The Plight of the Kosovo Roma After the 1999 War
Poems and Photos by Paul Polansky
This another great book by Paul Polansky. It seems impossible to not be moved by Paul's poems. The book was published in 2000, and I'm very sad to say that conditions are still very bad for the Gypsies of Kosovo. The Romani are still forced to live on a lead mine.
I'm going to reprint the Forward to NOT A REFUGEE, which was written by Sani Rifati, the president of Voice of Roma. The details have changed a bit since this was written, but the oppression of, and indifference to, the situation of the Romani has not changed at all.
Then I am going to let Paul speak for himself and reprint the title poem.
FORWARD
By Sani Rifati, President, Voice of Roma
Sebastopol, California
I am a Rom from Kosovo, a place we Roma long for, but can no longer call home. Paul Polansky's poems in Not A Refugee vividly capture the Romani tight-wire act of trying to survive the crossfire between:
- Serbian and Albanian prejudice
- NATO's horrific bombing campaign
- the violent repression by state authorities in the countries where Roma have sought refuge
- purposeful indifference to their plight by the United Nations and humanitarian organizations
This collection is a rare work of art in which the Romani daily struggle for survival and dignity is uniquely depicted and brought to life. These poems give to the reader a window onto the real situation in Kosovo.
During NATO's "humanitarian" bombings and the aftermath, thousands of Roma lost their jobs, property, possessions and loved ones. Under the eyes of the occupying UN troops, Kosovo Liberation Army forces and triumphant Albanians exacted a vengeful campaign of abduction, torture, rape and assassination against the Roma. After the war, more than 14,000 Romani homes were burned by Albanians and hundreds more occupied. The consummation of this campaign was the accelerated expulsion of the Roma from Kosovo.
Today, thousands of Roma languish in squalid displaced persons camps in the very Western European nations that imposed sanctions against Yugoslavia and supported the NATO war effort. After having exacerbated the hostile environment in Kosovo, Western European countries are denying them visas, permanent refugee status and/or political asylum. Worst of all, many Roma are being deported to Kosovo where they face the possibility of kidnapping, torture and death.
During my recent visit to displaced persons camps in Skopje, Macedonia, I found myself less than an hour away from the border with Kosovo--my home--and yet I could not even consider going there. I felt further from home than ever before. I had hoped to recover a portrait of my dead older sister, but that was impossible. Had I stepped foot inside Kosovo, my dark skin color could have been a death sentence.
As I write this, I find it difficult to articulate the overwhelming shock and horror of what I witnessed of my people imprisoned in UNHCR camps. Paul Polansky's work gives voice to that which is impossible for me to express. His courage and dedication to the Roma of Kosovo is immeasurable. When a board member of Voice of Roma recently delivered humanitarian aid to Romani exiles in Macedonia, the people chanted, "Polansky, Polansky"! Let this stand as a testimonial to what Paul's voice and poetry means to the Roma of Kosovo.
Not A Refugee by Paul Polansky
"I have a Yugoslav passport,"
a Gypsy told me, "but Serbs
won't let me cross the border.
They say I have an Albanian surname.
The Albanians say
I can't stay, only Albanians
can live in Kosovo.
The UN says
I am not a refugee
because I am still
in Kosovo
where I was born.
NATO says
I can't leave,
can't seek political asylum,
because no countries
want Gypsies.
During World War II
in Europe, in Germany,
Jews weren't allowed to stay,
nor allowed to leave.
Is that what the world
has planned for us?"
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To purchase NOT A REFUGEE (highly recommended), please contact
Voice of Roma,
PO Box 514
Sebastopol,
CA 95473
http://www.voiceofroma.org/
voiceofroma@gmail.com
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