THE POLICY, AS DESPOTIC AND MURDEROUS. CONVERSELY, THE GROUPS DEMONSTRATORS ON JUNE 21 (ABOUT 90-100, MOSTLY YOUNG MALES, ACCORDING TO EMBASSY GUARD FORCE, 300 ACCORDING TO THE GROUPS' STATEMENT TO THE MEDIA), WERE WELL-BEHAVED. CURIOUSLY, THE ASSOCIATION SOUGHT A MEETING WITH POST AT THE SAME TIME THAT IT DEMANDED THE CLOSURE OF THE U.S. EMBASSY. ¶5. (SBU) THE ST. VITUS'S DAY DECLARATION IS THE HARSHEST OF THE COMMUNICATIONS TO DATE. INFORMAL EMBASSY TRANSLATION: CONSIDERING THE FACT THAT THE STATE OF SERBIA IS A FULL-FLEDGED MEMBER OF THE UN; CONSIDERING THE PRINCIPLE OF STATE SOVEREIGNTY AND TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY OF THE STATE OF SERBIA WHICH IS GUARANTEED BY THE SERBIAN CONSTITUTION AND CONFIRMED BY THE RESOLUTION 1244 OF THE U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL, IN RELATION WITH AN ATTEMPT TO FORCIBLY SEIZE KOSOVO AND METOHIJA FROM SERBIA AIMED AT CREATING A NEW ALBANIAN "MONSTER" STATE IN THE BALKANS BASED ON GENOCIDE AND THE ETHNIC CLEANSING OF THE SERBIAN PEOPLE, CONTRARY TO INTERNATIONAL LAW AND OTHER HIGHEST NORMS OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, IN WHICH OFFICIAL AMERICA HAS TAKEN THE LEAD, THE ASSEMBLY OF THE ASSOCIATION OF DISPLACED PERSONS IN MONTENEGRO "KOSMET", AT ITS REGULAR SESSION HELD ON JUNE 27, 2007, ADOPTED A DECLARATION OF VIDOVDAN (ST VITUS' DAY) B T #0227 N -- END OF ERRORED MESSAGE -- PODGORICA 00000227 002.3 OF 003 BY WHICH THE STATE LEADERSHIPS OF SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO ARE REQUESTED TO: ¶1. CANCEL URGENTLY AND COMPULSORILY THE HOSPITALITY [GIVEN] TO THE U.S. EMBASSIES AND ITS AMBASSADORS TO BELGRADE AND PODGORICA, FOR THEIR PRESENCE AND ACTIONS PROVOKE FEAR OF NEW WAR CLASHES IN THIS REGION. IN ADDITION TO THAT, OFFICIAL AMERICA HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED AS A SYNONYM FOR BLOOD, DESPOTISM, BARBARITY, LEGALIZATION OF CRIME, AND BANISHMENT. -- PURSUANT TO THE RESOLUTION 1244, SEND THE STATE SECURITY FORCES INTO THE AREA OF KOSMET WITHOUT HESITATION. THIS IS ALL THE MORE NECESSARY, FOR PEACE HAS NOT BEEN ESTABLISHED IN THAT PART OF SERBIA AFTER EIGHT YEARS. THE MINIMAL CONDITIONS FOR THE RETURN OF 300,000 EXILES HAVE NOT BEEN CREATED. THE REMAINING NATION-BUILDING SERBS AND MONTENEGRINS IN THE PROVINCE ARE BEING FIRED UPON EVERY DAY, WHERE THE ALBANIAN CRIMINAL PERPETRATORS REMAIN UNDISCOVERED THANKS TO THEIR ABETTORS FROM THE QUASI-UN PEACEKEEPING TROOPS. ¶2. WE PUBLICLY EXPRESS GRATITUDE TO THE STATE LEADERSHIP OF RUSSIA AND PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN FOR HIS CONSISTENCY IN TRYING TO PREVENT THE REDRAWING OF INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED STATE BORDERS OF SOVEREIGN STATES, AND FOR THE SUPPORT WHICH OFFICIAL RUSSIA OFFERS TO SERBIA WITH THE VIEW OF PRESERVING ITS SOVEREIGNTY AND TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY. ¶3. WE SEND AN OFFICIAL PROTEST TO THE U.S. EMBASSY IN PODGORICA AND TO THE DIPLOMATIC REPRESENTATIVES OF OTHER COUNTRIES OF THE SO CALLED "CIVILIZED WEST", WHICH ADVOCATE THE FORCED SEIZURE OF KOSOVO AND METOHIJA IN FAVOR OF THE ALBANIAN NATIONAL MINORITY, WITH THE MESSAGE THAT READS: WE SHALL NEVER EVER GIVE UP KOSOVO AND METOHIJA, AN ODE TO OUR EXISTENCE, AN ANTHEM OF OUR LIFE." END INFORMAL TRANSLATION. ASSOCIATION OF DISPLACED PERSONS IN MONTENEGRO -------------- - ¶6. (SBU) THE HEAD OF THE LARGER ASSOCIATION OF DISPLACED PERSONS SAID THAT THE JUNE 28 DECLARATION ABOVE WAS FORMALLY ADOPTED ONLY BY A SMALLER "KOSMET" SUB-GROUP, BUT THAT HE AGREED WITH IT. (NOTE: AT THEIR REQUEST, THE PRINCIPAL OFFICER MET WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF THIS ASSOCIATION IN SEPTEMBER 2005. AT THAT TIME, THEY COMPLAINED ABOUT THE BAD SITUATION IN MONTENEGRO FOR INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS FROM KOSOVO. THEY EXPLAINED THAT THE ASSOCIATION GATHERS 15 NGOS OF DISPLACED PERSONS FROM KOSOVO AND REFUGEES FROM BOSNIA AND CROATIA, AND THAT ITS OFFICES ARE CO-LOCATED WITH A COLLECTIVE CENTER IN SUTOMORE, ON THE COAST NEAR BAR. END NOTE.) SERBIAN NATIONAL COUNCIL OF MONTENEGRO -------------- ¶7. (SBU) THE SERBIAN NATIONAL COUNCIL OF MONTENEGRO (SNV) WAS ORIGINALLY ESTABLISHED AS AN NGO, AND HAS SEVERAL HUNDRED MEMBERS. (NOTE: NOW THAT IT HAS AN MP, THE SNV SHOULD RE-REGISTER AS A POLITICAL PARTY, BUT THERE IS NO INDICATION IT HAS DONE SO -- UNDERSCORING THE WEAKNESSES IN BOTH THE NGO AND PARTY REGISTRATION LAWS. END NOTE.) THE MEMBERS ARE ETHNIC SERB CITIZENS OF MONTENEGRO. THE CURRENT PRESIDENT OF THE SNV, MOMCILO VUKSANOVIC, WAS ELECTED AS AN MP LAST SEPTEMBER AS A MEMBER OF THE SERBIAN LIST, A COALITION OF NATIONALIST SERB PARTIES IN MONTENEGRO HEADED BY ANDRIJA MANDIC OF THE SERBIAN PEOPLES PARTY. VUKSANOVIC HAD BEEN A MEMBER OF THE SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO PARLIAMENT FROM THE SOCIALIST PEOPLE'S PARTY (SNP). B T #0227 N -- END OF ERRORED MESSAGE -- PODGORICA 00000227 003.3 OF 003 THE SNV, AND VUKSANOVIC, ARE SEEN AS CLOSE TO THE NATIONALIST POLITICAL LEADERSHIP IN BELGRADE, AND TO THE SERBIAN NATIONAL COUNCIL OF NORTH KOSOVO AND METOHIJA, BASED IN MITROVICA, KOSOVO. COMMENT -------------- ¶8. (SBU) IT IS DIFFICULT TO JUDGE THE NUMBER OF KOSOVAR SERBS IN MONTENEGRO; UNLIKE ROMA OR ALBANIANS FROM KOSOVO, OR REFUGEES FROM CROATIA OR BOSNIA, KOSOVAR SERBS GENERALLY HOLD SERBIAN OR EVEN MONTENEGRIN IDENTIFICATION PAPERS. THE JUNE 21 DEMONSTRATION WAS ADVERTISED IN ADVANCE, AND IT IS LIKELY THAT MANY OF THE 90-ODD WHO CAME TO THE EMBASSY ARE NOT MEMBERS OF EITHER GROUP. ¶9. (SBU) POST DOES NOT BELIEVE THE GROUPS TYPIFY MONTENEGRO-BASED ETHNIC SERB VIEWS ABOUT THE USG ROLE IN THE REGION. WHILE THE LARGER SERB PARTIES IN MONTENEGRO CLEARLY WANT THE GOM TO SUPPORT THE GOS'S EFFORTS TO RETAIN KOSOVO, THEY HAVE NOT EMPLOYED SUCH SHARP RHETORIC, AGAINST EITHER THE GOM OR USG. BARNES B T #0227 N -- END OF ERRORED MESSAGE --