VZCZCXRO2695
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHBW #1009/01 2701559
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 261559Z SEP 08
FM AMEMBASSY BELGRADE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0466
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BELGRADE 001009 
 
STATE FOR DRL/IRF AND DRL/SEA 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PGOV OPRC KIRF SR KV
SUBJECT: SERBIA: IRF RELEASE PROMPTS COMPARISON, CRITICISM 
 
REF: STATE 99226 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1.  (SBU) The release of the 2008 International Religious Freedom 
(IRF) report (reftel) drew a strong response from the Serbian 
Ministry of Religion and in the press.  While expressing 
dissatisfaction regarding the report's conclusions about the 
discriminatory nature of the Serbian religion law, commentators were 
particularly critical of the characterization of the state of 
religious freedom in Serbia relative to its neighbors.  Press 
reports cast aspersions on the assessment of the situation in 
Kosovo, with some outlets alleging that the report ignored 
violations of religious freedom in Kosovo in order to justify U.S. 
support for independence.  End Summary. 
 
MFA: FURTHER STUDY NEEDED 
------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) On September 22, PolOff delivered a copy of the IRF report to 
MFA North America Division Head Srdjan Miljkovic, as well as to 
Assistant Religion Minister Dragan Novakovic and his advisor for 
international relations Aleksandar Rakovic. 
 
¶3. (U) Miljkovic thanked us for passing on a copy of the IRF so soon 
after its release.  He said that he would provide comments once he 
studied the report. 
 
MINISTRY OF RELIGION: WE WERE READY YESTERDAY 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (U) In contrast, Novakovic and Rakovic clearly were aware of the 
report's release and its content as they were prepared to provide 
immediate feedback.  Rakovic also had read at least the summary of 
the reports for all of the neighboring countries. 
 
¶5. (U) Novakovic emphasized that the GOS supports freedom of 
religion and that there is a "stable situation" between religious 
communities in Serbia.  He said that it is important to realize that 
there has been a "change in consciousness" regarding religion, 
referring to the Yugoslav period.  He also characterized the 2006 
religion law as a "transitional law" and mentioned that the goal 
would be to put together an expert commission to look into changing 
or amending the law; he did not mention a specific timeframe. 
 
¶6. (U) Novakovic and Rakovic expressed two specific criticisms of 
the report for Serbia: 
 
--- The report focuses on "two percent of the population" (referring 
to the minority religious communities that have experienced problems 
with registration); 
 
--- The word "discrimination" is not used in reference to the 
situation in Kosovo, Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, or Macedonia, 
which is not acceptable to Serbia. 
 
¶7. (U) PolOff responded that he could not comment on the other 
reports but pointed out that we take issue with the law and its 
application, not the GOS per se. (Note: The Serbian report states 
that "the law places limits on religious practice by discriminating 
among religious groups and denies some groups legal status."  End 
note.) 
 
¶8. (SBU) Perhaps in attempt to back up its words with action, the 
Ministry on September 24 issued a press statement denouncing a 
graffiti attack on the Christian Adventist house of worship in Sivac 
during the night of September 19.  Human rights organizations such 
as the Center for Development of Civil Society welcomed the 
strongly-worded statement, in which the Ministry also confirmed its 
determination to undertake long-term measures to eradicate signs of 
religious intolerance and to overcome religious prejudices. 
 
MEDIA REACTION: FROM TAME TO INFLAMED 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶9. (U) The first reports on the IRF report in the Serbian press 
focused mostly on its release.  The daily "Blic," the Beta news 
agency, and B-92 television ran stories that gave factual accounts 
of the main conclusions of the reports for Serbia, Montenegro, and 
Kosovo. 
 
¶10. (U) The tone of coverage then changed drastically, stoked in 
part by commentary from the Ministry of Religion.  Articles in the 
nationalist tabloid "Kurir" and the Novi Sad-based daily "Dnevnik" 
mentioned the Ministry's objections to the Serbian report but gave 
greater emphasis to alleged omissions in the report for Kosovo. 
 
¶11. (U) The report in "Dnevnik," accompanied by a photo of a 
destroyed monastery captioned "Kosovar example of religious 
 
BELGRADE 00001009  002 OF 002 
 
 
freedom," contained a statement by Rakovic that the Serbian people 
and clergy in Kosovo face "constant ethnic and religious 
discrimination," not "pressure from a bunch of rowdy underaged 
looters," which is how he characterized the conclusions in the IRF 
report. 
 
¶12. (U) The "Kurir" article, entitled "Americans 'Embellish' 
Pristina," went a step further, alleging that the State Department 
doctored the report for Kosovo in order to justify Kosovo's 
"secession."  In support of this conclusion, the article quoted 
Dusan Janjic, head of the Forum for Ethnic Relations, who stated 
that the reports for Serbia and Montenegro were objective but argued 
that the Kosovo report sought to justify the creation of an 
independent state in Kosovo by painting an exceedingly rosy 
picture. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶13.  (SBU) Serbian reaction to the release of the IRF, and the 
fixation on the Kosovo portion, demonstrates the depth of emotional 
attachment to its former province.  However, as with Serbia's 
initiative to seek an advisory opinion on Kosovo's independence from 
the International Court of Justice, this approach threatens to 
detract attention from other issues at hand.  In the case of 
religious freedom in Serbia, this means less time spent focusing on 
how to reform the discriminatory 2006 religion law.  End Comment. 
 
 
MUNTER