Kosova Daily Report #1406, 98-04-21

Kosovo Information Center: Kosova Daily Report Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: Kosova Information Center <http://www.kosova.com/>

Kosova Information Center

KOSOVA DAILY REPORT #1406

Prishtina, 21 April 1998

CONTENTS

[01] Albanians March Peacefully, Belgrade Builds up Forces in Kosova

[02] Kosova "Effects International Security and Peace", State Dept. Spokesman Says

[03] Deputy Secretary of State Discusses Kosova with European Partners

[04] Serb Civilians Armed in Deçan, Displacement of Population Reported

[05] Serb Military Builds Emplacement in Klina

[06] Serbian Army Garrisoned at Radoniq

[07] Serb Police Harasses LDK Activists and Seizes Humanitarian Relief

[08] Robbers Were Serbs, Says a Passenger Travelling on Board of a Bus High-jacked Sunday

[09] Political Activist Detained for Four Hours in Prishtina

[10] Serbs Threaten Albanian Nurses in Klina

[11] Two Albanians Wounded by Serb Forces in Drenica Villages

[12] Kosovars Spurn Serbian Paradoxical Referendum

[13] Serbian Forces Launch an Attack on Baballoq village of De^an

[01] Albanians March Peacefully, Belgrade Builds up Forces in Kosova

• Tens of thousands of people march daily in Kosova to protest Serbian occupation
• Belgrade spurns international calls for withdrawal of its special units

PRISHTINA, April 21 (KIC) - Tens of thousands of people streamed to the main streets of capital Prishtina and other towns in Kosova at noon today (Tuesday) for half-hour marches to protest Serbian occupation.

Today was the twelfth day of calm marches, called by the Democratic League of Kosova (LDK) and a dozen other parties and associations, to demonstrate the presence of the Albanian people of Kosova in their own country, "the biggest prison in Europe", as the organizers have called it, as well as their commitment to the independence for Kosova bid.

Around 20.000 Albanians took to the main avenue in the Kosova capital Prishtina today (Tuesday), the "Mother Teresa" street.

These marches in the Kosova towns are evidence to the commitment of the majority of the people to a peaceful drive in pursuit of their legitimate political goal.

This is all the more important now that Serbia is building up police, paramilitary and military forces in Kosova in a bid to intimidate the Kosovars.

Belgrade has been spurning international calls for withdrawal of its special units from Drenica and other parts of Kosova, where almost 100 Albanian men, women and children were slain in their homesteads.

There has been a dramatic increase in Serb military movements up and down Kosova recently.

[02] Kosova "Effects International Security and Peace", State Dept. [Spokesman Says

In reply to remarks made earlier in the day in Washington D.C. Monday by former cabinet minister in Serbia Radmila Milentijevic that Kosova is an international problem and Washington should stay out, Mr. James Rubin, the State Department spokesman said that Serbian government representative who made that point "must have missed the reaction of the international community" for the last month.

"The Security Council itself has made clear that what happens there [in Kosova, KIC] is a matter that effects the international security and peace of the world. It is time for the Serbian representative to read up on Security Council resolutions", the State Dept. spokesman said Monday.

[03] Deputy Secretary of State Discusses Kosova with European Partners

Talbott has met with German, Italian and Russian foreign ministers - Kinkel, Dini, and Primakov, respectively - as well as top officials in Albania and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

The discussions and consultations are in preparation to the upcoming Contact Group meeting on Kosova, scheduled for late this month.

Asked in Tirana, Albania, on April 18 whether the U.S. and indeed the international community have been backing off from calls for international mediation in the Kosova crisis by calling for direct dialogue between Prishtina and Belgrade, DS Strobe Talbott said: "No, absolutely not. The international community and the Contact Group in particular, and the United States of America very much in particular, is prepared to consider ways in which we, the international community, may help in facilitating the dialogue that is so critically necessary."

The senior U.S. diplomat said in Tirana there was within the Contact Group "a high degree of consensus both on the nature of the problem, the urgency of the problem, and on the requirements for a solution - first and foremost, a prompt, unconditional, meaningful dialogue between the authorities of Yugoslavia and the leaders of the Kosovar Albanian community."

[04] Serb Civilians Armed in Deçan, Displacement of Population Reported

There has been fresh deployment of Serb police and military forces in the area, whereas army aircraft have been flying low over Deçan and the neighboring areas.

Reportedly, the Serbian police distributed Monday weapons of different kind to the Serbian civilians living in the municipality, as well as the Albanian refugees of Serb descent sheltered in the in the refugee camps at Junik and Ballaboq. The Serbs received their weapons at the "Turist" hotel.

Sources said a number of Serb and Montenegrin families from several villages in the area have abandoned their homes and were sheltered at the resort camps at "Pishat e Deçanit", and the Monastery of Deçan.

Several Albanian families of the "Podi i Gështenjave" neighborhood in Deçan abandoned their homes Sunday and found shelter with their relatives elsewhere. Their fleeing came as a result of Serb army pressure.

[05] Serb Military Builds Emplacement in Klina

The Serbian military took positions only two miles from the town. The place where the soldiers, tanks and other heavy armament were garrisoned is a hill from where the Serbian military may control the town of Klina and the river Drini valley.

Meanwhile, Serbian civilians from Zajm carried out military training in the woods of the village Sunday, sources said.

[06] Serbian Army Garrisoned at Radoniq

Sources in Gjakova said there was a great number reservists in the Serb army units.

[07] Serb Police Harasses LDK Activists and Seizes Humanitarian Relief

Sources said that Xhafer Kuqaj and Hysen Fetahu were halted by the Serb police on Monday near the Dubrava jail of Istog. They were driving a lorry with humanitarian relief on board, collected by the LDK Solidarity Commission. The supplies were meant to be delivered to some of the displaced families from Drenica sheltered at Rakosh village of Istog.

The two activists were taken to the Serb police station in Istog where they were subjected to ruthless torture. They were let go but had the lorry with the supplies in it seized.

Xhafer Kuqaj and Hysen Fetahu were ordered to report back at the same Serb police, the LDK Information Commission in Istog said.

[08] Robbers Were Serbs, Says a Passenger Travelling on Board of a Bus [High-jacked Sunday

Yet unidentified armed and disguised men high-jacked a bus coming from Austria at the Ferizaj-Gjilan road on Sunday night a around 2 a.m., intimidating and robing off passengers.

The passenger told the newspapers that robbers were wearing grey masks, and had automatic guns and revolvers. "They shot in the air each time they ordered us do anything. They spoke in Serbian and called one another in Serb names, such as Zoran and Dragan. One of them held an axe in his hand, threatening he would cut our heads off," he said.

"The high-jackers asked for Deutche Marks and jewellery. They did not take Austrian Schillings." said the witness.

After having collected some ten thousand DM from a dozen of passengers that were on board, they ordered the driver and the conductor to remove the blocks from the road. They told them to drive without lights, explained the witness.

All but four passengers were from Ferizaj. They reported their cases to the Serbian police once they reached Ferizaj, and everyone was interrogated about the case.

The Serbian media and state TV reported Sunday that the bus was robbed by Albanian-speaking persons.

[09] Political Activist Detained for Four Hours in Prishtina

Mr. Bejta was arrested in downtown Prishtina immediately after a meeting of the Republican Crisis Committee held in Prishtina.

[10] Serbs Threaten Albanian Nurses in Klina

The two Albanian nurses were threatened at their work place at the Klina medical center.

[11] Two Albanians Wounded by Serb Forces in Drenica Villages

Musli Lutani was reported shot and wounded seriously today morning at Turi^evc village, whereas a local resident was reported wounded by Serb sniper fire at Llausha village, LDK sources said.

KIC could not learn the name of the Albanian wounded in Llausha.

Fadil Geci, a local LDK leader in Llausha, told KIC Serbs resumed today attacks on the villages Turi^evc, A^areva, Vojnika, and Llausha. Several houses have been damaged from Serb shelling, he said.

The situation in his native Llausha village and the region in the vicinity which is being kept under siege of Serb forces is extremely grave, the LDK activist said.

Mr. Geci said he was astounded by reported remarks of senior international officials on the alleged withdrawal of Serb special forces from Drenica.

"We have not seen withdrawal, but rather re-enforcement of Serb special units" in the area, the Llausha LDK sub-branch leader said.

[12] Kosovars Spurn Serbian Paradoxical Referendum

"A 'yes' vote in the referendum could be taken as a vote for a fresh crackdown against the Albanians in Kosova", the senior LDK member said.

In the run-up to the referendum, there has been a drastic increase of Serbian police and military forces in Kosova, he said, adding that the heavily-armed troops are being deployed around Albanian settlements.

"The voting in Serbia is paradoxical enough, because through it, Belgrade purports to decide on the plight of the people of Kosova, namely the Albanians, by a popular vote of Serbs", Enver Maloku pointed out. The question of the 2 million Albanian people of Kosova cannot be an internal matter of the Serbian people, he added.

"The Kosovars have spurned this Serbian paradox", the LDK official stressed, implying that Kosovar Albanians will not take part in the Serbian voting on Thursday.

[13] Serbian Forces Launch an Attack on Baballoq village of De^an

Mr. Cacaj, chairman of the LDK Information Commission in De^an, said the attack began round noon and has been lasting since. Among the Serb forces there are policemen, soldiers and Serbian colonists.

Reportedly, the Albanian resident who fear the Serb forces may slaughter their families, just like they did it in Drenica at the end of February and beginning of March, have also took up weapons to protect their homes. Women and children have been evacuated from the village.

The KIC has not been able to obtain any additional information about the attack. It has been very hard during the whole day today to reach De^an and/or other neighboring municipalities on the telephone.

Baballoq village has some 180 homes with 1600 residents. Just outside the village the Serbian regime has built a colonist camp for the Serbian refugees from Albania and Croatia.

Baballoq village was much discussed in the media over the last two days. The Serbian media reported of an alleged attack by the so- called U^K (Kosova Liberation Army) against the Serbian colonists in Baballoq refugee camp. The Serbian colonists threatened they will abandon their homes in the camp.

Meanwhile, sources in De^an reported Tuesday that the Serbian- installed authorities in town asked them to go back to the camp, while the Serbian police in town supplied them with weapons. The same sources said the Serb colonists had evacuated their children during the course of today.

There's been a massive deployment of Serb forces, military and special police force, in the area over the last week. The Serbian families have abandoned their homes in several villages under the pretext of pressure from their Albanian neighbors.

LDK sources in De^an say preparations for the attack have been going on for a week now. They call on the international community to intervene urgently and stop new massacres./end page/

Kosovo Information Center: Kosova Daily Report Directory - Previous Article - Next Article