Contrasting accounts of the clashes and demonstrations in the southern Serbian province of Kosovo - from the official media in Belgrade on one hand and from Kosovo Albanian sources on the other - reflect the gulf between the positions of the Belgrade leadership and the province's ethnic Albanian majority:

The official view from Belgrade

Serbian radio says tension subsiding

Excerpts from report by Serbian radio on 8th March

It has been calm in Pristina today and in other towns in [the Serbian province of] Kosovo-Metohija ...

Recent protests followed operations by Serbian police against suspected separatists

Clearly, the tension in Serbia's southern province is subsiding. Only the Albanian press has been heightening it by accusing the Serbian authorities of terror, and by inviting the Albanians to unite.

In this way the separatist press has been directly encouraging the terrorists, who have sustained a great mumber of casualties in Drenica.

Source: Serbian Radio, Belgrade, in Serbo-Croat 1400 gmt 8 Mar 98

"Pro-terrorist" demonstrators opened fire on police

Excerpts from report by Tanjug news agency

Albanians demonstrating in Pristina chant slogans, and talk about the recent events (Dur 1' 56")

Pristina, 9th March: Demonstrations in support of the terrorist actions of the so-called Kosovo Liberation Army were held today in a number of towns and villages in Kosovo-Metohija.

Police in riot gear used batons against demonstrators in earlier protests

The rallies, held under the general slogan "We want war" [agency punctuation], were organized by the coordinating committee of Albanian political parties.

As the demonstrators approached the town of Pec [western Kosovo], they opened fire on the [Serbian] security forces. Fortunately no-one was hurt.

In Pec, the protesters shouted "We want war" and carried pictures of the dead terrorist leader Adem Jashari, as well as banners with "Drenica, we support you" written on them...

The rally in Pec fortunately lasted only half an hour, after which the protesters dispersed peacefully. The security forces did not intervene. Similar events took place in Kosovska Mitrovica [northwest of Pristina].

Source: Tanjug news agency, Belgrade, in Serbo-Croat 1409 gmt 9 Mar 98

Serbian forces protected civilians, says official

Excerpts from report by Tanjug news agency

Donje Prekaze, 8th March: The deputy head of Kosovo district, Veljko Odalovic, said today that the Drenica area, that is, Donje Prekaze, was neither a scene of military operations nor a zone where civilians were unprotected.

Odalovic told foreign diplomats from about 40 countries visiting Kosovo-Metohija that security bodies had to respond to actions carried out by gang of terrorists led by Adem Jasari ...

Prior to its operation against terrorists, the Interior Ministry called on all civilians to move out of the zone of operation and all those who heeded the call were given protection, Odalovic said.

He added that everything the state and state bodies were doing in the province was aimed at protecting law and order and providing safety for everyone in Kosovo ...

Source: Tanjug news agency, Belgrade, in Serbo-Croat 1421 gmt 8 Mar 98

The Kosovo Albanian view

Serbian police beat women protesters

Text of report by the Democratic League of Kosovo bulletin Kosova Daily Report

Prishtina [Pristina], 8th March: Serbian police beat several Albanian women and girls who participated in the women's peaceful demonstration in Peja [Pec] today.

Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic: Conflict must not be "internationalised"

Meanwhile, sources in Mitrovica said the Serbian police obstructed the women's protest in this town, and beat the teacher Luljeta Saraini, Fatime Prekazi and Kadrie Shipoli, activists with the women's movement.

Over 15,000 women protested Sunday [8th March] the Serbian regime terror in Prishtina. Rallies were staged in half a dozen other towns in Kosovo.

Source: Kosova Daily Report, Pristina, in English 8 Mar 98

Serbian police reportedly attack churchgoers

Excerpt from report by the Democratic League of Kosovo bulletin Kosova Daily Report

Prishtina [Pristina], 8th March: The Serbian police intervened brutally Sunday [8th March] against churchgoers in Peja (Pec), west of Kosovo, beating indiscriminately old people, children and women, sources said.

Ethnic Albanians call for end to police violence

A statement issued by the San Katarina (Saint Catherine) Catholic Church in Peja said today at around 1225 [1125 gmt] right after the High Mass was heard, Serbian policemen cracked down brutally against the people leaving the churchyard. Many have suffered severe body injuries, the statement said ...

Source: Kosova Daily Report, Pristina, in English 8 Mar 98

Village under sniper fire, says Kosovo Albanian source

Excerpt from report by the Democratic League of Kosovo bulletin Kosova Daily Report

Prishtina [Pristina], 8th March: An LDK [Democratic League of Kosovo; DSK in Serbo-Croat] source in Llausha [Lausa] of Skenderaj ([Serbo-Croat:] Srbica) told the Kosovo Information Centre (KIC) today that the village is still under severe siege of Serbian forces.

Sporadic shootings from snipers were heard during the night, he said.

Five victims, residents of the Llausha village, killed by Serbian forces three days ago could not be buried yet as the local who are remained in the village dare not go out being under constant sniper fire ...

Source: Kosova Daily Report, Pristina, in English 8 Mar 98

BBC Monitoring (http://www.monitor.bbc.co.uk), based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.
 

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