State Department: There are problems with minority rights inKosovo (Beta)

 

 

State Department: There are problems with minority rights in Kosovo (Beta)

 

Minorities in Kosovo, above all Serbs and Roma, are discriminated, although the situation has improved over the past year, reads the US State Department report on human rights in the SCG for 2005. The houses of Serbs are set on fire and in some cases, the Albanian majority is trying to expel Serbs by force, it is stressed in the document. Speaking of education and healthcare, it has been assessed that Serbs are discriminated in that field as well, and that there is no progress regarding the cases of ethnic violence against Serbs. It is also stressed that few of the IDPs that fled to central SCG after the conflicts in 1999 have returned to Kosovo. The reason for that is the uncertain final status of Kosovo, fear for safety and property issues, the State Department believes. An especially serious problem in Kosovo is sexual abuse of children, minors and women and there is proof that international and local officials are also involved in human trafficking, the statement reads