Kosovo Conflict

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The land of Kosovo has been plagued with tension for hundreds of years, being claimed by several surrounding countries. The two biggest contenders, Albanians in Kosovo and Serbia have been fighting for the land, which culminated in a full war from 1998-1999. The war brought international attention to the war crimes committed by both sides, and proved that the two countries had years to go before coming to a solution. The Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) led by Kosovo Albanians, and the Serbian militia led by President Slobodan Milošević committed heinous crimes against their enemies. Crimes range from ethnic cleansing to rape, and destruction of whole villages. The violence created a serious refugee problem that is still relevant today. Thousands of people were forced out of their homes and lost everything in the process. The fear and violence are always there, which is evident in the movie Before the Rain directed by Milcho Manchevski (1994). Before the Rain shows the personal side of the violence before the war. All the characters are affected by the prejudice and hate between the Macedonians and Albanians, and guns and fear are present in everyone. On the other hand, the two documentaries Stolen Kosovo directed by Václav Dvořák and The Weight of Chains directed by Boris Malagurski (2010) discusses the aggression towards the Serbians and the interference of NATO. The conflict in Kosovo does not have a right or wrong side because both countries lost thousands of civilians, and inspired cultural prejudice and hate. Although Kosovo did declare independence in 2008, Serbia does not recognize that, and contention still remains. The problems in Kosovo did not start or stop with the Kosovo war, and it caused wide spread displacement and vi...

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...an Border." BBC News Europe. N.p., 26 Jul 2011. Web. 6 Dec 2013.
Malagurski, Boris, dir. The Weight of Chains. Journeyman Pictures, 2010. Film. 6 Dec 2013.
Malcolm, Noel. Kosovo: A Short History. New York City: New York University Press, 1998. Print.
Manchevski, Milcho, dir. Before the Rain. Dir. Marc Baschet. Mikado Film, 1994. Film. 6 Dec 2013.
Norway. Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre. Kosovo:Durable Solutions Still Elusive 13 Years After Conflict. Norwegian Refugee Council, Web.
"Serbia: 9 Arrested for Kosovo War Crimes." Human Rights Watch. N.p., 16 Mar 2010. Web. 6 Dec 2013.
Simons, Marlise. "5 Top Serbs Found Guilty of War Crimes in Kosovo." New York Times [Paris] 26 Feb 2009, Web. 6 Dec. 2013.
"The Charges Against Milosevic." BBC News. 11 Mar 2006. Web. 6 Dec 2013.
"Under Orders: War Crimes in Kosovo." Human Rights Watch. 26 Oct 2001. Web. 6 Dec 2013.

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