AIM: The Serbs in Kosovo
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Date: Thu, 14 Oct 1999 13:07:29 +0300 (EET DST)
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Subject: AIM: The Serbs in Kosovo
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Original sender: Greek Helsinki Monitor <[email protected]>
AIM: The Serbs in Kosovo
The Serbs in Kosovo
Barricades in the Minds
AIM Pristina, 29 September, 1999
Until a few months ago, Gracanica was known only for the monastery
which was for decades visited by various excursions of students,
tourists and indviduals. Nowadays, the road between Pristina and
Gnjilane which leads through Gracanica, is blocked by a pile of used
car tyres. Only a vehicle here and there which belongs to
international organisation is allowed to pass. On the barricades are
Serb peasants who are there on watch for several weeks already,
drinking bear in front of the local store.
They say that they are the "frontline of defence of Gracanica" which
is not considered to be just a suburb of Pristina but the centre of
the small "Serb enclave" formed of 30 thousand inhabitants from the
surrounding ten odd villages. This is the picture of despair and
hopelessness of Kosovo Serbs concentrated in this part of Kosovo who
have chosen self-isolation for fear, as they say, of radical Albanians
from their surroundings.
Four inhabitants of this village have disappeared since the arrival of
KFOR peace forces and their destiny is a complete mystery. Many
villagers have gone to Serbia and just very few have returned.
Nevertheless, officials of UNMIK and even KFOR claim that the level of
violence is going down.
Fear is not the only reason for departure of the Serbs. Nowadays,
almost none of the inhabitants of Gracanica who were mostly employed
in state-owned enterprises, have a job. Only a small group of health
workers actually work in the local out-patient clinic which has owing
to circumstances developed into an improvised health centre. But, they
too are faced with a problem: there is a shortage of drugs, especially
those for specific diseases. A small quantity is provided in
cooperation with UNHCR or the international Red Cross, but this can be
said to be just a bare minimum. The unemployed spend their "free" time
in cafes which are quite numerous or go from one gathering to another
organised by activists of the Socialist Party of Serbia which is very
influential in all parts of Kosovo where the Serbs are concentrated -
Gracanica inclusive. Although it is difficult to say what the real
reason for this is, it should not be ruled out that it is purely
financial. The Socialists are the only "source" who provide their
minimum "salaries" which they receive through illegal channels from
the state cashbox of Serbia. As announced a few times, such salaries
are ensured until the end of December. And what will happen then?!
Nevertheless, many Serbs in Gracanica still listen to radio programs
of Radio-Television Serbia (RTS) or read daily Politika. In Gracanica
and other parts of Kosovo where Serb population is concentrated, it is
distributed free of charge. That is the reason for their refusal to
accept the actual situation in Kosovo. They think that it is just
"temporary".
"You will see, my friend, when general Pavkovic enters with our army
and militia after 19 September (deadline for demilitarisation of KLA),
the Shiptari (ethnic Albanians) will just disperse. They will be
jumping down from the third floor even". This is a part of a
conversation between two friends in a cafe in Gracanica. But, 19
September has been and gone, and "by some miracle", nothing has come
out of "big promises" given abundantly via RTS.
Somebody may say that it is more difficult to remove the barricades in
the minds of these Serb farmers than those on the road. On the other
hand, citizens of Gracanica are accusing the international civil
administration of being responsible for their own position and that of
members of their ethnic group. They claim that discrimination which
has begun after the arrival of KFOR and return of ethnic Albanians to
Kosovo is passed over in silence. For instance, city transportation to
Gracanica has been interrupted because Albanian drivers do not wish to
drive the Serbs. For the same reason other municipal services do not
operate either. Telephone lines are completely cut, and supplying of
stores with various goods has been interrupted. And so have all
business contacts with the Albanians in the surroundings.
Winter is coming. It is difficult to provide firewood because the
villagers do not dare go into the forest. The last one who dared do
it, Milivoje Popovic, was kidnapped. Electric power voltage is low so
that it sometimes cannot move even a motor of a simple casette player
from a standstill.
The only connections with the world are taking place at the Gracanica
monastery lodgings where "live" meetings and talks with
representatives of UNMIK and KFOR are taking place every day. They are
organised by members of the Church and People's Assembly: episcope of
Russia and Prizren Artemije and the monks in cooperation with the Serb
Resistance Movement and member of the Transitional Council of Kosovo
Momcilo Trajkovic who belong to a different political trend in
Gracanica. They do not enjoy support of the local inhabitants -
because of their oppositionist stands in relation to the regime in
Serbia, but their contacts with the international civil and military
administration are regular. They believe that in such contacts it is
possible to resolve, if not global questions, certainly local problems
of great significance for the life of the Serbs not only in Gracanica.
In the gap between various trends, violence in the surroundings and
financial uncertainty, inhabitants of Gracanica have done the only
thing they knew how. They set up barricades which they will sooner or
later have to lift. The only question is when will they get rid of the
barricades in their minds?!
AIM Pristina
Milan Jokic
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