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KOSOVA COMMUNICATION Bulletin of the Ministry of Information of
the Republic of Kosova 4th Year; No202, 9 January 1995
Rugova Receives German Bundestag Member
The President of Kosova, Dr Rugova, received in Prishtina Mr.
Willy Wimmer, Vice-Chairman of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
and member of the German Bundestag, accompanied by Dr. Thomas
Schmitt, First Secretary of the German Embassy in Belgrade. In
the meeting with Mr. Wimmer President Rugova outlined the
current situation in Kosova which had deteriorated due to
increased repression and violence exercised by the Serbian
authorities. President Rugova presented the political options
for the solution of the Kosova issue, an independent and neutral
Kosova, open to Albania and Serbia being the optimum solution
and bringing about a lasting peace and stability in the region,
and reiterated his call for an international civil
administration over Kosova as a transitory solution. Rugova also
pointed out that the Albanian side was ready for equal dialogue
with under the mediation of a third party. Mr. Wimmer expressed
the readiness and commitment of the OCSE and Germany in reaching
a political solution for the Kosova issue. Belgrade should be
cooperative and ready in reaching a solution Mr. Wimmer said,
adding that no return of Serbia to the international community
could be possible without a solution to the Kosova problem.
Bukoshi protests at expulsions and document seizures
The Prime Minister of Kosova, Dr Bujar Bukoshi, recently
addressed a letter to the Interior Minister of Macedonia, Mr.
Stevan Crvenkovski, expressing concern at the recent arrests of
the Chairman and several delegates of the outgoing legislation
of the Assembly of the Republic of Kosova, who were residing in
Skopje.
Dr Bukoshi pointed out that the delegates were residing in
Macedonia in accordance with an agreement reached between the
authorities of the Republic of Kosova and Macedonia, signed in
June 1992 and that during their stay they had respected the
conditions of the agreement .
Bukoshi went on to add that on the occasion of Mr. Ramajli's
arrest Macedonian authorities seized the complete archives of
the Assembly of the Republic of Kosova, including acts passed
by the Assembly, correspondence of the Chairman and other
Ministers, and audio and visual recordings of the Assembly
proceedings.
In view of the fact that the documentation belonged to the
citizens and institutions of the Republic of Kosova, wrote Dr
Bukoshi, and in view of the fact that no crime had been
committed under Macedonian Law, he requested the immediate
return of the materials to the Government of the Republic of
Kosova via the Macedonian embassy in Germany.
The Prime Minister ended by stating that in view of the already
tense situation in the Balkans, the actions of the Macedonian
Government in this matter could hardly be said to facilitate
Albanian-Macedonian relations.
Serbian forces wound two Albanians
Serbian army border units shot at and wounded on 31 December
1994, an ethnic Albanian, Ibrahim Zeqir Pagarizi from Libizhdk
village of Malisheva.
Ibrahim Zeqiri, together with a friend of his, Zeqir Thaqi from
Mirusha village of Malisheva, attempted to cross the
FYROM-Kosova border, about a mile away from the Hani i Elezit
border check point in order to avoid the border checks. He was
first beaten up by Serb soldiers and then shot Mr Zeqiri in his
leg while he was laying down, whereas Zeqir Thaqi was beaten
unconscious.
Ibrahim Zeqiri was reportedly sent to the Prishtina hospital,
whereas Zeqir Thaqi was taken to the police station in Ferizaj
where he was subjected to police torture and forced to sign a
statement
Serbian border forces in the Qafa e Morines region near the
Albanian-Kosova border opened fire on Ali Hysen Dervishaj, from
the village Gllogjani. Mr Dervishaj is currently in hospital in
Peja where he is condition is said to be stable.
Serbian Helsinki committee calls for Kosova-Serb dialogue
The Helsinki Committee for Human Rights In Serbia has recently
released a report on Human Rights titled "Forced repression in
function of possible dialogue". The report amongst other things
states:
The situation in Kosova is being worsened for economic reasons
as well. due to the total lack of any investment since 1981, but
also due to constant conflict within the municipality
authorities and management of companies. The most important
economic potentials of Kosova, such as mines and the
manufacturing complex TREPCA, are almost bankrupt. Since the
autonomy of the province has been dissolved, the state's policy
has been directed towards the firing of workers of Albanian
nationality (about 150,000 wor kers during the first year), the
pulling out of all valuable capacities from Kosova (the economy
of Kosova has been estimated on 5000 billion dollars, according
to the data of the International Labour Organisation and IMF)
and depriving any social help to families of Albanian background.
During the last three years, in the ownership transformation,
the Fund for the Development of Serbia, in more than 100
companies in Kosova, has taken over the property along with
other firms in Serbia. In this way, the more valuable
capacities became the legal property of large firms outside
Kosova - Belgrade, Nis, Kragujevac and elsewhere, thus
additionally impoverishing the technology and economy of Kosova.
The discontent is growing due to the non-achieved , but also due
to the negative attitude of the international community on the
secession of Kosova.
The arrest of about 200 former workers of the Ministry of
Internal Affairs of Albanian descent, during November, further
dynamizes the political scene of Kosova and represents a kind of
a Milosevic response to the petition demands of the Serbian
Resistance Movement in Kosova.
The repression and arrogance of the Serbian regime has pushed
Albanians to an even more radical position, and now it is hard
to expect their willingness to accept conditions of the
international community. Bearing in mind the repression being
increased on a daily basis and especially the torture exercised
in the above mentioned arrests, the control over the events may
be lost, which can be dangerous in conditions of permanent
tension.
The objective of recent arrests and constant intimidation of the
Albanian population seems an effort to dissolve the parallel
state and to create a better negotiating position. With this
political action of arresting 200 Albanians the regime
demonstrates force and re-opens the Kosova question.
The Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia follows
developments in Kosova with great concern and thereby is warning
that the constant increase of repressive measures lead s to a
spillover of the conflict to the south of the country.
The Helsinki Committee also calls attention to massive
violations of human rights of the Albanian population in Kosova
and to living conditions that are becoming worse and worse.
Bearing in mind the above mentioned, the Helsinki Committee
considers that it is necessary to immediately start the dialogue
between Belgrade and Prishtina on an equal basis.
The Helsinki Committee also considers the return of the CSCE
mission to Kosova is necessary.
Congress members write to Clinton
Members of the U.S. Congress Susan Molinari and Eliot Engel
wrote to the President of the U.S. Bill Clinton. In the letter
they state: "We are writing to express our gratitude for the
high level of attention paid to the visit of the President of
Kosova, Ibrahim Rugova. Although we are very satisfied that the
Adviser for National Security, Anthony Lake, reiterated the
stand of the U.S.A that some of the sanctions imposed on Serbia
should remain until a definitive resolution of the Kosova issue
is achieved, we strongly believe that a greater cooperation from
Serbia is needed before the lifting of the sanctions is
considered. Nevertheless, your conditioning to remove the
sanctions imposed on Serbia is clear evidence that a reasonable
solution of the Balkans crisis is not po ssible without the
solution of the Kosova problem. In the end, at a time when U.S.
policy towards Bosnia is changing and the violation of the Human
Rights in Kosova is escalating, we would recommend to you some
further steps that your Administration should take in order to
help the people of Kosova and prevent the expansion of the
conflict from Bosnia to Kosova.
First, we feel that the warning that U.S.A. would act on the
escalation of Serbian aggression to Kosova should be repeated
clearly and publicly.
Second, the U.S.A. should open an Information Office in
Prishtina, as it is anticipated by Law, and to allow the
Government of Kosova to open an office in Washington.
Third, the International presence in Kosova should be increased
through the return of the OSCE mission and possibly through the
application of a type of an international protectorate.
Serbian police evicts the Albanian families
Besides arresting and prosecuting more than 200 members of
former Albanian Kosova police employees, Serbian police has
forcefully evicted from many of their families from their homes
and threatened others.
On 15 December, Serbian police broke into the flat of Shemsi
Xhema, former commander of Kosova Special Police Units and was
evicted from his home. His family was even made to pay the
expenses of the police intervention. The flat was given to a
Serbian policeman from Kamenica. The family of Mr. Xhema was
left homeless.
On 28 December Serbian police visited the families of four
former Kosova police employees in Prishtina, and demanded that
they move out of their flats as soon as possible under the
justification that the flats belong to the Serbian state and
it's enemies can no longer live in them.
The following day a further 5 families were given orders to
vacate their homes. Three families were forcefully evicted,
including those of Reshat Goga and Sherif Krasniqi.
On 2 January two other families were forced to leave their flats.
Similar threats have been reported all over Kosova.
News in Brief
An advert published in 'Jedinstvo', dated 4 January, states that
in order to prevent the emigration of Serbs from Kosova, and to
aid its colonisation, The Fund for Development of Serbia is
letting 15 flats in Vushtrri and 5 in Mitrovica. Kosova Unions
are very concerned as the above mentioned Fund does not possess
any flats in Kosova, and therefore those advertised must have
been taken from Albanians.
All government ministries have been commissioned to prepare
propositions for the 'settlement' of the problems in Kosova,
stated Vekoslav Sosevic, a minister in the Serbian government
responsible allegedly for the 'economic development' of Kosova,
to the Serbian local daily based in Prishtina, Jedinstvo
(31/12/94) Mr. Sosevic announced plans of the Serbian government
towards the further colonization of Kosova and the changing of
the ethnic structure in the favour of Serbs and Montenegrins. He
said construction of settlements for Serb settlers was included
in the Serbian government's overall scheme and funding, DM 3.5,
million was to be allocated from the state budget. The
construction of 'industrial capacities' to offer job
opportunities for those settled in Kosova are also to be
included in the Serbian government's agenda, Sosevic told
Jedinstvo. The same paper, on the 5 January issue, reports
that a building with 26 flats dedicated for Serbs will be built
in the centre of Kamenica.
The Belgrade based daily 'Vecernje Novosti' , (5/1/95) writes:
'A new law on regional organization is to be introduced by the
Serbian government because of the changes of the form of
signposting settlements, streets and town centres and the
changing of several place names, particularly in Kosova. The law
will outline the procedures on forming new communes, merging
and abolishing them.
===========================================================
Kosova Information Center
KOSOVA DAILY REPORT # 533 Prishtina, 18 January 1995
Defending Lawyers Testify about Savage Torture against Albanian
Detainees
Since mid-November 1994, the Serbian regime has launched a
wild-scale campaign against former police employees of the
former Kosova police force. Over 170 former policemen have been
arrested throughout Kosova in a bid to 'uncover' the alleged
Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Kosova. Based on the
reports of defending lawyers and statements of the Serbian-run
judiciary authorities, some 130 detained persons have been
extended pre-trial detention to additional two months. The
Prishtina-based newspaper Bujku carries in its today's issue
accounts of the defending lawyers in connection with the torture
and savage experiences the detainees have been going through
during investigation proceedings. Hasan Hoti, a defending
lawyer of 10 detainees from Gjilan and Prishtina, told the
newspaper that one of his clients (he did not reveal his name
for fear of possible implications) was forced by the Serbian
security inspectors to take on the role of an investigating
judge and later to cross-examine and torture his colleague.
Another client was forced to take all his clothes off and told
that a homosexual would come to his prison cell and rape him,
Mr. Hoti said. Adem Bajri, a defending lawyer from Peja, told
Bujku that his client, Dkrgut Bibaj, was badly tortured by a
Serb examining magistrate, Veselin Cadjenovic. Mr. Bibaj was
later transferred to the intensive care ward of the Peja
Hospital and forced to give a statement there. Mr. Destan
Rukiqi, a defending lawyer from Prishtina, was quoted by the
newspaper as saying that there was many a procedure infringement
and that he was in possession of evidence that his clients had
been subjected to all forms of torture and that electric shock
had been used against the detainees in order to force them sign
self-incriminating statements. The Serbian public prosecutors
have violated provisions of the Serbian law itself, he said.
According to this law, detainees cannot be held in detention to
more than three days, while most of the former policemen have
been held in detention for weeks without having had any charges
instituted against. Article 197 of the Serbian Penal Code reads
that detainees can be held in the so-called pre-trial detention
to one month at most, whereas Albanian detainees have been
extended pre-trial detention to two further months, Mr. Rukiqi
underscored.
Serbian-installed Rector of Prishtina University Drums up
Schemes for Colonization of Kosova
The Serb-installed Rector of the University of Prishtina,
Radivoje Papovic, told today's Prishtina-based Serbian daily
"Jedinstvo" that he preferred the strategies of the Serbian king
Aleksandar Karadjordjevic for the colonization of Kosova. Mr.
Papovic regretted that such schemes had not 'regrettably' been
'completed entirely'. "Nonetheless, what we [Serbs] are doing
now is a recurrence of such an idea which is necessary and
reasonable because it is based on necessities of the Serbian
state," Papovic points out. Commenting on remarks of foreign
delegations over the colonization of Kosova, the Serbian rector
says that no one from abroad should interfere with these matters
as "Kosova is solely a Serbian issue, it is Serbian interests
and Serbian morrow that are here". The Serbian ultra-nationalist
'scholar' who is a settler to Kosova himself, has many times
called on university professors and students from Serbia to come
to the usurped University of Prishtina, promising them
accommodation and other benefactions. He also testifies that
such schemes have already been performed. "Over the past two and
a half years, some 7000 students and 348 professors have come to
our University. We call on those who are willing to come here
and our duty is to provide apartments to all of them," Mr.
Papovic told the Belgrade-based "Nin" in its 30 September 1994
issue. The Serbian regime has been widely advocating and
performing campaigns for the colonization of Kosova and changing
of its ethnic composition. Only last week the government of the
self-proclaimed Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) passed a
statutory decree for the "realization of the Programme for the
settlement of 100.000 Serbs and Montenegrins in Kosova". Over
the past two years, several settlements for Serbs have either
been erected or are under construction in Kosova.
British Writer James Pettifer Harassed by Serbian Security
James Pettifer, a British writer and academic, Senior Associate
Member of St. Antony's College, Oxford, was harassed by 2
Serbian security agents in Gjakova, at 4.30 on Monday (16
January). While walking in the street, he was stopped by 2
agents who jumped from a car and questioned him. Mr. Pettifer,
the author of 'The Greeks' and 'Blue Guide to Albania', among
other publications, was in Gjakova in connection with research
for his new book. Mr. Pettifer told KIC that the security agents
had warned him not to take photographs, not to stay overnight in
Gjakova, and to leave the town on the next bus.
Albanian Youth Forcefully Drafted
On 10 January, the Serbian police arrested the youth Bafti
Berisha at Mirosalk village of Ferizaj. The report indicates
that Mr. Berisha was immediately sent to serve the army at the
Serbian military barracks in Belgrade.
Repression Chronicle
Ferizaj: On 11 January, the Serbian police detained Isa Kamberi
who was repprtedly illtreated under the excuse of being in
possession of weapons.LDK sources in Ferizaj say that this was
the sixth time he was detained under the same pretext. Same day,
the Serbian police during a search conducted at the home of
Skknder Advdulli, for unknown reasons, shot with fire arms in
the direction of the young Enver Avdulli. They arrested him
afterwards and beat him up severely. Skenderaj: On 15 January,
a Serbian police patrol halted a group of Albanian wedding-goers
and reportedly ill-treated some of them with no reason
whatsoever. Gani Koci, a member to the Kosova Parliament and
member to the LDK Central Board was reported detained together
with his wife and interrogated at the police station in Gllogovc
for over two hours.
======================================================
Kosova Information Center
KOSOVA DAILY REPORT # 546
Prishtina, 6 February 1995
Killer of Six-year-old Albanian Child Promoted
As reported, last Saturday, February 4, under the pretext of
arms searches, the Serbian police raided on the home of Abdullah
Daci at Hani i Elezit town. This raid would not make any
specific impression - as the public in Kosova is used to the
news on everyday arbitrary raids carried out by the Serbian
police forces -if the police patrol which carried out this raid
was not headed by Boban Krstic the killer of the six-year-old
boy Fidan Brestovci. On 27 July 1994, at around 10:30 at the
Rahovica - Ferizaj road, the six-yearold child Fidan Brestovci
was shot dead, whereas his parents Bajrush and Makfire
Brestovci were wounded by shots fired by the Serb policeman
Boban Krstic. The Serbian police authorities had confirmed the
following day the incident, and that policeman Krstic was the
perpetrator, allegedly by mistake, from an ambush set up for an
alleged criminal. Instead of being held responsible for the
killing of an innocent child, policem an Boban Krstic appears to
have been promoted in the meantime, being appointed
deputy-commander of the Serbian police department in Kaganik.
Boban Krstic was likewise involved in the arrest of Ismajl Raka
(39), an ethnic Albanian, who was tortured to death in a Serb
Security Center in November last year.
Serbian Police Raids Albanain-language School in Istog
A Serbian police expedition raided last Friday the premises of
"Ismail Qemali" elementary school at Staradan village of Istog,
where students of a secondary school have been attending
classes, LDK sources in Istog report. Serb policemen intruded
into the classrooms intimidating and forcing out students and
teachers. For four years now, Albania-language secondary
schools throughout Kosova have been compelled to use either the
premises of elementary schools or operate in private homes
after having been expelled from their school buildings. Serbian
police expeditions have been very often obstructing the
educational process by raiding on the premises the Albanians
have been exploiting as classrooms. Dozens of teachers and
schoolchildren have been reported subjected to various forms of
ill-treatment and intimidation on a daily basis.
Apartments and Vineyards Provided Free of Charge to Serb
Colonizers
The Serbian mass media have been widely covering the Serbian
regime's schemes for the colonization of Kosova. The
Prishtina-based Serbian daily Jedinstvo, which leads in
drumming up and advocating schemes for colonization of Kosova
and change of its ethnic composition, has been on a daily basis
reporting on new enterprises of the regime in colonization
drive. The newspaper reported in its Friday's issue that the
Serbian-installed municipal authorities in Rahovec have
provided as many as 40 apartments to Serb colonizers. The
installed mayor of Rahovec, Rade Simic, is quoted by Jedinstvo
as saying that a great number of plots of land have ben likewise
provided to Serbs in the villages Hoqk, Xkrxk and Zeqishtk. In
addition, those Serbs who wish to come and live in the
municipality of Rahovec, will be allocated three hectares of
vineyards each. The agricultural plant "Orvin' will provide
technical equipment and professional assistance to Serb
colonizers, Mr. Simic told the newspaper. Jedinstvo reported
today that the Serbian-installed authorities in Ferizaj have
likewise provided 25 plots of land free of charge to Serb
colonizers. Nebojsa Vucurovic, officer in charge with the
so-called "YU-Programme for colonization of Kosova' is quoted
by the newspaper as saying that another 17 plots of land would
be provided in the town of Ferizaj. The newspaper says that
some Serbs who were allocated plots of land have already
commenced erecting their homes in Ferizaj.
=========================================
Kosova Information Center
KOSOVA DAILY REPORT # 547
Prishtina, 7 February 1995
Kosova Red Cross Vice-Chairman on Frangois Bellon's
Statements-------------------------------------------------------
---------
Mr. Qerim Spahiu, vice-chairman of the Kosova Red Cross (KRC),
commented today on statements of the head if the International
Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) delegation in Belgrade, Frangois
Bellon, during a meeting he had with Deputy Governor of the
so-called 'Kosovo District', Milos Nesovic, as carried by
Serbian daily Jedinstvo in its Friday edition. [See Kosova Daily
Report # 545]. Mr. Spahiu said he was startled by Frangois
Bellon's statements, because, as he said, those statements do
not honour an official of a prestigious international
organization, which is committed to the basic humanitarian
principles.
Qerim Spahiu said one cannot understand the part of Mr. Bellon's
statement where he states that his organization [ICRC] "can and
wants to operate only" through the Serbian Red Cross, and where
he brands the Kosova Red Cross an 'ill egal' organization of the
'nonexisting Republic of Kosova'! Mr. Bellon in this way reneges
on his earlier promises over his commitment to find ways for a
mutual cooperation with us: the Kosova Red Cross, Mr. Spahiu
said.
The KRC vice-chairman said Bellon's statements are unacceptable
and that the Kosova Red Cross, founded in 1946, exists and
operates regardless of different statements and stances. Mr.
Spahiu called the position of the ICRC representative in
Belgrade 'unfounded ', because "it is hard to speak of any kind
of work on the part of his office in Prishtina if it exists
only for 8-10% of the population, mainly the Serbian
population".
KRC vice-chairman said Mr. Bellon is well-acquainted with the
grave social situation prevailing in Kosova, and that the ICRC
official is acquainted with the activity of the Kosova Red
Cross. "He knows we have the Presidency, the Assembly, the
Statute, the
Programme, the seat, municipal organizations and out members,
and that our activities and operation are in full compliance
with the basic principles of the Red Cross", Mr. Spahiu said.
He further stated Mr. Bellon knows that follow ing the eviction
of the Kosova Red Cross leadership from its headquarters by
Serbian authorities, "Belgrade has set up a parallel Red Cross
with installed Serbs, till very recently chaired by the
notorious Serb extremist, Bogdan Kecman".
Mr. Qerim Spahiu pointed out that the leadership of the Kosova
Red Cross has so far made strenuous efforts, and will continue
to do so, to establish and promote cooperation with
humanitarian organizations in Kosova and around the world,
particularly with the International Committee of the Red Cross
(ICRC) and with the International Federation of Red Cross and
Red Crescent (IFRC).
========================================================
Kosova Information Center
KOSOVA DAILY REPORT # 553 Prishtina, 15 February 1995
Forty-four Albanians to Face Charges in Prizren
The Serbian installed authorities of the District Prosecutor
Office in Prizren brought charges against 44 former Kosova
police employees and the local officials of Rahovec, Suhareka
and Dragash municipalities. The accused are former Kosova police
and security members, and local municipal government officials
in Rahovec, Suhareka and Dragash. Among the accused are Sezair
Shaipi, chairman of the Turkish National Party and Arhimed
Varolli, officer at a Municipal Matriculation office in Prizren.
The accusation brought against them says that during the period
of 1991 through 1994, the accused have associated in the attempt
to overthrow the constitutional order of the so-called
Yugoslavia by the use of force. One of the defending lawyers,
Mr. Hazkr Susuri, told KIC: 'This is yet another staged
political trial and there is no evidence to support the charges
brought against them'.
Serbian Police Expropriates Teachers' Salary Funds in Suhareka
The Serbian police has stepped up violence against
Albanian-language schools and educational activists in the
municipality of Suhareka, LDK sources in Suhareka reported. A
Serbian police expedition intervened yesterday afternoon at the
premises of the "7 Marsi" elementary school in Suhareka. Rexhep
Rama, accountant of the school, was arrested as he was found
delivering the salaries to the teachers. The police reportedly
seized DM 12.000 and the whole documentation of the school. At
around 15:00 hrs, the Serbian police raided on the offices of
the LDK branch in Suhareka, harassing several educational
activists who happened to be there. Muhamet Bajraktari, chairman
of the Municipal Council for Finances, was reported detained and
interrogated for over an hour at the police station. He was then
taken by the police to his home and had it thoroughly searched.
Serb policemen reportedly confiscated DM 15.295, CHF 840, and
393 dinars, as well as the entire documentation of the Counci
Rexhep Rama and Muhamet Bajraktari were reported released late
last night after having been ill-treated and intimidated by the
police for over five hours.
'Serbian Resistance Movement' Calls for 'Ethnic Balance' in
Kosova
The leaders of the so-called 'Serbian Resistance Movement' -
Kosta Bulatovic, Momcilo Trajkovic, Miroslav Solevic, and Dusan
Ristic -called yesterday on the Serbian regime to further their
policy of oppression of Kosova Albanians. Speaking at a press
conference in Belgrade yesterday, Momcilo Trajkovic said the
"Serbian Parliament should discuss our destiny [Kosova Serbs,
KIC] behind closed doors", alleging that 'Albanian separatism
was endangering the vital interests of the Serbian people'.
Serbian press, including Belgrade Tiker news agency, quotes Mr.
Trajkovic as saying that while 'Serbian Resistance Movement
(SRM) stood for a political solution to the Kosova problem
[sic!], they feared Albanians would "resort to violence to
realize their goals" [sic!]. The SRM launched last year
(August-September) a petition in which it called on the Serbian
government to crack down on the Albanian political movement in
Kosova and their democratic institutions, so as to destroy what
they branded the 'Albanian parallel state' in Kosova. The
petition had been followed by a fierce Serbian regime's campaign
of repression, violence and arrests of Albanian population and
activists in autumn and winter of 1994, which has been sustained
this year also. The crackdown, resul n several Albanians being
shot dead or tortured to death by Serbian forces, as well as
arrest of some 200 Albanians, personnel of the former Kosova
police force, has been seen in direct connection with the SRM
petition. Analysts have seen the crackdown as an attempt of the
regime to appease Serb extremists in Kosova (who have been
protigis and supporters of the Milosevic regime prior and after
his rise to power in 1987) who has accused the regime of not
having done enough i! n its anti-Albanian drive. The Serbian
press quote Mr. Trajkovic of chiding the regime for not having
been successful in settling 100.000 Serbs in the past five
years, at a time when "250.000 Albanians have been born".
Trajkovic, a high ranking SPS official in Kosova in the time
when Kosova's status as a autonomous federal unit in the former
Yugoslavia was forcibly suspended, is now dissatisfied with the
regime' record, as SRS leaders apparently would like to see a
'final solution' to the Kosova problem, i.e. the impossibility
of the Albanian majority ever being in the position of ruling
Kosova. The Albanians could win if they participated in
elections, Mr. Trajkovic said, calling for an 'ethnic balance'
in Kosova re-requisite for cohabitation of Serbs and Albanians
in Kosova, namely e big turnover in ethnic composition of Kosova
in favour of Serbs, who compose now around half a dozen per cent
of Kosova's population. The SRS leaders said yesterday
preparations were under way for a big rally in Prishtina, in
which they would call on the Serbian state to 'begin solving the
Kosova problem", Tiker news agency said in a report. Such 'big
rallies' of Serbs in Kosova were the stepping stones for
Milosevic's rise to power in the 1980s.
=========================================
Kosova Information Center
KOSOVA DAILY REPORT # 555 Prishtina, 17 February 1995
Total Insecurity of Kosova Population amid Serb-Commissioned
'Accidental Incidents'
The residents of Prishtina, capital of Kosova, were shocked by
the terrorist act of the Serbian security officer, Slavisa
Stankovic. The Serbian officer, in plain clothes, killed on
Wednesday evening Ali Obria (65) and wounded five other citizens
in Prishtina: Nexhmedin Govori, Nusret Latifi, Artan Rexhepi,
Gradimir Brankovic, and Jelena Cvorovic, and terrorized
coldblooded and unhampered citizens and children in the streets
and shops. Eye-witnesses said the 25-year-old Serb security
officer shot at people and terrorized them with the placidity of
a professional criminal. The terrorist act was committed in the
city center, where one can always see a build-up of Serbian
uniformed policemen, naturally enough besides the Serbian
secrete police. Therefore, it is hard to believe the statements
of the Serbian police and media that the perpetrator was a
drunken policeman. The statement that it was an 'incident'
bespeaks their intention of playing down the real dimension of
the terrorist act. This latest criminal act of the Serbian
police comes after the rape, several days ago, of an Albanian
young woman by a Serb policemen in Gjilan. Analysts of the
Kosova reality may well remember last summer's "accidental
incidents" in which Serb forces were involved: in Ferizaj (the
killing of a 6-year-Albanian child Fidan Brestovci), in Degan
(the killing of 23-year-old Albanian mother, Violeta Dervishaj),
then the wounding of an Albanian taxi-driver in Prishtina by a
Serb 'drunken' policeman. Those killings and incidents were
assessed as incidents commissioned by the Serbian regime. The
noteworthy fact is that the Serb policemen who carried out the
crimes were promoted in their posts instead of being held
responsible! The policemen, Boban Krstic, who killed Fidan
Brestovci was promoted as deputy head of the Serbian police
department in Kaganik. He is directly responsible for the
torturing to death of Ismail Raka from Kaganik late last
November. The rape of the Albanian newly married woman and the
Wednesday's terrorist act are further evidence to the total
insecurity of the people in their homes and shops, as well as in
the streets. This total insecurity comes amidst the expeditions
of the Serbian forces to collect the negligible amount of
weapons the Albanians have been in possession of for personal
protection. It has been maintained that one of the goals of the
so-called 'arms collection' expeditions has been paving the way
for unchecked actions of the Serbian forces against the
Albanians, like the recent ones. Serb forces got perhaps such a
message from the recent statements of senior Serb officials,
Borislav Jovic, Radmilo Bogdanovic, and Zorna Andjelkovic, who
have kept saying of late that the situation in Kosova is very
calm, and more stable than in Serbia proper! In the aftermath of
the recent Serb actions, the citizens of Kosova find themselves
to be totally unprotected. They see that they are in the mercy
of criminals, including those 'insane' bearing weapons, who are
not hampered by anybody in their criminal and terrorist drives.
==============================================
Kosova Information Center
KOSOVA DAILY REPORT
# 559 Prishtina, 23 February 1995
Peace is Impossible Without a Settlement of Kosova Issue,
Albanian Foreign Minister Says
"No substantial and long-lasting agreement can ever be reached
unless the Kosova issue is included into the agenda of the
peace plan on former Yugoslavia ", the Albanian Foreign
Minister, Alfred Serreqi, stated during a visit to Italy,
today's Prishtina-based Bujku reported. In Kosova, where
Albanians make up an absolute majority, and without an OSCE
presence there, people feel abandoned amid an ever increasing
tension. Therefore , if the Kosova problem is not put into the
peace plan agenda, one can never expect a lasting settlement of
conflicts, said Mr.Serreqi.
Russia Blocks Aid to Kosova Periodicals
The British 'The Independent' writes today that "Russia has
withdrawn objections to European support for an outspoken
independent Belgrade newspaper but is blocking three other
European Union projects to promote democracy and human rights
in Serbia."
The EU announced yesterday at least ecus (approximately GBP 2.4
m) of aid to Nasa Borba. The cash is to buy newsprint for the
paper, says The Independent. The British newspaper goes on to
say that EU has another 3m ecus for this year. Russia, however,
continues to block two projects to help periodicals in Kosova,
the newspaper says. The Albanian-language outlets have found
themselves in dire situation following the crackdown of
Milosevic's regime on Kosova and the Albanian printing and
electronic media in general. Radio an television of Prishtina,
broadcasting in Albanian, was forcibly taken over in a
clear-cut police putsch early July 1990, whereas the Rilindja
daily newspaper was banned by Serbia early in August. There is
a make-shift daily, Bujku, which has been trying to make up for
the daily information in Albanian in Kosova. Bujku as well as
other Albanian outlets have been double hit by both Serbian and
international sanctions. The Kosova Albanian outlets have been
outrageously neglected by international media organizations,
too.
Secondary School Students in Kumanova Protest over Persecution
of Albanian Intellectuals in FYROM
Students of the "Goce Delcev" grammar school in the town of
Kumanova, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, rallied
yesterday afternoon in front of their school building giving
their resolute support to the opening of the Albanian-language
University of Tetova, a private radio "Zeri i Kumanoves" [The
Voice of Kumanova] reported today. In a letter of protest,
addressed to the FYROM authorities, the Albanian students
underscored that the attacks against the University pose a
direct attack against peace and stability in the Republic. They
demanded an immediate release of the Rector of the Tetova
University, Fadil Sylejmani, and other Albanian intellectuals.