Solidarity with the people of Serbia against Nato-backed violence in Kosovo

Nato troops must leave immediately and allow Kosovo and Metohija to return to the body of its motherland, Serbia.

Nato forces have been called out to reinforce local police in the occupied Serbian province of Kosovo Metohija. Residents in Serb-majority areas, having boycotted recent elections run by the western-backed gangster regime in Pristina, are protesting against the forcible imposition of new 'mayors' in their regional town halls. With provocations and tensions in the province constantly rising, there has been some speculation that the comprador regime in Pristina is trying to push the issue of its accession to the European Union before a new geopolitical reality in Europe is forced by developments in Ukraine.

The following statement and call for solidarity has been issued by the New Communist Party of Yugoslavia (NKPJ).

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The New Communist Party of Yugoslavia (NKPJ) strongly condemns the violent intrusion of police forces of the Albanian pro-imperialist authorities in Pristina (Kosovo) to the buildings of the municipalities of Zvečan, Leposavić and Zubin Potok, in order to enable the entry of ‘mayors’ who received their mandate in illegitimate elections that were boycotted by the majority Serb population in those three municipalities. [Election turnout as a result of the boycott was around 3 percent.]

NKPJ strongly condemns the brutal beating of citizens who tried to prevent a violent invasion of the buildings of those three municipalities by the Kosovo police, who threw tear gas at the crowds and brutally intervened. NKPJ believes that the alleged ‘condemnations’ of brutal police intervention by the representatives of the Quinte countries [USA, Britain, France, Germany, Italy] are completely false and shameless.

It is naive to imagine that the quisling authorities in Pristina would dare to intervene with violence in the north of Kosovo and Metohija without the prior permission of their imperialist masters from Washington, London and Brussels.

The latest events in the southern Serbian province show for the umpteenth time that this is a territory under the occupation of western imperialism, stolen from Serbia.

Since 9 June 1999, the southern Serbian province of Kosovo and Metohija has been under the occupation of the striking military fist of western imperialism, Nato, and the Serbs living in that area have become second-class citizens.

On that day, the so-called ‘Kuman agreement’ was signed, which began the Nato occupation of Kosovo and Metohija after the aggression of western imperialist countries against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (24 March-10 June). On signing that agreement, the Yugoslav army was forced to leave Kosovo, and power over the territory was taken over by the terrorist pro-imperialist ‘Kosovo Liberation Army’, while Nato built the largest military base in the Balkans, Camp Bondsteel.

Washington, London and Brussels have ever since been exerting constant pressure on Belgrade officially to recognise the independence of the fake ‘state of Kosovo’, which the communist and anti-imperialist organisations of the world wholeheartedly oppose. They demand that this retrograde act, which undermines peace, stability and prosperity, and is carried out for the sake of the expansionist goals of monopoly capital should be ended immediately.

NKPJ continues to assert that Kosovo and Metohija is an inalienable and integral part of Serbia, and that the Serbs there are treated as second-class citizens, discriminated against by the Albanian separatist authorities in Pristina. The NKPJ demands that the occupying Nato troops immediately leave the southern Serbian province so that it can return to the body of its motherland, Serbia.

A call for international solidarity

The New Communist Party of Yugoslavia calls on all communist and anti-imperialist organisations to show solidarity with the Serbian people in Kosovo, who are experiencing violence from the police forces and from the Nato occupation forces in the region.

The clashes in the north of the province started on Friday, when the government of the so-called ‘Republic of Kosovo’ tried to take over the town halls of three municipalities with a majority Serbian population. The new ‘mayors’ of these towns had been elected in illegitimate elections, boycotted by the Serbian community.

The Serbian people, gathered to defend their town halls from the pro-imperialist Kosovo authorities, were met with severe violence. The strongest conflicts happened on Monday 29 June, when the local police were aided by KFOR – the official Nato forces responsible for the occupation of the province. Over 50 people were injured on both sides.

The blame for the occupation of Kosovo and Metohija and for the recent violence lies with the USA and its Nato allies. Therefore, we call on you to show international support for the people of occupied Kosovo by organising demonstrations against violence, occupation and the so-called ‘independence’ of Kosovo.

Since the Kosovo prime minister visited the US embassy right before the violence began, it is clear that he had permission from his imperialist masters. Therefore, the preferred locations for the protests are, if possible, the US embassies in your country.

The New Communist Party of Yugoslavia thanks all organisations who are expressing solidarity with the Serbian people of Kosovo, the victims of US imperialism. At this moment, it is of utmost importance to show international solidarity and the anti-imperialist struggle.

Please inform us about your actions and send us pictures and videos of your actions.

Comradely greetings from Belgrade!