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| Yes | 63% | 146 votes | Total: 230 votes | |
| No | 37% | 84 votes |
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Add to FavoritesAnother degree of separation occurred this week ending violently within the continent of Europe. From 1991 to 1999, the former Yugoslavia came to represent some of the worst "ethnic cleansing" violence since World War II in Europe.
Former Yugoslavia was dissolved into a number of separate nations based upon language and ethnic origins. However, Kosovo, which is largely ethnic Albanian and Muslim in composition, remained a part of Serbia.
What went wrong then if everything was worked out in splitting Yugoslavia? In the 1990s, relations between the Serbs and Albanians continued on a down swing since the formation of Serbia. The more militant Albanians formed the KLA (Kosovo Liberation Army) and fought a guerilla war for independence. Ethic Serbs who were displaced from their homes during the conflict between Bosnia and Croatia. In turn, they removed Albanians from their homes in Kosovo and claimed it as their own.
Massacres and displacements were charged by both sides and more than 10,000 people were killed with the United Nation Peacekeeping Forces stepping in. The United States, under President Bill Clinton, took action and staged an aggressive bombing campaign.
The resulting "peace" saw Kosovo occupied by thousands of UN peacekeepers for more than a decade, while the Kosovan independence desire remained unfathomed. It finally culminated last week.
Although this has the support of the EU and the United States, Serbia unanimously opposed. Serbia also has a powerful ally, Russia, who made it known that it will withhold any support of a declaration of independence that lacks the support of Serbia.
Serbia in turn has reacted with anger that could well be expected. Riots occurred in the streets of Belgrade and the police called in to defend the embassy of the United States. The Serbs believe that the US was the architect of the current situation from beginning with President Clinton.
The northern part of Kosovo is made up of 10% of ethnic Serbs. They have vowed to continue disturbances until the Kosovo is fragmented and can not function as a nation.
Will this be the latest "Domino Theory"? Unfortunately, history has a way of repeating itself. It is in a way a redefinition of one but not in the terms of Cold War rhetoric but by being potentially destabilizing.
As Russia, China and Serbia vigorously oppose this set-up of a separation, a Pandora's Box is being created within the EU. Although the majority of the EU approved the move to democratic independence, Spain and Greece did not. Their opposition is based on such unilateral declarations could lead to equal declarations within their own countries.
Not only can this be laden to danger and violence within Kosovo and Serbia but spread throughout the EU countries, which of course would force the United States involvement.
This week Spain is on a high alert for possible attacks but ETA (Basque Separatists) during the national election period of March 9th. Banned during Franco's reign, many regions within Spain such as Cataluna (which includes Barcelona), Valencia and Galicia have been given the freedom to restore their ethnic culture. So much so, that many oppose Spanish to be taught in schools and just want the regional language. With that some regions, besides the Basques, do not want to remain part of Spain.
The passion is beginning to slowly reach these goals as the region rules and not the nation. Corsica, a part of France, also aligns with Northern Basque Spain, rather than France and refuses to consider themselves French. There have been acts of terror for years on this scenic island. While relativity peaceful Belgium, a bilingual country consisting of French and Dutch did not have an active government for most of 2007 because of ethnic differences, which are still not totally resolved but making progress.
You could almost sit back and analyze every nation and find there could be a smoking gun present. Hopefully, no further ammunition will be given out and a workable and free Europe and the rest of the world will prevail. But do not forget, the potential remains.
Learn more about this author, Veronica Shine.
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No
The eyes of the world community are on Kosovo as she becomes the third country to gain her independence in the twenty-first century. But whether they are watching the birth of this new nation in recognition of her newly found right to freedom, or glaring at her in reproach in consideration of a breach of international law, remains in question. More importantly, will Kosovo's declaration of independence serve as a catalyst to motivate other impatient provinces to take steps to declare their own emancipation and right to self-govern?
The United States and several major European world powers have all issued formal statements acknowledging Kosovo's independence from Serbia and commending her for embracing the spirit of democracy. In other parts of the world however, Kosovo's bid to become a sovereign state has met with both growing unease and opposition. Spain, Russian, and China have all voiced criticism of Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia.It's no surprise when one considers that the Mainland of China has historically refused to acknowledge Taiwan's democratic nation and has continued to stifle international trade with Taiwan while greedily eying her as a potential annex to the People's Republic of China. Chechnya's fight for independence and struggle for freedom from Russia is a century old. Meanwhile, the Bosnia Serb Republic has indicated that if Kosovo successfully secedes from Serbia that this might provide the impetus for the Republic to make a move to separate herself from the regions of Bosnia that are not her own.
The Western Balkans has long been a region characterized by a history of political instability, even more so since the dissolution of Yugoslavia in the 1990's. Many fear that Kosovo's declaration will spark further unrest in an area of the world where The European Union has been laying the groundwork to elicit membership of each of these countries. The Western Balkans face the potential for a resurgence of political protest and even civil war in the aftermath of Kosovo's declaration. Simultaneously, the lines of approval and dissent are being drawn by the world community adding further fuel to an already unstable region of the world. Serbian extremists are violently protesting Kosovo's succession, while claiming that she is the "heart" of the country of Serbia. Serbian news agencies are reporting protests in Banja Luka, Capital of the Bosnian Serbe Republic as well.
While the eyes of the world may be watching Kosovo's path to democracy it is unlikely that those provinces chaffing for their own independence will seek to do so in the midst of such potential chaos. Kosovo's democracy is a newborn infant that faces many obstacles on its road to growth and maturity. She is a small nation that is still occupied by the peace-keeping forces of the UN and will likely remain so for some time. Her country currently has a fifty percent unemployment rate. As such, time may reveal that she, like East Timor, her Asian neighbor who gained independence from Indonesia in 2002, will struggle to maintain a democracy in the face of such impoverished demographics. In spite of her newly found independence, Kosovo may not currently be an attractive icon to mirror the birth of freedom to those who would consider emulating her.
References
http://www .reuters.com/article /topNews/idUSHAM5343 7920080219?pageNumbe r=2&virtualBrandChan nel=1000http://www.d w-world.de/dw/articl e/0,660987,00.html
ht tp://news.aol.com/st ory/_a/for-kosovo-hi nts-of-the-future-in -other/n200802190727 09990006?ecid=RSS000 1
http://www.tamilnat ion.org/saty/9810Kos ovo.htm
http://www.ny times.com/2008/02/19 /world/asia/19asia.h tml?
http://members.a ol.com/JoJoLewis/Tai wan/Taiwan_index.htm l
http://www.dailysta r.com.lb/article.asp ?edition_id=1&categ_ id=5&article_id=8908 1
Learn more about this author, Dr. Deborah Bauers.
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