Secretary of State Warren Christopher said the USA was well-acquainted with the plight of Kosova and assured President Rugova the USA would not stand by in the case of conflict in Kosova. The Kosova issue has neither been forgotten nor ignored, Mr. Christopher told Rugova, adding that the Kosova problem had been a topic of discussion in all talks and negotiations. Expressing his delight over meeting President Rugova, the U.S. Secretary of State voiced his admiration for the non-violent resistance of the Albanians and valued their contribution to preventing the spread of conflict in the region. Secretary Christopher assured President Rugova that international sanctions on Serbia and Montenegro would not be lifted permanently before there was substantial progress on solving the Kosova problem. President Rugova also met with representatives of the Albanian Issues Caucus of the U.S. Congress, Chaired by Rep. Susan Molinari and Rep. Eliot Engel. Participating in the meeting were also Rep. Peter King, Rep. John Oliver, Rep. David Bonior, Rep. Nita Lowey, and Rep. Jim Moran. President Rugova said that the intentional community, USA in particular, should step up its pressure on the Belgrade authorities. American legislators said they would commit themselves to seeing that Kosova be included within a comprehensive framework and global approach to the crisis in the former Yugoslavia. They said they had urged the U.S. administration to link the lifting of sanctions on Serbia with Kosova, the restoration of OSCE observers in Kosova and ensuring of an increased American presence in Kosova, either through the opening of a USIA office or a diplomatic representative office in Prishtina.
U.S Senate majority leader Bob Dole told Kosova President Ibrahim Rugova today that a strong legislative effort will be made in support of the full restoration of the rights of Albanians in Kosova. meeting in the U.S. Capitol, the Senator said his legislative initiative will include support for returning international human rights monitors to Kosova and maintaining economic sanction on Serbia and Montenegro until there is substantial progress in Kosova. Meanwhile in the U.S.House of Representatives, Reps. Eliot Engel and Susan Molinari continued work today on an amendment to the foreign operations authorisation bill which will link any easing of sanctions on Belgrade with improvements in Kosova . (Ruder Finn)
An Albanian Demochristian Party delegation lead by academic Mark Krasniqi, Chairman, visited several international institutions in Geneva. In the United Nation mission they met with associates of the UN's Special Raportuer on former Yugoslavia, Tadeusz Mazowiecki. Mr Krasniqi told his hosts that the issue of Kosova could not be reduced to a human rights violations issue, because in the case of Kosova the rights of an entire nation were being abused, adding that the international community should acknowledge the Kosova people's indisputable right to self-determination. In a meeting with the representatives of the International Organisation on Migrations (IOM), Mark Krasniqi raised the issue of ethnic cleansing in Kosova, stating that Serbia was not forbidding the repatriation of the Albania refugees. He demanded the presence of the IOM in Kosova , and its commitments not only to the return of Albanians but also to stop Kosova being emptied.
On 21 June, the European Parliament hosted a round table on the possibilities of peaceful solution of the conflict in former Yugoslavia. Among those participating were Michel Rocard, former French Prime Minister, Jose-Maria Mendiluce, Vice chairman of the EP Foreign Affairs, Security and Defence Committee, Kosova representatives and former Yugoslav media persons. In his remarks, Mr Mendiluce stated: "The tragic position of the Albanians in Kosova, against whom Serbia is performing outrageous state terror for several years now, should be discussed and not forgotten. It was Kosova where Milosevic started the disruption of Yugoslavia. Unfortunately we were silent. If we had reacted then, today's Bosnia would have been avoided. Today's Europe should be defended in Bosnia and Kosova. If we do not save Bosnia we will have many other Bosnia's , Karadzic's and Milosevic's. We must stop the killers of children.
The Senate of the University of Tetova, during a recent meeting decided to enroll 570 students for the new school year 1995/96, Bujku reoprts. Up to 5% of the new intake can be foreigners. The Albanian community in the FYR of Macedonia is insisting on its right to higher education. FYROM authorities have shown no readiness to establish an Albanian University and has jailed the initiators.
Josef Vosen, member of the Bundestag Foreign Affairs Committee and mayor of the city of Doren, recently visited Kosova.On 17 June he met in Prishtina with Kosova MP's, Sabri Hamiti (LDK), Jusuf Bajraktari (Peasants Party of Kosova) and Jonuz Salihu (Parliamentarian Party of Kosova). They informed the Bundestag member about the situation in Kosova and the commitment of the people of Kosova towards reaching a settlement to the Kosova issue through democratic and non-violent means. Sabri Hamiti stated that President Rugova's request for an international protectorate for Kosova comprehends the termination of Serbian oppression, as a precondition for peaceful and democratic solution of the Kosova issue, in accordance with it's peoples will. Mr Bajraktari and Mr Salihaj informed Mr. Vosen on the situation in Kosova, and the ways in which daily life was being organised under constant Serbian terror. Mr. Vosen said Germany supported the right of all peoples to self-determination and the protection of human rights. Mr. Vosen later met with CDHRF officials and other intellectuals.
Amnesty International has issued an Urgent Action to place pressure on Serbian authorities regarding the trials of 161 Kosova Albanians, former police employees, which are being held in Peja, Prizren, Gjilan and Prishtina. After outlining the above mentioned trials and denouncing procedural violations, use of torture and ill-treatment of defendants Amnesty International recommends to those interested to write to Serbian authorities, including President Milosevic and the Chairman of the Serbian Parliament, expressing concern about the convictions in Peja and Gjilan in circumstances which effectively denied the defendants a fair trail and about the continuing trials in Prizren and Prishtina.
The Special Rapporteur of the UN Human Rights Committee, Tadeusz Mazowiecki completed his mission to Bosnia and Croatia. In an interview given to the Belgrade weekly Vreme , regarding the situation in former Yugoslavia he stated that the most important issues are those of Albanians in Kosova and Muslims in Sandjak. Since the autonomy of Kosova was abolished, the human rights of the Albanians have not been respected. All international monitors confirm that the situation there is tense and threatening to explode, concluded Mr. Mazowiecki.
Bujku, 19 June, writes that following the destruction of the Rilindja Publishing Group Serbian authorities have now put its property up for sale. Several items of printing equipment, which used to belong to Rilindja and were appropriated by the Serbian company Panorama are being sold. Bujku warns that the property of Rilindja can only be sold with the consent of its employees, to whom it technically belongs.
Recently in Lucern, Switzerland, was held the Assembly of Albanian Demochristian formations. Participating were academic Mark Krasniqi, Chair of the Albanian Demochristian Party of Kosova, Mr. Zef Bushati, Chair of the Demochristian Party of Albania and Mr. Mikel Kuzhnini Vice-Chair of the Albanian Demochristian Party of Croatia.
The assembly, after discussing the situation in Kosova and Albania and other ethnic Albanian territories decided to form the Albanian Demochristian Union, which until its first Congress is to be chaired by Mr. Zef Bushati.
Recently in Gjilan authorities started a campaign to draft Albanian youngsters into the Serbian Army. Nexhat Sahiti was forced to sign draft papers.
On 21 June police raided the premises of 'Frang Bardhi' Secondary School in Mitrovica. Teachers Hysen Selaci and Murat Halili were ill-treated and were warned not to be seen in those premises again..
On 22 June Serbian Security officers raided the premises of the Albanian Teachers Association in Gjakova. They searched the offices thoroughly. Following the search they detained the Chairman of this association in Gjakova and several other activists.