Kosova Daily Report #1332, 98-01-29

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From: Kosova Information Center <kic_pr@zana-pr.ztn.apc.org>

Kosova Information Center

KOSOVA DAILY REPORT #1332

Prishtina, 29 January 1998

CONTENTS

[01] Rep. Eliot Engel Introduces Concurrent Resolution on Kosova

[02] 17-Year-Old Albanian, Wounded By Serb Policemen, Dies in Hospital

[03] Serb-Installed Management in Kosova Company Signs US 70 Million Deal with German Firm

[04] Armed Local Serbs Residents Harass Their Albanian Neighbors

[01] Rep. Eliot Engel Introduces Concurrent Resolution on Kosova

Eliot Engel introduced in the 105TH Congress a concurrent resolution deploring human rights abuses in Kosova and calling for increased American involvement.

In the resolution Rep. Engel said the Constitution of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, adopted in 1946 and the amended Yugoslav Constitution adopted in 1974, described the status of Kosova as one of the 8 constituent territorial units of the Yugoslav Federation.

The Government of Yugoslavia curtailed the political rights of the Albanian majority in Kosova illegally amending the Yugoslav federal constitution without the consent of the people of Kosova on March 23, 1989, revoking Kosova's autonomous status. Whereas in 1990, the Parliament and Government of Kosova were abolished by further unlawful amendments to the Constitution of Yugoslavia.

The resolution illustrates that in September 1990, a referendum on the question of independence for Kosova was held in which 87 percent of those eligible to participate voted and 99 percent of those voting supported independence for Kosova, and in May 1992, a Kosovar national parliament and President, Dr.Ibrahim Rugova, were freely and fairly elected, but were not permitted to assemble in Kosova.

During 1997, the human rights situation facing Kosova worsened during 1997 with the increased use of violence by police against ethnic Kosovars. Increased repression and despair has allegedly given rise to a new group, the Kosova Liberation Army, which reportedly has a greater willingness to use violence to achieve self-determination and a restoration of human rights; On October 1, 1997, Serb riot police wielding batons and firing tear gas brutally repressed a peaceful demonstration of students of the University of Prishtina calling for the right to Albanian-language education. Scores of non-violent protestors were injured in the crackdown, said Eliot Engel in his introduction.

Rep. Engel explains that the education agreement signed by Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic and Kosovar President Rugova, has not been implemented has not yet been implemented by the government in Belgrade, and that the observes of OSCE dispatched to Kosova in 1991 and expelled by the government in Belgrade in July 1993, have not been reinstated as called for in United Nations Security Council Resolution 855 of August 1993.

Engel recalls H.Con.Res. 155, passed by the House of Representatives on July 26, 1996, which called for a resolution to the crisis in Kosova, maintenance of the outer wall of sanctions against Belgrade, and the appointment of a Special Envoy on Kosova.

The resolution introduced yesterday (Wednesday) by Rep. Engel says: (begin text) (1) the situation in Kosova must be resolved before the outer wall of sanctions against Serbia is lifted and Serbia is able to return to the international community; (2) the human rights of the people of Kosova must be restored to levels guaranteed by international law; (3) the United States should support the legitimate claims of the people of Kosova to determine their own political future; (4) a solution to the conflict in Kosova can only be achieved through dialogue, not violence; (5) the March 22, 1998 elections in Kosova should be permitted to proceed without interference by the Belgrade authorities and, if conducted freely and fairly, the United States should recognize the results of the elections as a legitimate, democratic expression of the will of the people of Kosova; (6) international observers should be returned to Kosova as soon as possible and monitors should be dispatched to observe the upcoming elections; (7) the elected government of Kosova should be permitted to meet and exercise its legitimate mandate as elected representatives of the people of Kosova; (8) all individuals whose employment was terminated on the basis of their ethnicity should be reinstated to their previous positions; (9) the agreement on education in Kosova should be implemented immediately, including at the university level, allowing all residents of Kosova regardless of ethnicity to education in their native tongue; (10) the students of the University of Pristina have the full support of the United States as they peacefully demonstrate to return to classes at the University; (11) efforts of the international Contact Group in support of a resolution of the conflict in Kosova are to be commended; and (12) the President should appoint a special envoy to aid in negotiating a resolution to the crisis in Kosova.

(end text) Meanwhile, asked to comment for the Albanian section of VOA, whether the resolution contains a contradictory pronouncement, the support for self-determination of Kosova as opposed to the Contact Group's proposal for an enhanced status with the FRY, Rep. Eliot Engel said "I have always supported self-determination for the people of Kosova, and if they want independence I shall support them. But we have to be reasonable we cannot jump from the first stage to the tenth".

The resolution is supported by Reps. Tom Lantos, Sue Kelly, Jim Moran, and Peter King, VOA said.

[02] 17-Year-Old Albanian, Wounded By Serb Policemen, Dies in Hospital

The Prishtina-based Koha Ditore newspaper said it has learned that the boy died late last night in the Prishtina hospital.

Avdi Qarri was critically wounded on Tuesday evening by a Serb police officer, Sasa Markovic. The boy was selling cigarettes on the street when the Serb policemen approached him. He put the barrel of his revolver behind the boys ear and fired a bullet on his head only a few seconds later. The bullet went through the head of Avdi Qarri, who, critically wounded, was taken first to the medical centers in Kamenica and Gjilan, respectively, and was transferred later to the intensive care ward of the Prishtina Hospital where he died.

Sources in Kamenica have said that after the Serb policeman had fired on Avdi Qarri, the policeman together with a colleague in plain clothes attempted to drag the wounded boy to one of the main street of the town, presumably in a bid to engineer an offence allegedly committed by the boy.

Koha Ditore said that the Serb police officer Sasa Markovic is being held in custody.

[03] Serb-Installed Management in Kosova Company Signs US 70 Million Deal with German Firm

The four-year deal between the German firm and "Feronikeli" is worth 70 million US dollars, the Prishtina Serbian daily Jedinstvo said. During the next four years, "Feronikeli" is due to deliver 200 tons of nickel to its German partner, the newspaper said, and added that "Tisen" has already invested 4.5 millon dollars in the Kosovar company.

The Kosova leadership has continuously warned foreign governments and firms not involve in deals with Serbs on the Kosova public economy, currently under Serbian regime control. Such deals will be treated null and void unless signed with legitimate representatives of Kosova, the Kosovar leaders have underlined on frequent occasions.

[04] Armed Local Serbs Residents Harass Their Albanian Neighbors

The LDK sources said that this group of armed civilians harassed many local residents of Albanian ethnicity. The appearance of this group caused disturbance and insecurity among the Poter^ Albanian population.

Persons who were stopped and harassed by this group said that they were Serb residents from the neighboring villages.

LDK sources in Klina said also that there was a lot of shooting in the air from the schools which celebrated the "Sveti Sava Day" (Saint Sava Day, s Serbian religious holiday) Tuesday.

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