CONTENTS
A WEEK AFTER FRY'S ADMITTANCE IN THE UN - KOSOVO KNOWS NOTHING
ON MISSING PERSON
LATEST CHANGES IN SERBIA A NEW SITUATION FOR
KOSOVO
A PROCESS FOR ETHNIC CLEANSING IN KOSOVO OPENED IN NIS
WILL
KOSOVAR REPRESENTATIVES PARTICIPATE IN THE BALKANS SUMMIT?
SOME OF THE
WAR CORPSES CANNOT BE FOUND FOR NEXT TEN YEARS
A WEEK AFTER FRY'S ADMITTANCE IN THE UN - KOSOVO KNOWS NOTHING ON MISSING PERSONS
"She recalls the murder of her parents and her son, her other missing son, husband, and three brothers… she thinks back and tries to find in her memory an evil act of hers which could have brought this harsh punishment, but she cannot find none. By midnight the suffering of her soul ruins her sleep, and without making any noise she walks out on the hall and starts smoking. Only in the late hours, when her nephews and nieces are sleeping, Florija Haraçija allows tears, memories and hopes to flow freely. In the morning, she swallows sedatives and once again becomes a strong hostess…" noted Koha Ditore on page one in a story which describes the suffering of one of many Albanian mothers from the town of Gjakova who have no knowledge on the whereabouts of their missing sons.
"I have become an actress in my old days…" said Florija trying to hide her tears from her nephew, whose father was taken away by Serb forces eighteen months ago. "I don’t want to see them to see my tears, because they ask me 'are you crying for uncle or for dad?' and I have to tell them that I'm crying for their uncle because their dad is hopefully alive".
The Albanian families rely their hopes on Belgrade and the international community. "The foreigners should help us find our sons and bring them back home, so that the children do not become orphans," said Florija stressing her last and only wish, "If I could only see my son once again, to sit by him in the garden and then die. My dying wish to them would be to sing after I die".
LATEST CHANGES IN SERBIA A NEW SITUATION FOR KOSOVO
Zëri carried on page two a report from a round table held by Kosovar political parties.
Situation in Kosovo, holding of elections and changes in Serbia were issues discussed at around table with Kosovar political parties, host of this round table was UNIKOMB. "Remaining Yugoslavia was admitted to the UN under the same flag under whose 'glory' thousands were massacred in the Balkans," said UNIKOMB representative Muhamet Kelmendi. At this meeting was proposed a need for bigger cooperation between political parties, to confront the created situation after the changes in Serbia. Most of political parties participated apart from LDK and PDK. This round table presented a declaration for approval proposed by UNIKOMB. This declaration should approve several issues: There should be no contact with the Belgrade regime until central institutions are created after the holding of general elections in 2001, this parliament would have the possibility to declare a referendum for Kosovo's final status. This declaration contained eight issues however they were not approved by the present because there was lack of presence of two biggest parties LDK and PDK. Maybe these issues can be approved at a later time when these two parties participate. Even though the declaration was not approved, all the participants agreed that lifting of sanctions to Serbia was hasty move. "With FRY's admittance to the UN, Kosovo's position is in disfavor. There was little talk about Kosovo 's status while Belgrade was under isolation, and now the situation is much more difficult," said Muhamet Kelmendi. Local elections were a good basis for forming a sound local government, and to follow in that path in creating other Kosovo institutions that would be authorized to start discussion on Kosovo's status.
A PROCESS FOR ETHNIC CLEANSING IN KOSOVO OPENED IN NIS
Koha Ditore carried on page four a report on a process opened at Military Court in Nis on the issue of ethnic cleansing in Kosovo.
The case of three Yugoslav military members accused for the killing of an Albanian couple during the war in Kosovo that is being examined at the Military Court in Nis has brought to light a fact that was negated by Yugoslav authorities, that is ethnic cleansing during the war in Kosovo.
On 1 November at the Military Court in Nis the opening session of the main trial for Captain Dragisa Petrovic, Stamenkovic and Jovic two reserve soldiers of the Yugoslav Army for the killing of Rukije and Feriz Krasniqi a Kosovar couple reports Belgrade's Human Rights Fund (FHP).
FHP noted that this is trial represents the first case that initiated
the issue of "cleansing" in Kosovo.
At the first trial
session, head judge Col. Radenko Miladinovic asked one of eyewitnesses, a
member of the unit for removing of killing marks, and what does he mean in
his diary "That two persons were cleaned". Reserve soldier Nebojsa
Dimitrijevic said that means that they burned their bodies. This is the
first time that in a Yugoslav Military Court where crimes committed in
Kosovo are being tried the term "cleansing" was used.
Eyewitnesses gave their versions of the event and later on
negated it, with threats from head investigative judge and with stolen
depositions concerning the case from the court; this case will be more
difficult than it looks like.
According to statements that
accused gave to the security forces on 31 March 1999 who investigated the
scene, the killing of Krasniqi couple happened in this
way:
Yugoslav Army (VJ) Battalion, which was under command of
Capt. Dragisa Petrovic, arrived at Sushice e Epërm village on 27 March
1999. Albanians were ordered to leave the village. Capt. Petrovic ordered
personally two civilians that refused to leave their home. Feriz Krasniqi
said that they have nowhere to go and his wife is an invalid. Nervously,
the captain ordered the reserve soldiers, Stamenkovic, Jovic and
Dimitrijevic to execute them. The three of them went to the Krasniqi house
where they met Feriz at the courtyard. Dimitrijevic pointed his gun at the
old man however, he did not know what to do, and at that moment, Jovic
shot the old man. Afterwards, Stamenkovic entered the house and killed the
old woman who was confined to her bed. Part of this VJ unit that was
posted at the Sushice village was a unit for removal of corpses. Sergeant
Stoilkovic was in charge of these operations and Dimitrijevic was given
the task to burn the corpses. When he arrived at the village on 27 March,
he found the old man's body by the road and Stoilkovic ordered two
soldiers to bury it.
First session at the Military Court in
Nis, the accused and some of the eyewitnesses negated the statements that
they gave to security forces that investigated this case at the scene.
Head judge Miladinovic presented the fact that documents were stolen
nevertheless, the court managed to get them back. Depositions were lost
where reserve VJ members gave to security forces detailed explanations of
how the elderly couple Krasniqi was killed, following orders. These
depositions were changed with other where the accused do not mention the
killings.
The reserve members negated before the Military
Court, they told the security forces that they killed the elderly Albanian
couple under orders from Capt. Petrovic as a payback because they were in
conflict from earlier.
Captain Dragisa Petrovic also negated
accusations for the killing of the elderly couple. He said that he was
under great mental stress when he arrived at the Sushice village, and he
remembers the event "vaguely". He remembers that one of the soldiers
mentioned an old man however he did not give order to executing anyone at
that village. Statements given to security forces during investigation of
the case where reserve members Stamenkovic and Jovic killed the elderly
couple negated one of the eyewitnesses the reserve member Dimitrijevic.
The reserve member Dimitrijevic told the court that he was
forced to declare that Jovic and Stamenkovic killed the Krasniqi couple,
because the investigative judge threatened him with ten years of
imprisonment if he did not confirm the accused
statements.
However another eyewitness, sergeant Stoilkovic
repeated his statement before the judge that then accused Stamenkovic and
Jovic told him that they killed tow civilian Albanians, they did not
mention they were ordered to do so.
The trial of three VJ
members for the killing of the elderly Albanian couple and "cleansing" of
the corpses will continue on 16 November when the eyewitness Lt. Col.
Lubisa Micic will be questioned.
WILL KOSOVAR REPRESENTATIVES PARTICIPATE IN THE BALKAN SUMMIT?
Kosova Sot on page one and three carried a report concerning Albanian representatives participating in the Balkan Summit, which will hold in Zagreb.
UNMIK spokeswoman, Susan Manuel stated that it has not been decided which political leaders or people from independent social structures associating UN administrator in Kosovo, Kouchner will attend the summit. Kouchner will raise as one of the main issues the missing, the release of imprisoned from Serbia, and the return of refugees, and they will not discuss the status of Kosovo, said Manuel.
“Yugoslav” leader, Kostunica and the government leader, Zizic will also participate. The Albanian main party representatives have not been informed about any eventual participation in this Summit. LDK vice-president, Kolë Berisha said that he doesn’t have information concerning any official invitation for LDK’s participation, PDK vice-president, Hajredin Kuci stated that PDK will participate in all forums where Kosovo’s fate and all issues in the regions are discussed, especially in councils organized by relevant international factors for issues concerning peace, safety and regional stability. He said they will make sure to participate on the mandate given by the people and will defend the political strategy that clicks with the national intentions.
“An essential condition is the presence and guarantee of the major world powers, as the USA”, stated Kuci, adding that they will make sure that these requests will be articulated the right way through experts present in every meeting. There are conditions to participate in meetings with regional importance, but not in formal or informal meetings with the state that held them occupied and has no intentions to let go of further reoccupation tendencies.
Kuci believes that no preparations have been made for serious and successful talks, and even if PDK had diplomatic relations they would have to stop them, considering Belgrade’s government position. “We have to state the fact that the major changes in Belgrade have to do with Kosovo, the international community and with Serbia, but the talks for Kosovo are not urgent since the Serb forces departed and KFOR took over”, stated Kuci, adding that the international Community was hasty with the talks with Belgrade, a few states were supposed to have had this intensity when Kosovo was occupied, but still the current situation is tolerant for the Albanians.
Kuci is convinced the time will come for Kosovo’s final secession talks and not for Kosovo’s reintegration with Serbia, this convincement probably have the Serb authorities and residents and a few international factors.
SOME OF THE WAR CORPSES CANNOT BE FOUND FOR NEXT TEN YEARS
Koha Ditore on page four carried a report by the Macedonian daily
“Dnevnik” which according to the international statistics, a few missing
people during the conflict cannot be found for the next ten
years.
The daily Macedonian paper “Dnevnik” reported that
from February until August of last year from 4.919 missing persons, 1.142
were found by ICRC and 2.095 dead. The chief of Red Cross Delegation,
Francois Shtam stated that the discovery of the missing was difficult
because of the great disturbances obstacles of the Yugoslavian Red Cross
in Kosovo. “The Red Cross of Geneva cooperates with the Red Cross of
Kosovo, even though it’s not acknowledged internationally”, stated
Shtam.
Based on his experience with the Red Cross headquarters in Tirana, it is difficult to create the ties of family members, said Shtam and added that during the last few months, 55 requests have been announced. The problem of the separated families started when Air Bridge of Macedonia started to function, so the people who were still in Kosovo, or on border crossings of “Jazhince” or “Bllace” were not able to place contacts with their families who were in Macedonia or had abandoned it.
During the Kosovo crisis, Macedonia accepted 300 requests for
discovering the babies who were left in Prishtina or sent elsewhere. ICRC
and the Red Cross of Macedonia have found 30 persons per day who were lost
in the refugee camps in Macedonia.