PRISTINA - IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AGREEMENT OR A GENERAL ALBANIAN PROTEST
AIM Pristina, 2 September, 1997
After five years, Kosovo students, pupils and their parents seem to have reached a decision to organize a protest because of unchanged situation in education in Albanian language. It was proposed even that a half-hour "test" would be held on 1 September, which would then take place in its full form in the beginning of the university school year. The purpose of the mass protests would be return of Albanian pupils and students to school and university buildings. In the avalanche of uncertainties, dilemmas concerning the "technicalities" and analyses of the possible course and results, one thing is quite certain - that a general Albanian consensus has been reached concerning the initiative of the Independent Union of the Albanian Students on organizing the protest. In other words, it seems that it was assessed that political preconditions had been created within the Albanian movement for organizing of public protests, primarily based on talks of representatives of the union of students with all the political subjects in Kosovo. Nevertheless, at least for the time being, this plan was abandoned. Fear that badly organized protests could be an immediate cause for severe intervention of police forces, which could lead to new victims, but primarily hope that the Serbian political leadership would after all do something about implementation of the agreement on education of the Albanian pupils and students was decisive. That is the main reason why everything was postponed for some time in the future, perhaps for next month already.
The Albanian pupils and students were thrown out of schools in the period 1990-91, and ever since school year 1991/92, they have been attending parallel schools in privately-owned buildings. The entire Albanian population of school age which forms one third of the whole Albanian population has passed through this system. The teaching process is taking place in premises intended for living or other purposes: garages, basements, warehouses... It is believed that 1,500 such premises have been reconstructed for the purpose. However, many of them are not equipped even with chairs, nothing to say about other teaching aids. The Albanian experts have lately begun to warn against phenomena in physical growth of the population of pupils and students which cause concern and of low quality of the teaching process.
This population has attended school under constant pressure of police repression. Although repression was not aimed at complete prevention of the teaching in Albanian language, thousands of pupils, students and their teachers have been abused, maltreated, intimidated, arrested, punished... and some were even killed or lost their lives in some other way. For this and the Albanian population in general, the only one who is to blame for such a situation, as they like to say is - Serbia. They all also believe that whoever will rule Kosovo, will have to face these facts and their consequences. The opinion which prevails in Kosovo is that the ultimate goal of Serbia is physical and political elimination of the Albanians, but along with it the assessment that Serbia will not succeed in its intention, which makes facing the mentioned facts and consequences inevitable.
Kosovo Albanians publicly protested because of the situation in the schooling system five years ago, and ever since protests have been a constant political issue in Albanian public and political life. But, only during last summer, as analysts assessed, ideal political and psychological climate for mass public protests was created. It is strongly believed that last year's preparations were directly interrupted by the agreement on normalization of the Albanian schooling system signed by Milosevic and Rugova on 1 September, 1996.
Inter-Albanian considerations of possibilities of organizing public protests in the beginning of this school year have been topical ever since spring, and they are linked with the fact that a faction more inclined towards an active approach to problems of the Albanian youth and Kosovo Albanians in general came to the head of the organization of Albanian students. This new leadership has come to the head of the students' organization after much political discord among the students but also broader variances within the Albanian movement. The circle around Ibrahim Rugova was very dissatisfied with this election. It is believed in public that the current students' leadership supports Adem Demaqi and his party rather than Rugova.
In their consultations, students' leaders have tried to avoid all discussions which could lead to internal Albanian political straining of relations. They kept repeating that they have reached the decision about this initiative independently, and therefore marked it as "non-political", but "in the interest of all Albanians". They also stressed that ambitions of public protests were limited solely to return to school buildings which they had been banished from in the beginning of this decade.
So far the students' leadership has managed to avoid ambitions of different political parties to assume the position of their advocates or guardians and to present itself as an organization which is independently assuming responsibility for leading such a significant and equally risky action. In this role the students' leadership is objectively appearing as a new alternative in contrast to the current political factions in the Albanian movement. This is not pleasant for the political parties, but it is also very difficult for every one of them to reject the students' initiative, especially because they themselves have for quite some time now been incapable of overcoming the political lethargy which has lasted for years. However impressive their resoluteness may be, it equally causes suspicion of certain circles about the real capabilities of this generation of Albanian students who have grown up in quite different conditions from the generation of students who organized demonstrations in the period 1981-1990. In fact, suspicion is caused because they have not been "tested" yet, but also because it is a complete mystery what novelties the current generation of Albanian students may bring into the political life.
Thanks to the experience with former generations, the present generation of students enjoys great popularity among the Albanian public. But, this is not enough for undertaking the exceptionally dangerous risk of going out into the streets. That is the reason why students' leaders so persistently sought support of all Albanian parties, organizations and associations. They were aware of the disposition in the Albanian public and they were ready to use it as much as possible as a means for exerting pressure on political parties and their leaders.
Nevertheless, conviction prevailed that choice for or against protests was above all inter-Albanian rivalries and jealousies, and that concerning this issue, all Albanian subjects had to be in favour and act united. In his two talks with representatives of the students, Ibrahim Rugova expressed understanding and then support to students' initiative. When speaking of the Albanian political corps, that is how the road was cleared for public protests or at least that is how it seems at this moment. It was generally accepted to wait for the beginning of October, so that if no progress is made in implementation of the agreement signed by Milosevic and Rugova, preparations will be made for organization of peaceful protests.
In the "organizational" sense, many things have not been clarified or are still kept secret. At the moment it is possible to say only that the protests would take place in all municipal centres and towns and that they would last until the Albanian pupils and students were permitted to return to school buildings. The symbolic public protest planned for 1 September, with books in hands raised above the heads of the pupils and students, as well as their parents, in front of school and university buildings lasting for 30 minutes, has been called off. It seems that the second phase is being prepared for the beginning of the new university school year. Students have announced that in the course of September local and central organizing committees would be elected which would prepare and adopt a complete program of public protests.
It is difficult to say anything more about the protests, if they should actually be held in October, or what course they would take and how they would end, because this would not depend on the organizers alone. American diplomats who are directly monitoring the developments, in contacts with representatives of the Albanians, expressed deep concern because of the possibility of the demonstrations developing into a big bloodshed. Not much is being said in this sense among the Albanians, but it is assumed that everybody is aware of this and similar risks. Students' leaders are constantly repeating that they would do everything possible for the protests to pass without any violence as far as they are concerned and that the entire program of the protest, after comprehensive preparations will be presented not only to the Albanian but also to the international public.
Largely criticized Albanian-Serbian agreement on normalization of the Albanian schooling system, is for the time being left aside by the Albanian public. But, it can be assumed that Albanian politicians, especially the ones around Rugova are still strongly counting that it would be implemented after all. Should this succeed, current inter-Albanian, and maybe even Albanian-Serbian dangerous tensions, would temporarily be relieved.
AIM Pristina
Fehim Rexhepi