Kosova Daily Report #1318, 98-01-13

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

Kosova Information Center

KOSOVA DAILY REPORT #1318

Prishtina, 13 January 1998

CONTENTS

[01] President Rugova Receives British Diplomats

[02] Unidentified Gunmen Shoot Dead an Albanian in Gllogovc

[03] Whereabouts of Albanian, Presumably Abducted, Remain Unknown

[04] Kosovar Albanian Wounded by Serbian Police

[05] Albanian Stands Trial for Alleged Hostile Activity

[06] "Nasa borba" Predicts Military Action in Central Kosova

[01] President Rugova Receives British Diplomats

President Rugova and the British diplomats spoke at length about the situation in Kosova and prospects for a peaceful resolution to the Kosova issue.

As to the current situation in Kosova, Dr. Ibrahim Rugova said it has been grave and volatile amidst permanent Serbian regime's repressive practices against. Dr. Rugova He noted that in spite of the difficult conditions, Albanians have built their democratic institutions, and they are committed to political and peaceful means in their strive for freedom, independence and democracy.

Prospects for a negotiated settlement to the Kosova issue through dialogue between Prishtina and Belgrade, under the mediation of a third authorized party, were discussed at the meeting President Rugova had with the British diplomats.

President Rugova reaffirmed that and independent and neutral Kosova, with all the guarantees for the local Serbs, is the best solution to the Kosova issue. The right of Kosova to independence emanates from the status Kosova had in the now defunct Yugoslavia.

A rightful solution to the Kosova crisis is pivotal for lasting stability in the region, President Rugova emphasized.

British officials conveyed the concern of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office over the situation in Kosova.

President Rugova said he appreciated the preoccupation of Great Britain with the Kosova problem, and urged the British government increase its efforts and engagement in support of a peaceful and just resolution to the Kosova question.

[02] Unidentified Gunmen Shoot Dead an Albanian in Gllogovc

The LDK Information Commission said that Sejdi Muja, a forest ranger was killed in still unsolved circumstances yesterday morning at around 8:45 at a place called "Rosula", in the vicinity of his home village Gradica. The Serbian police in six vehicles reached the scene of the accident later, and withdrew at around 2 in the afternoon.

The Serbian police authorities have not yet issued any statement related to the Monday's killing of the Albanian in Gradica village of Gllogovc.

Meanwhile, the Serb media said the attack was most probably the work of so- called Liberation Army of Kosova.

Yugoslav state news agency Tanjug reported that Sejdi Muja was loyal to Belgrade.

An underground organization calling itself the Liberation Army of Kosova (Ushtria ^lirimtare e Kosov&s - U^K) has over the past couple of years claimed responsibility for armed attacks against members of the Serb police and its installations in Kosova, as well as persons labelled by it as collaborators of the Serb regime. The so-called army has commonly claimed responsibility through fax messages sent to media, bearing no name of the place they have been sent from.

[03] Whereabouts of Albanian, Presumably Abducted, Remain Unknown

Monday morning (at around 8) the wet coat of Remzi Re^ica with a note in Serbian on top of it was found in front a Ismail Kasumi's house in Prishtina (Ismail Kasumi is rescue-diver and a close friend to Remzi Re^ica). The note in Cyrillic alphabet said the body of Remzi Re^ica could be found in the waters of Badovci lake.

Later on, a man speaking in a bad Albanian with lots of Serb words, phoned twice the family of Remzi Re^ica telling his daughter that "her father was killed in the Badovci Lake".

Remzi Re^ica's wife, Hysnije Re^ica, has notified the police about the phone calls. Ismail Kasumi was held in the police custody for several hours yesterday and released.

Meanwhile, a man has phoned the family of Remzi Re^ica twice today.

Speaking in Serbian he repeated three times the same phrase: "On je ziv, on je ziv, on je ziv..." (He is alive).

Two members of the Serb security have visited the family of Remzi Re^ica today. Asked by Mrs Re^ica if her husband was in the police custody they affirmed he was not in their detention.

The case of Remzi Re^ica has not only caused panic in his family but has raised concerns amongst people all over Kosova who fear that violence and chaos may proliferate uncontrolled.

[04] Kosovar Albanian Wounded by Serbian Police

The LDK Information Commission in Ferizaj said that Mrs Imrane Salihu, was shot while working in her courtyard. The Serb police were carrying maneuvering in the fields outside the village, not far from her house.

About one hour after Mrs. Salihu was wounded the police showed up in the scene, the Commission said.

Imrane Salihu has been recovering at surgery clinic of the Prishtina Hospital.

[05] Albanian Stands Trial for Alleged Hostile Activity

Gani Thaqi who has been held in custody since last October has been accused for involvement in "hostile activity, terrorism and undermining of the territorial integrity of FRY".

Bujku said that in the opening day of the trial the defendant denied charges. The only witness who was heard in the courtroom, Besim Rama who himself was sentenced to long imprisonment last year told the court he did not know the accused and the he had never seen him.

Gani Thaqi told the court he was subjected to sever torture and intimidation during the pre-trial period. In order to avoid further torture he said he has signed at least 20 blank sheets of paper.

Thaqi said he never knew with his signature were used.

In three Serb regime staged trials last year, 55 Albanians were sentenced to draconian imprisonment, their sentences ranging from 4 to 20 years. The defendants who by and large pleaded not guilty were indicted under the same articles of the Serb penal code Gani Thaqi has been indicated.

Both domestic and international experts have claimed that the Serb court authorities committed numerous, gross and deliberate procedural infringements.

[06] "Nasa borba" Predicts Military Action in Central Kosova

According to the newspaper which quotes some of its reliable sources, Perisic had rejected the possibility of army getting involved in the political disputes in Montenegro, thus, it oriented the attention of the Council members towards Kosova.

The newspaper writes that, based on it's evaluations, the military head maintains a firm position that in Kosova, " there is in horizon an overture of a general rebellion of Albanians against the organs of Serbian state."

Three of the members of the Council, according to the newspaper, agreed to boost the funds for the big contingent of military officers who were transferred to the Prishtina, Leskovc and Nis Corps, to settle some "small existential issues", and supply the oil and other reserves in the military basis in Kosova.

Same sources estimate that during the coming weeks or months there may be a military action in the region of Drenica (Central Kosova), allegedly an area where, according to the Serbian media, the Serbian regime had failed to maintain "the control over the territory."

Serbs Stage Rally in Fush&-Kosova Urging Measures against "Terrorism"

PRISHTINA, Jan 13 (KIC) - Over 500 Serbs, mostly old people, staged today a rally in Fush&-Kosova (in Serbian: Kosovo Polje), urging the Serb regime to prevent the proliferation of terrorism in Kosova.

Addressing the crowd, Bogdan Kecman, chairman of an association of Serbs, "Bozur", accused what he called "circles of Albanian Ballists for planting fear and stimulating the emigration of Serb from Kosova" (Ballist was the name for members of nationalist Albanian organization during Second World War).

Kecman urged the Serb regime to undertake severe measures, similar to ones undertaken during 1980's, to prevent further emigration of Serbs and Montenegrins, he called on Serbs to organize similar rallies throughout Kosova, and pressed for a self-organization of Serbs.

Another member of the Serb organization Milan Kulic said that a ten-member delegation of Serbs from Kosova was in Belgrade on Monday where they received "strong guarantees by the official that terrorism in Kosova will be fought with all the means possible."

He accused international organizations for "helping terrorism in Kosova, and generating quarrels between the Serbs".

Another participant of the rally called on Serbs to stage a similar gathering in Skenderaj so "to offer support to Serbs there for they have been endangered by the U^K (the Liberation Army of Kosova)."

The panelists by and large accused Albanians for the recent incidents in Kosova.

The press has quoted last week Bogdan Kecman inviting Serbs to get their hunting rifles go to Drenica, a region in central Kosova where the tow overwhelmingly Albanian-inhabited municipalities of Gllogovc and Skenderaj are, to track down and fight "units" of the so-called Liberation Army of Kosova.

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