Monday, June 21, 2010

The arrest of Albin Kurti

Readers of this blog will know that I am not a fan of Albin Kurti. But that doesn't mean that I agree with how his arrest went along. Both HRW And Amnesty have now protested and asked for investigations and I think they have reason. The arrest of Kurti reminds me of the evacuation of the court house in Northern Mitrovica begin 2008.

Both then and now the Kosovo government seems to see a police action as an opportunity to show who has the power and to humiliate its opponents. But this is not what the police is for. Police actions should be minimalistic. If someone has to be arrested, arrest him on a place and time when the trouble will be minimal. If some building has to be evacuated do it in a way that a minimum of violence will be enough.

Instead Kurti was arrested hours after he had announced a new policial party. And he was arrested at the headquarters of his movement so that many people were present who - as could be expected - protested.

I consider Kurti an ethnically intolerant person of the same type as Wilders, Le Pen and the English National Front. But I think that in his role as opponent of the international presence in Kosovo is a useful one. Internationals do have the tendency to overstay their welcome and to overlook their own faults and someone has to protest against that. In other international protectorats like East Timor you saw similar protests. Bosnia seems different but that is only because the international presence has become part of the ethnic struggle.

5 comments:

Admirim said...

Kurti is not an ethnically intolerant person. He just opposes the kind of multi-ethnicity that has been imposed by the international presence in Kosovo.

I think this is a good summary of his viewpoint:

"The imperialist viewpoint of the internationals’ rule sees no people in Kosova. For them, there are only different ethnicities. Ethnicity is the lens of international rule’s gaze. What in modernity were “tribes,” are in post-modernity “ethnicities.” From 1999 onwards, the approach and starting point of the internationals in Kosova was ethnic. UNMIK identified, like in a terra nullius: Albanians, Serbs, Roma, Turks, Egyptians, Bosnians and Ashkalis. It proclaimed it wanted to build multi-ethnicity while it started from ethnic affiliation, from differentiating between ethnicities. It ignored what is in common, what is universal among people; their need for freedom, dignity, jobs, qualitative education, health care, and social insurance. Universality would have brought about a multi-ethnic society as its consequence; by aiming to get multi-ethnicity we have moved further away from it. The international rule in Kosova promotes diversity at the cost of solidarity and difference at the cost of universality. In Kosova, the international rule does not see human beings, individuals, citizens, pupils, or students etc., but only Albanians, Serbs and other communities. Individuals are random samples of particular collectives."

Wim Roffel said...

UNMIK didn't identify those ethnic groups: they were already defined in Yugoslav times. UNMIK just maintained them.

"multi-ethnicity" is a good thing when all people are treated equal - and even then you need special rights for people who speak a different language. In a case of heavy discrimination like Kosovo additional rights are needed. Ignoring that discrimination is making yourself an accomplice.

Admirim said...

"multi-ethnicity" is a good thing when all people are treated equal - of course, that's what Kurti is saying.

"Additional rights" do more harm than good and undermine the much cherished equality. The Serbian minority has been the darling of the international community, even though they continue to sabotage most political processes in Kosovo, under Belgrade's direct influence.The unconditional support that they get is not provided to any of the other minorities. On the other hand, the fact that Albanians have been stripped off their dignity and sovereignty for a century raises doubts about the direction in which this affirmative action program is headed to.

Wim Roffel said...

"multi-ethnicity" is a good thing when all people are treated equal - of course, that's what Kurti is saying."
Problem is that there is a lot of discrimination and hatred in Kosovo - partly because of the war, partly already existing before. So Kurti's type of multi-ethnicity is at the moment not a good idea for Kosovo.

The Serbian minority [..] continue to sabotage most political processes in Kosovo
Depends on your point of view. From the Serbian point of view it is the Albanians who have broken all local and international laws in their quest for independence.

This is a conflict and both parties will have to find common ground. Posting the position of one side as if it is absolute truth doesn't help.

"Albanians have been stripped off their dignity and sovereignty for a century"
For a considerable time during World War II and under Tito the Albanians ruled Kosovo. Unfortunately they so misbehaved that the indignation in Serbia gave rise to Milosevic.

"Additional rights" do more harm than good and undermine the much cherished equality
That is a discussion that surrounds any affirmative action or quota program. I think you should look at the results. As long as Albanian leaders find it normal to close schools to achieve their nationalist goals (to name just one of the many problems) Kosovo's minorities will need considerable protection.

Admirim said...

Kurti's type of multi-ethnicity is at the moment not a good idea for Kosovo.

So, according to you the type of multi-ethnicity that does not ingore "what is in common, what is universal among people; their need for freedom, dignity, jobs, qualitative education, health care, and social insurance" is bad?!

Posting the position of one side as if it is absolute truth doesn't help.

No need for absolute truth. Truth will do it.

they so misbehaved that the indignation in Serbia gave rise to Milosevic.

That's so not true. Misbehaved?! Albanians were treated like second-class citizens!

as Albanian leaders find it normal to close schools to achieve their nationalist goals (to name just one of the many problems) Kosovo's minorities will need considerable protection.

Which leaders? And which nationalist goals?