Kosova Daily Report #1616, 98-11-19

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

Kosova Information Center
KOSOVA DAILY REPORT #1616
Prishtina, 19 November 1998

CONTENTS

[01] U.S. Says Serb-brokered Meeting in Prishtina Was Not Well Prepared

[02] Disguised, Serb-Speaking Persons, Kill Albanian Surgeon, Wound His Daughter in Peja

[03] Damages Caused by Serb Offensive in Kosova Amount to 17 Billion Dollars, Kosovar Trade Unions Says

[04] Serb Police Harass Passersby in Streets, Kids in Schoolyard, in Lipjan

[05] Serb Police Mounts Intimidation Campaign against Albanians in Klina

[06] Serb Court in Peja Sentences Two Albanians, Trial of Six Others Adjourned

[07] Serbs Sprinkle Albanian's Households With Obscure, Devastating Powder

[08] Self-styled, Surrogate Serb 'Local Police' Arrests Two Albanians in Gjakova

[09] Binak Kelmendi, Editor-in-Chief of Bujku/Rilindja Daily

[01] U.S. Says Serb-brokered Meeting in Prishtina Was Not Well Prepared

Kosova Albanian representatives refused to take part in what they branded a Serb regime propaganda ploy.

Kosovar political representatives said the talks process on Kosova should be well-prepared and effectively mediated by the international community.

"This [meeting] was not well prepared and the modalities were not agreed to in advance," James Rubin told reporters in Washington. He went on to speak about U.S. envoy Chris Hill's efforts on an interim solution for Kosova. "It is a set of ideas. We're meeting with a broad cross-section of Kosovar Albanian leaders to try to make sure we reflect all the views, including the views of the KLA.

We believe that our draft provides the basis for further discussions, and that's what we are working on," the USIS Prishtina carried Rubin's remarks in it its today's edition of The Washington File bulletin.

The Prishtina-based Koha Ditore daily published Wednesday and Thursday what it claimed is the latest version of the U.S. plan, dated 1 November.

It looks like the Serbs are likely to reject the latest draft, a reporter noted, asking James Rubin whether it would be redrafted now. "Well, this is a rolling draft, as these drafts tend to be...

The idea is that we would put down on paper a set of ideas that we think might bridge the gap," the State Dept. spokesman said.

[02] Disguised, Serb-Speaking Persons, Kill Albanian Surgeon, Wound His Daughter in Peja

The LDK in Peja said Dr. Nuredin Zejnullahu was gunned down in front of his house in the town last evening at around 20:00. Three disguised persons who spoke fluent Serbian had captured his son, Kreshnik Zejnullahu (18), coercing him to tell where his father was. When hearing his son screaming, Dr. Zejnullahu walked out of his home. One of the attackers opened fire from his automatic gun, hitting him and his daughter, who also stepped out to see what was happening.

Fatally wounded Dr. Nuredin Zejnullahu died on his way to the town hospital in Peja. Aida Zejnullahu has been taken to the hospital, and her life condition is not critical, LDK sources said.

[03] Damages Caused by Serb Offensive in Kosova Amount to 17 Billion Dollars, Kosovar Trade Unions Says

He recalled that the Serb crackdown started on 28 February 1998, leaving some 1800 Albanians killed, 1,400 others missing.

Serbian forces have shelled and burned 441 Albanian settlements (villages and towns), which fall administratively within 18 municipalities of the Republic of Kosova. Bajrushi noted that in four municipalities (De^an, Gllogovc, Skenderaj and Klina) around 90 percent of the settlements have been affected by the Serbian war of attrition.

Some 150,000 Albanians have been turned into refugees, most of them being in Albania, Montenegro, Macedonia, but also Bosnia and Western European countries, the Kosovar trade unions official said, adding that some 250,000 are internally-displaced people within the territory of Kosova.

Mr. ^aush Bajrushi called for foreign donators keen on helping with reconstruction in Kosova to cooperate with the competent bodies of the Republic of Kosova, including the Kosovar Trade Unions (BSPK).

[04] Serb Police Harass Passersby in Streets, Kids in Schoolyard, in Lipjan

Serb policemen manning a rolling checkpoint near the Ribar i Madh village harassed virtually every passerby, including schoolchildren, on Wednesday afternoon.

The LDK reported today of further and increased movement of Serb forces both on asphalt roads and in the villages. A Serb police patrol went today to Dobraja village, harassing and intimidating pupils inside the local schoolyard, the LDK said.

[05] Serb Police Mounts Intimidation Campaign against Albanians in Klina

Several checkpoints and outposts in the area have been lately reinforced with fresh troops and armament around the Volljaka Gllareva, Jashania, Klinavc and Sferka villages, in particular. The Serbs have been continuously harassing and intimidating the local population in the villages as well as on the street, the Commission said. Not a singe local Albanian has returned so far to the Dellova village, fearful of the Serb police presence around the village and their hostile attitude towards the Albanian population.

The LDK named several Albanians who were subjected to police maltreatment. One of them, Metush Temaj, was beaten in Klina. In addition, the police seized him a TV set he was taking to repair in the town.

Isa Bajraktari from Jashanica and Emin Krasniqi from Klina were arrested on the street of the town on Wednesday. The former was released later in the day, whereas the latter is reported still in custody.

[06] Serb Court in Peja Sentences Two Albanians, Trial of Six Others Adjourned

Zef Pjetri and Hil K^iraj, both residents of Zhub village of Gjakova, were accused for having attempted to smuggle arms from Albania into Kosova. The two men were arrested on 8 July near their village of residence, sources in Peja said.

Meanwhile, the LDK chapter in Peja said that the trial of six other Albanians due for today in the Serb court in town was adjourned.

Vehbi Muharremi (1968), Nysret Hoti (1970), Isak Hoti (1974), Sokol Morina (1945), Agim Morina (1957) and Xhem& Gashi, all of them from Rahovec ('Orahovac') municipality, have been held in pre-trial detention since 15 July.

The trial of the six Albanians did not open today as the defending attorneys contended that, under the 12 October 1999 Milosevic- Holbrooke deal, the detainees who were not involved in conflicts and crimes should be released.

The presiding judge from Belgrade, Rade Micunovic, rejected the request of the defense, but ruled instead that the trial be put off for an unspecified period.

The team of attorneys involved in defending the six Albanians have officially requested for the disclaimer of the president of the court, arguing he had committed procedural infringements.

[07] Serbs Sprinkle Albanian's Households With Obscure, Devastating Powder

The Albanian told the chapter of the Council for the Defense of Human Rights and Freedoms (CDHRF) in Obiliq that his family had vacated the home back in July in the wake of a Serb offensive against the communities near the Bella^evc coal mines. He returned recently, but realized that everything in his house, including barns and stables, were covered in a powder unknown to him. The furniture in the house has already decayed, and the rest of the household was likewise quickly decomposing, he told the human rights Council today.

[08] Self-styled, Surrogate Serb 'Local Police' Arrests Two Albanians in Gjakova

The 'local police' patrol was headed by Vitor Do^i.

The two arrested Albanians were taken to the Serb police station in Gjakova.

Serb regime sources reported last week that the U^K (Kosova Liberation Army) killed one Albanian, member of this 'local police', and wounded his son in a gunbattle in the De^an area.

Meanwhile, LDK sources in Gjakova said Dr. Pal Leka, chairman of the LDK sub-chapter in Novosell& villages, has been in Serb custody since Wednesday. The reason for his arrest is still unknown, they added.

[09] Binak Kelmendi, Editor-in-Chief of Bujku/Rilindja Daily

Mr. Kelmendi, formerly foreign editor, replaces Avni Spahiu, editor-in- chief of the daily in the past four years.

The journalists and staff of Rilindja Publishing Company said last week they would resume publication of the newspaper with its old name, Rilindja (Revival), which it bore in the 45 years of its existence (1945-1990) as the only Albanian-language daily in the former Yugoslavia.

The Serb occupation authorities ruled in 1993 to undo Rilindja, seizing scores of millions of dollars of property with a stroke of the pen, simply renaming it 'Panorama' which was to be run by the Serb-appointed personnel.

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