Kosova Daily Report #1467, 98-06-21

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

Kosova Information Center
KOSOVA DAILY REPORT #1467
Prishtina, 21 June 1998

CONTENTS

[01] President Rugova Receives German Ambassador

[02] Serbian Attacks in De^an Continue, LDK Official Says

[03] At Least 40 Albanians Lying Still Unburied

[04] Three More Killed Albanian in De^an Identified Saturday

[05] Three Serb Policemen Killed in Clashes in Carrabreg Saturday

[06] Serbian Forces Continue Burning Albanian Homesteads in De^an Area

[07] Serb Police Extends Raids in Eastern Kosova

[08] Dangerously Deteriorating Situation in Serb-blocked Peja

[09] Shtime LDK Chief Tells Of His Ordeal in Serb Security Hands

[10] Bulgarian TV Crew Arrested by Serb Police Today

[11] 'Yugoslav' Army Reinforcements Sent near Gllobo^ic&

[01] President Rugova Receives German Ambassador

Ambassador Grber delivered a letter from German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel, extending an invitation for Rugova to visit Bonn.

President Rugova and the German envoy discussed the current situation in Kosova.

The President called for urgent international intervention to prevent further killings and ethnic cleansing in Kosova amidst a continued Serbian military and police offensive.

The people of Kosova and its leadership continue to press ahead with their independence drive through peaceful and political means, President Rugova stressed.

[02] Serbian Attacks in De^an Continue, LDK Official Says

Serbian occupation forces engage in campaigns of looting and burning deserted Albanian households, Cacaj told the KIC.

Serbian forces shelled Albanian villages yesterday and today, he said, adding that, as a rule, the heaviest shelling occurs in the afternoons.

The following villages were shelled last evening: Strellc i Ep&rm, Strellc i Ul&t, Isniq, Carrabreg, L&bush&, Prejlep, Rastavic&, Baballoq e Gramaqel.

Albanian homesteads were reported looted and burned yesterday in Prejlep, De^an and Strellc i Ep&rm.

Reinforcements are being sent into De^an area on a daily basis, the LDK official said.

Serb troops have been deployed along the De^an-Gjakova roadway and in trenches and other positions dug up especially for the placement of heavy armament.

There has been an increased Serb troop buildup near the Serb De^an Monastery and at the 'Yugoslav' military base at Hulaj, according to the LDK Information Commission in De^an.

[03] At Least 40 Albanians Lying Still Unburied

Amongst those killed 15 are women, 27 elderly over 65 years of age, and 8 children under 15 years of age, they added.

Access to the villages of the region of Voksh, Carrabregu i Ep&rm and De^an has been blocked by Serb forces, the LDK Information Commission said, expressing fear of the existence of collective burial sites and other unburied people scattered about the area.

[04] Three More Killed Albanian in De^an Identified Saturday

Taf& Cacaj (79) and Haxhi Boshtraj (48), residents of the town of De^an, and Ram& Haradinaj, resident of Lubeniq, have been established as killed.

Meanwhile, three days ago Shaban Sejfia (27) was killed in his native village of Grama^el in clashes with attacking Serbian forces, Osman Cacaj, chairman of the LDK Information Commission in De^an reported.

More than 70 Albanians are known to have died in De^an during a fierce Serb military and police offensive which started on 29 May.

The town of De^an and many villages in the municipality have been destroyed by heavy Serbian shelling and bombardment.

Around 300 Albanians are considered as missing in De^an, many of whom unaccounted for or held captive by Serb forces.

[05] Three Serb Policemen Killed in Clashes in Carrabreg Saturday

On Saturday, heavy fighting was reported in the villages of Prejlep and Carrabreg i Ul&t, with local Albanian resistance forces battling heavy Serbian forces.

Three Serb policemen were reported killed in Carrabreg i Ul&t Sataurday, LDK sources said.

There were reports of material damage.

[06] Serbian Forces Continue Burning Albanian Homesteads in De^an Area

The houses had first been looted, and the spoils carried away on lorries.

By setting houses ablaze, Serbs are keen apparently on concealing the plundering sweeps they had carried in advance, Osman Cacaj, chairman of the LDK Information Commission said.

[07] Serb Police Extends Raids in Eastern Kosova

Four Serb vehicles with policemen on board ready for combat left the police station in Ka^anik and headed to Hani i Elezit, local sources said.

Four armed policemen raided the house of Gafur Isaku, a graduate in economics, in Ka^anik.

Reports from Hani i Elezit said Serb police were involved in many house raids, targeting LDK activists and other Albanians.

A police expedition was involved in a raid on the house of Safet Uka, which lasted from 14:00 through 17:00 on Saturday.

Safet and his brother Baki were arrested.

A huge police expedition raided Saturday afternoon the house of Ejup Suma, brutalizing all male members of the family.

Ejup and Hus Suma were arrested.

Some 50 policemen were reported joined by Serbs in plain clothes during the raid.

Ejup Suma's sons were tied to a post and beaten up. Police said they were after Rufi Suma, chairman of the LDK Information Commission, whose house was raided too. He was not at home at the time.

The police then proceeded towards other family compounds, routinely brutalizing people in front of their houses.

Rasim and Nehat Topojani, father and son, were beaten up.

Police headed also to the village of Se^isht&. The house of Ismail Shkreta was raided, allegedly in search of his son Zekiriah. The police opened fire during the raid.

The household of Latif Shkreta was raided too, and a number of villagers routinely ill-treated by the roaming police, sources said.

Harun Kaliqi, chairman of the LDK sub-chapter, was mong those beaten up by police.

These and many other cases, not included in this news item, are evidence to Serb police activities against Albanians stretching eastward in Kosova.

[08] Dangerously Deteriorating Situation in Serb-blocked Peja

The convoy, which arrived from the direction of Rozaje, in neighboring Montenegro, then proceeded to the area where Serb forces are engaged in attacks on Albanian settlements.

There is a desperate situation in Peja, which has taken in some 30.000 displaced Albanians in the wake of the stepped up Serb offensive.

There is a strict Serb police blockade in place, obstructing food and other basic necessities from being shipped in.

Local structures are said to be facing extremely hard times in their efforts to cater for the needs of so many refugees.

[09] Shtime LDK Chief Tells Of His Ordeal in Serb Security Hands

He was arrested in Shtime, transferred to the Serb security offices in Ferizaj ('Urosevac'), and tortured there on trumped up charges.

On his release at 16:30 hrs, Sadriu was told he would have to report back on Monday morning.

The local LDK chief told the KIC today he was arrested yesterday (Saturday) in the premises of the "Emin Duraku" elementary school in Shtime, together with the head of the Municipal Education Authority, Ahmet Ahmeti, and Taf& Ibali and Nuhi Syla, teachers with the school.

We were there to examine the damage caused by unidentified persons to the school building on Friday evening, Ali Sadriu said.

He said he and his companions were taken for half an hour to the Shtime police station, to only be transferred to Ferizaj.

This is where his story begins.

There were three Serb security officers in the room, one of whom identified himself simply as 'Boban', Mr,. Sadriu told the KIC. "I was accused of having organized the evacuation of the inhabitants of Shtime villages, and having helped the U^K with food and medical supplies", he said, adding that he was beaten with a stick about his legs and hands.

Then the Serb officers took him out to a corridor, where he was hand-cuffed and coerced to stay in an awkward position, the LDK official said.

"After two hours, when I was about to collapse, I was taken to another room, where I was interrogated by two security officers", Sadriu said.

At around 16:00 he was taken to yet another room, where he was ordered to give a written statement about the demolition of the school premises in Shtime the night before.

Before being let free, Sadriu said he was taken back to the first room to collect his personal belongings: documents, money, medicines. "On the table, together with these, was placed a hand grenade", Sadriu said. One of the Serb security officers provoked him, saying to him: "Take this too. This is yours".

Mr. Ali Sadriu, who suffers from a heart disease and takes pills regularly, said all Serb security accusations against him were utterly unfounded.

[10] Bulgarian TV Crew Arrested by Serb Police Today

The TV crew, said to belong to the Bulgarian state-run TV, was taken to the Serb security offices in the town.

There was no immediate report about the pretext for the arrest.

[11] 'Yugoslav' Army Reinforcements Sent near Gllobo^ic&

Army troops have been reported sent to the area recently.

This build-up has been a cause for fear among the local inhabitants.

Kosova Information Center

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