Wrote: Festim Rizanaj
Aleksandar Vulin, Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia, has made a statement saying claimed that "The goal of those who bombed Serbia in 1999 is the ethnic cleansing of Serbs in Kosovo."
He made this statement after the closure of parallel Serbian institutions in Kosovo by the Kosovo Government, which he called a "wave of terror" against Serbs in the region.
In addition, Vulin also criticized the international factor for failing to protect the rights of Serbs and called for pressure on the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, to provide security for the Serbian community in Kosovo.
The truth?
Vulin's claims do not hold up, as the international community has expressed its concern regarding the incident.
What did Vulin say?
Vulin highlighted the recent actions of Kurti's government, which he considers part of an organized effort to intimidate and suppress Serbs into leaving Kosovo.
“The Kurti administration continues this campaign of terror, with the support or tacit approval of those who have always sought to weaken Serbia and its people,” Vulin said. “They aim to create a Kosovo without Serbs, and we must not allow this.”
“This is not a coincidence nor an isolated event,” Vulin said. “From the NATO aggression in 1999 until today, the goal has always been the same: to expel Serbs from Kosovo and to erase every trace of Serbian existence in the region.”
The closure of parallel institutions and the international factor
Several parallel municipalities of Serbia, as well as its post and tax offices, were closed on Wednesday (January 15th) in ten municipalities of Kosovo, on the southern side of the Ibar River. Kosovo police said the aim of the operation, requested by the Ministry of Local Government Administration, was to disrupt Serbia’s “illegal services” in Kosovo, which are considered illegal by Kosovo authorities. (here)
Regarding the closure of Serbian parallel structures, there have been reactions from the international community. The European Union, the US, French and German embassies have expressed concern about the impact of the closure of these structures on the daily lives of individuals, especially Serbs and other communities. They have emphasized that the issue should be addressed within the framework of the Brussels dialogue and that the solution should be comprehensive, avoiding actions that could jeopardize stability and trust between different ethnic groups in Kosovo.
The US Embassy in Kosovo, on January 15, reacted to the closure of Serbian parallel structures in Kosovo, saying that it was an uncoordinated action by the Kosovo Government and "undermines Kosovo's aspirations to join the Euro-Atlantic community." (here)
In their reaction to the closure of Serbian parallel structures, European Union (EU) officials have reiterated the request that the issue of these structures be addressed within the framework of the Brussels dialogue. (here)
The head of UNMIK in Kosovo, Caroline Ziadeh, has reacted by expressing concern about the impact of the closure of Serbian-funded institutions on the daily lives of individuals, especially those from non-majority communities, and has stressed that such issues should be resolved constructively. (here)
The French Embassy in Pristina has expressed concern about the successive closure of these structures, which, although operating without formal authorization from the Kosovo authorities, provide important services for the daily lives of Serbs and other communities. Similarly, the German Ambassador to Kosovo, Jorn Rohde, has supported the EU statement and stressed that, while agreeing that such structures should not operate, the path towards their closure must be inclusive. (here)
Thus, there have been international reactions to the closure of Serbian parallel structures, emphasizing that this process should be within the framework of dialogue and resolved constructively. These reactions, including those of the US, the European Union (EU), France and Germany, do not support claims that such actions are aimed at ethnic cleansing of Serbs, emphasizing the need to protect the rights of the Serbian community and to ensure a sustainable and comprehensive solution.
Vulin also spoke about the case of CLOSING of the Tax Administration in North Mitrovica on January 8, calling this action by the Kosovo Police an aggression against Serbs and a violation of their rights, as the administration functioned within the framework of the Serbian system.
He blamed QUINT for the closure of the Tax Administration in North Mitrovica, calling this action carried out with their permission. His statement was shared by several Serbian language media.
His attempt to implicate and blame the West for this decision is unfounded. QUINT, made up of the United States, Great Britain, France, Germany and Italy, has repeatedly expressed criticism of the Government for the decisions taken in the north, describing them them as "uncoordinated" and "one-sided".
Analyze:
Aleksandar Vulin, Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia, has stated that the goal of those who bombed Serbia in 1999 was the ethnic cleansing of Serbs in Kosovo, criticizing the closure of parallel Serbian structures by the Kosovo Government, which he called a "wave of terror" against Serbs.
He also criticized international actors for failing to protect the rights of Serbs and called for pressure on Kurti to provide security for the Serbian community in Kosovo.
However, Vulin's claims are not supported, as the international community has expressed concern about recent events. International reactions regarding the closure of Serbian parallel structures emphasize that this process should be part of the dialogue and be resolved constructively, not supporting claims of ethnic cleansing of Serbs and demanding the protection of the rights of the Serbian community and a sustainable solution.
Based on its work methodology, hibrid.info evaluates Vulin's statement as a "conspiracy theory".
Reasoning:
"Conspiracy theories" are considered to be informational content that contains a false or unverifiable description of a phenomenon, event or person, presenting it as part or the result of a secret plan ("conspiracy"). The characteristic of these contents is that they present a series of claims, presented as facts, between which cause-effect relationships are established, without providing any reliable evidence.