Kosova Daily Report #1573, 98-10-05

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Kosova Information Center
KOSOVA DAILY REPORT #1573
Prishtina, 5 October 1998

CONTENTS

[01] Mutilated Bodies of Two Girls of Massacred Delia Family Found in Woods Near Obria Village

[02] "Kosova within Yugoslavia and Serbia Makes Talks a Vain Thing", Chief Kosoav Negotiator Says

[03] U^K Political Representative Holds Press Conference Tuesday

[04] Five Albanians, Killed by Serbs Lately, Buried in Gllareva of Klina

[05] AP Cameraman Interrogated, Beaten up By Serb Security in Prishtina

[06] Three Albanians Wounded as Serbs Pound a Malisheva Village Sunday Evening

[07] Fresh Serb Forces Arrive from Serbia

[08] Five Serb Checkpoints Manned by Camouflaged Policemen Along 5-Mile Road near De^an

[09] Identity of Two Other Killed Albanians in Suhareka Learned

[10] Serb Forces Garrisoned Again Near Re^an Village, Suhareka

[11] Albanian Woman, Missing Since Serb Offensive on Her Village, Found Dead

[12] Serbs Burn Houses of Three Albanians in a Mitrovica Village

[13] Whereabouts of 60 Men, Apprehended by Serbs, Unknown since 29 September

[14] Only a Quarter of the Population Lives in De^an Area Following Serb Offensive

[01] Mutilated Bodies of Two Girls of Massacred Delia Family Found in Woods Near Obria Village

PRISHTINA, Oct 5 (KIC) - The mutilated bodies of two Albanian teenager girls were found Sunday near the Obria e Ep&rme village, in Gllogovc municipality.

Local sources in Skenderaj and Gllogovc named the two girls as Antigon& Delia (14) and Mihane Delia (16), both residents of Obria village.

Murat Musliu, head of the chapter of the Council for the Defense of Human Rights and Freedoms (CDHRF) in Skenderaj, said the bodies of the two girls were found in the woods between the villages of Obria and Likoc, about 500 meters away from the site where members of Delia extended family were massacred by Serbs ten days ago.

The massacred bodies of 24 members of the Delia families have been found in the village to date. Local activists said they suspect other dead bodies may be scattered in the hills and forests in the area, as the whereabouts of a number Albanians from Obria and the surrounding villages are unknown.

The human rights activist in Skenderaj said there was no sign of any withdrawal of Serb troops from the area. On the contrary, there has been an increased presence and movement of Serb troops in some parts of the municipality, such as around the villages of Likoc, Mak&rmal, Rrezall&, Polluzh&, Morin& and Polac.

[02] "Kosova within Yugoslavia and Serbia Makes Talks a Vain Thing", Chief Kosoav Negotiator Says

Resumption of dialogue is what we stand for, too, Agani said at the outset of the letter.

The Kosova chief negotiator said resolution of the Kosova issue should be pursued by peaceful means and negotiations. The Serbian Parliament has given the blessing for the use of the army, force, and violence in Kosova, Agani added. "By insisting that the solution be found within the framework of Yugoslavia and Serbia, and within their constitutional order, (the Serbian Parliament) has made talks a vain thing", Dr. Fehmi Agani said.

"We know that you are obliged by the position of your Parliament.

But, we are no less obliged by the position of the Parliament of the Republic of Kosova, which is fundamentally different.

Therefore, are you in favor of unconditional talks, without prejudgment, on a possible solution for Kosova?", the chief Kosova negotiator asks in the letter.

More than 1,500 civilian Albanians have been killed by Serb forces since January, a great number of others have gone missing, hundreds of thousands have been displaced from their homes, tens of thousands of homes have been looted and burned in Kosova, Dr. Fehmi Agani said.

"Since 20 July, on an average of 15 civilian Albanians have been killed in Kosova daily. But, this naturally enough is not reported by the RTS (Serb state-run TV), nor Marjanovic (the Serb Prime Minister", Dr. Agani said.

We have not been engaged in tactical games, the Kosova negotiator said. "It is unacceptable to conduct negotiations while civilians are being killed and settlements burned", he stressed, adding that the Serb crackdown on Albanians was the reason why the talks had been interrupted in the first place. The Serb violence is continuing. "Do something so that violence is halted so that the negotiations can restart. By the way, Mr. Jokanovic (the Yugoslav police chief) has announced a new phase and new forms of violence, uttering that outrageous statement that the prosecuting organs will carry on where the military has left".

Negotiations without international involvement and guarantees would produce next to nothing, according to Agani. "What has happened with the Education Accord (of two years ago)? Nothing! Instead of being given back our school facilities, in breach of the signed agreement, we have only hollow statements that the agreement will be implemented."

Dr. Fehmi Agani, the chief Kosova negotiator, slams the way the Kosovar team is addressed. "You call for an urgent meeting of the state delegation and the delegation of the political parties of the Albanians of Kosmet. There no Albanian political parties of Kosmet, whereas the negotiating team I head...represents the political parties represented in the Parliament of the Republic of Kosova", Dr. Fehmi Agani concluded his letter of reply to an earlier letter by Ratko Markovic imbued with demagoguery.

[03] U^K Political Representative Holds Press Conference Tuesday

The press conference begins at 12:00, Dema^i's office said.

A press release issued a couple of weeks ago relating that the U^K representative would temporarily cancel activities amidst health concerns made news agencies and analysts hastily read into it: 'Dema^i is quitting politics'. They were apparently proven wrong.

[04] Five Albanians, Killed by Serbs Lately, Buried in Gllareva of Klina

A local LDK activist from Malisheva said the following Albanians were buried in the Gllareva cemetery on Sunday: Idriz Balaj (45), Syl& Balaj (35), Milazim Balaj (18), Remzi Veselaj (41) and Shaip Morina (19). The bodies of the first three ones were mutilated.

He said that all the five Albanians were killed at a location called Gryka e Vu^akut (The Vu^aku Gorge) during a Serb troops onslaught there.

The names of these five Albanians were not included in the casualty-toll account so far circulated by KIC sources in that part of Kosova.

[05] AP Cameraman Interrogated, Beaten up By Serb Security in Prishtina

PRISHTINA, Oct 5 (KIC) - Today (Monday) in Prishtina, Sylejman Kllokoqi, a prominent Kosovar cameraman, now working with the Associated Press (AP) news agency, was interrogated and beaten up by Serb security for his professional work.

Mr. Kllokoqi was summoned for questioning to the Serb security headquarters in Prishtina, where he was held from 10:00 through 14:30 hrs, the AP cameraman told the KIC.

He was questioned mostly over the images (pictures) he had filmed of massacred bodies of Albanians in the village of Obri e Ep&rme of Gllogovc. The images have been broadcast by leading world televisions, and caused outrage over massacres carried by Serb troops.

Mr. Kllokoqi said he was slapped in the face by Serb security officers, and hit half a dozen times about the body with a rubber truncheon. He was threatened in various fashions, too.

Sylejman Kllokoqi is one of the leading Kosova Albanian cameramen.

He used to work for the Television of Prishttina (TVP), which was closed to the Albanians in 1990. In the current year, has worked with several leading agencies.

The harassment and beating of Mr. Kllokoqi is part of the Serb regime and security campaign of terror against Albanian media professionals.

This particular case may well be the beginning of a campaign of intimidation and ill-treatment announced by Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Vojislav Seselj against journalists of leading world news organizations which have not been reporting from Kosova according to Belgrade wishes.

[06] Three Albanians Wounded as Serbs Pound a Malisheva Village Sunday Evening

Local sources said at around 20:30 last evening Serb forces garrisoned at an outpost in Balinca village launched a heavy attack against the Vermica village. The village was pounded with machine- gun and artillery fire. At least 17 shells landed in one of the village neighborhoods, they said.

The head of the local LDK organization said three villagers were wounded: Hajrie Gashi (19), a pregnant woman, Ismajl Gashi (17), and Latif Kara^ica (44).

[07] Fresh Serb Forces Arrive from Serbia

Early in the morning today (Monday), at 5:30, a number of armored vehicles, lorries and APCs travelled past Podujeva from the direction of Serbia.

An eye-witness told the KIC Serb military forces arrived in Kosova from the Mitrovica direction on Sunday afternoon.

Meanwhile, sources from Podujeva said a convoy of Serb military vehicles was seen leaving Kosova for Serbia on Sunday.

[08] Five Serb Checkpoints Manned by Camouflaged Policemen Along 5-Mile Road near De^an

The Serb bunker-like blocks manned by troops in camouflaged uniforms have been established in hidden places on both sides of the road. Al least five such posts have been seen in a 7 kilometer long distance on the Peja-De^an roadway, one each near the villages of Lubeniq, Strellc i Ep&rm, L&bush&, Isniq and Carrabreg, witnesses said. It is in these villages that a great part of the displaced population from the area has been sheltered.

Local LDK activists said Serbs are not willing to withdraw from the 2area, but they do not either want to make themselves seen by reporters of foreign missions touring the region.

[09] Identity of Two Other Killed Albanians in Suhareka Learned

The dead body of Ali Kermeni (74), resident of Budakova village, was found yesterday in the hills not far from his village. The late elderly man was reported killed three weeks ago, but his body could not be found.

Bafti Bajraktari (85), also resident of Budakova village, died on Sunday in the Prizren hospital. He was wounded several days ago when Serb forces sprayed his farmhouse with machine-gun fire, the LDK chapter in Suhareka said.

[10] Serb Forces Garrisoned Again Near Re^an Village, Suhareka

The LDK chapter in Suhareka said Serb forces in two trucks and four armored vehicles were deployed in a base near Re^an village on Sunday which was deserted several days ago. By today morning the Serb troops were still manning the base, it said.

Sources said the Serb troops have kept holding sealed off many hamlets around the Duhla mountain pass. Convoys of Serb forces have been seen moving today on both directions in that part of the Prishtina-Prizren road.

[11] Albanian Woman, Missing Since Serb Offensive on Her Village, Found Dead

The late Bahrije Nuha was missing since 16 September, when her village and many others in the Shala e Bejgor&s (a region straddling municipalities of Mitrovica, Podujeva and Vushtrri) were targeted by a huge Serb offensive, the LDK chapter in Mitrovica reported.

[12] Serbs Burn Houses of Three Albanians in a Mitrovica Village

Local sources said the farmhouses of Kamber Rexhepi, Enver Rexhepi and Fadil Rexhepi were burned in Frash&r.

Several other Albanian houses were set afire in Frash&r village earlier.

[13] Whereabouts of 60 Men, Apprehended by Serbs, Unknown since 29 September

According to eye-witnesses, on 29 September at around 17:00, while withdrawing from the village of Jezerc, Serb troops arrested around 60 men in the V&rrisht& neighborhood. The men were taken away in a truck in the direction of Shtime. No one has been able to learn anything about their fate, the LDK in Ferizaj said.

The Jezerc village and other hamlets in Ferizaj and in the neighboring municipalities of Shtime and Suhareka were targeted by heavy Serb offensive last week.

[14] Only a Quarter of the Population Lives in De^an Area Following Serb Offensive

Most of the population has been concentrated in the villages of Isniq, Strellc, L&bush&, Lluk& e Ep&rme and Prapa^an. Serb police is present in this area 24 hours a day.

In some of the villages - in Beleg, Carrabreg i Ul&t, Carrabreg i Ep&rm, Llo^an, Drenoc, Kodrali, etc - residents return only during the day for some domestic activities. They do not dare to stay there overnight, though.

Against this background - gunfire is heard overnight, and the ubiquitous police presence - people will hardly return back to their homes, if they have homes to return to, a local LDK official in De^an said.

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