Kosova Daily Report #1431, 98-05-16

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From: Kosova Information Center <http://www.kosova.com/>

Kosova Information Center
KOSOVA DAILY REPORT #1431
Prishtina, 16 May 1998

CONTENTS

[01] Serb Forces Kill Two Albanians at ^itak Village of Skenderaj

[02] Grave Situation in De^an, Intermittent Shooting Reported in Baballoq

[03] Three Drenica Villages Under Heavy Serb Fire Friday

[04] 7-Year-Old Boy from De^an Receives Treatment for Bullet Wounds

[05] Kosovar Albanian, Killed and Buried in Montenegro, Will Be Re- Buried in His Native Village

[06] Serb Police Prevents Supply Shipments Enter Kosova at Border with Serbia

[07] Local Sources Refute Serb Reports about Three Killed Albanians at Rakosh

[08] Albanians Will Return to Premises of Three Faculties on Monday?

[09] Popular Protest in Prishtina, Peaceful Marches Elsewhere in Kosova, Saturday

[10] Macedonian Policeman Fighting Alongside Serb Forces in Kosova Dies, Koha Ditore Says

[11] Serb Police Ill-treat Passers-by at Roadblock in Podujeva

[12] Albanian Family Kidnapped by Serb Forces in X&rx&

[13] Serb Forces Shoot at Children, Repression Increases in Mitrovica

[14] Serbian Forces Demolish Albanian-Owned Private Shops in Skenderaj

[01] Serb Forces Kill Two Albanians at ^itak Village of Skenderaj

They were killed around 10:00 o'clock by members of a convoy of 100 vehicles of Serb forces travelling from Mitrovica to Skenderaj, and then to the Rakosh village of Istog. The two Albanians were shot on their backs while running for their lives, local sources said.

Fadil Geci, chairman of the LDK sub-branch at Llaush& village told KIC that Serb forces launched yesterday an operation against the villages of ^itak and Padalisht& which lasted from 10:00 through 18:00 hrs.

The LDK activist could not say anything about the consequences in the Padalisht& village, but added that Serb police forces advanced into the ^itak village and raided and looted Albanian households.

Beqir ^itaku had two Volsvagen vans taken away from police, as well as all household valuables before being taken to the police station. Police asked for his son, Naser, and accused of sheltering "terrorists".

Mr. Geci said the houses of Hysen, Bajram, Shqair, Sadri, Hamdi, Halit and Hajzer ^itaku, respectively, were fired at by Serb forces.

Meanwhile, the LDK branch in Skenderaj said Serb police went on a rampage in the village of ^itak and despoiled the households of Zenel Loshi, Adem Shala, Imer Shala, Xhevdet Loshi, Gani Shala, Haxhi Zeqiri, and Alush Loshi. The latter had his Golf car robbed by police forces.

The LDK sources said the house of Dem& Loshi was hit with rifle fire, but nobody was hit.

The two Albanians killed yesterday will be buried today afternoon in the village cemeteries at ^itak.

[02] Grave Situation in De^an, Intermittent Shooting Reported in Baballoq

The LDK chapter in De^an said Baballoq village came under Serb forces fire during the course of the last night and today (Saturday) morning. Shootings intensified during the early morning hours today.

LDK sources in De^an said nothing about possible casualties.

Meanwhile, an increased movement of Serb forces has been reported in a couple other villages of De^an today morning and early afternoon. Serb military troops were seen leaving De^an and heading for Baballoq and Strellc i Ep&rm villages.

Life in the small town of De^an has been brought to a virtual standstill. All shops and catering services have been closed for weeks. Local residents who go to the neighboring town of Peja for basic supplies have been faced with intimidation and persecution by Serb forces.

Visar Ku^i (16) and Q&ndrim Ku^i (15), both from De^an, were reported beaten up brutally in a shop in Peja yesterday. In addition, the two boys were not allowed to get the supplies they had gone to fetch in Peja.

Gani Shehu, chairman of the local LDK branch at Junik village, was reported arrested by Serbian police today morning.

[03] Three Drenica Villages Under Heavy Serb Fire Friday

Some fifteen Albanian houses were damaged from Serb shelling, according to the LDK Information Commission in Skenderaj.

It reported the names of family heads of the houses which were targeted by Serb forces.

[04] 7-Year-Old Boy from De^an Receives Treatment for Bullet Wounds

The child will undergo a surgery. He was wounded by firearms and has a bullet at thorax.

Driton Hamza was transferred to the Prishtina Clinic from the Gjakova town hospital. He is believed to come from the De^an area.

[05] Kosovar Albanian, Killed and Buried in Montenegro, Will Be Re- Buried in His Native Village

He was initially thought to be a certain Fatmir Gashi. The body was kept several days in the Berane town morgue, and eventually buried at the Albanian-inhabited Vuthaj village in the Plav& municipality (Montenegro) on Thursday.

Bahri Fazliu will be re-buried in his native village of Llaush&.

His brother, Fahri Fazliu, was killed by Serb police in Prishtina in 1989.

The Serb military said one of its soldiers, of ethnic Hungarian descent, was killed on 7 May in clashes with Albanian "terrorists infiltrated from Albania."

[06] Serb Police Prevents Supply Shipments Enter Kosova at Border with Serbia

Dozens of trucks with supplies have been waiting permission by police to enter Kosova at Merdar, a village on the Serb side of the border, some 15 km north of Podujeva.

Truck drivers were quoted as saying the police has told them they could only enter Kosova with empty trucks. They were recommended to go back the towns they had collected their cargoes, empty them and come back if they wanted to enter Kosova.

The LDK Information Commission in Podujeva said many Albanians returning from Serbia in their cars today were routinely fined and robbed of goods.

A long column of lorries has been waiting for hours there, some witnesses told the Commission in Podujeva. Even the trucks shipping sand have not been allowed to enter Kosova, they said.

[07] Local Sources Refute Serb Reports about Three Killed Albanians at Rakosh

The LDK Information Commission in Skenderaj ('Srbica') refuted such reports.

The truth is that Serb police killed Rifat ^itaku and his nephew Muhamet ^itaku at their native village of ^itak, the Commission said.

[08] Albanians Will Return to Premises of Three Faculties on Monday?

The intermediator, Monsignor Paglia of the Sant' Egidio Community, delivered to me in Belgrade yesterday the document he had been given by the Serb side, Mr. Ramaj said.

The intermediator was asked to be present on Monday, at 14:00 hrs, when the first contact of the Albanian and Serb deans of the faculties should take place, the Kosovar education official said.

The Faculty of Electrical Engineering, the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture and the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering are all houses in the same building in Prishtina.

The three next faculties, to which Albanian students should be able to return by the end of May, should be designated on Monday during a meeting with the intermediator in Prishtina.

Students of the Serb regime University have threatened they will not allow Albanian students of the University of Prishtina have access to the university premises, from which the latter were forcefully kicked in 1991.

An Education Accord, known also as the Rugova-Milosevic Agreement, was signed in September 1996 to allow Albanian students return to the premises of the University as well as high and elementary schools in Kosova.

[09] Popular Protest in Prishtina, Peaceful Marches Elsewhere in Kosova, Saturday

The plight of the medical staff in Kosova was the focus of today's rally, the motto being the call for medical workers to be allowed the opportunity to assist the sick and the wounded people in the Republic of Kosova.

Doctors, nurses and medical students in traditional white clothes were at center stage in the sea of people calling for respect for international standards and covenants regarding medical attention for the sick and wounded in all circumstances.

In the last five minutes of the half-hour protest (12:00 through 12:30 hrs) Albanian protesters chanted slogans "Freedom, Independence", then "Rugova, Rugova", "Drenica, Drenica", "De^ani, De^ani", "All of Us Are U^K", "We Will Give Our Life, But Not Give Up Kosova", etc.

Peaceful, calm marches were held for the 38th straight day in other towns of Kosova.

The Republic's Protest Committee said today the popular protest rally in Prishtina today was a "marvelous event."

[10] Macedonian Policeman Fighting Alongside Serb Forces in Kosova Dies, Koha Ditore Says

Koha Ditore quoted sources a saying he was Dragi Djordjevski (32), native of Leunovo village of Gostivar. He was a member of the reservist staff of the FYROM police.

[11] Serb Police Ill-treat Passers-by at Roadblock in Podujeva

Heavily armed Serb policemen in two armored vehicles and two jeeps have been deployed near a bus-stop called Qershiat e Llapashtic&s, routinely harassing all commuters and passers-by.

The LDK Information in the north-eastern Kosovar town said several Albanians have been beaten up in the roadblock.

Serb Snipers Position in Empty Houses Near Rahovec PRISHTINA, May 16 (KIC) - Since early hours yesterday (Friday) scores of Serbian snipers positioned at empty houses at the Rahovec-Gjakova-Malisheva juncture, at the entrance of the town of Rahovec, LDK sources reported.

LDK sources said the Serbian forces ruined down a construction material warehouse at X&rx&, property of the "Fetoshi" private firm, and damaged two transportation vehicles parked in the yard of the firm.

[12] Albanian Family Kidnapped by Serb Forces in X&rx&

The family of Zeqir Krasnqi was kidnapped in their house during a Serb forces' attack on X&rx& and several other neighboring villages.

LDK sources could not obtain any information concerning their whereabouts, or the direction they were taken.

[13] Serb Forces Shoot at Children, Repression Increases in Mitrovica

The Albanian children responded to the Serbian forces provocation two- fingers-and-thumb sign by displaying the V (victory) sign. The Serb forces got out of the bus they were in and shot with a revolver in the direction of the Albanian children who ran away in panic.

Hanife Fazliu (40), mother to one of the children, and her daughter Valbona Fazliu (27), fainted from the shock when they saw Serb forces chase the children.

Meanwhile, yesterday (Friday) morning, the Serb police arrested Hysen Doroci (60) at his home at Barboniq of Mitrovica and took him to the nearby woods. He was held there an intimidated for over two hours.

Another group of Serbian drunk policemen beat severely Sk&nder Asllani (42) while queuing for his ID in front of the Serb-run local administration building.

They also dispersed other people in the queue.

A group of Serbian policemen headed by the Serb named as Darko, raided on several Albanian-owned catering businesses in downtown Mitrovica, beating and harassing guests.

Among those who suffered Serb torture were Musa Vinarci (47), Shaqir Bunjaku (45), Abedin Brahimi (30), Ilir Brahimi (29), Blerim Brahimi (32), Adem Kutllovcin (23).

Meanwhile, the Serb forces attempted to run over with an APC the Albanian peaceful protestors in Mitrovica Saturday.

[14] Serbian Forces Demolish Albanian-Owned Private Shops in Skenderaj

This action took place during Friday night, sources said.

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