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CRITIQUE OF NATO
- Date: Mon, 3 May 1999 12:28:33 -0400 (EDT)
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BBC on line
Friday, April 30, 1999 Published at 19:40 GMT 20:40 UK
UN rights chief slams Nato bombings
United Nations top human rights official Mary Robinson has criticised
Nato attacks on Yugoslavia for killing large numbers of civilians and
has questioned the legality of the bombings.
Mrs Robinson told the closing session of the UN Human Rights
Commission in Geneva that the international war crimes tribunal could
investigate both sides in the conflict.
The former president of Ireland also repeated her criticism of the
Serbs, saying they had callously mistreated women, children and the
elderly.
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Correspondents say this is the first time she has spoken out against
Nato so strongly and is some of the harshest worded criticism to
emerge from the UN about the air strike campaign.
"In the Nato bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, large
numbers of civilians have incontestably been killed, civilian
installations targeted on the grounds that they are or could be of
military application and Nato remains sole judge of what is or is not
acceptable to bomb," Mrs Robinson said.
"In this situation, the principle of proportionality must be adhered
to by those carrying out the bombing campaign.
"It surely must be right to ask those carrying out the bombing
campaign to weigh the consequences of their campaign for civilians in
the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia."
She also called for fresh diplomatic and political efforts to resolve
the Kosovo crisis.
"Unless diplomacy succeeds, Kosovo will be thoroughly cleansed of
Albanians, while Serbs will, on present performance, be bombed without
end," she warned.
"There must be a better way," she said.
"I call for reason to prevail on all sides and for a return to
diplomacy and peacemaking."
Trip to Yugoslavia
She told journalists after her speech that she planned to meet
Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic towards the end of a 12-day trip
to the Balkans which begins on Sunday.
Her trip, which starts in Skopje, Macedonia is expected to be followed
by stops in Tirana, Sarajevo, Zagreb and Belgrade.
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Referring to the International Criminal Tribunal for former
Yugoslavia, she told the Commission: "Under the tribunal's statute,
the prosecutor may investigate war crimes committed by any of the
parties to the armed conflict.
"The actions of individuals belonging to Serb forces, the Kosovo
Liberation Army (KLA), or Nato may therefore come under scrutiny, if
it appears that serious violations of international humanitarian law
have occurred," she added.
Mrs Robinson said the passage referring to potential war crime
indictments, including Nato officials, was taken from a letter from
Louise Arbour, chief prosecutor of the Hague-based tribunal.
However when asked by journalists whether she believed Nato generals
should be indicted, she replied: "No, I have not made any assessment
or judgment in that regard."
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Internet Links
Kosova Press
UNHCR Kosovo news
OSCE
Nato
Serbian Ministry of Information
Text of the speech by Mary Robinson
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