Kosova Daily Report #1317, 98-01-12

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From: Kosova Information Center <kic_pr@zana-pr.ztn.apc.org>

Kosova Information Center

KOSOVA DAILY REPORT #1317

Prishtina, 12 January 1998

CONTENTS

[01] Robert Gelbard to Travel to Prishtina this Week

[02] Contact Group on the Former Yugoslavia Says Kosova is a 'High Priority'

[03] Mysteries Surrounding the Abduction and Disappearance of an Albanian

[04] Unidentified Gunmen Shoot Dead a Kosova Serb in Klina

[05] Serbian Police Beat Albanian Student Severely

[06] Albanians in Jabllanica (Souther Serbia) Emigrate en Masse, Serb Media Says

[01] Robert Gelbard to Travel to Prishtina this Week

The Voice of America said Robert Gelbard will travel to Montenegro's capital Podgorica on Monday, while on Friday he will visit Prishtina, Kosova's capital, where he is expected to meet with the Kosovar leadership.

In a press conference last week in Washington Robert Gelbard said the US Government "considers Kosovo to be an issue of very, very high priority and tremendous concern".

Ambassador Gelbard said that he had invited his colleagues in the Contact Group for a meeting Thursday and that one of the things they would be discussing was Kosovo.

Sources in Washington said that during his visits in Belgrade and Prishtina, Robert Gelbard will press for establishing a dialogue between Serbs and Albanians.

The Prishtina-based "Bujku" newspaper has quoted Dr. Fehmi Agani, vice- chairman of the Democratic League of Kosova (LDK) as saying that Albanians anticipate the support of President Clinton's envoy to establish a dialogue between Albanians and Serbs. "I am aware that talks will be lengthy and difficult, but we will expect that the dialogue be supported", Agani said.

[02] Contact Group on the Former Yugoslavia Says Kosova is a 'High Priority'

The Contact Group listed the principles underlying its interest in the situation in Kosovo, one of them being the promotion of dialogue between the government in Belgrade and the leadership of the Kosovar Albanian population.

The statement added that making concrete progress to resolve the serious political and human rights issues in Kosova is critical for Belgrade to improve its international position and relations with the international community. The Contact Group will support a mutually agreed solution that respects democratic standards the statement said amongst others.

Following is the text of the Contact Group statement: (begin text) Foreign Ministers of the Contact Group countries meeting in New York on 24 September voiced their deep concern over tensions in Kosovo and called on the authorities in Belgrade and the leadership of the Kosovar Albanian community to join in a peaceful dialogue.

At the Bonn Peace Implementation Council on 9/10 December, the Council took note with increasing concern of escalating tensions in Kosovo. The decision by the delegation of the "FRY" ("Federal Republic of Yugoslavia") to leave the PlC (Peace Implementation Council) meeting did nothing to diminish this concern.

Against this background, Contact Group Political Directors, meeting in Washington on 8 January, indicated that the Contact Group would continue to focus on Kosovo as a matter of high priority. The following principles underlie the Contact Group's continued interest in the situation in Kosovo: - It is for the authorities in Belgrade and the leadership of the Kosovar Albanian community to assume their responsibility to promote stability and a solution to the problems between them in order to ensure a peaceful and prosperous future for their people.

The Contact Group will support a mutually agreed solution that respects democratic standards.

- As a first step to reduce tensions, it is essential that dialogue begins.

- The Contact Group supports neither independence nor the maintenance of the status quo. It supports an enhanced status for Kosovo within the "FRY." Such a status should fully protect the rights of the Albanian, Serb, and other residents of Kosovo in accordance with OSCE standards, Helsinki principles and the U.N. Charter.

- The Contact Group condemns both violent repression of non-violent expressions of political views and terrorist actions to achieve political goals, and strongly urges all sides to seek peaceful solutions to their difficulties.

- We call on the "FRY" to address this question urgently. Making concrete progress to resolve the serious political and human rights issues in Kosovo is critical for Belgrade to improve its international position and relations with the international community.

To facilitate dialogue, the Contact Group has decided to consider farther the Kosovo issue and, in particular, how to support existing efforts to implement the Education Agreement which would be an important first step towards the promotion of stability. It will draw on the views of all those that have been working to resolve the problems of Kosovo.

(end text)

[03] Mysteries Surrounding the Abduction and Disappearance of an Albanian

Sources have told Kosova Information Center (KIC) that this morning, the wet coat of Remzi Re^ica with his personal papers and a note in Serbian on top of it were found on the steps in front Ismail Kasumi's house in Prishtina. Ismail Kasumi is a notable Kosovar rescue-diver and a close friend to Remzi Re^ica. The note written in Cyrillic alphabet read: "Ismail, go and find your friend in the waters of Badovci lake, because he wanted to become member of U^K [Liberation Army of Kosova. If you find him, call 92," the 92 phone number is of the Serb police service.

Near the wet coat of Remzi Re^ica there was a torn off sock which belonged to him.

Meanwhile, a man has twice phoned the family of Remzi Re^ica this morning. A man speaking in a bad Albanian with many Serb words has told Remzi Re^ica's 16-year-old daughter that her father's "clothes could be found at Ismail Kasumi's home, while Remzi was killed in the Badovci Lake".

Remzi Re^ica's wife, Hysnije Re^ica, has phoned the 92 and notified the police about the phone calls. Ismail Kasumi did the same, in front of whose house was found Remzi Re^ica's soaking wet coat.

The police has reportedly said they do not have any information in connection with the case but they have only heard about a men drowned in the lake.

At around 10 today, the Serb police went at Ismail Kasumi's house to fetch the coat of Remzi Re^ica. The police detained Ismail Kasumi on the occasion. He was held in Serb police custody for about four hours.

Mr.Abdyl Remaj, LDK presidency member and an activist with the Prishtina- based Council for the Defence of Human Rights and Freedoms visited today the families of Remzi Re^ica and Ismail Kasumi in Prishtina.

Family members of Remzi Re^ica were quoted as saying that he could have been abducted this morning, but they could not specify why by or who.

[04] Unidentified Gunmen Shoot Dead a Kosova Serb in Klina

The Serb state television has reported that last Friday at around 20 hrs, fire from automatic riffle was opened at Djordje Belic at his courtyard in Stapanica village.

Djordje Belic was a reserve officer of the Serbian police.

Although the circumstances and details surrounding the killing of Djordje Belic are still unknown, a Serb investigating judge from Peja, Veslin Cadjenovic has told the Belgrade-based Dnevni Telegraf he assumed Belic was killed by members of the so-called Kosova Liberation Army (U^K).

[05] Serbian Police Beat Albanian Student Severely

Mr. Ymeri told KIC this morning that he was stopped by the police at the vicinity of the Kosova Assembly building, and was forced into one of the nearby garage entrance where he was beaten severely.

He said he was hit with truncheon, kicked and slapped. "They accused me of having participated in the students' protests, and that on the protests held October 1st I had carried a poster in English language," said Ymeri.

The police let Mr. Ymeri go only after having beaten him up severely. He told KIC had to seek medical treatment to heal the wounds inflicted on him by Serbian police.

[06] Albanians in Jabllanica (Souther Serbia) Emigrate en Masse, Serb Media Says

"This unusual phenomenon has surprised all those who have the experience of becoming perturb at times when Albanians begin 'to ramble', or, as in this case to abandon their homes", says the Serbian daily.

The newspaper quotes the local Serbs and Montenegrins as saying that this has to do "with the Albanians' who sense that the Kosova question may be settled soon, and for that reason they emigrate and settle in Kosova, just in case a war erupts, or Kosova gains some form of autonomy."

The newspaper says that massive emigration, generally encouraged by young Albanians, has been witnessed recently.

Meanwhile, the elderly Albanians do not feel the same. The newspaper quotes an elderly Albanians as saying that he will never leave his home where his ancestors lived for centuries.

The Albanian population living in Medvegja, Bujanovc, and Presheva (Southern Serbia) have been emigrating to Kosova and other places constantly.

During the last century alone Albanians were expelled from some 415 villages in Serbia as a result of the Serbian policy of ethnic cleansing.

Kosova Information Center

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