By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, September 22 -- When UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon calls for "restraint" in the case of Kosovo arresting Serbian truck drivers, whom is he saying should be restrained?
Should the truckers not drive? Or should the Kosovo police not arrest them? Or is Ban only referring to seatbelts?
The question arose Thursday when Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky:
Inner City Press: the Kosovo police have detained 13 and counting Serb truckers in this dispute about who controls the border and the tax stamps. And I am wondering, since at various stakeouts certainly Russia and some other Council members say that UNMIK should take more of a role in this - what have they been doing, as this seemed to be escalating into arrests and a border fight?
Spokesperson Nesirky: Well, I think, as you know, the Secretary-General has repeatedly stressed the need for long-standing issues to be resolved through dialogue and in a peaceful manner. And he has also urged patience and restraint to ensure stability on the ground. And clearly that involves the work of our colleagues in the Mission there.
Inner City Press: But does that mean that Kosovo shouldn’t be arresting the truck drivers, or the truck drivers shouldn’t be driving across the border?
Spokesperson Nesirky: It means that there should be dialogue, and it means that there should be patience and restraint on both sides.
Inner City Press: No driving, no arrests?
Spokesperson Nesirky: It means patience and restraint on both sides.
Since this didn't answer the question, we can only conclude that Ban's restraint means seat belts. Watch this site.
