DEVELOPMENTS, RUMOURS, REACTIONS

AIM Pristina, 7 March, 1998

Until just a week ago, Kosovo Serbs watched with signs of resignation and bitterness the "dictated and controlled impotence and defensiveness" of the police faced with "actions of the Liberation Army of Kosovo" (OVK). Fear was felt among them that the same destiny awaits them as their compatriots from Krajina or Baranja or something in between - bad in any case. Since comprehensive action of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP) of Serbia started, especially in the Drenica region, Kosovo Serbs and Montenegrins were seized by evident confusion nourished from several sources.

First, by inertia and according to the logic of the spiral of psychology of panic, having observed the high level of fear and panic among their compatriots Albanians, the Serbs were also stricken by this form of collective behavior. This could be noticed by hurried purchasing of large quantities of food and hasty preparations for "something" that might happen

• that afternoon, then evening, if not by then, during the night, or in the morning, and so on. All those who had the possibility, took their children to their relatives - somewhere outside Kosovo, which resulted in a considerably reduced number of pupils in schools. Rumour goes among the Serbs that the Albanian parallel authorities have introduced some kind of "curfew" for their Albanian compatriots, so the Serbs submitted themselves to this "phantom abstention" from evening outings which in the past few days resulted in almost ghostly scenes of deserted streets of Pristina and other cities in Kosovo, beginning already in the late afternoon hours. Based on this, it could be heard in the local Serb hearsay that Albanian snipers were watching from somewhere for those who were violating the alleged curfew, so it was better not to risk night walks, and the Albanians whispered that "the Serb snipers were waiting somewhere for them".

Somehow coinciding with what has been said, stirring up trouble in the region of Drenica was accompanied by massive exodus of students of the state University in Pristina who are from places outside Kosovo, so it is questionable whether on Monday, 9 March, classes will be held, in view of the fact that only few Serb students from Kosovo and students-refugees are the only ones who have remained in students' dormitories.

Second, when speaking of fear and confusion among Kosovo Serbs concerning escalation of the crisis, there is also the concern of possible revenge of armed Albanian groups. In unofficial information and rumours which circled among the Serbs during the combats around Drenica, the number of killed Albanians reached the number of several hundred a day. On the very first day of the big police action, it could be heard that only in the villages around Glogovac about 130 to 150 people were killed, that two villages in the vicinity of Srbica were levelled to the ground, that the army in police uniforms and army tanks painted in police blue were bombing whole villages, etc. Naturally, in the context of such stories, the possibility of revenge is only to be expected.

Third, statements of western officials should not be underestimated, and they do not at all have a soothing effect on the ears of Kosovo Serbs: sanctions, military intervention, advocating of autonomy for Kosovo in which they would be treated as a minority. What especially caught attention was "general mobilization" of foreign humanitarian organizations whose jeeps during the latest protests of the citizens of Pristina caused by the situation in Drenica circled the streets and tried, with no success, to enter the zone of Drenica under the blockade, where combats between members of MUP and, as claimed, members of the OVK were going on. For the Serb eyes, the hoisted flags of the Geneva Red Cross and some other organizations were symptomatic. It could be heard concerning it that the police had revealed one UNHCR vehicle which was carrying explosives and ammunition for the members of OVK, which reminded the Serbs of similar situations during the war in Bosnia.

However, the thing that is also important for the stand of Kosovo Serbs towards the latest developments in their environment is a certain kind of enthusiasm about the successful police actions. The local Serbs have not forgotten the exaltation of the Albanians in Kosovo during operation "Storm" and collapse of former republic of Serb krajina. On the day when Knin "fell" (in August 1995) and the following days, there have never been so many pompous Albanian weddings and merry wedding parades which marched singing along the streets of Pristina, which was interpreted by Kosovo Serbs as mockery and spite addressed to them. Just the opposite is happening now. There are no Albanian weddings this weekend, but there certainly are Serb ones. The Serb flag at the head of the line of cars decorated for a wedding makes the same revanchist effect like the Albanian weddings a couple of years ago. As long as the tragedy of the ones causes singing among the others and vice versa, the Balkans will not only be far from Europe, but from any form of peace.

As concerning certain official tones reaching the public from the local Serb ruling circles, a kind of encouragement and reassuring is radiating from the state media, as well as an attempt to keep up appearances that perfect control is maintained over things (e.g.: "There is no reason for panic", "Serbia is capable of maintaining order", "There will be no dialogue with the terrorists", etc.) which essentially conceals a large dose of fear and uncertainty (claimed even by Seselj). Concerned eyes of the local Serb officials are not directed so much towards Srbica as towards Belgrade which is the main threat to their position (both the stick and the carrot arrive from Belgrade). What Kosovo Serbs fear the most is some new Dayton accords for Kosovo which Slobodan Milosevic, "pressured, blackmailed or bribed by who knows what", may sign "selling" Kosovo in one way or the other.

Several-month long hesitation of Belgrade to deal with "Albanian gangs of secessionists and terrorists" (the journal in Serbian Jedinstvo states) has fully stirred up such fear. On the occasion, a few weeks ago rumour was launched around Pristina that members of the Socialist Party of Serbia from Kosovo have addressed an ultimatum to the seat of their party in Belgrade to finally solve the problem of terrorism in Kosovo or they would take things in their own hands. Even if it were not true, this story is not completely unfounded, because only Kosovo Socialists who have always ensured Milosevic's victory in the elections, have the posibility to talk to him in a slightly raised voices. It should not be disregarded that Milosevic must make certain concessions to Kosovo Socialists, if not for the sake of patriotism, at least for the sake of staying in power.

The Serb Resistance Movement headed by Momcilo Trajkovic has just announced opening of the "Serb Information Centre" in Pristina and invited all the journalists, especially foreign, to come in order to be given all information, and even accommodation. Brother Sava, personal interpreter of Raska-Prizren episcope Artemije is at its head. It sems that the struggle for winning support of the, primarily foreign, public opinion has just begun, in which both the Serbs and the Albanians are offering their version of the truth.

However, since politics is above all a mixture of gossip, marketing and bargaining, it is possible to expect certain counter-services of Pristina to Belgrade, which would enable Belgrade to win a better position in certain negotiations and talks with the Albanians and foreign representatives about Kosovo, which should not be so far away in view of the fact that politics in the Balkans is a series of perfectly fitted shifts - bloody, of course...

AIM Pristina

Dorijan NUAJ