Persecution Persists

The international community has appropriately reacted with horror to the present crackdown on anti-government demonstrators and the independent media in Belgrade. At the same time, however, it is poised to squander human rights leverage with the government of Slobodon Milosevic and abandon the Albanians of Kosovo. Since coming to power in 1987, Serbian President Milosevic has targeted the 1.8 million ethnic Albanians in the southwestern region of Kosovo. Serb authorities have used police violence, torture and political trials to repress ethnic Albanians and encourage their emigration from the region.