Should Kosovo become its own nation?

Question

With a 90% Albanian majority is it fair for Kosovo to split away from Serbia, merely because of the vast majority of residents want to be a part of Albania? In that event, should Bosnia be annexed into Serbia, since there is an 85% Serb majority in Bosnia who would like to join up with Serbia? How is one justified (Kosovo) and not the other (Bosnia)? Yes, there was ethnic cleansing in Bosnia, but there was also Al Quaeda backed Serb cleansing in Kosovo. Also note that Kosovo has always made up a large portion of Serbia, and the only reason why it would not be Serbia is because of the new proposed UN initiative. What do you think?

I know this is a tough question but I like different points of view and would appreciate someone who has knowledge of the situation to give some constructive ideas. Please, NO Shiptari/Chetnik nationalist responses.

Answer 1

YES !!
They have shown self determination and the people voluntarily pay taxes as if required. They already show the characteristics of an independent nation. Surprisingly, Kosovo has pledged more money in aid to the Hurricane Katrina Relief than Albania. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_response_to_Hurricane_Katrina

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

You've stated:
"With a 90% Albanian majority is it fair for Kosovo to split away from Serbia, merely because of the vast majority of residents want to be a part of Albania? In that event, should Bosnia be annexed into Serbia, since there is an 85% Serb majority in Bosnia who would like to join up with Serbia?"

Response:
- The majority of Kosovar Albanians do not want to join with Albania. In fact, from what I've heard, ANY annexation within the Balkans is prohibited by international treaties.

- "According to 2000 data from the CIA World Factbook, Bosnia and Herzegovina is ethnically 48% Bosniak, 37.1% Serb, 14.3% Croat, 0.6% Other." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bosnia_and_Herzegovina
If there is an 85% majority in favor of annexation, it has to be within the Serbian population of Bosnia & Herzegovina, not the whole national populace.

You've said:
"... but there was also Al Quaeda backed Serb cleansing in Kosovo."

Response:
In short, this is not fact, but speculation. It is the same if you were to say there are WMD's in Iraq.

Answer 2

There was not al quaeda backed Serb cleansing of kosovo, becuase the kosovan albainians who were on the recieving end of the cleansing are predominantly muslim, with the serbs mostly orthodox christian. As already stated there is not a 85% serb majority in bosnia as a whole , but there are some parts of bosnia with serb majorities.

Self determination is the right of all peoples, why should the people of Kosovo be denied it?
( Because it would upset some neo-imperialists in Belgrade is not a legitimate reason!)

Answer 3

Here is the truth and nothing but the truth!

Albania was punished once Turkey was defeated around a hundred years ago. The reason for this being was a large number of Albanians had embraced Islam. Europe had seen enough of Ottomans and stood doing nothing as Albania's two neighbors Yugoslavia, and Greece(both significantly stronger than Albania) annexed territory from Albania. 45% of Albanians got left in neighboring countries. Kosova has always been a land with an Albanian majority. Even when the Serbian defeat in the battle of Kosovo, the population was Albanian the Serbs met the Turks in Kosovo as a buffer zone and when they lost the Turks overran Serbia proper.

Kosovo does not want to reunite with Albania. Kosovo does not trust any regime in Belgrade and wants to sever all ties with Belgrade. Even Macedonia who herself has some issues with it's Albanian population there is pro-independence when it comes to the Kosovo issue.

As far as Bosnia is concerned the Serbs in Bosnia are the only ones that want Serbia to annex Bosnia and they tried that unsuccessfully at a very high human cost. In the 1992 elections in Bosnia voted for independence and Serbs took up arms.

Kosovo needs to be ruled by it's citizens and not as a backwoods colonial region filled with second hand citizens.

Answer 4

Yes. The move to full independence is inevitable and I hope a peaceful transition takes place. Its just a matter of getting a 'political sweetner' to placate the Serbs. The Albanian majority in Kosovo MUST respect and recognise the existence of the minority Serbs. So far I see little evidence of this respect!

Answer 5

No they shouldn't get independence, it would be the most unfair situation. They don't have historical or moral or any right to that territory.Based on what? Because they were running away from their own poverty and came to Kosovo, because they have very big birth rate? Put it this way: would France give one part of its territory to Algerians who came there and now claim independence? Should Turks ask for that in Germany, based on that they came there looking for job and have much more children than Germans, cause of their religion (Islam)? It is hypocritical to give Albanians state. They already have one. It would be crucial mistake for Balkans, Europe and world. If Albanians get independence, that will mean reward for discrimination of Serbs and others on Kosovo, and that is the real truth.

Answer 6

That's one heavy question for a Friday night. It's a very complex situation in the Balkans and I don't think there will be any easy answers in the foreseeable future, it doesn't take much for conflicts in that region to escalate. Bit of a political answer, I'm afraid!

Answer 7

If all the Muslim moved to Cornwall so Cornwall had a Muslim majority of 90%. Then they started a terrorist war against White British people for independence. I think we the British people would do the same as the Serb's.

Answer 8

I liked that part of the world better when a russian tank was sitting on the corner (Yugo)...Alot more people were breathing back then before they slaughtered each other in the name of alls good.

Answer 9

For those quoting Wikipedia and those alluding to colonisation, read this Wikipedia article.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographic_history_of_Kosovo
You'll learn alot about who real victims are there.

Answer 10

Yes! Any people in the world deserves independence.

Death to colonialism!