Word: kosovo
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...Serb, I empathize with my compatriots' anger and frustration over losing Kosovo. But as a reporter who witnessed the atrocities against ethnic Albanians in the '90s, I can understand that the vast majority of them would under no circumstances accept living under Serbian patronage, even though Milosevic is dead and Serbia is now a democracy. And as for setting a precedent, I don't think that Kosovo's independence would have much effect on the rest of the world - and frankly, I don't really care...
...deeply concerned about something else: what kind of country has just been created, and what kind of life its citizens will have. Kosovo holds three European records: it has the highest unemployment, the worst infant-mortality rate and the lowest living standards on the Continent. The latest Human Rights Watch report chronicles widespread oppression and discrimination of non-Albanian ethnic minorities - Serbs, Turks and Roma - along with organized crime, rampant corruption and a dysfunctional justice system...
...Just like its slightly older siblings - Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Macedonia and Montenegro - Kosovo rose from the ashes of the former Yugoslavia, whose destruction was caused by the brutal policies of Serbian dictator Slobodan Milosevic. But there are key differences. Unlike the others, Kosovo was not a Yugoslav republic, but an autonomous province within Serbia. It is mostly populated by ethnic Albanians, while the other post-Yugoslav states have Slavic majorities. And Kosovo has been effectively ruled by the United Nations since 1999, when Milosevic's troops were forced to pull out under NATO bombs, although Serbia was allowed to retain...
...that this sovereignty is being voided by Kosovo's elected government, Serbia is furious, blaming the Kosovars and their Western backers, especially the United States, one of the first countries to recognize Kosovo's independence. This anger reflects the special place Kosovo holds in Serbs' hearts and minds, as the birthplace of their culture and religion. But it is fueled as well by memories of the U.S.-led bombing campaign, described at the time as "humanitarian intervention" but viewed in Belgrade as part of a cynical plan to rip off a piece of Serbia...
...Russia, China and several European countries claim that an independent Kosovo sets a dangerous precedent, encouraging separatist movements throughout the world, from Taiwan to Nagorno-Karabakh. To this, the United States and its European allies reply that Kosovo is a unique case, and that other regions would not be allowed to use it as a precedent...