We don't want Kosovarian independence

Albanian fan VII, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

I have often talked about recognition of Somaliland's de facto independence, which is still as far away as it seemed three years ago.

And yet now, we are looking at a region of Serbia which has been a part of Serbia since time immemorial and which has very great autonomy within Serbia, which looks as if it is going to declare itself independence this weekend. And, from the newspaper repirts, it looks as if it can rely on instant recognition from the US, the uK and Germany amongst other countries. Not The Netherlands, it seems, thank goodness.

From what I understand, any self-declararation of independence by Kosovo is contrary to international law, which internation law would seem to favour recognition of Somaliland, but which in that instance is not being taken any notice of.

I am not sure why the western countries really want to recognise Kosovo, maybe guilty feelings towards Muslims and maybe because a simple majority of the people in that country favour independence. However, its tsill breaks international conventions and we all know what happens when we do that - look at Iraq. Recognition will upset Serbia, which is on its way to joining its neighbours in the European Union and may stir ethnic tensions in nearby Bosnia and Macedonia and Croatia and so on.

It is a bad thing and, I am sure, it will be something these countries will live to regret.