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* News Release Issued by the International Secretariat of Amnesty
International *
KOSOVO: Amnesty International urges KLA Leader to stop human rights
abuses
6 October 1999
Amnesty International today called on Hashim Thaci, former political
representative of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), to take a strong
and visible stand against all killings, abductions, ill-treatment,
house burnings and attempts at expulsion committed against members of
ethnic minorities in Kosovo.
   In its letter, the human rights organisation is urging Mr Thaci,
   one of the most prominent ethnic Albanian political figures, to use
   his position of moral authority and influence among the Albanians
   of Kosovo, to:
  * bring to an end human rights abuses against ethnic Serbs, Roma or
  members of other minority groups;
  * ensure that all individuals and organisations cooperate with KFOR,
  the police and the judicial system being set up under United Nations
  Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) supervision, to ensure that the
  perpetrators are brought to justice.
   Amnesty International has campaigned for many years against the
   institutionalised human rights violations perpetrated by the
   Serbian police in Kosovo, and against the appalling level of human
   rights violations committed during the conflict, of which ethnic
   Albanians were overwhelmingly the victims. This suffering, however,
   cannot in any circumstances justify further human rights abuses.
   The judicial system is the mechanism for achieving justice and
   Amnesty International will never cease to maintain pressure for
   suspects from the former Yugoslavia to be brought to justice both
   in the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
   and national courts.