Kosova Daily Report #1621, 98-11-25

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

Kosova Information Center
KOSOVA DAILY REPORT #1621
Prishtina, 25 November 1998

CONTENTS

[01] President Rugova Receives OSCE Delegation, Russian Envoy

[02] KIC Press Center Launched Today in Prishtina

[03] Kosova Parliament's Leaders Hold Press Conference in Prishtina

[04] Serb Forces Open Mortar Fire towards Kralan Village of Gjakova Today

[05] Serbs Police Holds Kijeva Under Tight Grip

[06] Fresh Serb Forces Deployed in Kosova on a Daily Basis

[07] Serb Police Arrests Four Other LDK Activists in Gjilan

[08] Serb Police Illtreats and Robs Students in Prishtina

[01] President Rugova Receives OSCE Delegation, Russian Envoy

The current situation in Kosova and the prospects for the creation of an environment conducive to the settlement of the Kosova issue through negotiations and a political process were discussed.

President Rugova said the situation continues to be grave and dangerous amidst a heavy presence of the Serbian military and police presence in Kosova. He stressed the importance of an early deployment of the OSCE and NATO verification missions to clam down the situation, create a feeling of security for displaced people to return to their home, and alleviate the humanitarian crisis.

Ambassador Gerard Stoudman and other participants in the meeting - experts on election issues - took an interest in the experiences of Kosova in this regard and spoke about the help the OSCE can offer in the organization of future elections in Kosova.

President Rugova said he appreciated the significance of the presence of the international verifiers, concluding that he hoped that this presence will help towards a consolidation of the democratic order in Kosova.

Meanwhile, the President of the Republic of Kosova received today the Russian Federation's special envoy for former Yugoslavia, Boris Mayorski, and his aides to discuss Kosova.

Ibrahim Rugova dwelt on the tragic consequences of the Serbian offensive in Kosova this year.

Mr. Mayorski said the Russian Federation stands for a negotiated and political settlement to the Kosova issue.

Regarding the prospects for the start of a negotiating process between Prishtina and Belgrade, President Rugova said that should be well prepared in order to yield concrete results.

[02] KIC Press Center Launched Today in Prishtina

Participating in the event were also Mr. Xhemajl Mustafa, President Rugova's press advisor, Mr. Richard Huckaby, director of the American Center in Prishtina, Mr. David Slinn, first secretary in the British Embassy in Belgrade, representatives of NGOs operating in Kosova, as well as many editors and journalists of Kosovar media.

The Press Center was declared opened by Mr. Enver Maloku, head of the Kosova Information Center (KIC).

"We want to create better working conditions for journalists, both domestic and foreign, and open up channels for the expression of views, opinions and results in the realm of politics, but also in different fields of knowledge in Kosova", Mr. Maloku said. He said the KIC Press Center planned to organize weekly press conferences with leaders, personalities and representatives of political parties and institutions, as well as experts. "As necessary, we will facilitate contacts with people who articulate official political stands on current issues", the KIC head said, adding that, by request, the Center will be willing to organize press conferences with guests/visitors to Kosova.

This Press Center builds on the KIC work, Maloku said. "I believe that even if no state institution of Kosova supports it financially, we well be able to get sponsors, like we did today", the KIC head said, adding that the delay for the launching of this Press Center is due to the KIC hopes that they would be able to secure the necessary support and understanding from Kosovar institutions, these based in Prishtina as well as those abroad.

The success or failure of this Press Center is dependent on the readiness of media workers and others to cooperate, Maloku said.

"All of us in the Kosova Information Center (KIC) are willing to work as hard as it takes to ensure that this initiative bears fruit, hoping it will be one of the many initiatives in the past eight years that have been crowned with success".

In the "Dora" restaurant premises a private service for journalists will become operational soon, Enver Maloku told a press conference today before introducing Dr. Muhamet Mustafa, director of the Prishtina-based Institute for Economic Research RIINVEST.

This institute has completed and published in both Albanian and English a study entitled Economic Activities and the Democratic Development of Kosova, which argues that Serbian neo-colonialism is at work in Kosova and the there is no economic independence without political independence, the KIC head said. "The study concludes that Kosova is viable as an independent economic entity. In these introductory remarks on the study, as you noted, independence/independent is mentioned twice. With the struggle for and pursuit of independence is how the KIC started work in July 1991. With this we are starting the work of our Press Center", Enver Maloku concluded his introductory remarks on the kicking off of the Press Center.

Giving background information on the KIC, Maloku recalled that the Kosova Information Center (KIC) was founded in July 1991. It has been publishing daily news in Albanian and in foreign languages about the developments in Kosova. The KIC has correspondents/stringers in all settlements in Kosova and in many European and U.S. centers, he said. "The KIC does the work of a Kosova news agency proper", Maloku stressed, adding that the KIC has so far published 2252 daily reports in Albanian, 1620 daily reports in English, 405 news bulletins in German, as well as a number of publications, in English and Albanian, on Kosovar historical and current issues.

Dr. Muhamet Mustafa then spoke about his Institute's study and publication, which was launched today in Prishtina.

[03] Kosova Parliament's Leaders Hold Press Conference in Prishtina

Mr. Dedaj, leader of the Liberal Party of Kosova, briefed reporters on an official visit he had in Switzerland late last week in his capacity as Vice- President of the Parliament. He said he met with Deputy Foreign Minister Armin Ritz, representatives of the Swiss Parliament, as well as the director of the Federal Office for Refugees.

In all my meetings, I stressed that the Kosova leadership stands for a just resolution to the Kosova issue based on the will of the people of Kosova for independence, Gjergj Dedaj said. An interim solution is possible if the international community guarantees that the people of Kosova will be able to eventually freely express their democratic will, including the right to self-determination, the Parliament's Vice-President said.

Gjergj Dedaj said Serb President Milutinovic's offer on dialogue on Kosova was not serious. Serbian efforts to sideline the international community, first and foremost the United States, are aimed to presenting the Kosova issue as an internal problem for Serbia, which is unacceptable, he added. The Kosovar side is steadfast in its position that the Prishtina-Belgrade talks process should be effectively mediated by the USA, EU, and other relevant international factors, Dedaj said.

Mr. Fatmir Sejdiu, Secretary-General, said the Parliament was not actively and directly involved in the negotiating process on Kosova. The Parliament will give its opinion on the final version of the draft plan for Kosova, which can be considered as a basis for negotiations with the Serbian side, he said.

The Kosova negotiating team expresses the will of the Parliament's Presidency regarding the will of the people of Kosova for independence, adding that the interim solution is a possibility for the creation of preconditions for a just and lasting solution to the Kosova issue.

Apparently referring to the idea for the formation of a broadly- based Government, the Kosova Parliament's leaders said they hoped efforts to build a united front amongst political parties in Kosova in pursuit of a solution to the Kosova issue will continue, "respecting the constitutional laws of the Republic of Kosova".

[04] Serb Forces Open Mortar Fire towards Kralan Village of Gjakova Today

An LDK official from Malisheva quoted eye-witnesses as saying Serb forces first blocked the road at around 11:30 hrs, then launched mortar fire in the direction of Kralan village, which has been all but destroyed in summer Serb offensives in the area.

The echo of the fire, which lasted for a couple of hours, was heard in the villages of Malisheva municipality, the source said.

[05] Serbs Police Holds Kijeva Under Tight Grip

Isuf Bytyqi said the Serb police posted at Smonica location near T&rpeza village opened fire from machine guns towards Albanian farmhouses in the village last night. T&rpeza and several other villages in the area have been fired into almost every night, he said.

The LDK activist said Serb forces burned another house of a local Albanian in Kijeva yesterday. It will be soon six months since the Albanian population of Kijava fled their homes in the wake of a huge military and police offensive against U^K strongholds around the town. None of them has returned yet, Byty^i concluded.

Sources in Malisheva said two Albanians killed by Serb forces two months ago were buried yesterday in Bubavec village. Local villagers returning to their homes found the mutilated bodies of Murat Kryeziu (55) and Bajram Kryeziu in their homes.

[06] Fresh Serb Forces Deployed in Kosova on a Daily Basis

Three busloads of Serb policemen, half a dozen trucks trailing heavy artillery and anti-aircraft pieces, entered Kosova today morning at around 10:30, the LDK chapter in Podujeva said.

Sources in some other Kosova municipalities have been reporting of deployment of Serb forces in the towns and countryside.

At around midday today, over a dozen Serb vehicles and trucks with heavy armament on board were deployed in Gllogovc.

Two buses with Belgrade license plates carrying Serb police personnel entered the town of Vushtrri ('Vucitren') today morning at around 10 o'clock, sources said.

A local activist in the Rugova region, a mountainous area bordering on Montenegro, told the KIC today that fresh Serb military and police troops have been deployed in the area. In addition to the Serb policemen commonly manning checkpoints on the Peja-^akorr road, Yugoslav army soldiers have been also assigned there lately, he said.

The Albanian communities in the Rugova region have seen themselves under a virtual siege for a long time now, unable to move freely and got to fetch commodities in Peja, the activist said.

Agim Ibraj (31), Jeton Ibraj (30), Muj& Ibraj (25) and Sadik Ibraj (85) from Ibraj hamlet in Rugova were arrested at a checkpoint on the Peja- Rugova road on Tuesday. They were reported still in custody by today morning.

[07] Serb Police Arrests Four Other LDK Activists in Gjilan

The LDK chapter in Gjilan has failed to learn the pretext of their arrest, noting only that the police did not produce any arrest warrant or explanation. The four Albanians were arrested in their homes.

Several LDK activists, including senior members of the LDK chapter in Gjilan, have been arrested by the Serb police over the past two months. One of them, Lutfi Haziri, vice-chairman of the LDK chapter, has been held in Serb police custody since 15 August.

Still unconfirmed reports said the Serb police has issued arrest warrants for 40 other local LDK activists, suspected of alleged involvement in hostile activities, in Gjilan area.

[08] Serb Police Illtreats and Robs Students in Prishtina

Kreshnik Rugovaj, Valdet Rugovaj and Lan Beqiraj, all of them from Istog, were halted by a Serb police patrol in the Dardania neighborhood yesterday at around 2 p.m. They were taken to the basement of a block of apartments there, where they were ill- treated and robbed of money. Kreshnik Rugovaj was robbed of 150 DM, Valdet Rugovaj DM 50 and Lan Beqiraj DM 60. None of them was issued any invoice or certificate about the seized amount of money, the students said.

Meanwhile, the LDK chapter in Vushtrri said that Bislim Shala, from Okrashtica village, had his father's pension seized by the Serb police on Monday.

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