KOSOVO: Kosovo Albanians remember national hero for the first time since gaining independence

Record ID: 449876

  • Title: KOSOVO: Kosovo Albanians remember national hero for the first time since gaining independence
  • Date: 5th March 2008
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Albanian) RAGIP BEQIRI, SAYING: "I feel good, but I miss Adam (Jashari) and his fighters and other people who are not with us today." (SOUNDBITE) (Albanian) SYLE SMAJLI, SAYING: "This is a great surprise. Ten years ago it was very difficult to live here, very difficult. We are lucky, as nobody in this planet had a tougher life than us."
  • Embargoed: 20th March 2008 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVACNRMU3IWS4PKI8NAJMKSLMUKF
  • Story Text: Thousands of Kosovo Albanians celebrated the tenth anniversary of the Prekaze massacre and killing of a Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) commander on Wednesday (March 5).
    Serb forces attacked the village of Prekaze in 1998, killing 43 people including Adem Jashari's family. Jashari was the first commander of the KLA and became a symbol of independence for Kosovo Albanians.
    "We will bow with respect for all the national martyrs and the heroic war of the Kosovo Liberation Army, a war that raised the dignity of the Albanians, which was being squashed for decades," said an officer of the Kosovo Protection Corps during the ceremony.
    Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdu attended the ceremony in central Pristina along with Prime Minister Hashim Thaci and other officials.
    A military parade marched through the streets among applauding onlookers.
    "I feel good, but I miss Adam (Jashari) and his fighters and other people who are not with us today," said Prisitina resident Ragip Beqiri who came to watch the ceremony.
    "This is a great surprise. Ten years ago it was very difficult to live here, very difficult. We are lucky, as nobody in this planet had a tougher life than us," said another onlooker Syle Smajli.
    After Kosovo declared its sovereignty on February 17, 2008 t-shirts with Jashari's picture where printed with an inscription reading "Bac, U Kry!", which translates to 'Uncle, Its Done!" in English.
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