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March 26,
2003
ERP KIM Newsletter
26-03-03
CONTENTS:
THE LAST SERBIAN COMMUNITY
IN PRISTINA
BISHOP ARTEMIJE: STEINER MAKES NEGOTIATIONS UNFAIR
RADA TRAJKOVIC: SERBIAN OFFICERS IN KFOR
FORMER IRAQI OFFICERS IN SECRET MISSION IN MACEDONIA
RADIO YUGOSLAVIA - KOSOVO
SERBS AND SERB GOVERNMENT ALARMED WITH STEINER'S TRANSFER OF AUTHORITIES
TO ALBANIAN DOMINATED INSTITUTIONS IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA
More News Available on our:
KOSOVO DAILY
NEWS LIST (KDN)
KDN Archive
This newsletter is available on our
ERP KIM Web-site:
/erpkim26mar03.html
THE
LAST SERBIAN COMMUNITY IN PRISTINA
Report on how the last remaining Serbs in Pristina
struggle to survive in an Albanian dominated surrounding
TOP
ERP KIM
Info-Service
March 26, 2003
(photo Inet: A British
soldier guarding the entrance to the last building in Pristina in which
Serbs live. Now the building is without regular military protection
despite general insecurity)
 The"Ju
zgrada" or "YU building" as it is usually called since NATO forces arrived
in Kosovo and Metohija is the last place in Pristina where Serbs live as a
community. A total of 180 Serbs make up this community and out of that
number 34 are children. Apart from this community there are 80 other
persons of Serbian ethnicity living in Pristina. Those are people who live
in houses or flats in different areas of Pristina. One of those groups
lives in the surroundings of the Orthodox church of St. Nikola, others in
the University settlement .
The life of people in the YU building is similar to life in a prison;
often I have the impression that we live in a sort of Zoo. That impression
I have usually when a delegation of people from whatever part of the world
comes to visit us. On these occasions they usually place themselves near
the fence that surrounds the upper concrete platform and from that
position they are looking down at a lower platform where business
facilities are located and where we usually mingle during day time. The
building's residential area is on the upper platform . Those
visitors-observers ask us nothing, they do not communicate with us, they
only take photos of us without even asking us whether we want to be
photographed or not.
Tenants of the YU building are people who lived in it prior to the arrival
of NATO forces in Pristina (so called old tenants) and people who arrived
from different parts of Pristina as their flats were taken over by
Albanians. People from Urosevac, Lipljan, Obilic moved into empty flats in
the YU building throughout 1999. Many of them did not stay for long, most
often it was for up to several months. When they moved others would move
in to the emptied flats in order to seek accommodation and safety. In that
period it seemed as if the situation in the YU building was safer than in
other parts of Pristina and that was all thanks to the presence of KFOR
soldiers, but actually the situation was not as safe as it seemed.
Residents do not forget that the YU building was shot at with grenades,
rockets and bombs were also thrown. Furthermore, the famous surgeon and
dentist Dr.Petkovic was kidnapped and still we do not know what has
happened to him. Still, the community has succeeded in surviving up to
now.
The YU building has been under the constant protection and supervision of
British KFOR since July 1999. British KFOR, or more accurately one
military unit of British KFOR placed themselves in two flats in the
building entrance (or as it is now known in entrance 23).Their supervisory
points were installed in several different places around the building.
Five supervisory cameras were installed, two for monitoring and control of
the space in front of the entrance into the residential area of the
building and three for monitoring the area behind the building. This was
the situation until Sept 2002. In October 2002 British KFOR decided to
stop constant supervision of the YU building! For the community it was a
tremendous surprise as the situation is practically the same as far as
most of the tenants of this building are concerned . They think that the
situation has not changed for the better compared to the conditions when
the building started being protected by British KFOR. All in all British
KFOR was silent when it came to requests of the tenants to continue with
supervision of the building but they organized occasional foot patrols to
check up on the building bywalking around and on the odd occasion they
will remain for a while in the building in their facilities where their
monitors for supervision of the surroundings are situated. Although the
cameras are still in position as before it seems that the cameras are not
functioning.
(photo: Granny Borka
(Basic). An elderly Serb from Pristina beaten by Albanians. Elderly Serbs
were the most frequent victims of Kosovo Albanians)
 Right
after permanent monitoring and supervision of the surrounding area was set
up by British KFOR , unknown attackers stoned the minibus used as
transportation for the tenants to go to Gracanica, Kosovska Mitrovica etc.
During the investigation that was headed by representatives of the
International police (UNMIK Police) it was established that the cameras
placed on the command post were not functioning so it was not possible to
establish who shattered the windows of the minibus! How can one feel safe
in such circumstances?
British KFOR after persistent requests from the community continued to
organize and escort the school bus which takes the children from the YU
building and two other children from the Northern part of Pristina to
school in Laplje selo. Parents are constantly under pressure and worried
about the security of their children as we never know when British KFOR
shall stop escorting the school bus. The end of this year was mentioned
but this is only an estimate as nobody has told us anything officially.
The situation in which the community of the YU building finds itself is
very precarious for many reasons. First of all there is an issue of
uncertainty re KFOR protection in the next period. Then there are the
efforts of the Electricity Company KEK to collect money for electricity by
force from the current tenants from 1999 to the present day. KEK insists
on collecting the money from tenants that now live in the flats regardless
of when the current tenants arrived or when they moved into the flats.
Many people were disconnected regardless of the reasons they provided or
proof that they had not lived in those flats since 1999. I do not want to
mention all the problems that certain tenants had with the KEK employees
but I do want to stress that the problems of the YU community have to be
reviewed in the proper context and only then can the appropriate decisions
be made on what to do. One of many important facts that characterize the
life of this community is that it is practically impossible for any of the
tenants to secure themselves any kind of job where they could earn a
living. Most of the YU programme tenants are pensioners who receive their
pensions in dinars as their only source of income and that is the case
also with the vast majority of the rest of the Serbs who reside in
Pristina. That money they can only spend in Gracanica as it is the nearest
place where the dinar can be used. On the one hand, this fact is
significant because of the amount of money these people receive as
pensions compared to how high the electricity bills are (the size of the
bill in many cases exceeds the amount received in the pension) and on the
other hand it illustrates the necessity to make it possible for people to
travel to Gracanica.
Especially interesting is the case of the new tenants that bought flats in
entrance A and moved into their apartments in October and November 2002
(those are Albanians that bought the flats from the previous owners in
that building entrance (the owners were military ) KEK insists on
collecting debts from them for the electricity spent since 1999 regardless
of the fact that other people lived there (in some of the flats tenants
have changed several times since). The reason why I am raising this is
actually to illustrate the lack of willingness on the side of KEK to
review any justified reasons. Furthermore , in the case where the tenants
are Serbs one has to keep in mind that a significant number of them
receive social assistance, that they are ill or not able to move,
restricted to their beds constantly, invalids and elderly that simply are
not able to have any source of income. In these cases it is clear that
steps have to be taken by UNMIK, Coordination Center, KEK and other
interested parties with any power to assist this community. They must
consider the fact that the community is not living in normal circumstances
and therefore they are not able to meet their obligations as citizens.
They would do so if circumstances were normal.
Apart from that, in reality we have a situation where a great number of
inhabitants have received a warning that their electricity will be cut
within days 3/12/2002). And this is happening now during the winter
period!?
(photo: A British soldier
helps Serb women from Pristina to enter the KFOR vehicle on their way to
the church)
 Within
the YU community, an NGO "Cornerstone" is active (translated into Serbian
the name of NGO is Kamen Temeljac). This NGO is performing some activities
that are of vital importance to the community. One also might say that
many of the activities are of great importance for the rest of the Serbs
in Pristina. From the following description of activities it is possible
to conclude how important they are to the community and all the rest who
are interested in the return of Serbs to Pristina.
arrested.
The survival
of NGO "Cornerstone" is put into danger by many factors. The first
issue is paying rent to the owners of facilities in which the activities
of the NGO are performed (Community Centre, Grocery store, Ambulanta,
Information Centre). Owners of the mentioned business facilities showed up
last year with contracts that they had signed with the NGO ADRA on behalf
of the European Agency for Reconstruction which funded the aforementioned
facilities. After that ADRA signed Contracts for use with the facility
owners. Those contracts expired during the second half of this year (the
end of July, the end of October) and owners appeared with the request to
"Cornerstone" asking for them to pay them rent?! Let me give you an
example of how much some asked; for example for the facility where the
Community Centre is situated - 500 EURO per month and for the facility
where the Information Centre is 200 EURO although the place is no more
than 12 metres square!
During the
night 19/20 October 2002 unknown individuals broke the glass on our
minibus in which the NGO was transporting people to Gracanica and other
places in Kosovo and Metohija.
As I stated at the beginning of this letter, the perpetrators were never
found and now we are looking for someone who is willing to help us repair
that minibus and continue with the transportation of people. Transport of
the people to Gracanica and other places in Kosovo and Metohija is of
important significance for all members of this community and surely for
the rest of the Serbs in Pristina.
Transport is closely connected to the problem of doctors who need to come
from the Health House in Kosovo Polje to the ambulanta of our community.
That is because British KFOR stopped transporting Dr. Slavica Jankovic who
was regularly seeing patients. That is extremely important to the large
number of Pristina inhabitants. Only in the YU building there are several
persons that are continuously restricted to bed and request everyday
doctor's supervision and care.
M.K.
Author is one of the Serbs living in the YU buiilding
TOP
BISHOP
ARTEMIJE: STEINER MAKES NEGOTIATIONS UNFAIR
SERBIAN NATIONAL COUNCILS REQUESTED REPLACEMENT OF STEINER - BISHOP SAYS
THAT SOME STEINER'S DECISIONS ARE NOT LEADING TOWARDS SOLVING OF PROBLEMS
TOP
KIM
Radio
http://www.kimradio.net/
March 25, 2003
 Gracanica
- Bishop Artemije, stated that the manner in which Michael Steiner, the
current UNMIK chief, and his predecessors have conducted their work is not
in accordance with resolution 1244. Giving a comment on the initiative
raised by the Serbian National Council for North and Central Kosovo for
the replacement of Steiner, the bishop stated that some of the decisions
made by Steiner are not leading towards the solving of the problems on
Kosovo.
Bishop Artemije also stated that the recent move made by Steiner in
regards to the transfer of authorities, is in direct contradiction with
the Security Council resolution. The bishop warned the Serbian authorities
by saying that they need to pay a special attention on the direction in
which the talks will be headed. "Are these talks between two equal sides,
two independent states or is it an internal dialogue with in one state in
order to solve certain existing issues." The transfer of authorities is
predetermining the final status of Kosovo, evaluated the bishop. "By
transferring the authorities on to the Kosovo institutions, Steiner has
made the negotiations unfair because this move puts Belgrade in a "no win"
situation while the Prishtina side is given a head start in the upcoming
dialogue", stated Bishop Artemije.
TOP
DR. RADA
TRAJKOVIC: SERBIAN OFFICERS IN KFOR?
At least one Serbian Officer should be sent to KFOR HQ as a symbol of
sovreinginty, Dr. Trajkovic says
TOP
KIM
Radio
http://www.kimradio.net/
March 25, 2003
 Gracanica
- Dr. Rada Trajkovic, Serbian deputy in the Parliament of Kosovo said to
KIM Radio that representatives of our state should request return of
Serb-Montenegrin officers to the KFOR Headquarters. Reacting to the
statement by the Commander of the Kosovo Protection Corps (KPC) Agim Ceku
and the KFOR Commander, Italian General Fabio Mini, on partnership of KPC
with KFOR and UNMIK, Trakovic said that recognicion of such a formation
was completely surprising and presented a serious precedent. "Our state
should openly request at least one liaison officer to be posted in KFOR
Headquarters as a symbol of sovreignity", said trajkovic.
Kosovo Corps
Commander Agim Ceku announced in Pristina today that in future members of
KPC will be able to give full support to KFOR troops and UNMIK if
necessary. General Fabio Mini confirmed that with this a new phase in
functioning of KPC began.
TOP
FORMER
IRAQI OFFICERS IN SECRET MISSION IN MACEDONIA?
About 400 officers from
the Iraqi army were deployed in the Balkan countries to attack American
and British embassies and diplomats
TOP
MIC
(Macedonian Information Center)
March 25,
2003
Skopje, 25 Mar (MIC) - About 400 officers from the Iraqi army were
deployed in the Balkan countries to attack American and British embassies
and diplomats. Their target may also be other countries that joined the
coalition against Saddam Hussein, daily "Dnevnik" learns.
Reportedly, former Iraqi officers have been operating in Macedonia,
Bosnia, Albania and Kosovo for several moths, together with members of Al
Qaeda, terrorists from Saudi Arabia and members of the Iraqi Revolutionary
Guard "Pazdaran", which also opened logistic office in Skopje. Western
sources claim that Iraqi officers, once trained in the former Yugoslav
army, and Al Qaeda terrorists are working n creating "Balkan Muslim army".
They already recruited about 20,000 fighters, both veterans and "fresh
blood".
The activities of the fighters in Macedonia are helped by Albanians, and
are developing in great secrecy, mainly hidden behind the activities of
the mosques. The mosques were also used for recruiting future fights for
the Muslim army, mainly boys of 15-16 years of age, financed by Saudi
Arabia. After passing the first course, the boys received salary of USD
500-700. According to security sources, the Iraqi officers were in charge
of military training, whereas the Al Qaeda members – for terrorist
activities. The sources of the daily claim that the young members of the
Balkan Jihad already enrolled in schools for army pilots in Bulgaria and
the Czech Republic.
According to the information from the U.S. State Department and the
British Foreign Office, their embassies in Skopje were closed after
receiving "serious threats". Reportedly, in Macedonia there is a group of
six Iraqis that is preparing terrorist acts. The American embassy resumed
regular work Monday, whereas the British embassy is expected to be
reopening for the public today. The Ministry of Interior neither confirmed
nor denied the information about presence of an Iraqi terrorist group in
Macedonia.
"The information about presence of such group is still in the field of
speculation, and the Ministry of Interior can neither confirm not deny it.
The Ministry took certain measures for protection and increased presence
in front of some embassies," said spokeswoman Mirjana Kontevska.
TOP
KOSOVO SERBS AND SERBIAN GOVERNMENT
ALARMED WITH STENER'S TRANSFER OF AUTHORITIES TO ALBANIAN DOMINATED
INSTITUTIONS IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA (KOSMET)
TOP
RADIO
YUGOSLAVIA
http://www.radioyu.org/
March 25-26, 2003
Steiner
forming advisory body to transfer authorities to provisional institutions
 UNMIK
Head Michael Steiner is to form on Wednesday an advisory body which is to
transfer certain authorities of the international administration to
provisional Kosmet institutions, UNMIK spokesperson Djordji Kakuk
announced in Zvecan, in northern Kosmet. The transfer of authorities is in
line with Resolution 1244, on the basis of which the government of Kosovo
is to have its competences, Kakuk said. The head of the MP club of the
Serb POVRATAK coalition, Dragisa Krstovic, assessed that the move by the
UNMIK head could aggravate the safety situation in the region.
Serbian
Government would request from UN Sec. Council to reconsider Steiner's
decision
Advisor to the Prime Minister of Serbia for Kosovo-Metohija Branko
Radujko, announced that the Government would soon request the UN Security
Council to reconsider the decision of the UNMIK head, Michael Steiner
regarding the transfer of some competences of the UN Mission onto
provisional institutions in Kosmet. The Serbian government is to submit
the request in order to establish whether Resolution 1244 has been
breached and whether Steiner has violated his competences, Radujko told
BETA. Only after that a Government delegation is to start negotiations
with representatives of the Kosmet authorities and on UNMIK, regarding
technical issues which Steiner recently proposed to Belgrade, Radujko
said.
KCC Chief
Nebojsa Covic requested from Steiner to freeze transfer of competences
The chief of the State Coordination Centre for Kosmet, Nebojsa Covic
requested from the head of UNMIK Michael Steiner to freeze the transfer of
competences from the international administration to provisional Kosmet
authorities, as well as the beginning of the dialogue between Belgrade and
Pristina for a period between 60 and 90 days. If UNMIK does not accept
that, it will bear all the responsibility for the possible consequences,
warned Covic. Pointing out that the Serbian national community in Kosmet
would not permit that the province become an independent state, Covic
stressed that the similar moves of the UN administration led to new
conflicts.
PRESS REVIEW, March 26. 2003
Transfer of UNMIK’s competences onto the local community prejudices the
final status of Kosovo-Metohija, write many dailies, reporting on
yesterday’s joint meeting of the Serbian National Council of north and
central Kosmet.
The transfer of competences which mark and express state sovereignty, from
international institutions onto the local Albanian majority community in
Kosovo-Metohija, apart from being in contradiction with the UN Resolution
1244, also excludes the right of Serbia and the state union of Serbia and
Montenegro to its territory, quotes the BORBA daily. In this way,
the final status of Kosovo-Metohija is prejudiced, thus indirectly
introducing the independence of the Province, and making future
negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina pointless, emphasizes the
daily.
The DANAS daily also reports on the meeting of the Serbian
community representatives in Kosovo-Metohija, particularly pointing out
the request addressed to the Government and the Assembly of Serbia to
urgently discuss the decision of the UNMIK Head. Michael Steiner regarding
the transfer of competences onto the provisional institutions of
Kosovo-Metohija. The Serbian community in Kosmet also expects the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs of the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro to take
energetic steps in order to inform the UN Security Council of the
violation of Resolution 1244.
Regarding the latest developments in Kosovo-Metohija, the POLITIKA
daily writes that the latest steps toward the independence of Kosmet,
threaten to turn into a galloping process. Quoting the opinion of legal
expert Dusan Colic, the daily reports that there are state, political and
legal reasons to stop the process of transfer of additional competences
onto the provisional institutions of self-administration in
Kosovo-Metohija because it is in contradiction with the said UN resolution
but also with the Constitutional frameworks for Self-Administration.
Therefore, the representatives of the state union of Serbia and Montenegro
and of the Republic of Serbia, should initiate a diplomatic action and to
present to the Security Council’s legal experts, proper arguments,
suggests Colic. He adds that the UN Resolution 1244 was being violated in
Kosovo-Metohija, since its very adoption, that is from June 10, 1999.
Moreover, in his first decree, the first Secretary General’s envoy,
Bernard Cushnaire, assigned himself a mandate of legislative, executive
and judiciary authority in the Province, overlooking the fact that both
the Preamble and the main text of Resolution 1244 quote that the integrity
and sovereignty of the then SFY and the present state union of Serbia and
Montenegro, were not to be violated.
According to Michael Steiner’s latest initiative, the most important state
functions, starting from monetary and fiscal policies, finances, security,
to foreign policy, are transferred onto provisional institutions of
Kosovo, which represents both formally and essentially, violation of the
UN Resolution 1244. In no word does Steiner’s text mention the state union
of Serbia and Montenegro or the Republic of Serbia, and not even the
Serbian National Community in Kosmet. The moment in which UNMIK Head in
Kosovo-Metohija started this initiative, is also indicative: just when the
UN and the international community, and the US before all, are occupied
with problems regarding Iraq, warns legal expert Dusan Colic, as
POLITIKA quotes.
TOP
Reactions to
the war in Iraq
Humanitarian war
Corax (Danas Daily, March 24, 2003) - Offering Coca Cola to an Iraqi
ERP KIM
Info-Service is the official Information Service of the Serbian Orthodox
Diocese of Raska and Prizren and works with the blessing of His Grace
Bishop Artemije.
Our Information Service is distributing news on Kosovo related issues. The
main focus of the Info-Service is the life of the Serbian Orthodox Church
and the Serbian community in the Province of Kosovo and Metohija. ERP KIM
Info Service works in cooperation with
www.serbian-translation.com as well as the
Kosovo
Daily News (KDN) News List
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