Kosova Liberation Army stands firm for full independence
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Date: Tue, 8 Dec 1998 12:58:01 +0200 (EET)
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Subject: Kosova Liberation Army stands firm for full independence
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Kosova Liberation Army stands firm for full independence
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Kosova Crisis Center (KCC) News Network: http://www.alb-net.com
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ARTA News Service: http://www.kohaditore.com/ARTA
Kosova Information Center(KIC): http://www.kosova.com
The Kosova Crisis Center (KCC): http://www.alb-net.com
Radio21 (English/Albanian): http://www.radio21.net/english.htm
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Kosova Information Center
KOSOVA DAILY REPORT # 1629
Prishtina, 5 December 1998
KLA Does Not Settle for Anything Less than Full Independence, KLA
General Staff Says
PRISHTINA, Dec 5 (KIC) - The Kosova Liberation Army (KLA) stands firm
in its commitment to the "just fight towards the creation of our
independent and democratic state", the General Staff of the KLA said
in a statement, referred to as Political Declaration # 19, carried by
today's Albanian-language press in Prishtina. The KLA will not accept
any political solution which "harms the ideals of our people for
independence, or else would sanction, be it even temporarily, an
imposed co-existence in an anti-Albanian and anti-democratic edifice,
such as Yugoslavia - Greater Serbia would be".
The statement contravened remarks Mr. Adem Dema^i, the KLA Political
Representative, made last Tuesday in a press conference in Prishtina.
He stated the U^K would be willing to accept republic status for
Kosova - on a par with Serbia and Montenegro within 'Yugoslavia' - on
a temporary basis, with guarantees that in three years' time the
people of Kosova would determine their future in a referendum.
The General Staff of the U^K called on the international community,
first and foremost the United States of America, to support Kosovar
independence, "which would mean also the triumph of democratic
principles in this part of the volatile Balkans, and would result in a
lasting peace in the future".
The Serbian aggressor's forces have been attacking the civilian
Albanian population in certain parts of Kosova, and the KLA has been
responding to such attacks in defense of the population, the General
Staff of the KLA said. "We are making efforts to preserve the
cease-fire that we have ourselves declared", the KLA said. "Although
unjustly excluded from the agreement on the deployment of
international observers in Kosova, and therefore not obligatory to
us", the KLA welcomes their arrival and will undertake all measures
within its power to cooperate with them as well as to ensure their
security, the statement said.
Dushkaj& Villages Targeted by Serb Fire Saturday Afternoon
PRISHTINA, Dec 5 (KIC) - Serbian forces stationed at a location
called Pishat e Volljak&s opened fire today (Saturday) afternoon,
beginning at 15:15 hrs, towards the villages of Kralan, Kpuz, and
^eskov& of the Dushkaj& region, municipality of Gjakova, an LDK source
said.
The sound of the Serbian fire could be heard in the villages of
Malisheva - Ponorc, Rub, Llap^ev& and Sferk& e Gashit - Fetah Rudi, a
local LDK activist, said. He could not specify what kind of arms were
being used by the Serb forces, though.
Further Details Surrounding Shoot-out Incident in Peja Hospital
PRISHTINA, Dec 5 (KIC) - One young Albanian woman, Myrvete Maksutaj
(20), resident of an Istog village, was shot dead and several other
people were wounded in a yet unsolved shoot-out incident in the Peja
hospital on Thursday, sources said.
An Albanian couple, Xhevat and Shemsije Qarri from Peja, were amongst
those who suffered gunshot wounds, LDK sources said. Mr. Qarri told
the LDK chapter the incident happened at 11:30 hrs. "At the time I was
in the hospital to get my son's wife out of the delivery ward", he
said, adding that while getting out of the Admissions Office he
realized he was shot twice in his right leg. His wife, Shemsije, was
shot in her left leg, he said. Xhevat Qarri could not offer other
details surrounding the incident.
Meanwhile, an eye-witness said, speaking on condition of anonymity,
that a young man, who was together with the killed Myrvete, had an
argument with a Serb policeman and grabbed his automatic rifle. The
young man shot and wounded the policeman, the hospital guard, and four
other Albanian citizens.
The unidentified man and Myrvete were running away in the hospital
area when the police shot at them. The wounded Myrvete could not make
it, whereas the man did run away to an unknown direction, the
eye-witness said.
Shaban Brahimaj and Jeton Mulaj are two other Albanians known to have
been wounded in the incident. The late Myrvete Maksutaj will be buried
Sunday in her native village of Orob&rd&, Istog, on Sunday, sources
from Peja said.
Meanwhile, the Serb press said today a member of the Serb reserve
police, Mitar Stanisic, who is employed as staff member in the
security of the hospital building, tried to check the identity of a
man and a woman who had entered the hospital hall. The man threw a
spray in the policeman's eyes, whereas the woman placed her handgun in
his head, the Serb press said, adding that the man then snatched the
rifle from the policeman. The woman tossed a hand grenade which did
not explode, whereas the man opened fire wounding Stanisic and several
patients, Milun Sedlarevic, Xhevat and Shemsie Qarri, Shaban Brahimaj
and Jeton Mulaj, the Serb version of the incident runs.
The security members opened fire toward the running man and woman,
killing the latter (Myrvete Maksutaj), whereas the man ran away, the
Serb press concluded.
Arms Shooting, Tensions Reported in Rahovec
PRISHTINA, Dec 5 (KIC) - Around 17:00 hrs on Friday, arms shooting
originated from a building nearby the main traffic lights in downtown
Rahovec ('Orahovac'), causing panic amongst the Albanian citizens, the
local chapter of the Council for the Defense of Human Rights and
Freedoms (CDHRF) said. Two covered lorries came to the vicinity of the
Park hotel in Rahovec, which continues to be sealed off by Serb
forces, the CDHRF said.
Meanwhile, on 2 December, the Serb police arrested Agim Kastrati (37),
a schoolteacher from Mal&sia e Vog&l. He was on his way back from the
Serbian town of Vranje, where he had gone to pay a visit to his
imprisoned brother, when he was arrested at a location between the
villages of X&rx& and Gexh&, the CDHRF said. The Human Rights Council
said Sedat Ali Gashi (35), resident of Opterusha village, who is a
guest-worker in Austria, was arrested several days ago in the border
crossing while on his way back home. The Gashi family said they knew
nothing about Sedat's fate.
The Serbian police in Rahovec has vowed to arrest all Albanians
originating from the villages of Opterusha, Zoqisht& and Ret, the
CDHRF said.
Serb Hooligans Provoke Albanian Passers-bye in Downtown Prishtina
PRISHTINA, Dec 5 (KIC) - A number of Serb hooligans who had entered
the Prishtina football stadium, where a sports event was taking place
today (Saturday), spent several hours late in the morning and early
afternoon today in the upper parts of the stadium provoking passers-by
and the Kosova Information Center (KIC) and Kosova Presidency's staff
in Prishtina, capital of Kosova. The whole Serb hooligans' spree was
being closely watched by Serb police and security from their building
situated just opposite the football stadium.
The Prishtina football stadium (now run by the Serb regime), the Serb
security headquarters, and the KIC and Kosova Presidency's offices,
make a triangle in the center of Prishtina.
LDK Activists Held in Custody, Questioned for 2 Hours, in Obiliq
PRISHTINA, Dec 5 (KIC) - Around 17:00 hrs on Friday, after a meeting
of the Presidency of the LDK chapter in Obiliq, the Serbian police
arrested five activists of this chapter near their offices, the LDK
said. The police arrested Rexhep Kelani, chairman of the LDK chapter
in Obiliq, as well as four other senior LDK activists, Hajriz
Bekteshi, Idriz Konjusha, Hajredin Mjeku, and Hasan S. Mjeku.
The five activists were taken to the Serb police station in Obiliq.
They were released after two hours of questioning, the LDK chapter
said.
Kosova Information Center
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