KOSOVA COMMUNICATION #215

Date: 17 Apr 1995 11:48:37 -0500

From: Kosova Information Centre <kosova@gn.apc.org>

CONTENTS

  • [01] President Rugova Visits United Kingdom

  • [02] Albanian Political Leaders Meet Diplomats

  • [03] Bill on Kosova introduced in US Congress

  • [04] European Parliament to form a group on Kosova

  • [05] Kosova's Social Map

  • [06] Albanian education subject of Serbian violence

  • [07] Trial Against Albanian Former Police

  • [08] Meeting of Serbian intellectuals in Prishtina

  • [09] News in Brief

    •

    KOSOVA COMMUNCATION

    Bulletin of the Ministry of Information of the Republic of Kosova

    4th year; No. 415 ; 10 April 1995

    [01] President Rugova Visits United Kingdom

    On April 3, the President of the Republic of Kosova, Dr. Ibrahim Rugova, accompanied by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosova Dr. Bujar Bukoshi, arrived in the United Kingdom for an official visit. During their stay they met with the Foreign Secretary, Mr. Douglas Hurd and Minister of State Douglas Hogg; Ms. Joyce Quin, deputy shadow foreign affairs secretary, Mr. David Clark, responsible for European affairs in the shadow foreign team. They also had separate meetings with British MPs Calum Macdonald, Mike Gapes, Patrick Cormack and David Atkinson. President Rugova and Prime Minister Bukoshi were also received by the former British Prime Minister Baroness Margaret Thatcher. During the meetings the top Kosova officials informed their hosts on the latest developments in Kosova, focussing on the recent Serbian camapign for the colonization of Kosova. They also presented the position of the Albanian side regarding the settelement of the Kosova issue, urging them to support the legitimate demands of the people of Kosova. Foreign Secretary Douglas Hurd and Minister of State Douglas Hogg, restated the commitment of the UK towards pressurising Belgrade into commencing a dialogue with the representatives of Kosova in a bid to reach a solution. The British MPs stressed that a just and acceptable solution should be ensured for Kosova. In all meetings it was pointed out that there would be no reintegration of Serbia into the international community as long as the Kosova issue was not settled. Baroness Thatcher said she was acquainted with the horrendous situation in Kosova, adding that the international community should not allow this to continue. She pointed out that it was hard to imagine that in the heart of Europe a people have been denied the right to education, employment, and the right to live. The international community should raise its voice about this, she said. Baroness Thatcher said she was sympathetic towards the policy the Albanians in Kosova have been pursuing, vowing her commitment in international fora and political circles towards the resolution of the Kosova issue.

    [02] Albanian Political Leaders Meet Diplomats

    On April 4, officials of the foreign embassies in Belgrade, Vincze Andres, Charge d'affaires, Istvaan Fehervari, Counsellor at the Hungarian Embassy, Peter Pregel, Second Secretary of the German Embassy, Michael Winzap, Second Secretary of the Swiss Embassy, and Gherardo Amaduzzi, Second Secretary of the Italian Embassy, met in Prishtina with representatives of the Albanian political parties in Kosova, Dr. Fehmi Agani, Hydajet Hyseni and Edita Tahiri (LDK), Dr. Mark Krasniqi, Christian Democratic Party, Dr.Hivzi Islami, Peasants Party, Bajram Kosumi, Parliamentarian Party, and Ramush Mavriqi, Social-Democratic Party. Leaders of the Albanian political parties briefed the foreign diplomates on the current developments in Kosova and declared that there was a consensus between all the relevant political factors in Kosova regarding the independence and sovereignty of Kosova.

    [03] Bill on Kosova introduced in US Congress

    Members of the U.S. House of Representatives, Benjamin Gilman, Eliot Engel and Susan Molinari reintroduced a legislation on Kosova. The Kosova Human Rights and Democracy Act of 1995 enshrines the principle that the Serbs must release their grip on Kosova before international sanctions on them will be lifted. Under this bill the President would have to certify that self government had been established in Kosova and that a separate identity or that of an international protectorate has been put in place. Other Representatives are signing onto the Gilman-Engel Molinari bill. Among those are: Reps. Peter King and Dana Rohrabacher. A hearing on the bill is expected later this spring before the International Relations Committee.

    [04] European Parliament to form a group on Kosova

    In a statement given to the Albanian section of Deutsche Welle ,Mr. Bernd Posselt, representative of the Bavarian Christian Social Union stated that a group on Kosova is to be formed in the European Parliament. According to Mr Posselt the group will be a working one and will closely monitor developements in Kosova.

    [05] Kosova's Social Map

    The Union of Independent Trade Unions of Kosova have released figures confirming the destitute social and economic circumstances of the Albanian population in Kosova. According to the Union, until now over 127,000 Albanians have been dismissed from their jobs. At the same time 35,000 Serbs and Montenegrins were employed. The families of all those dismissed remain on social welfare. In an article published by the Prishtina based weekly Zeri , the social map of Kosova was shown. The article reevals that in February the Humaniatrian Association Mother Theresa alone helped 26,778 families with an average of 6.52 members. Most of those helped were children : 35% under 14, 25% of the age group 14-22, 25% family heads and the final 15% to the elderly and disabled. According to a Mother Theresa spokesperson the figures show an increase of 20% compared to the same period of 1994. Currently the association assists 57,353 families totalling 373,939 people. Zeri writes that in Kosova on June 30 1994 there were 6,007 private companies with 9,092 employees, whose average earnings were 52 DM per calendar month; 351 state owned companies with 59,993 employees with average wages of 88 DM pcm; 324 cooperatives with 1915 workers each eraning about 60 DM pcm and 97 mixed companies with 22,554 emplyees eachhearning 55 DEM pcm . With such low wages it is impossible to make living. At that period a 4 member family needed at least 300 DM to survive showing that in Kosova even those employed still needed social assistance

    [06] Albanian education subject of Serbian violence

    In a press conference held on 6 April, Agim Hyseni, Chairman of the Education Trade Unions stated that currently the owners of house-schools, teachers and pupils have been ill-treated and threatened, even with assassination, by Serbs. Mr. Hyseni said that during the first quarter of 1995 35 owners of house schools, teachers and pupils were arrested. Most of them were physically maltreated. and some of them were detained for up to three days. Six teachers from Vushtrri vere sentenced to 15 or 29 days imprisonment. The dean of the Metalurgical-Mining Faculty in Mitrovica, Dr. Kadrush Berisha was also arrested. During this period of time police have 27 times intervened in schools.

    [07] Trial Against Albanian Former Police

    In line with the wave of staged trials against Kosova Albanian former policemen, another political trial in Kosova commenced its proceedings on 5 April in Peja. Vllaznim Shehu, Gani Hajdaraj, Sherif Shala, Shaban Shala, Sefer Hasanaj, Xhevat Ibraj, Idriz Elezaj, Skender Krasniqi and Dergut Bibaj are due to appear in court. A ten-page indictment (no. 128/94 of February 16) charges them of having been involved in preparations for "jeopardizing the territorial integrity" of the so-called Yugoslavia. These former Kosova policemen and activists with the Independent Unions of the Former Kosova Police, were arrested in mid-November 1994. They had been subjected to severe torture during the detention period. Many international organization have condemned their detention and the police torture exercised against them while they were under investigation.

    [08] Meeting of Serbian intellectuals in Prishtina

    From 31 March to 3 April, a scientific symposium on the problems of population was held in Prishtina. The symposium was sponsored by the Serbian Ministry of Science and Technology and the Serbian installed authorities of Prishtina University. In the meeting representatives of the makers of official Serbian policies and other Serbian academics and intellectuals called upon the Serbian government to expell 400,000 Albanians from Kosova and replace them with 400,000 Serb colonists. They also proposed several drastic measures in order to change the ethnic composition of Kosova.

    [09] News in Brief

    On March 20, around 9 AM , Serbian police arrested Vehbi Shaqiri, in his house at the village Boka near Skenderaj. He was then held at the Skenderaj police station until 2:30 pm. From there he was escorted by Serbian military police to the military barrcaks in Nish.

    On March 31, the Magistatrates Court at Mitrovica, sentenced to 20 days imprisonment Zenel Istrefi (45), Chairman of the DLK branch of the Bajgora village. He was arrested while chairing a meeting in the premises on the village's primary school.

    On 2 and 3 April, in Klina, Serbian military officers inspected and filmed the region and the surrounding terrain near the village Pograxhe. The officers then left escorted by a helicopter and two military vehicles.

    On 3 April in Lipjan, early morning, Serbian finnancial police forces from Peja raided the town market plundering large amounts of money and goods. Many shops and offices of Albanian owned companies were included in the raid.

    On 4 April, the Magistrates Court of Suhareka sentenced Xhavit Durmishi, Principal of the 'Edith Durham' Primary School in the village Mushitisht to 45 days imprisonment beacuse on 8 March he had organised the celebration of the school day.

    On 4 April around 12:00, at Dubovik village near Degan, Serbian police searched for Ajshe Gervalla (74) , mother of the Albanian heroes Jusuf and Bardhosh Gkrvalla. Because Mrs. Gervalla was not at home at that time police arrested her the following day at 11:20. She is still being held at the police station in Degan. It is important to mention that Ajshe Gervalla for many years has been living alone. The reason for her arrest is as yet unkwnown.

    On 4 April, around 10:00 AM, two policemen intervened in the premises of the Technical Faculty on 27 'Xhemajl Ibishi' Street in Prishtina. Police confiscated administrative documentation, registers, student cards, and 270 DM. In the end they arrested Rexhep Mustafa, member of the faculty administration.

    The Serbian installed coercive authorities of Prishtina University continues to destroy Albanian cultural and historical monuments. Recently at the yard in front of the faculty of Philosophy in Prishtina Serb authorities removed the monument to the victims of the Second World War, and also removed the plaque dedicated to 114 Albanian anti-fascist intellectuals, patriots and activists, states Bujku, April 7.

    In line with Serbian plans for the colonisation of Kosova it was announced that an additional 122 apartments would be given for Serbian colonists in Prishtina. Up to now there have been 1,856 applicants, 700 of whom are Serbs allready living in Prishtina and the surrounding villages, and 100 of them are Serbian refugees coming to Kosova from ex-Yugoslavian regions involved in the war.

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