Tensión en aumento en Kosovo: Occidente paga su alianza con el integrismo albanokosovar, según asegura la Iglesia ortodoxa
March 4, 2007 KIM Info Newsletter 04-03-07
Demonstrations in Pristina against Ahtisaari's plan conclude without incident this time - Protesters chanted in support of the KLA.
Chanting in honor of the Kosovo Liberation Army and claims to monasteries of the Serbian Orthodox Church.
Most of the demonstrators carried placards of support for the KLA or messages criticizing UNMIK, the international presence in Kosovo, and even the Kosovo negotiating team. As well, just like in the previous demonstrations on February 10, there were signs claiming rights to Serbian Orthodox churches and monasteries in Kosovo. On numerous occasions Albin Kurti's movement underscored its opposition to decentralization and protection of Serbian spiritual and cultural patrimony in the Province.
DOWN WITH AHTISAARI'S PLAN - DOWN WITH UNMIK
Demonstrations were peaceful this time but still opposed to dialogue and a compromise solution
for Kosovo. Members of Self-Determination in Pristina on Saturday
KIM Info Service, KIM Radio, B92
March 3, 2007
More than 1,500 members and sympathizers of the Self-Determination movement and the People's Movement of Kosovo (LPK) expressed this dissatisfaction with the proposal of UN envoy Martti Ahtisaari for the future status of Kosovo in the center of Pristina today. Representatives of Self-Determination, who organized the protest, and the LPK, which supports the idea of a Greater or so-called Ethnic Albania, announced earlier that the demonstrations would be peaceful but that participants would not "keep their hands in their pockets" if police lines block their intended route of movement. Members and sympathizers of the movement set out just after 2:00 p.m. from in front of the offices of the movement in the Gradic Pejton (Payton Place) quarter of central Pristina in the direction of the Grand Hotel to get to the main street dedicated to Mother Teresa, where a minute of silence was held for those killed in the previous protests on February 10.
Support for Albin Kurti and the KLA - Scene from Saturday's demonstrations
in Pristina (click on photo to enlarge)
Although the protest as a whole passed peacefully during Saturday's demonstrations there were nevertheless occasions when the police formed a barricade preventing demonstrators from passing next to the UNMIK building. The barricade was withdrawn after 10 minutes upon request of the organizers of the protest, who had announced that the demonstrations would be peaceful but that participants would not "keep their hands in their pockets" if police prevented their freedom of movement. With the growth of tension on the streets special units of international police forces also appeared.
Most of the demonstrators carried placards of support for the KLA or messages criticizing UNMIK, the international presence in Kosovo and even the Kosovo negotiating team. Demonstrators also carried photographs of Self-Determination leader Albin Kurti, as well as photos of Adem Jashari and "heroes" of the KLA.
As well, just like in the previous demonstrations on February 10, there were signs claiming rights to Serbian Orthodox churches and monasteries in Kosovo. On numerous occasions Albin Kurti's movement underscored its opposition to decentralization and protection of Serbian spiritual and cultural patrimony in the Province because this supposedly denies Albanians "their cultural patrimony", turning it over to the Serbian Orthodox Church.
The keynote speaker at the protest was Glauk Konufca, deputy of Albin Kurti, who is presently in detention for provoking disturbances during previous demonstrations. Konufca's speech was greeted with noise ovations and chanting to the Kosovo Liberation Army. "In his speech Konufca underscored that Ahtisaari's plan is 'in harmony with the plans of Belgrade and not corresponding to the political will of the people of Kosovo' while demonstrators chanted 'Down with the Ahtisaari plan, down with UNMIK," reported journalists on the scene, adding that that Konufca attempted to write some graffiti in front of the UNMIK building but was prevented from doing so by police.
IF WHAT THE SIGN SAYS IS TRUE, THEN WHY DID ALBANIAN EXTREMISTS DESTROY TWO-THIRDS
OF THE ORTHODOX HOLY SHRINES IN KOSOVO SINCE 1999?
"Our ancestors prayed in Orthodox churches and monasteries". One of the basic postulates of Self-Determination is that Orthodox holy shrines are part of the Albanian patrimony that were "occupied" by Orthodox Serbs or that they are in fact "Catholic churches that have been converted to Orthodox ones"
"Self-Determination" demanded the release from detention of movement leader Albin Kurti and other participants in the protest held on February 10 when two people were killed and more than 80 were wounded. According to statements by international representatives in Pristina, formal charges will probably be filed against Kurti and he will be tried in court.
Demonstrators placed a large glass box in front of the government building in Pristina which was supposed to symbolize Athisaari's plan. They then broke the box, thus showing that the plan is unsustainable. Self-Determination activists also wrote "MURDERERS" in several major world languages in front of the police headquarters.
Just before the beginning of the protest the situation was peaceful. Kosovo Police Service special forces, which had spoken earlier with the organizers of the protest, expressed the hope that the violence of February 10 would not be repeated but warned it would respond decisively if the protest did turn violent. The main streets in Pristina were closed before the beginning of the protest but there was no significant security presence. In addition to KPS police members of the French gendarmerie, the Italian carabinieri and Pakistan police were also present.
According to initial international assessments today's demonstrations showed that the Self-Determination does not enjoy broad support. Western news agencies say that the number of protesters varied between 3-4 thousand (DPA, Reuters, RFERL) while AP and NYT mention thousands only.
comnetar 5 Marzo 2007
