CHAPTER
FOUR
THE EXPULSION OF ALBANIANS
AND COLONISATION OF KOSOVA DURING 1990-1995
1. Destroying Kosova
Autonomy - an Instigation for Emigration of Albanians
By the Constitution of Yugoslavia and the Constitution of Kosova, approved
in 1974, the autonomy of Kosova was advanced to a higher degree of sovereignty
and Kosova became one of eight constituent subjects of Yugoslav Federation.
Serbia was not satisfied with this, and in 1976 it compiled ‘the Blue Book',
by which it intended to reduce the autonomy of Kosova drastically.
After the mass demonstrations of the Albanians in 1981, a significant
polarisation between the Albanians of Kosova and the unitary and chauvinist
forces of Serbia began. The former ones requested advancement of their
statehood, and the latter ones destruction of the autonomy of Kosova.
Serbia carried out the destruction of the autonomy of Kosova step by
step. It began it by establishing the state of emergency and sending the
police and army to subjugate and occupy Kosova in 1981. Serbia took the
demonstrations as a pretext to take over the competencies from the state
organs in Kosova. The 13th Congress of the Yugoslav League of Communists
(YLC) in 1986, passed ‘the Resolution on Constitutional Changes in the
Republic of Serbia', by which destroying the autonomy of Kosova was intended.
The memorandum of the ASAS, compiled on nationalistic basis, gave an instigation
to Serbian plan for destruction of the autonomy that ought to be accomplished
by Serbian state bodies.1 In this spirit was developed
the public discussion on the amendments of Serbian Constitution.
It was the first phase of destruction of the autonomy of Kosova, and
later by special measures Serbia abrogated violently all the governmental
bodies of Kosova. In this way the autonomy of Kosova was destroyed completely.
The Albanian people, not accepting the subjugated position and the
destruction of the autonomy of Kosova, began to organise themselves. The
delegates of the Assembly of Kosova, after many endeavours and handicaps
made by Serbia, passed the Declaration of the Independence of Kosova (2
July, 1990). The Assembly of Kosova, purported by the Albanian population,
approved the Constitution of the Republic of Kosova at Kaçanik,
on 7 September, 1990.
Out of what was said here, it results that they destroyed the autonomy
of Kosova in order the subjugate the population of Kosova and force it
to emigrate.
2. Approval of Serbian
Acts and Laws as a Means for Acceleration of Emigration
Serbia and Montenegro made their efforts in different ways to contest
the elements of sovereignty of Kosova, that were determined by the Constitution
of Kosova and the Constitution of SFR Yugoslavia in 1974. Due to this they
requested from the other republics of Federation to support them and they
received their agreement to reduce the autonomy of Kosova. In this way
they opened the way to destroy completely the autonomy by approving Serbian
acts and laws, that were used to exert Serbian police and military violence.
These measures influenced the acceleration of emigration of the Albanians
from Kosova and their ethnic territories. The consequences were destructive
not only for the constitutional position of Kosova, but also for the economy,
health, education, science, culture, mass media,2 as
well as the life of the Albanians in general. They accelerated particular
emigration of the Albanians. Serbia requested from Yugoslavia to proclaim
state of emergency in Kosova, and it did so. These measures created real
bases for exertion of violence upon the Albanians. Instead of state bodies,
a total supervision of Serbian police and military was established.
The discussions on the changes of the Constitution of Serbia began
with amendments. The population of Kosova did not accept the proposals
of Serbia. In public discussion organised in Kosova, the absolute majority
of meetings and participants declared themselves in favour of maintenance
of the autonomy and its advancing. Facing this, Serbia perpetrated violence
on the delegates of the Assembly of Kosova. At the time of voting the amendments,
the building of the Assembly of Kosova was surrounded by tanks, military
and police, and members of the secret police were present in the hall too.
In conditions of state of emergency, without the required quorum, without
numbering the votes, and by voting of persons that were found in the hall
but were not delegates, the then president of the Assembly of Kosova who
was a Serb, on 23 March, 1989, proclaimed the approval of the constitutional
amendments, and in addition to them some amendments that had not been in
public discussion. The Assembly of Serbia approved amendments 9-49 to the
Constitution of Serbia on 28 March, 1989. While Serbia was celebrating
its victory, the police was killing Albanian demonstrators in Kosova that
were protesting throughout Kosova.
The delegates of the Assembly of Kosova approved the Declaration of
the Independence of Kosova on 2 July, 1990, that preceded to the Constitution
of the Republic of Kosova, approved on 7 September, 1990 at Kaçanik.
By these acts a new period in the history of struggles for independence
of the Albanian people in Kosova began.
Serbia has made its efforts to prevent the formation of the state of
Kosova by extraordinary measures, namely, by a state of emergency.
Serbia approved the law on the action of Republican bodies in special
circumstances in Kosova, on 26 June, 1990, by which was destroyed the structure
for directing the institutions of social and economic activities. Almost
300 Albanians directors were discharged by compulsory imposing measures.3
It was a hard attack against the Albanian people.
Serbia passed the law on abrogation of the activity of the Assembly
of Kosova and its government on 5 July, 1990. By that law Kosova was deprived
of legislative and executive power, that presented a classic occupation
and it has continued to the present day.
Serbia passed the law on labour relations in special circumstances
in Kosova, on 26 July, 1990, which is an act of national discrimination
of the Albanians. By that law 135,000 Albanian workers were expelled from
their jobs, and so their material base became very difficult to keep their
families, the whole activity in the Albanian language was banned: education,
culture, science and mass media. Then followed stoppage of financial support
of institutions of national character, apart from others, of the Academy
of Sciences and Arts of Kosova.
Serbia approved the Constitution of Serbia on 27 September, 1990. This
act reduced the autonomy of Kosova still more, and the Albanian people
did not take part in its approval. By that Constitution Kosova is called
‘Kosova and Metohia'. The Albanians consider that as a constitution of
Serbian occupier.
Serbia passed the law on stoppage of activity of the Presidency of
Kosova on 18 March, 1991, that was an act by which the autonomous status
of Kosova was denied.
Serbia discharged the member from Kosova in the Presidency of Yugoslavia
and chose another one instead. The election of that member was decided
by the Assembly of Serbia and not the Parliament of Kosova, and so he was
not the representative of Kosova.
After the abrogation of the government bodies of Kosova, the governmental
organs of communes to local communities were abrogated as well. Except
this, all the institutions on Kosova level and in its communes lost their
competencies. Serbia formed new communes and divided Kosova into districts.
Some parts of Kosova have been linked to districts outside Kosova. On the
other hand, the courts of Kosova were abrogated and courts of Serbia have
been installed in Kosova. The prisons have became institutions under Serbia
as well. Changes have been made in the names of cities, villages, streets,
quarters and settlements; all of them have taken Serbian names. Serbia
has passed above 200 laws that are valid in Kosova as well. Besides laws,
many other acts have been approved that are valid in Kosova only. On all
the exit roads from Kosova police stations have been placed, even on those
going to Serbia.
All of these devices have their basic intention to accelerate the expulsion
of the Albanians from their ethnic land. The call of Albanian youngsters
to draft boards of Serbian military has influenced greatly their exodus.
All of these acts, laws and measures of violence against the Albanians
in Kosova are unprecedented in Europe now at the end of twentieth century
and influence the exodus of the Albanians from Kosova and other ethnic
regions of the Albanians.
3. Closing of Institutions
of Education, Science, Culture and Health
After the abrogation of the autonomy ((1989) and occupation of Kosova
(1990) violence against the Albanians was intensified by the Serbian regime.
Serbia closed institutions, dismissed workers from their jobs, moved the
Albanians from their apartments, isolated, imprisoned and killed them without
giving any responsibility and without any legal basis.4
Education of the Albanian population has always caused pains to Serbia.
In March 1990, Serbia organised poisoning of more than 7,000 Albanian
school children and other children of the pre-school age.
In 1991 it closed all middle schools (65) and a number of elementary
schools and stopped financing education in the Albanian language, from
kindergartens to university. In this way, about 25,000 teachers remained
without any pay.5 The Assembly of Serbia imposed emergency
measures to Prishtina University, creating in this way the possibility
for dismissal of more than 1000 Albanian university professor and assistants
from work. In October 1991, it usurped all the room-space of faculties,
higher schools, university students hostels and secondary school pupils
hostels. It expelled from their jobs all the Albanian teaching and administration
personnel.5
The Serbian occupying regime imposed emergency measures at Kosova Institute
of History in 1990, and closed it up in 1992. At the same time were closed
the ‘INKOS' (Kosova Institute of Economy), Mining Institute in Mitrovica,
Institute of Albanology, etc.
In July 1992, the Serbian government closed the Academy of Sciences
and Arts of Kosova, that was a hard attack to the Albanian science and
culture and raised a great indignation in Kosova. It had assisted the development
of scientific and social mind and had been engaged in social trends, giving
justification and scientific support to the actual problems in Kosova,
particularly in the development of democratic relationships and self-determination.
It had influenced profoundly the internationalisation of the question of
Kosova.6
The destruction of health institutions was also carried out in unticonstitutional
and illegal way. The clinics of the Medical School in Albanian were closed.
The Albanian personnel (doctors, nurses and others) was expelled from most
of health institutions. Serbia brought Serbian doctors, nurses etc. instead
of Albanian ones, even though without professional experience. This was
done with strategic intentions of re-colonisation of Kosova.
Institutions of culture in Kosova experienced the same fate as those
of education and health. In 11 institutions of national level, the activity
of presentation of cultural values in Albanian was forbidden. At the same
time, activity was banned in above 110 objects and institutions of culture
(with space-room amounting to 125,000 m2), then it was banned to more than
420 societies, associations, artistic and cultural groups. Organisation
of more than 70 manifestations, reviews, festivals, fairs, expositions
and other traditional meetings that had been active in Kosova, was banned.
Publishing activity has, in fact, been stopped since 1990. Periodicals,
reviews, newspapers, and even the sole daily newspaper in the Albanian
language in Yugoslavia, ‘Rilindja', were forbidden to be published. The
name of the Publishing House ‘Rilindja' was changed into ‘Panorama', and
the printing house is called ‘Gracanica'. The school texts publishing house
was closed. In 1991, the whole troop of Ballet Ensemble that had acted
at the National Theatre of Kosova was dismissed, and the work at regional
theatres was banned, such as in Prizren, Peja, Gjilan, Mitrovica, Gjakova,
etc. Then the Institution of producing, distributing and performing films,
‘Kosovafilm', was closed; also the work of Kosova troupe of folk songs
and dances, ‘Shota', and the Musician Association ‘Collegium Cantorum'
was banned.
Prishtina Radio-television was closed, and 1,300 Albanians workers
in it were left jobless.7 The National and University
Library of Kosova was closed for the Albanians, as well as 207 national
libraries throughout Kosova, with a fund of books of 1,272,000 units, and
in addition 103 special libraries were closed. In the Archives of Kosova,
the Albanian experts were expelled from their jobs after imposed measures
were applied, and a part of documentation was plundered and sent to Belgrade.
All of these measures can serve as a testimony of Serbian violence
and terror exerted on the Albanian population and Albanian national institutions
of education, culture, science, health and mass media, perpetrating real
culturocide on the Albanian being.
4. Mass Exodus - a
Consequence of Serbian Repression and Terror
Depending on historical circumstances, the Albanians have been forced
to emigrate from their ethnic land occupied by Yugoslavia. The intensity
of emigration resulted from state repression. Since 1981, especially after
1990, violence and terror have increased. In fact, that was a period of
the wild, totalitarian military-police regime, and the unprotected population
suffered harshly.8 Serbian policy isolated Kosova
and its citizens totally. The borders on Albania and Macedonia have actually
been closed to the Albanians.
Individual and collective rights of the Albanians in Kosova have been
violated systematically. Since 1981 onwards, almost half of the Albanian
population has passed through police treatment in various forms. In the
last two years, especially in 1994, a significant increase of violation
of human and national rights and liberties was evidenced. This can be proved
by cases of killing and ill-treating in different forms by the Serbian
regime.
Below is presented a table of the cases evidenced by the Kosova Council
of Human Rights and Liberties (KCHRL), for the period 1993, 1994 and six
months in 1995.
The KCHRL, with its seat in Prishtina, registered 19,000 heavy cases
of violation of human rights and liberties in 1994. It must be emphasised
that many cases could not have been evidenced. The last year (1995) shows
a significant acceleration of Serbian repression.
Taking the members of family as pledge for a wanted person has become
very frequent. The member of the family is held as a pledge until the wanted
person presents himself at the police.
Serbia implements another form of repression in order to bring the
Albanian population to poverty.
The financial police organises plundering of Albanian citizens, craftsmen
and traders in all the settlements of Kosova.
Type of violation
|
1993
|
1994
|
1995
|
1. Killing by fire arms |
11
|
11
|
5
|
2. Killing by police torture |
4
|
6
|
3
|
3. Suicide as a result of
torture |
-
|
1
|
2
|
4. Persons harshly tortured |
-
|
11
|
-
|
5. Physical ill-treatment |
1721
|
2157
|
|
of them: women |
-
|
22
|
|
children |
-
|
28
|
|
6. Raids of houses |
1994
|
2157
|
|
7. Ill-treatment under pretext
of searching for arms |
3396
|
6394
|
|
8. Arbitrary imprisonment |
2305
|
2963
|
|
of them: women |
-
|
7
|
|
children |
-
|
3
|
|
9. Informative talks |
849
|
2729
|
|
10. Punishment with political
motives |
-
|
90
|
|
11. Persons in temporary
arrest |
-
|
490
|
|
12. Imprisonment or punishment
due to desertion
or refusal to military
service |
-
|
685
|
|
13. Imprisonment of a family
member instead of the required persons: |
-
|
62
|
|
women |
-
|
10
|
|
children |
-
|
5
|
|
14. Forceful eviction out
of the flat |
53
|
54
|
|
15. Confiscation of passports9 |
-
|
127
|
|
|
Poverty that has prevailed over the whole population of Kosova makes
life harder and more difficult. Mass unemployment has created poverty of
all the classes of population. Expulsion of the Albanians from their jobs
has not come to its end.
The charitable and humanitarian organisation ‘Mother Teresa' was asked
for aid by 43,320 families in 1992, 45,835 ones in 1993, and 57,353 ones
in 1994. Serbian regime has banned work to humanitarian organisations as
well.10
After 1990, the Serbian regime intensified its violence, and particularly
in educational system in the Albanian language. The Serbian police has
continuously intervened in the educational process and ill-treated Albanian
teachers before their students, and also the parents and students themselves.
The Serbian regime has undertaken all these measures on purpose to
create a feeling of uncertainty and to cause the process of emigration
of the Albanians from Kosova and re-colonisation of it by Serbs.
Political, psychological and economic pressure that has been exerted
through state terror, is exerted by a plan and programme and all possible
mechanisms of violence. Youngsters, men, women with their children, pupils,
students, workers of different professions, intellectuals, and even academicians
have emigrated.11 The Albanians have been forced
to emigrate for different motives: Albanian soldiers that fled from the
Yugoslav front of war, other youngsters that did not accept being recruited
in the Serbian military, citizens and political activists that were wanted
and persecuted by the Serbian police, and others.12
As a consequence of repression exerted by the Serbian police, 45,972
school children and 1,123 teachers emigrated from Kosova in 1993, and 50,000
school children and above 2,000 teachers of primary and secondary schools,
and more than 60 university professors emigrated in 1994. Desertion of
Albanian young men (soldiers) from the so-called former Yugoslav National
Army (YNA), and later from the Serbian-Montenegrin military, since the
beginning of armed conflicts in Yugoslavia was in mass. According to the
evidence of Belgrade, about 18,000 Albanian soldiers were in the army in
1991. It is supposed that in 1992, when YNA was decomposed and the Serbian-Montenegrin
army was formed, around 30,000 Albanian soldiers of Kosova deserted the
army. In the later years, 1993-1995, Albanian young men did not reply to
military obligation. According to some calculations, some 80,000 young
men seem to have fled from Kosova, not wanting to serve in Serbian army.
All of this said above confirms that the consequences of the Albanian
exodus are overwhelming. One could distinguish among them:
a) the demographic aspect, which indicates that disproportion of age
and sex of the population is observed in the space of emigration. Bearing
in mind that the Albanian population is quite young (50% is under 20 years
old), only old population, women and children, has remained in Kosova.
In this way, the number of marriages and birth-rate have been reduced;
b) the economic aspect, in the absence of young population, the contingent
of population capable for labour and labour force have been reduced, the
economic structure and the structure of people's qualification have changed,
the economic activity and standard of living have been decreased; c) the
psychological aspect, special problems in the psychological life of emigrants
and their families, and many other problem have occurred.14
By its anti-Albanian position, Serbia refuses the return of the Albanians
to Kosova, such as to: a) those who have requested asylum; b) those who
do not possess a certificate for their passport identity; c) those that
do not have a pass issued by Yugoslav representatives; d) those who posses
passports issued in other republics in former Yugoslavia now independent
states (Croatia, Bosnia, etc.).15 Recently, Belgrade
had conditioned the return of Albanian refugees by material compensation.
All of this indicates clearly that the general situation in Kosova
has become very difficult in all the spheres of life in the recent years.
The invading regime has deprived the Albanians of their elementary rights.
Accordingly, silent ethnic cleansing by special programming has taken place
in Kosova.
5. Serbian-Montenegrin
Short-term and Long-term Intentions of Resettling Albanians
The aim of the Serbs and Montenegrins has been to occupy the land of
the Illyrians-Albanians from north to south since they colonised a part
of the Balkan Peninsula. They have carried out ethnic cleansing wherever
they happened to live. The South Slavs, on the whole, and Serbs in particular,
accepted all the conditions that the Byzantine Empire imposed them and
only requested permission to colonise the Balkans. In twelfth century,
when a tribal state was formed known by the name Ras, then Zeta, the Serbs
began to populate the land of the Albanians in an organised way. The Serbian
ruler, Tzar Dusan, expanded his state on the else's land and by invading
the land of the Albanians and Greeks. Even after Ottomans occupied the
Balkans, The Serbs, despite their being under the Ottoman Empire, received
the blessings of the Orthodox Church and Russia and organised two uprisings
in the beginning of nineteenth century and won their local autonomy. Since
that time, the Serbian Orthodox Church and intellectuals and leaders have
intended to form their state on the land that once Tzar Dusan invaded.
This means that they had to invade the land of the Albanians, that was
under the Ottoman Empire. Due to this intention, national projects and
programmes were compiled, determining the strategy and tactics. The Balkans
was ruled by two empires: Ottoman and Austrian. But the vital interests
of Russia, England and France, and later of Germany, were intertwined here.
In these circumstances, ‘Nacertanija’ was compiled by Ilija Garašanin,
in 1844. ‘Nacertanija’, as a Serbian national programme, had genocidal
character and had to be perpetrated upon the Albanians, as it anticipated
the invasion of their land and their ethnic cleansing. In shortage of immediate
force, the project determined: “Serbia should make its utmost efforts to
take out stone by stone from the building of the Turkish state and so take
whatever possible from that good material... and so be able to erect a
new Serbian state...”.16 This project was based
on a long-term programme of action and occupation of the land of ethnic
Albanians. The same intention continued to be carried out also by the New
Programme of Mihailo Obrenovic in 1862, which, parallel to liberation of
the Balkans from the Ottoman Empire, anticipated the emigration of the
Albanians from here and access of Serbia to the sea. The project planned
that the Albanians should be expatriated bit by bit, and their land be
occupied by military forces. This, in fact, happened on the eve of the
Congress of Berlin, when Serbia occupied Niš, Prokuplje, Toplica, Kursumlia,
Jablanica, Leskovac and Vranje, and resettled the Albanian population forcefully
from those territories. In the same period, Montenegro became expanded,
occupying new regions of the Albanians and forcing them to emigrate.
During the Balkan Wars, the Serbs and Montenegrins invaded the largest
part of Albanian land, but after the proclamation of the independence of
Albania, they withdrew from those regions, and have held another part of
it occupied ever since (Kosova, Western Macedonia, Plava, Gucia, Great
Malësia, Kraja, Tivar and Ulqin). The majority of Albanian population
has forcefully emigrated from all these territories.
Summarising: Serbian and Montenegrin long-term intentions towards the
Albanians and their territory can be divided into two periods: First, their
intentions until the independence of Albania (1912), and second, after
the establishment of the Albanian state to the present day.
In the first period they had the intention:
- to ban the establishment of an Albanian independent state;
- to occupy Albanian territories;
- to force the Albanians to emigrate from their ethnic land;
- to colonise the land of ethnic Albanians by Serbs and Montenegrins;
- to convert the Muslim and Catholic Albanians into the Orthodox religion
and assimilate them;
- to partition Albania between Serbia and Greece, giving the latter
a part in the south;
In the second period their intentions have been:
- to occupy and partition Albania among Serbia, Montenegro and Greece,
and later with Italy as well.
- to isolate the Albanian state from western states in order that it
should remain under the Yugoslav dependency;
- to turn Albanian forces as weak as possible, so that it could not
defend itself in cases of its future subjugation by Yugoslavia;
- to make it possible for the communist ideology to rule and become
disseminated in Albania, and it should become the sphere of interests of
Yugoslavia and Russia;
- to isolate Albania and the Albanians as much as possible politically,
economically, diplomatically.
These have been permanent intentions of Serbia and Montenegro towards Albania
and the Albanians. They have aspired that the Albanians should be left
without real friends and separated from Europe, with which they had been
linked for centuries.
6. Re-colonisation
of Kosova - Erection of Kibbutzes on Albanians' Land 1990-1995
Serbia and Montenegro aimed at changing the structure of ethnic population
of Kosova by means of its re-colonisation by Serbs and Montenegrins. The
self-called Yugoslav Federation as well the Serbian occupying bodies in
the communes in Kosova have passed different legal acts by which they have
defined the manner, form, and space for settlement of Serbian colonists
in the property of the Albanians. On purposes of accelerated colonisation,
the Serbian regime has built kibbutzes on the land of the Albanians. During
the last five years, 500 laws, drafts, orders, regulations and other acts
dealing with re-colonisation have been approved. These laws, decrees and
acts of genocidal character confirm that the authorities of this state
not yet recognised by the world, competed with those who would offer more
funds and facilities to colonise Kosova forcefully, although it is
a region with the densest population in Europe.
Starting in 1990, the self-called ‘Federal Republic of Yugoslavia'
(FRY), except for the YU-programme, passed some seven more legal acts,
that are chiefly laws and programmes ‘on providing flats for officials
and for coming of all those who like to live in Kosova'. In three
such acts solely, that cover the period 1989-1993, was planned erection
of 2,000 flats with a surface of 115,272 m2 and 711 sites in addition for
building individual houses, on a surface of 284,400 m2, that amounted to
above 7,1 million DEM. There were also provided 10,2 million DEM for individual
loans for construction. Later on followed ‘The Decree on the way and conditions
for renting and using flats', then ‘The Decision on pointing the federal
body of administration that would carry out the right and duties of the
investor'. Serbia also passed ‘The Law on providing flats', which anticipates
the erection of 1,564 flats with a surface of 88,773 m2, and 91.1 million
DEM were planned for it.
FRY passed a law in 1995 on colonisation of 100,000 Serbs and Montenegrins
in Kosova. The law defines that sites for houses, erected houses, fertile
land, flats and large financial funds would be provided gratis for Serbian
colonists.
The Serbian regime has brought to Kosova many Serbian families from
Croatia and Bosnia, and even from Serbia itself as colonists . They have
been settled in primary and secondary schools, kindergartens, students
hostels, children and workers resorts and libraries. The Serbian government
considers the colonisation of Kosova by Serbs and expulsion of the Albanians
as an urgent national action. This colonisation by force is considered
by the Albanians as an action on purpose of forcing them to emigrate and
turning Kosova into a clean Serbian land, namely, the consider it as an
act of genocide.
The government in Belgrade approved a Decision on 15 November, 1994,
by which the return of Albanian refugees that have sought asylum in western
Europe is conditioned by financial compensation (as if for their registration).
Serbia has planned to re-colonise Kosova by Serbs and Montenegrins with
those funds.
To return Albanian refugees from Europe to Kosova, western countries
should work out an agreement with the legitimate representatives of the
Albanians and not with the Serbian occupiers of Kosova.
Serbia and the so-called Yugoslavia have made their efforts to re-colonise
Kosova in a classic way and force the Albanians to emigrate from their
ethnic land. To have a clear picture of what the occupier has done to colonise
Kosova, evidence of the places where houses, flats and whole colonies have
been erected in different communes for Serbian colonists are provided below.
7. Colonisation of
Kosova with Croatian Serbs from 10 to 31 August, 1995
A new action of Serbian regime for recolonisation and serbianisation
of Kosova began with the wave of Serbian refugees coming from Croatian
Kraina. The recolonisation wave began on 10 August, 1995 and continued
further on. The number of Serbian refugees from Croatia, according to Serbian
sources, arrived to around 8,000 on 31 August, 1995. However, the data
leave the possibility to assert that half of the Belgrade plan for the
settlement of 20,000 Serbian colonists from Croatia to Kosova has been
fulfilled.
Despite the reactions of Albanian and international state and political
subjects, particularly of the USA, the Serbian regime continued with settling
the Serbian refugees from Croatia to the territory of Kosova. It brought
about 500-700 new Serbian colonists to Kosova during the summer of 1995,
settling them even by force in the objects and property of the Albanians.
In spite of Serbian pompous propaganda that the action had a humanitarian
character, it is clear that the main intention of this action is to change
the ethnic structure of the population and to colonise Kosova.
Based on Serbian relying facts, we provide with the number of
Serbian colonists settled in some centres of Kosova.
In Prizren 1,280, in Prishtina 2,040, in Peja 1,000, at Istog
667, in Gjilan 500, in Gjakova 420, in Mitrovica 318. In Vushtria, at Suhareka
and Zubin Potok 250 colonists were installed. At Shtërpce 232, Leposavic
220, Lipjan 200, Vitia 174, at Kamenica 121, at Zveçan and Obiliq
120 each, in Ferizaj and at Rahovec 100 each, at Klina 7, at Kaçanik
70, at Gllogoc 6o, at Fushë-Kosova 20, at Skenderaj 15, etc.
Serbian state bodies, both earlier and this time too, settled
a large number of colonists at Presheva, Bujanoc and Medvegja, as well
as in Ulqin, Tivar and at Plava and Gucia, etc. Therefore, they colonised
all the Albanian settlements what indicates clearly the political character
of this campaign for colonisation of the regains of ethnic Albanians. These
colonists are being secured jobs and means for jobs, land, houses and apartments
free of charge and on permanent property basis.
The list of Serbian
colonists at schools, dormitories, and other institutions and objects in
Kosova placed from 10-31 August, 1995.
1. Prishtina
1040 colonists
Elementary School at Milosevo
Middle Medical School
Teaching Training School
Vocational School
Middle School “Sh. Gjeçovi”
Students Dormitory
Pupils Dormitory
Youth Centre “Boro and Ramiz”
The Parliament of Kosova
Hotel ‘Bozur’
Sports Hall “25 May”
Kindergarten
2. Gjakova
420 colonists
School “Hysni Zajmi”
Middle Medical School
Students Hostel “XH. Doda”
Pupils Dormitory
Higher Pedagogical School “Bajram Curri”
Hotel “Pashtrik”
Summer Resort “Emin Duraku”
Offices of AC “Ereniku”
3. Prizren
1280 colonists
Elementary School at Sredska
School “Mati Logoreci”
Students Dormitory “Xhevdet Doda”
Military Barracks
Motel “Landovica”
Summer Resort at Nashec
Motel “Camp-putnik”
4. Ferizaj
100 colonists
School “Zenel Hajdini”
Sports House “Rinia”
The Barrack of Tube Factory workers “Luboteni”
5. Mitrovica
318 colonists
Children Summer Resort
Centre of Handicapped Children
School “Meto Bajraktari”
Middle School of Engineering
Middle Medical School
Dormitory “Xheladin Deda”
Sports Hall
Hotel “Adriatic”
Police Station at Staritrg
6. Peja
1000 colonists
Special School of the Blinds
Elementary School “Asdreni”
Elementary School “Lidhja e Pezës”
Middle School “V.P. Shkodrani”
Higher Economic Commercial School Dormitory
Motel “Karagaç”
7. Gjilan
500 colonists
Kindergarten
School “Thimi Mitko”
Dormitory “Trajko Peric”
Sports Hall
The Building of “Gosa”
8. Suhareka
250 colonists
Hotel “Balkan”
9. Rahovec
100 colonists
Kindergarten
School “Mihajl Grameno”
Summer Resort at Ura e Fshenjtë
Hotel “Park”
10. Istog
667 colonists
Peja Spa
Hotel “Erenik”
11. Lipjan
200 colonists
Motel “Lipovica”
Mine “Golesh”
12. Vushtria
250 colonists
School Centre “Muharrem Bekteshi”
Barracks of the workers of “Kosova” Enterprise
13. Shtërpca
232 colonists
Electro-Kosova Resort Place
Tube Factory Resort Place
Animal Farm at Raka
14. Kamenica
121 colonists
School “Fan Noli”
Pupils Dormitory
Hotel “Miniera”
15. Vitia
174 colonists
Middle Engineering School
Social Work Bureau
Health House
Hotel “Agrokomerc”
Enterprise “Morava e Epërme”
16. Kaçanik
70 colonists
School “Vëllazëria - Old Kaçanik
Motel “Kalaja”
17. Klina
7 colonists
Summer Resort “Mirusha”
Hotel “Metohia”
Agricultural. Co-operative “Hullia”
18. Fushë Kosova
20 colonists
School “Mihajl Grameno”
School “S. Riza”
School “Vëllezërit Frashëri”,
at Miradie e Epërme
19. Gllogoc
60 colonists
Former Building of the Commune
and Party Committee
20. Zubin Potok
250 colonists
21. Leposavic
220 colonists
22. Obiliq
120 colonists
Electro-Kosova Building
23. Zveçan
120 colonists
24. Skenderaj
15 colonists
Middle School “Ramiz Sadiku”
Culture House “Hasan Prishtina”
25. Podujeva
15 colonists
Middle Engineering School
Total 7,549 colonists
TOTAL:
5 kindergartens and summer resorts
12 elementary schools
16 middle schools
9 pupils and students dormitories and hostels
1 higher school
42 other objects (buildings)
This list does not include the colonists that were settled in private
and social houses and apartments at villages and in the cities in Kosova.
Notes
1.
Dr Esat Stavileci, Rrënimi i Autonomisë së Kosovës
(Destruction of Kosova Autonomy), Prishtina, 1992, p. 43.
2.
Ibid.
3.
Adil Fetahu, Masat e përkohshme akt i shkatërrimit të ndërmarrjeve
ekonomike dhe institucioneve shoqërore të Kosovës (Temporary
Measure, an Act of Destruction of Economic Enterprises and Social Institutions
in Kosova), Prishtina, 1992.
4.
ICK, Material of Kosova Government, Prishtina, 1992.
5.
Acad. Mark Krasniqi, Kosova sot (Kosova Today), Prishtina, 1992.
6.
Documents from the Archives of the President of the Republic of Kosova.
7.
Dr Esat Stavileci, Largimi nga puna i punëtorëve shqiptarë
(Dismissal of Albanian Workers from Work), ‘Përparimi', 1991, p. 52.
8.
Dr Rifat Blaku, Shkaqet e eksodit shqiptar, shpërngulja e shiptarëve
gjatë shekujve (The Reasons for the Albanian Exodus, Emigration of
Albanians during Centuries), Prishtina, 1992, p. 203.
9.
Report of The Kosova Council of Human Rights and Liberties given to a delegation
of Switzerland, January, 1995, Prishtina.
10.
Report of the Charity Organisation “Mother Tereza', January, 1995.
11.
As in note 9.
12.
Information of the Sector of Emigration of LDK, Prishtina, 1995.
13.
A Brief report on the Situation in Kosova Education, 7 May, 1993, Prishtina.
14.
Dr Tefik Basha, Aspekte bashkëkohore demografike të eksodit të
shqiptarëve nga trojet e tyre (Contemporary Demographic Aspects of
the Exodus of Albanians from Their Land), ‘Bota shqiptare', No. 1, Tirana,
1992.
15.
As in note 13.
16.
‘Nacertanija’ - 1844, ‘Delo', Belgrade, 1906.
Published
by KIC (Kosova Information Center), ©Copyright KIC
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