Kosova Daily Report #1643, 98-12-22

Kosovo Information Center: Kosova Daily Report Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

Kosova Information Center
KOSOVA DAILY REPORT #1643
Prishtina, 22 December 1998

CONTENTS

[01] President Rugova Receives American Diplomats

[02] UN High Commissioner Visits Malisheva, Prizren and Peja

[03] Albanian Executed in the Full Presence of His Family in Peja Village, Eye-Witnesses Said

[04] Bujku Has Not Appeared for Four Days, Walker Condemns Serb Threats to Albanian Media

[05] Serbian Forces Head for Podujeva, Albanian Families Raided

[06] Serbian Troops Firing in Prizren, Skenderaj, Vushtrri

[07] Serbian Police Steps up Campaign of Violence in Peja, Mitrovica, Vushtrri, Obiliq

[01] President Rugova Receives American Diplomats

The overall situation in Kosova, focussing on the worrisome developments of the past few weeks, was discussed in the meeting.

President Rugova and Mr. Rossin concluded that there is pressing need for the de-escalation of the situation and the speeding up of the political process in pursuit of a political and negotiated resolution to the Kosova issue.

[02] UN High Commissioner Visits Malisheva, Prizren and Peja

In her trip, she was accompanied by Ambassador William Walker, the head of the OSCE Kosova Verification Mission.

Madame Ogata was acquainted first-hand with the desperate situation the Albanian refugees have found themselves in in the aftermath of the Serbian aggression of this year.

In Prizren, Ogata visited a refugee center housing Serbs from Croatia, who have been brought to Kosova as settlers.

This is the second time Sadako Ogata visits the war-torn Kosova.

[03] Albanian Executed in the Full Presence of His Family in Peja Village, Eye-Witnesses Said

Heavy Serbian forces sealed off the houses of the Kabashi family compound at 6 o'clock in the morning, raiding many of them.

Quoting eye-witnesses, the LDK chapter in Peja said the police raided the houses of Sali, Avdi and Arif Kabashi before taking Jah& Sali Kabashi (30) from his house and executing him by shooting in front of his house, in the full presence of his family. The family were even ordered to not dare touch the body of the killed Jah& before police came back.

During the two-hour raid, police beat up family members and smashed up furniture. Avdi, Shefqet, Naim, Valdet and Bashkim Kabashi were arrested.

The KIC has been unable to obtain further details surrounding the incident, as the village was reported sealed off by Serb police.

[04] Bujku Has Not Appeared for Four Days, Walker Condemns Serb Threats to Albanian Media

Ambassador William Walker, head of the OSCE Kosova Verification Mission, said in a statement today that developments around the Albanian-language media in recent days "give OSCE/KVM renewed cause for anxiety and worry about the status of the freedom of expression" in Kosova.

Last week Albanian-language papers received warning letters from the Serbian Minister of Information, threatening punishment under Serbian law if they did not change their editorial policies, Ambassador Walker recalls. Bujku language has not appeared four publishing days in a row, he said, adding that electricity to the office of the paper has been cut, "and there are reports that employees have been denied entry to the building."

This action is detrimental to KVM efforts to "create peaceful conditions for a political solution of the conflict in Kosovo", Ambassador Walker said, concluding that threats to the freedom of the press are in fundamental contradiction of the Helsinki Act of 1975.

The Albanian-language Rilindja daily was closed down and banned in August 1990 by the Serbian occupation authorities. These authorities illegally took over the property of the Rilindja Publishing Company in 1993, forcing Rilindja employees to set up Bujku and pay rent for their own offices.

There was an OSCE observer mission to Kosova back in 1993 when all this happened.

[05] Serbian Forces Head for Podujeva, Albanian Families Raided

A convoy of Serbian troops, involving 20 tanks and scores of other vehicles, travelled the Prishtina-Podujeva roadway before turning towards the Batllav& village in the municipality of Podujeva, sources said.

It is presumed that the convoy ended up in Dumosh village, where 60 Serb military vehicles were deployed on Saturday. These forces violated the cease-fire Monday in villages north of Podujeva, launching artillery and machine-gun fire for a couple of hours.

A number of Albanians households were raided by police in the town of Podujeva on Monday.

LDK chapter sources in Podujeva said police raided today the houses of the brothers Sefedin, Halil and Musa Bajrami, as well as the home of Enver Tahiri. A random passer-by, Latif Oraca, was reported physically abused by police.

Police maintained a huge presence in the town of Podujeva in the past two days, stopping and harassing Albanians in random check- points.

[06] Serbian Troops Firing in Prizren, Skenderaj, Vushtrri

At 10:30 a.m. today, some 50 Serb army personnel backed up by a number of vehicles, including a tank, left Prizren heading in the direction of Gjakova. Some of them stopped at the Landovica bridge, others proceeded to Krush& e Madhe and Celin&. Serb soldiers deployed in an area between these villages have opened fire in the direction of Kodra e Bellas& today. There has been no immediate word on casualties.

Meanwhile, LDK sources in Skenderaj said for a couple of hours last night - from 23:00 through 01:00 hrs - heavy firing was heard coming from the Serb police station in the town and the Game Ammunition Factory in the suburbs of Skenderaj.

Automatic weapons fire was heard in the town center of Vushtrri, at around 19:00 hrs and 22:00 hrs, respectively, on Monday. Firing was heard late Monday evening in the village of Pestov&, too, local LDK sources said.

[07] Serbian Police Steps up Campaign of Violence in Peja, Mitrovica, Vushtrri, Obiliq

Police raided scores of Albanian houses, arrested scores of people, and engaged in looting and smashing up of property of Albanians.

(It is ironical indeed to credit the Serb police with 'professional performance' in such wanton repression and destruction of Albanian people and their property, as some international observers have done!).

Serb police personnel left Mitrovica for Skenderaj today, LDK sources said, adding that a dozen armed Serb policeman stopped and searched Albanians for an hour and a half today morning near the buss station in Mitrovica.

At around 11:00 a.m. today, Serb police with APCs were stationed in the village of Shupkofc. They reportedly set up a random checkpoint there, stopping cars and people, searching and harassing them.

Five Albanian street cigarette vendors were arrested by Serb police in the town of Vushtrri today morning.

A joint Serb military and police random checkpoint was established Monday morning in the crossroads between the villages of Raskov&, Bakshi, and Besi. Equipped with an APC, Serb soldiers and policemen stopped and checked Albanians thoroughly. A number of Albanian schoolchildren were ill-treated by police in Mazgit village of Obiliq. Serb hooligans ill-treated Albanian schoolchildren in Plemetin village yesterday, LDK sources said.

Kosova Information Center

Kosovo Information Center: Kosova Daily Report Directory - Previous Article - Next Article