KOSOVA COMMUNICATION #215
Date: 17 Apr 1995 11:48:37 -0500
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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