Belgrade Media Update, April 21

Serb Representatives Will Not Return To Provisional Institutions Of Kosovo

Pristina, 20 Apr (Tanjug) - Contact Group representatives and the Return coalition leadership conferred in Pristina on Tuesday about the present political and security situation in Kosovo-Metohija. The only Serb minister at the Kosovo government, Goran Bogdanovic, told Tanjug that Contact Group representatives had insisted on the participation of Serb representatives in the provisional institutions of the province and implementation of standards.

There can be no return to such institutions until results are seen on the ground of the return of IDPs, freedom of movement and security, Bogdanovic said and added that US Deputy Assistant State Secretary Cathy Stevens had said she could not imagine Kosovo without Serbs.

In School At Their Own Risk

Gnjilane, 20 Apr (Glas Javnosti) – After one month of involuntary vacation, high school students from the Gnjilane municipality have once more found themselves attending classes. Due to bad security situation in the region there have been no classes since the 17th of March. Teachers and parents asked for escort of school children but KFOR denied it, promising only increased patrols on important intersections as well as increased patrols of the Kosovo police service (KPS), which is made up of mostly Albanians.

Around 88 percent of pupils answered the call for starting of classes. There is no escort but we can no longer wait. Children have come at their own risk. We recommended all who travel to school to find accommodation in the places where the schools are situated at least till the end of this school year, stated Dragoslav Vidic, the head of education for Kosovo Pomoravlje region. Children which cannot come to school or have no conditions for housing close to the school will have to take final tests at the end of the school year. On Monday, the school bell did not ring in Silovo, a village next to Gnjilane. This is because the building, which accommodates, basic school, high school, and medical school currently houses 50 dispersed Serbs from Gnjilane.

Romas Most Neglected Of Kosovo Minorities

Budapest, 20 Apr (Dnevnik) – Gyorgy Kakuk, UNMIK spokesperson for Northern Kosovo stated in his article published in a Hungarian daily that the world has forgotten the Kosovo Romas. Kakuk reminded that in the past five years Romas from Vucitrn have twice lost all they have and that on the 18th of March of this year they had to literally outrun the Albanians just to save their lives. “They were running in the streets of Vucitrn seeking some kind of protection from police officers or some French patrol, while at the same time their houses were burning,” states Kakuk.

Albanian Media Greatly To Blame

20 Apr (Radio Srbija I Crna Gora) - It was assessed in the special OSCE Report that the March violence in Kosmet would not have been so intensive and brutal if it had not been for the irresponsible reports of the Albanian media in the Province.

The report that will be filed on April 22to the OSCE Standing Council, which is the main decision making body of that organization, it is announced on the OSCE web site.

Julian Harston appointed new head of UNOB (Danas)

UN SG Kofi Annan has appointed Julian Harston as the Director of the UN Office in Belgrade. Harston is coming to this post from the position of the Division Director in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations at UN Headquarters in New York, reads the statement by UNOB. He previously served as Head of the United Nations Belgrade Office in 1996-1997, and later on, he has served as Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the United Nations Mission in Bosnia & Herzegovina, as well as Representative of the Secretary-General in Haiti. Upon arrival, Harston expressed content for being in Belgrade again and hope that he would catch up on what has happened since he left the capital of SCG.

Statement by Kofi Annan (Danas/Beta/AFP)

UN SG Kofi Annan has expressed regret over the recent incident in Kosovska Mitrovica in which three international policemen were killed. “The SG expresses deep regret over the loss of three lives and sympathizes with the pain of the family members and friends of the killed,” the statement by the SG reads.

Four Jordanians under investigation (Blic/Beta)

Two Jordanian officials have arrived in Kosovo in order to investigate whether the four Jordanian UN police members are involved in the shooting in Kosovska Mitrovica in which two policewomen from the US and one policeman from Jordan were killed. Two American UN police members are still in critical condition and the doctors are fighting for their lives. UN SG Kofi Annan has lifted immunity to four Jordanian policemen, who have been interrogated at the request of the prosecutor.

Group for Support for Kosovo (Glas/Beta)

The Group for Support for Kosovo visited Pristina. The group’s task is to evaluate the situation in the province and the process of standards implementation, and its members are the Contact Group representatives of the US, Russia, Great Britain, France, Germany, and Italy. The international community wishes to initiate the process of standards fulfillment, because it is of particular importance, adding that the involvement of the international community on such a high level proves that there is interest and obligation towards Kosovo. Members of the Group for Support For Kosovo had talks in Pristina with Kosovo Serb and Albanian leaders and representatives of provisional government bodies of Kosovo.

Assessment by OSCE on March violence (Danas/Beta)

It was assessed in the special OSCE report that the March violence in Kosovo would not have been so intensive and brutal if it had not been for the irresponsible reports of the Albanian media in the province. The report will be filed on 22 April to the OSCE Standing Council, which is the main decision making body of that organization.

Kosovo government cannot organize referendum (Danas)

Neither Bajram Rexhepi, nor the premier, nor the provisional Kosovo government are authorized to organize any kind of referendum. Not even the most banal referendum on the possibility of hunting and fishing in some part of Kosovo and Metohija, especially not on status issues. According to the decrees of the Constitutional Framework for the provisional self-government in Kosovo, interim Kosovo institutions cannot bring any kind of act on the province’s status, although it had been practice so far to violate rules with resolutions in the interim Kosovo Assembly and government statements on independence, member of the Serbian government’s working group for drafting documents of the territorial autonomy of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija Dusan Celic told Danas. The Head of the CCK Nebojsa Covic has told BBC that the announcement of organizing a referendum on Kosovo’s independence is a “new form of demagogic and hypocritical pressure on the international community.” The Raska-Prizren Eparchy has announced that Kosovo’s status cannot be discussed before complete rule of order and law is established, the return of all IDPs is enabled, and all destroyed sanctities are reconstructed.

Boris Tadic talked with SNC representatives (Balkan)

In talks with DS leader Boris Tadic, SNC representatives have assessed that the Serbs in the province can survive with stronger territorial decentralization. “Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija can survive only by creating cantons, stronger territorial decentralization and greater level of security,” Rada Trajkovic told journalists following the meeting with DS leader.

Demand by network of women’s NGOs for Holkeri’s dismissal (Politika/Tanjug)

A network of 55 women's NGOs of northern Kosovo and Metohija “Zora” has collected 12,413 signatures for the dismissal of UNMIK Head Harri Holkeri, because of the ethnic cleansing of Serbs and other non-Albanians from March 17 to 19 this year, it was announced at a press conference in Belgrade. The signatures, collected since March 25 through the UN Office in Belgrade, will be sent to the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, network representatives said and explained that Holkeri should leave, as he is unable to fulfill obligations demanded of the head of UNMIK. From March 17 to 19, 800 Serb houses in Kosovo were destroyed, 29 Orthodox churches and monasteries were burnt down, and 4,000 people were displaced, a network member, Nevenka Medic, emphasized.

Serb prisoners on hunger strike (Balkan)

Thirty-seven Serb prisoners in Kosovska Mitrovica went on a hunger strike in protest for being detained so long. In a letter sent to the local Contact Plus Radio, the representatives of the prisoners explained their decision with the fact that the Supreme Court of Kosovo and Metohija has not passed verdicts on their cases yet. Many detained Kosovo Serbs have often complained that they have been arrested on the basis of anonymous calls from Albanians and that they have been awaiting their verdicts for months, and even years.

KFOR discovers arsenal of terrorists (Vecernje Novosti)

In the operation by UNMIK police that has been underway for ten days now in Kosovo and Metohija, with the goal of discovering secret arms warehouses of Albanian terrorist formations, the arsenals of ANA and parts of the disbanded KLA had been discovered. The operation commenced following KFOR’s information on the ground that Albanians are preparing a new offensive for mid May, encouraged with the fact that nobody was held responsible for what was done from 17 to 19 March this year. The operation is being conducted in secrecy, with the order by UNMIK and KFOR not to issue statements to the public.

Albanian terrorists to be extradited to SCG (Politika/Tanjug)

Swiss authorities have agreed to extradite to SCG Kosovo Albanian Ridvan Rashiti, charged with being a member of the terrorist ANA, the Swiss Justice Ministry has said. The ministry approved a request from Serbian authorities earlier this month for the extradition of Ridvan Rashiti, who has been in custody in Switzerland since Jan. 14, spokeswoman Sabine Zeug said. Rashiti will be extradited on condition that the SCG authorities don't prosecute or punish him on political grounds, she said. Rashiti has the right to appeal against his extradition to the Swiss Supreme Court.

‘Group for Support to Kosovo’ Formed in Pristina Yesterday

The ‘Group for Support to Kosovo’ (GSK), consisting of Contact Group and EU officials, was officially established yesterday in Pristina during the second day of the Contact Group delegation visit to Kosovo. The GSK, initially suggested by US Undersecretary for Political Affairs Marc Grossman at the occasion of his visit to Kosovo following the mid-March violent events, will consist of diplomats from the US, Great Britain, France, Italy, Germany and Russia, who will meet every six weeks to evaluate the implementation of standards in the province and offer political and economic assistance. The delegation met separately with Kosovo Albanians and Kosovo Serbs representatives, with whom it addressed the situation in Kosovo after the wave of violence that swept the province in March, and efforts to alleviate the situation. Kosovo Assembly Presidency member Oliver Ivanovic stated that the Contact Group representatives stressed that neither any solution involving Kosovo was possible without the Serbs nor anyone would support that, and that they agreed that decentralization was a possibility both Serbs and Albanians needed to look into. He added that "during the meetings we reached the common stance that KFOR and UNMIK are in need of reorganization, and that the Support Group for Kosovo should guide UNMIK and KFOR towards implementing all of the prerogatives created by UN Resolution 1244 and establish responsibility, both political and other, for the March violence," Beta reported. Kosovo Premier Bajram Rexhepi declared that the creation of the GSK instills hope that the general process will be speeded up because it is a very operative group that quickly identifies priorities, and added that it had voiced support to faster transfer of powers to Kosovo institutions in many areas. Considering that “there are not many taboo topics which can not be discussed,” he declared that “the transfer of competencies will be made very soon… Apart from the Ministry of Defense, there is no other refusal. We will find the best way to build joint structures in justice and public order so that the next mandate can have the needed ministries to show the efficiency of institutions,” Zeri reported.

OSCE Denounces Role of Media in mid-March Violence in Kosovo

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) concluded, in a special report to be submitted to the OSCE Permanent Council tomorrow, that if media reporting had not been so irresponsible, the March violence in Kosovo would have been neither so intense nor so brutal, Danas reported. OSCE official in charge of media freedom Miklos Haraszti stated that “if there had not been irresponsible and sensation creating reporting of the Kosovo media, the events would have taken an other course and would not have reached that intensity and that level of brutality.” He made several recommendations so as to improve obvious shortcomings of the Kosovo media in order to prevent similar situations to repeat in the future, KAG reported. The special report has been drawn up by journalist Dardan Gashi, author of two books on the Balkans, who for the past 10 years has been working as a human rights activist and advisor to the OSCE missions to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, and Kosovo, VIP reported.

Kosovo Serb Detainees on Hunger Strike

Thirty-seven Serb inmates of the district prison in Mitrovica began a hunger strike yesterday because of the lack of prompt action on the part of the Supreme Court of Kosovo, which has not passed verdicts on their cases yet. In a letter delivered to Mitrovica radio Kontakt Plus, they explained their decision by stating that because “Serb cases are not being updated or resolved,” some inmates such as Miroslav Vuckovic and Veselin Besovic have already been detained for four to five years, Balkan reported.

No Final Status Before Standards, Answers Solana

Responding to the statement given by Kosovo Premier Bajram Rexhepi that Kosovo Albanians would unilaterally proclaim independence after September 2005 if the status of the province is not determined by then, EU High Representative for Foreign Policy and Security Javier Solana reiterated that the position of the international community was totally clear, and emphasized that “it is out of the question to address the final status of Kosovo before the standards are fully implemented," Politika reported. He commented “we have voiced our position that we must maintain the course of implementation of standards before status and continue with our efforts in creating a multiethnic Kosovo. The protection of minorities and decentralization are of fundamental importance,” reported Zeri. Solana also announced that he would travel to Washington and New York to discuss the situation in the Balkans, particularly the Kosovo issue, with the US National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, the US State Secretary Colin Powell, the US Vice President Dick Cheney and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, Politika reported. The head of the Coordination Center for Kosovo (CCK) Nebojsa Covic considers Rexhepi’s statement as “just another demagogical and hypocritical pressure on the international community reflecting Rexhepi's hypocrisy,” as “only yesterday he was dealing with the violence, of course in gloves, and was having his photographs taken while visiting burnt and destroyed buildings and is now set to repair Serb homes, churches and monasteries,” whereas “today, ‘peacefully and democratically,’ he is insisting on a referendum. The international community was so deeply touched that I am expecting from it to proclaim Rexhepi, as well as Rugova, for Gandhi’s followers. The worst thing is that after the referendum the message to the Serbs would be ‘Serbs out.’ However, there would be also ‘KFOR and UNMIK out’.” He added that “the referendum is actually, both threat and pressure,” and warned that Albanians were “preparing a new wave of violence taking advantage of the fact that KFOR is incapable of facing a new riot,” Blic reported.

Belgrade Considers Forming a ‘State Council for Kosovo’

Representatives of the Serbian Government and the Serbia & Montenegro (SCG) Ministerial Council are seriously considering the creation of the ‘State Council for Kosovo and Metohija’ at the level of the state union and with headquarters in Belgrade. This Council, to be headed by Serbian Premier Vojislav Kostunica, shall also include the SCG Foreign Minister, the Serbian Justice Minister, the SCG Minister for Human and Minority Rights, the Coordination Center for Kosovo (CCK) leaders and Kosovo Serb representatives, and would be ‘authorized’ for all negotiations on Kosovo, Glas Javnosti reported.

Swiss To Extradite Suspected Ethnic Albanian Terrorist

Bern, 20 Apr (B92) - Swiss authorities have agreed to extradite a man suspected of supplying weapons and raising money for ethnic Albanians fighting in Serbia and Montenegro, the Swiss Justice Ministry has said.

The ministry approved a request from Serbian authorities earlier this month for the extradition of Ridvan Rashiti, who has been in custody in Switzerland since Jan. 14, spokeswoman Sabine Zaugg said.

Rashiti will be extradited on condition that the authorities of Serbia and Montenegro don't prosecute or punish him on political grounds, she said. Rashiti has the right to appeal against his extradition to the Swiss supreme court.

A Serbian citizen, Rashiti was arrested in eastern Switzerland on a warrant issued by Interpol. He is suspected of membership in a terrorist organization, and that he provided weapons, ammunition and other military material, as well as collecting money for terrorist activities.

Serbia's Security and Information Agency said it issued an international warrant for Rashiti's arrest on suspicion that he is a member an ethnic Albanian ultranationalist and terrorist group responsible for violent attacks in the Presevo Valley - the region in southern Serbia where militants from the local ethnic Albanian community took up arms in a bid to try unite with Kosovo.

Rashiti allegedly headed an organization called the Albanian National Fund, which gathered and funneled donations for the clandestine Albanian National Army. That group is believed responsible for a series of armed attacks in the southern Serbia region, and also in neighboring Macedonia.

Among the attacks listed by the Serb authorities is the planting of an explosive device in a school in the south Serbia region.

Other members of Rashiti's group have already been arrested. The group is believed to be part of a larger front allegedly pursuing the goal of uniting all Balkan territories with significant ethnic Albanian populations. (AP)