KOSOVO SERBS TRACE THEIR JOINT STRATEGY
Serb representatives request UNMIK to keep to the UNSCR 1244 or they would leave Kosovo's institutions
Without protection of their vital interests Serbs would not participate in the forthcoming local elections

Konculj Monastery
September 21, 2002

A joint meeting of the Serb National Council of Kosovo and Metohija (SNC KM) and the Serb National Council of North Kosovo (SNC NK) was held at the Monastery of St. Nicholas in Konculj, near Raska. The meeting was chaired by the presidents of two SNC's: Bishop Artemije and Dr. Milan Ivanovic. After the two hours' discussion about the recent developments in the province the Serb representatives unanimously adopted the joint strategy in political struggle for the vital interests of the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija. We are enclosing the Public Communiqué which was issued after the meeting

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Only one day after burial of Mirka Stefanovic at Decani Cemetery local Albanians desecrate her grave and break the cross on it

Decani, September 20, 2002

On Thursday, September 19 the monks of Visoki Decani Monastery discovered that local Albanians had broken the cross on the grave of 80 year-old Mirka Stefanovic, buried only two days before next to the rest of her deceased relatives at the Orthodox cemetery in Decani by her family, which is temporarily residing in Belgrade. This is yet another in a series of Albanian crimes in which not even the deceased have been spared. At a time when international circles are speaking openly about an improvement in the living conditions of Serbs, even dead Serbs cannot rest in peace in Decani municipality. In addition to the desecrated grave of Grandmother Mirka there is hardly a single grave marker which remains intact in Decani Cemetery despite the fact that the cemetery is located only a hundred or so meters from an Italian KFOR base. In spite of numerous protests by the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Raska and Prizren to prevent further desecration of Serb cemeteries, the international UN mission and KFOR remain steadfastly deaf to the cries of the Serb people and continue to tolerate the barbaric behavior of Albanian extremists who are destroying the last vestiges of the Serbian and Christian heritage throughout the Province.

Desecrated grave with the broken cross

Bishop Artemije has addressed numerous appeals and letters on behalf of the Church but the international UN mission and KFOR have not only done nothing to uncover the perpetrators of these crimes but are also openly spreading propaganda that normal living conditions for the Serbs have supposedly been created. How normal these conditions are can best be seen from the example of Decani municipality where the brotherhood of Visoki Decani Monastery has lived for three years in complete isolation without any rights and freedoms, only to have the local Albanians attempt to steal its last remaining property surrounding the monastery itself on top of everything else. In the past three years not a single returnee has come back to this municipality because all Serb houses have been leveled to the ground and all Serb property has been illegally appropriated. Mirka Stefanovic was the first to return, in accordance with her dying wish, to her native soil but only one day after her burial the local Albanians demonstrated that in this Metohija village there is no room for dead Serbs, let alone living ones. While several new mosques have been built in the municipality during the last three years with money from Saudi Arabia, a simple cross on a grave could not survive for even two whole days.

The Diocese of Raska and Prizren most strenuously condemns this most recent in a series of many crimes being committed against Orthodox cemeteries and crimes, publicly admonishing the UN mission and KFOR that further tolerance of this kind of barbaric behavior is creating an increasingly stronger conviction among the remaining Serbs that its true goal is to expel the Serbs from this region forever together with the Albanian extremists and thus create an ethnically pure Muslim Kosovo and Metohija where there will be no room for the sign of the Holy Cross nor the Christian faith.

Grave of Mirka Stefanovic before desecration

September 17, 2002

Unidentified Kosovo Albanian males physically attacked two elderly Serb women in the Pristina downtown on Tuesday (Sep, 17). This was confirmed to SRNA News Agency by Oliver Ivanovic, a member of the Kosovo Parliament and an official of the Serbian coalition POVRATAK. "Vera Berisarevic is an invalid and Stana Stojanovic suffers from diabetes. They both live at the YU program building in Pristina", said Mr. Ivanovic. He explained that the women ventured to go to the downtown to buy some food. Near the Grand Hotel they were surrounded by a group of Albanian speaking males. They threw them on the ground and kept beating with fists and legs. "This is a clear proof that Serbs do not have basic freedom of movement in Pristina and cannot freely use their language. The attack on these two elderly women is the last in the series of other harrassments which Serbs who live in YU program building in Pristina have suffered since the KFOR decided to lift their regular protection. This decision by KFOR was made after their assessment that Serbs are not directly endangered and therefore do not need that kind of security", stated Oliver Ivanovic.

If the basic principles of the Dayton Peace Accords for Bosnia and Herzegovina were developed on the concept of a, multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-confessional community, it is not possible to accept the results of ethnic cleansing in Kosovo and establish a nation-state there. Were that to happen, the ramifications would be felt in the whole region, from Macedonia, over Serbia and Montenegro, to Bosnia and Herzegovina and beyond. It is a dangerous misapprehension to maintain that Kosovska Mitrovica, a city that for the most part remains multi-ethnic, is the biggest problem facing the international administration in Kosovo and Metohija, and not Pristina, Gnjilane or Prizren, cities which have been thoroughly ethnically cleansed. If we are not prepared to accept and sanction the results of ethnic cleansing - which we certainly are not - conditions must be created without delay for the return to Kosovo and Metohija of some one quarter of a million refugees and displaced persons.

Dr. Vojislav Kostunica (FULL TEXT)

Conditions do not exist yet for an organised return of Serbs to Kosovo and the position of those that have remained there is deteriorating, Bishop Artemije said on Tuesday. "Although we have Serbs in the Kosovo parliament, although we have the Co-ordinating Centre and our people in the institutions of government, things have not changed for the man in the street," Bishop Artemije said. He said that an average Serb man in Kosovo has no freedom of movement, no conditions for a normal life or employment, and that the living conditions for the Serbs have worsened in the past month or two. Announcements of a mass return of displaced Serbs to Kosovo made by their former informal leaders in recent weeks are raising local ethnic Albanians’ ire, which additionally complicates the position of the remaining Serbs, Artemije said.

Gracanica, August 29, 2002

According to reliable and confidential information from the Serb National Council of Kosovo and Metohija from Gorazdevac, the Information Service of the Diocese of Raska and Prizren learned that on Thursday, August 29, a group of armed Albanians from the area of Gorazdevac, the last remaining Serb village in the Pec region, opened fire on a group of Serbs and their UNMIK police escort, and then on Italian KFOR troops who rushed to their aid.

At approximately 10:00 a.m. four Serbs from Gorazdevac, Dragan and Ivo Bogicevic and Zlatko and Milan Petrovic, headed with two tractors and an UNMIK police vehicle escort to gather wood from their forest five kilometers from Gorazdevac in the area of the village of Dobri Do. For the past three years Serbs have dared to visit more distant property from the village only with an UNMIK police and KFOR escort because of danger from local Albanians. As soon as they arrived in the forest at approximately 11:00 a.m. they noticed that some of the trees had already been cut down and collected for transport. The Serbs decided to load the cut wood because it had been cut down on their property, obviously by Albanians. After about 20 minutes, exactly at 11:20 a.m. a group of armed men opened fire on the Serbs and the policemen protecting them from a distance of some 50 meters. The policemen included one Bulgarian and two Serbs, members of the UNMIK run Kosovo police service (KPS). Under attack, they left their vehicles while the UNMIK police called KFOR for assistance. It was clear to the attacked Serbs and UNMIK police that this was an Albanian ambush. In the meanwhile, KFOR combat vehicles and two more UNMIK police vehicles arrived on the scene but they, too, came under fire which was now coming from two directions. The Albanians were firing individual shots and bursts of fire from automatic weapons. KFOR and the police responded decisively to the fire in self-defense.

The commander of the KFOR unit immediately called for reinforcements and after an hour and a half a tank arrived; a half hour later it was joined by a KFOR combat helicopter. In the meanwhile, during the attack Serbs in nearby Gorazdevac gathered in the main square, asking for KFOR protection from a possible Albanian attack after hearing rumors that armed Albanians intended to attack the Serb village. The Serbs blocked of traffic of Albanian vehicles through the village for security reasons. In the meanwhile, the UNMIK police suggested the Serbs gather in the Cultural Hall in order to better protect them.

The armed conflict between the armed Albanians and KFOR lasted until 3:30 p.m. when the Albanians fled before increasingly greater forces of KFOR and the police which were arriving at the scene in the meanwhile. KFOR returned the Serbs in one piece and with their tractors to the village and immediately began a search for the armed Albanians.

In this armed conflict an Italian soldier received a non-lifethreatening injury to his hand while KFOR and UNMIK police vehicles sustained considerable damage. It is not known if any of the Albanians were injured. An investigation is in progress.

This clash near Gorazdevac represents the first major armed attack by the Albanians on members of KFOR. After the recent assault on UNMIK police in Decani by Albanian demonstrations, it represents another indication of increasingly aggressive behavior by armed Albanian extremists against international peacekeepers of the UN mission in Kosovo and Metohija.

The Diocese of Raska and Prizren most strongly condemns this most recent Albanian attack on unarmed Serbs and members of the police and KFOR. A sharp response by KFOR and UNMIK and the bringing of those responsible to justice is expected. The Diocese will also seek stronger protection for the remaining Serbs in the Pec region where an enormous number of Albanians possess firearms and the KLA has not yet been disarmed.

Gracanica, August 28, 2002

The Information Service of the Diocese of Raska and Prizren has learned from a representative of the Serb National Council in Gorazdevac, the last remaining Serb village in the Pec region, that UNMIK representatives have been insisting for days on a change on the inscription of the monument erected to Serb victims of terrorism and the NATO bombing. The residents of this Metohija village, only about 10 kilometers distant from Pec and inhabited for the past three years by approximately 1,000 Serbs completely isolated from the Albanian community, erected a monument in the village on May 14 in memory of 10 villagers who perished as victims of KLA terrorism during the period from 1996 to 1998, as well as four victims of the NATO bombing.

The memorial was sanctified by a local priest on May 15 in the presence of UNMIK and KFOR representatives. However, after a while the Albanian press launched a campaign against the inscription on the monument, specifically, the preamble which
reads: "It is easier to die than to be buried while still alive." The residents of Gorazdevac say they only wanted to express the painful truth about their post-war life in isolation and in a hostile Albanian environment. It is the opinion of local representatives of UNMIK that these words, as well as the part of the inscription referring to "Albanian terrorists" must be immediately erased or UNMIK will be forced to remove the monument, claim the village locals.

The residents of Gorazdevac have openly opposed this demand, claiming they have the right to bear witness to the difficulty of life without basic human rights and freedoms as well as to pay their respects to their deceased neighbors in this way. Furthermore, it is unacceptable to them to call victims of terrorism "victims of war" because the war had not yet started when Albanian terrorists were murdering Serbs, Albanians and others who got in their way every day.

At the same time that UNMIK is insisting on these demands, hundreds of various monuments to "KLA heroes" glorifying terrorism and hatred toward Serbs are springing up throughout Kosovo and Metohija. Recently the KFOR commander in chief General Marcel Valenten personally visited the Adem Jashari memorial complex in Prekaz and spoke approvingly of the KLA battle against the Serbian authorities. In the Pec region such monuments can be found on every corner but it is not known whether UNMIK has yet bothered to insist on erasing of inscriptions calling Serbs derogatory names and inciting even greater ethnic hatred.

Church and the RS leadership see behavior of KFOR and UNMIK as scandalous

Gracanica, August 28 2002

High delegation of RS led by the Dragan Kalenic, Speaker of the Assembly of RS, and Mladen Ivanic, RS Prime Minister, who visited Patriarchate of Pecand Decani Monastery today were not allowed by KFOR to proceed to Gracanica Monastery to attend a meeting with Bishop Artemije and the Serb National Council of Kosovo and Metohija (SNC KIM) leadership.

PM Ivanic arrived to Pec Patriarchate yesterday afternoon and took part in the Church celebration of the Dormition of Mother of God in Decani Monastery this morning. President of the RS Assembly Dragan Kalenic joined the delegation during the day and had talks in Decani Monastery with Abbot Teodosije and the brotherhood. In the afternoon the RS delegation planned to go to Gracanica for a meeting with Bishop Artemije and the SNC KIM leadership but despite the fact that the visit was announced on time and the Italian KFOR escort timely provided, information came from Pristina KFOR HQ that the RS delegation had to wait in Decani until further notice. After two hours of waiting and taking ID's for additional checking, President Kalenic was told that he must leave Kosovo as soon as possible while the rest of delegation with PM Ivanic was to wait for additional instructions. Two hours later PM Ivanic finally decided to leave for Montenegro because it was evident that KFOR and UNMIK did not want to allow the meeting with Bishop Artemije and the visit of the RS delegation to Gracanica Monastery.

Such behavior of UNMIK and KFOR, which did not send a single higher official to give any clear explanation what was going on, is understood as scandalous by the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Raska and Prizren and the RS leadership. This visit was properly announced and the program was coordinated by the office of Mr. Covic in Belgrade. RS officials and the Diocese believe that the behavior of KFOR and UNMIK towards President Kalenic and P.M. Ivanic was politically motivated, which does not contribute to building confidence between the UN/KFOR mission and the Kosovo Serb community. High officials of RS came to Kosovo and Metohija in a return visit to learn more about the life and problems of the Serb community in the Province. They had also expressed the wish to meet the SRSG, Michael Steiner, and Kosovo's PM Rexhepi but were informed just before their arrival that both of them would not be in Pristina today. The visit of the RS delegation did not have any political goal but was organized to give moral and humanitarian support to the Serbi people and Bishop Artemije, who had visited RS a month ago.

KOSOVO SERB DELEGATION MEETS PRESIDENT KOSTUNICA AND PM DJINDJIC IN BELGRADE

Kosovo Serbs resolute to act together in cooperation with Belgrade Authorities

Belgrade, Aug 22, 2002

Joint delegation of the Serbian National Council of Kosovo and Metohija (SNC Gracanica) and the Serbian National Council of North Kosovo (SNC Mitrovica) had separate meetings with the FRY President Vojislav Kostunica and the Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic in Belgrade today. These meetings were announced at Sopocani Monastery last week when it was decided that the issue of indictment of Dr. Milan Ivanovic should be discussed with the Belgrade authorities.

Beside the highest representatives of both SNC's, Dr. Nebojsa Covic, the chief of the Coordination Center for Kosovo and Metohija and Momcilo Trajkovic, the leader of the Serb Resistance Movement also took part at these meetings.

"In both meetings we discussed problems which affect Kosovo Serb community today. We particularly emphasized the need of our unity as well as Belgrade's support in resolving the problems of education and health protection in Kosovo. Especially important topic of our discussion was the case of Dr. Milan Ivanovic who was indicted by the UNMIK. We all agreed that it was necessary to clarify the truth in his case. We re not insisting on his defense at any price, but would like the truth to be fully establisehed because all the participants in the meetings were of the opinion that the accusation against Dr. Ivanovic was unfounded and politically motivated" - said Bishop Artemije, the president of the SNC KM after the talks with President Kostunica and Prime Minster Djindjic. According to Bishop Artemije, Dr. Nebojsa Covic announced that he would soon discuss in Belgrade the case of Dr. Ivanovic with the SRSG Michael Steiner who is expected to present his evidences against Dr. Ivanovic. Bishop Artemije said that he was very satisfied with the meetings which "gave us all more hope that we were going towards better future".

Mr. Vuko Antonijevic the Vice President of the SNC North Kosovo said that the Council possessed enough evidences of Dr. Ivanovic's innocence. He emphasized that in both meetings a unanimous position was demonstrated that Kosovo Serb representatives should work together despite their political differences and use all available means to resist politically motivated indictments, such as the case of Dr. Ivanovic. Vuko Antonijevic confirmed that the delegation of the SNC North Kosovo would attend the meeting of the SNC Kosovo and Metohija at Gracanica Monastery on August 24. That would be the first joint meeting of the two SNC's after two years of bitter division.

"Beside concerns which the Dr. Ivanovic's case has created among the Kosovo Serbs a positive consequence is that Kosovo Serbs are finally ready to work together in full coordination with Belgrade. We have clearly demonstrated today that there is no Kosovo Serb political option which would work against the interests of the Serbian people and our state", said Dr. Rada Trajkovic the chief of the POVRATAK Coalition group.

President Kostunica pointed out at the meeting with Kosovo Serb representatives that it was necessary for all Serbs in Kosovo to work together with the Coordination Center and the authorities of FRY and Republic of Serbia in resolving all their burning issues, says the statement issued by the President's Cabinet. President Kostunica confirmed that he would inform the SG Kofi Anan at the UN General Assembly Meeting about the difficult situation in which Kosovo Serbs live and the need that UNMIK and KFOR should be more active in resolving their problems.

Dr. Milan Ivanovic did not attend the meetings in Belgrade in order to demonstrate that he was staying in the territory of Kosovo and Metohija and would not use the territory of Serbia proper as a place of refuge. Commenting the recent UNMIK's appeal to the Serbian authorities to arrest him, Dr. Ivanovic said that "it was an encouraging sign because in that case the Serbian army and police would finally have to return to Kosovo and Metohija according to the UN SCR 1244".

At the same time a new rally was held in Mitrovica North in which thousands of Serbs protested against the attempt of UNMIK to arrest Dr. Milan Ivanovic, reported BETA Agency. The protesters requested from UNMIK to allow Dr. Ivanovic to prove his innocence from freedom.

J.T.