YUGOSLAVIA: ALBANIAN STUDENTS IN KOSOVO VOW TO CONTINUE PEACEFUL PROTESTS UNTIL ACCESS TO OLD UNIVERSITY BUILDINGS IS ALLOWED

Record ID: 350368

  • Title: YUGOSLAVIA: ALBANIAN STUDENTS IN KOSOVO VOW TO CONTINUE PEACEFUL PROTESTS UNTIL ACCESS TO OLD UNIVERSITY BUILDINGS IS ALLOWED
  • Date: 8th October 1997
  • Summary: PRISTINA, KOSOVO, YUGOSLAVIA (OCTOBER 8, 1997) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) 1. PAN ALBANIAN UNIVERSITY BUILDING 0.06 2. ZOOM IN STUDENTS ATTENDING CLASS SEEN THROUGH WINDOW 0.14 3. PAN BARS ON WINDOW OF UNIVERSITY 0.21 4. SV ALJBIN KURTI, AN ALBANIAN STUDENT AT THE SCHOOL OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING SAYING THAT FOR SEVEN YEARS THE STU
  • Embargoed: 23rd October 1997 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: PRISTINA, KOSOVO, YUGOSLAVIA
  • City:
  • Country: Albania
  • Reuters ID: LVA3SHZHKJHX1BYU84XGRLNDFB1P
  • Story Text: INTRO: Albanian students in Kosovo, Yugoslavia have vowed to continue their peaceful demonstrations until they are allowed to return to their university buildings.

    The students in the Kosovan capital, Pristina, confirmed on Wednesday (October 8) that they would continue their peaceful protests until their demand for access to the now Serbian-controlled University buildings is fulfilled.

    Protests by thousands of Albanian students in Pristina on October 1 were brutally dispersed by the Serbian police.

    At least 50 people were injured when heavily armed special police, backed up by water canon and an armoured personel carrier, waded in with tear gas and batons to disperse the protesters.

    Student leaders called off further demonstrations until October 15 to give time for their political leaders to achieve their goal - access to the University and lectures in Albanian language - through negotiation with the Serbian authorities.

    Professor Ejub Statovci, Rector of the parallel Albanian University said, "Our students wanted to give them (the Serbian police) a chance to keep their promise. But based on the platform of the protests, students will continue the protest in a very peaceful way until their demands are fulfilled." Aljbin Kurti, member of the presidency of Students' Independent Union of the parallel Pristina University also confirmed that the students are prepared to continue their protests: "These protests were really peaceful and the students had a march where political parties were not involved at all. But the police used violence and they (dispersed) all the students which were participating in the protest." Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic and Albanian leader Ibrahim Rugova signed the deal on education last September but it was never implemented as both sides prevaricated, blaming each other for the delay.

    Belgrade fears such an agreement would be just another step to Albanian seccession while Albanian leaders believe it would halt halfway their attempts at creating an independent state in Kosovo where they outnumber the Serbs nine to one.

    The incident on October 3 threw a spotlight on Serbia's troubled province of Kosovo, dubbed by diplomats as the powder-keg of the Balkans. It also showed the growing rift among various Albanian leaders, impatient with ineffective seven-year peaceful civil disobediance, and the international community which fears more violence in the turbulent Balkans.

    The police action prompted widespread condemnation by the international community.

    Political sources said a Serbian-Albanian committee is due to meet this week, to try and get an earlier landmark eductional agreement off the ground, this time earnestly.

    The West, especially the United States, have repeatedly warned Belgrade it must restore human rights in Kosovo.

    Serbia revoked Kosovo's autonomy in 1989, claiming its population wanted to secede and join neighbouring Albania.

    The Albanians have since boycotted Serbian institutions, creating a parallel network of public services including education and health.


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