The President of the Republic of Kosova, Dr. Ibrahim Rugova, received today in farewell meeting in Prishtina Dr. Gerhard Schrmbgens, Charg d'Affaires of the German Embassy in Belgrade. The situation in Kosova and the developments in the region were discussed in the meeting. President Rugova expressed his deep appreciation to Dr. Schrmbgens for the continued concern and attention of Germany to the Kosova issue.
On 30 May, the President of the Republic of Albania, Sali Berisha, received Ambassador Gert Ahrens, Chairman of the International Conference on Yugoslavia Group for ethnic communities.
Mr Berisha informed Mr. Ahrens that Albanian was genuinely interested on the stability and co-operation with FYR of Macedonia. But this stability and co-operation was conditional on the respect and guarantee of the freedoms and human rights of the Albanians. We are for encouraging dialogue between Albanian political forces and FYROM authorities in the gradual resolving of all problems regarding information, education, communication and their participation in FYROM state administrationing, concluded Berisha.
Mr. Alfred Serreqi, Albanian Foreign Minister, attended a meeting of the foreign ministers of NATO member states in Nordvick, Holland. Addressing the meeting, Mr Serreqi also spoke about the grim situation in Kosova. He pointed out that there can not be a solution of the problems in former Yugoslavia without the participation of the Albanias. Non expansion of the conflict in the south is an element to be supported and strengthened by a dialogue between Prishtina and Belgrade in the presence of a third neutral party. The internationally imposed sanctions on Serbia and Montenegro should not be lifted until a solution for the Kosova issue is found.
A staged political trial against 71 Albanians, former personnel of the Kosova Ministry of the Interior, who were kicked out of their jobs in the aftermath of the Serbian illegal suspension of Kosova state bodies, started in Prishtina, at the hall of the Parliament of Kosova building, under the Serbian regime's grip since 5 July 1990. For over an hour the accused were kept hand-cuffed. The indictment was read out, after many objections on infringement of proceedings were raised by the defending lawyers. The trial is set to reconvene on 12 June. Similar proceedings are being held in Peja, Gjilan and Prizren.
Recently, in Holy Seat was celebrated, 100 anniversary of the pronouncing of the Lady of the Good Council, Conciliator of Albanian and Albanian nation. His holiness, Pope John Pole II, started his speech in Albanian saying: "God save your fatherland! God protect Albanians all over the World!".
The ceremony was attended by a thousand Albanian pilgrimms from Albanian and Diaspora. Also present was the Albanian Nobel Prize Winner Mother Theresa. Archbishop of Shkodra, Frano Ilia, thanked the Holy Father for his everlasting interest on the well-being of the Albanian nation.
There can not be a democratic and rich Serbia without a free and independent Kosova, said Hydajet Hyesni, the LDK vice-chairman in an interview with the Belgrade-based weekly "Vreme". The future can not be built with arms, repression and prisons. This should at last be understood by the genuine representatives of the Serbian people and it's real friends, Mr Hyseni added.
The chairman of Albanian Demo-Christian Party, Mark Krasniqi, accompanied by other party officials, met in Belgrade in separate meetings, American, German, Swiss and Albania diplomats. Mr Krasniqi told the diplomats that the most righteous solution for Kosova would be its independence. Any other solution would be legalising of slavery. He required more international support for the starting of an Albanian-Serbian dialogue, in a presence of a third authorised party.
Mr Bajrush Behrami, vice-chairman of the National Unity Party, in a press conference held on 1 June, requested the immediate release of Mr Ukshin Hoti, Chairman of this Party, imprisoned for his political beliefs. He also demanded the release of other political prisoners and abandonment of the present political trials.
Council for Defence of Human Rights and Freedoms (CDHRF) in Prishtina sent a Memorandum on the situation of children in Kosova to the Human Rights Committee in Geneva.
The Memorandum, signed by Mr. Adem Demai, is a reply to an earlier report by Belgrade authorities to the same Committee. The Memorandum says that since 1981, 21 Albanian children were killed and in the last four years they are subjected to all forms of ill-treatment. Over 340,000 children do not receive any allowances and do not have health protection. Infant mortality rates have risen.
The memorandum goes on to say that Albanian children are being denied the right to education, adding that curriculum's offered by Serbia deny everything that is Albanian. The practise of apartheid, that started in the school year 1990/91, by separating Albanian from Serbian pupils, which was followed with closure of all secondary schools, thus leaving without means for education about 300,000 primary school and 70,000 secondary school pupils , was condemned.
Albanian representatives in the International Conference in Yugoslavia, the Memorandum outlines, tried everything within their means to find a solution, but they met obstructive standings of Serbian party, who pretended that the Kosova issue is internal Serbian.
The presidency of the Independent Society of Kosova Lawyers, on it meeting held on 31 May, chaired by Dr. Esat Stavileci, concluded that Albanians were discriminated in housing.
Anti-Albanian policies of Serbian occupying authorities, continued to arbitrary invalidate Kosova Law's and replace them with correspondingly dispositions of Serbian Parliament. Therefore, they have been trying to create circumstances for the eviction of Albanians from their flats and working premises, states the communiqu of the Society of Kosova Lawyers.
The Serbian-installed authorities in Mitrovica started building a settlement for Serb colonizers at the Albanian cemetery at Zvean i Vogl village, adjacent to the town of Mitrovica. The LDK Information Commission in Mitrovica said that while digging on the ground the excavators dug out several skeletons and skulls of corpses buried in the area.
Albanian employees with the "Kosova" construction firm involved in the construction of the settlement have refused to carry on working and went on strike.
Dr. Hajrullah Gorani, chairman of the Kosova Independent Trade Unions, was denied an exit visa to go to Albania. Mr. Gorani was invited to participate in the Congress of the Confederation of Albanian Trade Unions. Serbian authorities tattempted to justify their act by saying that Mr. Gorani apparently did not posses an official written invitation.
The economy of Kosova has virtually been destroyed. Serbian authorities drove it to the verge of collapse by destroying its production and organisational basis. Companies such as "Trepa", "Elektroekonomia", "Sharri" and "Ferronikli", once giant industrial organisations, have stopped production for some time now. This is the result of Serbian policy of coercive measures and forced integration.
"Trepa" used to produce annually 151,000 tons of lead, 50,000 tons of zinc, 34,000 tons of batteries, 113 tons of silver and 273 kilos of gold, now enters into its sixth year without producing anything at all. Out of 27,000 workers that it once employed, only 6,500 have now remained and most of them spend their time on medical leave. Maintenance is of the lowest level and many galleries have been flooded. Exploitation is carried out without any plans. Colossal investments will be needed to fully restore production. The first condition to achieve this is allowing back all Albanian workers and specialists.
The situation at "Elektroekonomia" is very much the same. Electricity produced in it now only satisfies the need of Kosova households. Compared to 1988, when 5.4 million mw/h of electrical energy was produced, production now has fallen for over 40%.
As two furnaces at "Ferronikli" are down, it is impossible to make it operational now, because re-ignition of furnaces, apart from being expensive, is a complicated as well as dangerous procedure.
The biggest producer of building material in Kosova, "Sharri", has almost ceased to function, whereas building material needed in the region is imported.
Dr. Fadil Sylejmani, the Rector of the Albanian University of Tetova (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) was released recently on bail , the Prishtina-based Bujku reported today. A DM 100.000 was paid to the Tetova District Court for his release until the FYROM Court of Appeals reconsiders the initial decision of the court. On 31 May , Dr. Sylejmani visited several Faculties of the Tetova University.
During May , in the town of Istog, Serbian police searched 9 families, questioned 19 , ill-treated 5 and twice raided local fruit market.
At the same period of time in Gllogoc, Serbian police arrested 90 persons, tortured 11, 23 were left summons for 'informative talks', 7 were robbed, 14 were sought after, 4 ill-treated, 2 passports were seized and 3 families were searched.
During the same month, in Podujeva, 3 houses were raided, intervened in an Albanian institution, 8 were called for "informative talks", 3 maltreated, 4 tortured; 3 LDK activists were taken to the police station while the passports of two others were seized.
On 24 May, in Gerlice e Eprme (Kaanik), near the place called Fusha e Bajrakut, Serbian army forces with two armoured vehicles were deployed.
On 26 May, in Zhur, Ridvan Hoxha, Headmaster of the local primary school and chairman of the Association of Headmasters of Prizren Primary Schools, was taken to the police station. he was questioned for two hours regarding the Association's business, organising of the education process in schools and the visit of charge d'affairs of the Albanian Embassy in Belgrade.
On the same day, in Drenoc (Rahovec),Idriz Krasniqi, a deserter from former Yugoslav Army was arrested and taken to Prizren military barracks.
In Malisheva, Serbian police seized from Albanian merchants, goods and foreign currency valued at 10,000 DM.
In Rashan (Mitrovica), Serbian Police arrested Musa Sadiku. He was immediately sent to Nis military prison.
On 27 May, in Rezall (Skenderaj), Serbian police beseiged the house of Nebi Gashi. His son Adem (1968) was arrested and sent to Nis military prison.
On 29 May, in Prizren, police arrested Zejnullah Kabashi (59) who was maltreated for 9 hours, because he has let his house to be used as a school.
On 31 May, Serbian police intervened on the premises of the Prizren College 'Xhevdet Doda', seizing complete administrative documentation.