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July 27,
2003
ERP KIM Newsletter
26-07-03b
SERIES OF NEW BOMB
ATTACKS SHAKE MAJOR KOSOVO CITIES
CONTENTS:
 BOMB
ATTACKS PRISTINA, PODUJEVO, UROSEVAC AND ORAHOVAC
On Friday night and early Saturday morning
(July 25-26) an bomb attacks occurred in Pristina, Podujevo,
Urosevac and Orahovac causing material damage and no injuries. Unofficial
sources in Pristina claim that the series of explosions in the last few
days is the consequence of a "war" between two main Kosovo Albanian
political factions, one around president Rugova and his LDK, and another
including political parties that emerged from the war-time KLA
THREE
EXPLOSIONS SHAKE KOSOVO, NO INJURIES
U.N. police stepped up
security after violence in Pristina last weekend, in which a
rocket-propelled grenade hit a courthouse and a blast damaged a police car
in near simultaneous attacks. Local media have speculated that attack was
linked to the first war crimes conviction of former Kosovo Albanian
rebels.
KOSOVO
SERBS IN BELGRADE COMPLAIN OF UNMIK'S POLICY OF DOUBLE STANDARDS
The purpose of the visit by the Serb
delegation was to point out the policy of double standards on the part of
the international community in Kosovo and southern Serbia toward the Serb
and non-Albanian population, on the one hand, and the Albanians on the
other, said Marko Jaksic
WHO
IS PREJUDICING KOSOVO'S FINAL STATUS
If Mr. Covic were the
first one to express his opinion about the future status of the UN
administered Serbian province probably Mr. Braywshaw's statement would not
attract much attention. But, it is well known that all leading Kosovo
Albanian officials, including Kosovo Albanian president Ibrahim Rugova
many times publicly stated that Kosovo should become nothing but an
independent state and there was no reaction from the UN administration.
RASKA
AND PRIZREN DIOCESE ON APPOINTMENT OF THE NEW HEAD OF UNMIK
Priorities: improvement of security - stop
the violence of Albanian extremists - complience with UN SC Resolution
1244 - return of displaced persons and protection of holy sites
DIFFICULT
LIFE OF THE SERB COMMUNITY IN BANJSKA ENCLAVE, VUCITRN
Four years of bitter
discrimination: no employment for Serbs - travelling in convoy to the
nearest Serb hospital in Mitrovica - crops stolen, hay burned
More News Available on our:
KOSOVO DAILY
NEWS LIST (KDN)
KDN Archive
This newsletter is available on our
ERP KIM Web-site:
/erpkiminfo.html
NEW
TERRORIST ATTACKS IN PODUJEVO, UROSEVAC AND PRISTINA|
On Friday night and early
Saturday morning (July 25-26) an explosive device went off in Pristina,
Podujevo, Urosevac and Orahovac causing material damage and no injuries.
Unofficial sources in Pristina claim that the series of explosions in the
last few days is the consequence of a "war" between two main Kosovo
Albanian political factions, one around president Rugova and his LDK, and
another including political parties that emerged from the war-time KLA
TOP
BETA NEWS AGENCY, Local Kosovo Media, UN
Police reports
Pristina, July 26, 2003
EXPLOSION IN PRISTINA
Kosovo Albanian media report that on early in the morning of Saturday,
July 26, an explosion shook downtown Pristina. According to preliminary
information no one was injured in this attack. The explosive device went
off behind the headquarters of one of the leading Kosovo Albanian
political parties, the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), headed by
former KLA commander Ramush Haradinaj.
An investigation is in progress. Seven days ago Pristina was rocked by two
explosions, one at the Municipal Court building and another in front of
the UNMIK police station.
UNMIK
POLICE REPORT:
Pristina South - 26/07 - 0045 hrs. An explosion occurred near YU Program
building, located in Ulpiana. Resultantly, two UN vehicles were
damaged. No injury reported. Two males placed some explosive under one of
the UN vehicles and escaped from the scene in a vehicle. Later
police responded to the scene and called KFOR EOD team, which searched the
area and recovered a handle of a hand grenade.
EXPLOSION IN PODUJEVO
On Friday night and early Saturday morning (July 15-26) an explosive
device went off in front of the main entrance to the Podujevo Municipality
Building, causing material damage. No one was injured in the attack,
representatives of the international police in Kosovo reported.The
municipal building in Podujevo has been placed under strong police
protection.
International police have not yet published details regarding possible
motives or perpetrators of this latest bomb attack. A similar explosion
occurred in Podujevo several days ago after the Pristina District Court
sentenced four former commanders of the illegal Kosovo Liberation Army
from Podujevo to a total of 45 years of prison for war crimes.
UNMIK POLICE REPORT:
Podujevo - 26/07 - 0040 hrs. An explosion took place near the Podujevo
Municipality building. Resultantly the glasses of a window of the
building were damaged. Police responded to the scene. The exact location
of the explosion could not be determined. No injury reported.
EXPLOSION IN UROSEVAC
Radio Kosovo also reported that after midnight (on July 26) a strong
explosion occurred in the parking lot of the "Fershped" transport company
in the village of Muhadjerski Talinovac, Urosevac municipality. The
explosion caused substantial material damage but none were injured. UNMIK
police, Kosovo police and KFOR are investigating the attack but no
official communiqué has yet been issued.
UNMIK POLICE REPORT:
Talinos Village, Ferizaj (Urosevac) - 26/07 - 0025 hrs. An explosion
occurred near the parking lot of a transport company belonging to one
male victim. Resultantly, three trucks and one vacant building were badly
damaged. Some neighboring buildings also sustained minor damages.
However, no injury reported.
EXPLOSION IN ORAHOVAC
At approximately 01.30 hrs Police was informed of an explosion which took
place at the former police station. No visible damages were seen.
Investigation is in progress.
UNMIK
POLICE REPORT:
Ratcovac Village, Orahovac - 26/07 - 0130 hrs. Police was informed of an
explosion, which took place at the former police station. No visible
damages. KFOR EOD team informed.
In the last days Kosovo has been rocked by a series of explosions in
Pristina, Kosovska Mitrovica and Pec resulting in the death of one person
died, the injury of five others and extensive material damage.
"War" between conflicting Albanian political
factions
Unofficial sources in Pristina claim that the series of explosions in the
last few days is the consequence of a "war" between two main Kosovo
Albanian political factions, one around president Rugova and his LDK, and
another including political parties that emerged from the war-time KLA
(Thaci's PDK and Haradinaj's AAK). Supporters of the LDK and Rugova are
among the key witnesses in the cases against indicted KLA commanders.
During the war Rugova and his LDK organized their own military formation,
FARK, which clashed with KLA. The leader of FARK, Tahir Zemaj, was killed
in a terrorist attack in Pec last year. The perpetrators of that crime
have not yet been identified.
TOP
REUTERS:
THREE EXPLOSIONS SHAKE KOSOVO, NO INJURIES
U.N. police stepped up
security after violence in Pristina last weekend, in which a
rocket-propelled grenade hit a courthouse and a blast damaged a police car
in near simultaneous attacks. Local media have speculated that attack was
linked to the first war crimes conviction of former Kosovo Albanian
rebels.
TOP
REUTERS
26 Jul 2003 14:54:34 GMT
PRISTINA, Serbia and Montenegro, July 26 (Reuters) - Three more explosions
shook Kosovo early on Saturday but caused no casualties just two days
after one person was killed and five injured in a grenade attack, a U.N.
official said.
It was not immediately clear if Saturday's explosions had any link to the
one near the U.N. Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) headquarters in the flashpoint
town of Kosovska Mitrovica on Thursday.
Angela Joseph, a spokeswoman for the UNMIK police, said the explosions
occurred in the provincial capital Pristina, the northern town of Podujevo
and a village in south-eastern Kosovo.
"I cannot speculate whether there is any connection between the explosions
(on Saturday) or whether they were possibly synchronised," she said.
She said "no motive or suspects were known".
Police said the target for Thursday's attack, in which two hand grenades
were thrown in front of the building in a busy area, was probably not the
U.N. police station as officials initially indicated. UNMIK police have
arrested two suspects.
U.N. police stepped up security after violence in Pristina last weekend,
in which a rocket-propelled grenade hit a courthouse and a blast damaged a
police car in near simultaneous attacks.
Local media have speculated that attack was linked to the first war crimes
conviction of former Kosovo Albanian rebels.
On July 16, an international panel of judges sentenced prominent ex-rebel
chief Rrustem Mustafa, known by his nom-de-guerre "Remi", to 17 years in
prison for war crimes.
Kosovo was placed under U.N.-led administration in June 1999 after NATO's
bombing campaign to end Serbian repression of Kosovo's Albanian majority.
International officials are struggling to establish the rule of law in the
province.
TOP
KOSOVO SERBS IN BELGRADE COMPLAIN OF UNMIK'S POLICY OF DOUBLE STANDARDS
The purpose of the visit
by the Serb delegation was to point out the policy of double standards on
the part of the international community in Kosovo and southern Serbia
toward the Serb and non-Albanian population, on the one hand, and the
Albanians on the other, said Marko Jaksic
TOP
Tanjug News Agency, Belgrade
BELGRADE, July 25, 2003
Representatives of the Serbs of Kosovo and Metohija asked for help from
appropriate Belgrade officials on Thursday because in they estimated the
security and economic situations in Kosovo to be extremely difficult.
Representatives of Serbs of Kosovo assessed that the most acceptable
solution is a union of Serb municipalities and the federalization of
Kosovo and Metohija, which would grant both Serbs and Albanians autonomy,
as well as that Kosovo and Metohija must remain a part of Serbia according
to the new Serbian Constitution.
The purpose of the visit by the Serb delegation was to point out the
policy of double standards on the part of the international community in
Kosovo and southern Serbia toward the Serb and non-Albanian population, on
the one hand, and the Albanians on the other, said Marko Jaksic, a
representative of the Union of Serb Municipalities of Kosovo and Metohija
at a press conference.
Warning that Serbs in Kosovo "are living as if they were in a
concentration camp" without freedom of movement and basic means of
sustenance, Jaksic pointed out that Roma, Goranis and Muslims were also
persecuted against in Kosovo, and that an exodus of Croats occurred from
three villages in the Kosovska Vitina area. Out of a total of 4,000 Croat
inhabitants, only 70 remain.
Nenad Kojic of Kosovska Vitina said that, instead of returns, departures
by the Serb populations are continuing. Ranko Matic from Gnjilane
municipality said that there are 35,000 Serbs living in that part of
Kosovo who are thinking about leaving because the Shiptars (Albanians) are
buying up Serb property and taking over strategic locations.
Since the signing of the Kumanovo Agreement in 1999, more than a thousand
Serbs have been killed and more than 250,000 Serbs were terrorized into
leaving Kosovo. A total of 108 churches and monasteries have also been
destroyed. Kosovska Vitina municipality, where only three Serb villages
now remain, had a population of 11,000 Serbs prior to 1999, only 3,000 of
whom remain.
Zoran Peric of Kosovsko Pomoravlje said that the Serbs would write and
appeal to the Serbian government and Coordinating Center for Kosovo and
Metohija chief Nebojsa Covic, whom he described as "not having enough time
to receive Serb representatives."
TOP
WHO
IS PREJUDICING KOSOVO'S FINAL STATUS?
If
Mr. Covic were the first one to express his opinion about the future
status of the UN administered Serbian province probably Mr. Braywshaw's
statement would not attract much attention. But, it is well known that all
leading Kosovo Albanian officials, including Kosovo Albanian president
Ibrahim Rugova many times publicly stated that Kosovo should become
nothing but an independent state and there was no reaction from the UN
administration.
TOP
ERPKIM
Info-service
July 26, 2003
Immediately after Dr. Nebojsa Covic, Serbia's vice-premier and the chief
of the Coordination center for Kosovo and Metohija presented "The
Guidelines for resolving Kosovo and Metohija problem", Charles Brayshaw,
the UN deputy Governor of Kosovo reacted accusing Covic of prejudicing
Kosovo's status.
If Mr. Covic
were the first one to express his opinion about the future status of the
UN administered Serbian province probably Mr. Braywshaw's statement would
not attract much attention. But, it is well known that all leading Kosovo
Albanian officials, including Kosovo Albanian president Ibrahim Rugova
many times publicly stated that Kosovo should become nothing but an
independent state and there was no reaction from the UN administration. In
fact, not a single international representative or diplomat ever dared
mention even a theoretical possibility that Kosovo may never become an
independent state at all.
In May 2003
Kosovo Parliament, with exception of Serb deputies, ratified a declaration
which not only supported the idea of independent Kosovo but expressed
public recognition to the terrorist Kosovo Liberation Army, which is
presently under heavy investigation for war crimes against Serb, Albanian,
Roma and Bosniak civilians. Again, after these two declarations were
adopted by the Kosovo Parliament in May UNMIK officials did not react.
This obvious
policy of double standards and selective interpretation of the UNSC
Resolution 1244 shows that UNMIK administration has been afraid so far to
take evenhanded and ethnically unbiased position but still serves
interests of one ethnic group. Such policy has not only created conditions
for multiethnic society but has even made a deeper rift between the
communities and encouraged extremists to play with the status issue
leaving standards of life aside. It was only in the recent time that some
Governments began speaking more openly that Kosovo status cannot be only
resolved according to the Albanian liking. In fact this principle is
contained in so called Rambouillet Accords in which among mechanisms for
determining the final status not only the will of the (majority) people is
mentioned but also the Helsinki Final Act, which clearly says that
international borders cannot be changed without consent of the country to
which these borders belong, i.e. Serbia-Montenegro in this case.
Mr. Covic
statement that Serbia should never renounce Kosovo is in fact a joint
position of all Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija too and a position held by a
vast majority of Serbia's population. In fact there is not a single Serb
who would ever freely agree to live in an independent Albanian state of
Kosovo as well as there is no Serb politician who may dare sign a paper
which would renounce part of Serbia's territory. Four years after the war
Serbs could see quite well what society Kosovo Albanians are building and
quite reasonably would never support any kind of Albanian independence.
The latest series of terrorist attacks and explosions, continuation of
discrimination in all spheres of life, systematic destruction of Christian
holy sites and other repressive acts clearly demonstrate that Kosovo with
such level of political culture and behavior towards Serbs and minorities
can only become a black hole of Europe and thus destabilize the entire
region.
Therefore,
instead of empty rethorics and using every possiblity to call like parrots
for Kosovo's independence Mr. Rugova and other leaders should concetrate
on practical issues how to teach their population tolerance and make them
behave in a more civilized way towards other ethnicities and Christian
cultural monuments. Otherwise, calling for independence in the light of
everyday terrorist attacks and acts of violence would sound only like a
good joke.
S.M.D.
TOP
DIOCESE OF RASKA AND PRIZREN STATEMENT ON THE APPOINTMENT OF THE NEW HEAD
OF UNMIK
Priorities: improvement of security - stop
the violence of Albanian extremists - complience with UN SC Resolution
1244 - return of displaced persons and protection of holy sites
TOP
ERP KIM INFO SERVICE
Gracanica, July 26, 2003
The Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Raska and Prizren welcomes the appointment
of eminent Finnish diplomat Harri Holkeri to the position of Special
Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Kosovo and Metohija.
The Diocese and its faithful congregation, who have been exposed during
the last four years to ethnic discrimination, repression and violence in
the presence of the UN mission and KFOR forces, sincerely hopes that the
new UNMIK chief will make security and a dignified life for all residence
of the Province his priority.
It is high time to stop the violence carried out by Albanian extremists
without sanctions, which recently has not been directed only toward Serbs
and non-Albanians but toward their own compatriots of different political
persuasions.
The Diocese of Raska and Prizren also expects from the new UNMIK chief
that the process of building a substantial autonomy in Kosovo and Metohija
will continue in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1244, and
that provisional institutions will not be misused toward the goal of
building an ethnically pure, Albanian, independent state of Kosovo. The
Serb people is prepared to constructively participate in the building of
truly multiethnic institutions; however, it is hard pressed to support the
ethnically one-sided and exclusive policies being implemented by Albanian
leaders holding key positions in Kosovo institutions.
The Diocese expresses its sincere hope that Mr. Holkeri will fulfil the
promises of the international community and enable the return of more than
250,000 expelled and displaced persons to their ancestral homes in Kosovo
and Metohija and that he will also make an effort to protect Orthodox
Christian holy shrines and the Serbian cultural heritage from systematic
destruction and desecration.
TOP
DIFFICULT LIFE OF SERBS IN BANJSKA ENCLAVE, NEAR VUCITRN
Four years of bitter
discrimination: no employment for Serbs - travelling in convoy to the
nearest Serb hospital in Mitrovica - crops stolen, hay burned
TOP
ERPKIM
INFO-SERVICE
SITUATION REPORT
Banjska Village 23-07-03
Banska is a mixed village near Mitrovica. Today there are 20 Serb
households left. Since 1999 the Serbs have suffered losses of animals and
vehicles but since Greek KFOR removed their permanent checkpoint in the
village in early January 2003, the incidents have become more common.
On Saturday night 19th July, an unoccupied house belonging to two
brothers, Milos and Miodrag Dancetovic, was destroyed in an arson attack.
The brothers are not currently resident in the village, being IDPs in
Kraljevo. This incident follows another attempt two weeks ago to burn an
unoccupied house belonging to a Serb. On that occasion villagers noticed
something was going on and the arsonists fled. A Greek KFOR patrol was
seen on a hill overlooking the village but they did not intervene saying
later that they did not see the smoke rising from the house. The property
belongs to Mr. Tomislav who lives in Raska but built a house in the
village because his mother and brother still live in Banska.
The number of incidents continues to increase with small crops like
potatoes being stolen from the gardens around the houses virtually every
night. On the 15th June 2003, a cow belonging to Ljubisa Krsmanovic was
stolen despite having a 14mm steel chain around its neck. The thieves
simply cut through the chain. The cow was given to Mr. Krsmanovic by the
CCK to help him feed his five young children, ranging in age from 3 years
of age to 13.
The police just drive through the village as do Greek KFOR but they rarely
stop. When recent complaints were lodged with the police, they said they
were surprised as they thought things would get better not worse.
Following a presentation in the village in December 2002 by IOM as part of
the EAR- funded Community Stabilisation Programme, the Serbs of Banska
drew up plans to launch small businesses to generate some much-needed
income. However, the increasing incidents are affecting people’s morale
and interest in CSP has waned. At the moment there is one CSP project in
the village a taxi service. As village spokesman Pedrag states, just when
people begin to plan for a better future something happens. He says the
villagers have a feeling of solidarity with the Serb villagers in other
villagers near Banska like Slatina,Gojbulja or Miroce. He is aware that if
the residents of Banska are driven out then the pressure to leave will be
increased on the other villages.
Speaking of the most recent house-burning incident Pedrag links it to a
meeting they had with Albanian villagers on the Friday night before the
house was torched- that happened the next day, Saturday.
The Albanians had changed their representative. The meeting was to discuss
if Serbs would share the water from the spring which is on their land with
Albanian villagers. They reached an agreement about sharing the water but
the next day the house was burned to the ground. Perhaps the house was
attacked because there was co-operation between Serb and Albanian
villagers. The Albanian representative had commented to Pedrag that he had
almost expected something to happen as he was seen to be co-operating with
Serbs.
The basic situation was summed up by Pedrag as a continual series of
attacks intended to harass the Serb residents. When the Serbs plan to do
anything, something bad happens. Pedrag appealed for aid from any donors
who could help them. They have land although they only use what is close
to their houses. They can support themselves if given the chance. At the
moment they need a small tractor to work the land. Between them they have
the implements to work on the land and have already had meetings to
arrange how the tractor would be used and maintained communally.
In the past, they have had vehicles stolen including two tractors and two
other vehicles. They were using horses on the land but three were stolen
leaving only one to do all the work. It consequently died.
Last harvest time, Pedrag was walking on his land away from his house when
an Albanian, one of his neighbours, asked what he was doing walking on the
land. He should go home and stay in his house.
In September 2003, there will be 8 children attending school in Banska,
two are just starting. The school was built in 1989 with donations from
two towns in Vojvodina. Originally the Serbs had offered to share it with
Albanian children but the Albanians had refused. Recently a fence was
erected around the school building and the Serb villagers offered their
services but the French organisation carrying out the work said they would
not be paid. As a result they brought in their own workers.
There is no employment for Serbs from the village. One man from the
village is living in Mitrovica where he is working as a dishwasher for
KFOR. With crops being stolen and hay burnt, the food situation is not
good. They hope and pray that the situation will get better. Apart from
the serious unemployment/lack of income the most serious problem remains
access to medical treatment. If someone is taken ill during the night
there is nothing one can do until morning. Patients must travel by convoy
to Mitrovica for medical attention. For example Pedrag’s uncle is 80 years
of age and the conditions in Banska are not conducive to good health.
Doctors come from Mitrovica every Friday but they carry out general checks
such as blood pressure and provide prescriptions. The villagers must
travel to Mitrovica to buy the medicine if they can afford it. The most
common medical complaints in Banska are heart problems and diabetes which
are directly affected by stress.
Ultimately, the people of Banska, like many of the villages which still
retain some Serb residents are under severe pressure. The EAR-funded CSP
programme implemented by IOM is aimed at helping such communities and
stemming the net outflow of population but its effectiveness is obviously
affected by the continuing campaign of harassment directed at the
remaining Serbs. Ironically, at a recent meeting of the Municipality,
Banska was cited as an example of how Albanians and Serbs could live
together in harmony. This is all the more ironic given that the village
did have good relations until the end of the war and the arrival of KFOR.
Prior to the war the Serb villagers protected their Albanian neighbours
from Serb military and paramilitary forces and they never left but one
week after the withdrawal of Serb forces one Serb villager was shot dead.
The harassment has continued ever since. The feeling in Banska is that the
recent increase in attacks may be linked to recent talk of Serbs returning
to Kosovo. They could be an attempt to dissuade them from returning. The
international community claims it is committed to a multi-ethnic,
democratic Kosovo. It is villages like Banska that will provide the acid
test of how serious political representatives, both local and
international, are about preserving non-Albanian elements in Kosovo
society.
TOP
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
Disclaimer:
The views expressed by the authors of newspaper articles or other texts
which are not official communiqués or news reports by the Diocese are
their own and do not necessarily represent the views of the Serbian
Orthodox Church
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