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    Betreff:         Some details on the ways you can help
    Datum:         Sat, 13 Jun 1998 15:02:08 +0200
        Von:         Students Independent Union of the University of Prishtina
                        <upsup@albanian.com>

    Dear friends,

    As a respond to our appeal for help, a lot of you expresed your readiness to help students and people of Kosova in different ways. We would like to thank You for Your efforts to help us.
    Many people have asked how they could send financial and other help. Due to the fact that we do not have a bank account of our own, please use the following bank accounts for financial help. Please stress that it is dedicated to: "Students Independent Union of the University of Prishtina (UPSUP)".

    SWITZERLAND
    SKA-Zürich
    STIFTUNG FUR KOSOVA
    1211 Geneve 1
    Konto nr.: 80-1800-7

    AUSTRIA
    LANDERBANK, Bank Austria AG,
    Getreidegasse 1, 5020 Salzburg
    HUMANITERER VEREIN DES KOSOVA
    Konto Nr.: 843-136-57100

    SWEDEN
    Postgiro nr. 83 2784-3
    KOSOVAS HJALBFOND
    Box 150 47 200 31 Malmo

    NORWAY
    DEN NORSKE BANK
    Postbox 1171 Sentrum, 0107 Oslo
    KOSOVA HJELPFOND
    Konto nr. 7038 66 3257

    DENMARK
    Giro Bank A/S Girostroget 1 DK-0800 Hoje Taestrup
    KOSOVAS HUNTAER FOND
    Konto Nr. 641-1282

    FRANCE
    SOCIETE GENERALLE, Societe Annonyme R.C.S.
    Paris B 552 120 222
    FONDS HUMANITAIRE DE KOSOVA, BD StrasbouRG
    75010 Paris
    Konto Nr. 30003-03200-00050414237-41

    BELGIUM
    KREDITBANK, Bruxeles
    AIDE HUMANITAIRE AU KOSOVA
    Chausse de Gand 391B, 1080 Bruxelles
    Konto Nr.: 429 4056001 55

    UNITED KINGDOM
    BARKLAYS BANK PLC Westminster Branch
    2 Victoris Street, London SW 1 H ond
    KOSOVA SOLIDARITY FOUND
    Konto Nr. 70561797, Sorting Code 20-94-48

    USA
    CHEMICAL BANK
    THE KOSOVA FUN INC. P.O. Box 580218
    Mount Camel Station, Bronx, N.Y. 10458
    Konto Nr. 185003354

    CZECH
    KOMNIERCNI BANKA a.s. Brno, nam. svobody 21, 63131 Brno
    FOND NADACE PRO KOSOVO
    Konto nr. 113 633-621/0100

    If you want to send books or any other written material please send it to USIS in Prishtina. (Stress that it is dedicated to Students' Independemt Unon of the University of Prishtina).

    USIS
    Podgoricka 4
    Dragodan
    38000 Prishtina
    ;YUGOSLAVIA

    For other kinds of humanitarian help we do not know how they could be sent. Please check with your national humanitarian organizations. You could also contact with the following humanitarian organizations of Kosova:

    Isuf Dedushaj (Red Cross of Kosova)
    Tel.: ++ 381 38 21 789
    Fax:  ++ 381 38 20 360

    Jak Mita ("Mother Theresa")
    Tel. & Fax: ++ 381 38 532 752
    Tel. & Fax: ++ 381 38 40 129

    Thank you in advance.

    UPSUP Information Service
    --
    -------------------------------------------------------------------
    UPSUP  -  STUDENTS INDEPENDENT UNION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PRISHTINA
    e-mail: upsup@albanian.com                Tel&Fax: ++381 38 533 843
     *****************************************************************
     * >> Students' Protests in Kosova: http://www.alb-net.com    << *
     * >> University of Prishtina page: http://www.uni-pr.edu     << *
     * >> Latest news from Kosova:      http://www.kosova.com     << *
     * >> News from ARTA news agency:   http://www.kohaditore.com << *
     *****************************************************************
     
                                APPEAL FOR SUPPORT

        The  following  are  some  of  the  ways  you  can  help the University Students, their movement and generally people of Kosova as well:
     

  1. Write petitions and support messages for the nonviolent, peaceful protests of the students of the University of Prishtina, and for the global Albanian nonviolent movement in Kosova.
  2. Write letters of protest to the Serb dictator Slobodan Milosevic.
  3. Write letters to the U.S. government and President Bill Clinton and to other western capitals explaining the alarming situation in Kosova.
  4. Write similar letters, to UN, EU, OSCE, Amnesty International, Helsinki Watch, Red Cross etc.
  5. Write letters to NATO to stop Serbian attacks on Albanian civilians by positioning its troops in Kosova or by using other military actions.
  6. Write letters to the Security Council of UN to bring back all the possible political and economical sanctions (embargo) to Serbia and Serbian regime.
  7. Write letters to the Hague Tribunal, and request from them to begin the procedure to send Milosevic and other war criminals to the international court.
  8. Write in your local papers about the situation in Kosova, about UP and about the education in the Albanian language in Kosova in general.
  9. Write to the U.S. and other Western media centers and ask them to monitor the protests and events in Kosova.
  10. Collect humanitarian aid for the people of Kosova.
  11. Create NGO networks to support and help our struggle.
  12. Send books and other professional materials (university textbooks) in English language to the students of UP.
  13. Send different books for nonviolent movements around the world since there is a lack of this kind of material in UP.
  14. Send to us Hypertext PDF, Postscript and all other electronic format books and literature, technical documentation and educational software etc. to advance the studies in the UP.
  15. Organize protests in the schools you attend/teach.
  16. Organize round table discussions about Kosova, where local journalists would be invited too.
  17. Exchange students with UP.
  18. Send student delegations to monitor the protests and/or see the conditions in which the UP functions.
  19. Have lectures and discussion panels in your school/university about education in Kosova.
_______________________________________________________________________
Betreff:         [ALBANEWS] News: STUDENTS' PROTESTS IN KOSOVA
Datum:         Wed, 10 Jun 1998 12:04:17 -0400
    Von:         Mentor Cana <cana@ece.stevens-tech.edu>
                           STUDENTS' PROTESTS IN KOSOVA

             To the rest of the world it may seem incomprehensible to be forced from your own school because you want to study in your mother tongue, but that's exactly what has happened to the Albanian students in Kosova.
             The University of Prishtina (UP) was founded in 1970. Since then, more than 43,000 people have graduated (7,000 since 1991). Yet in 1991, the Serbian policy of "ethnic cleansing" began in Kosova's educational institutions. Some 1,000 professors and 27,000 students were forced out of the University of Prishtina alone. Hundreds of thousands of high school students were banned from entering school buildings.
            In some of the elementary schools, children were allowed into segregated buildings - with Serb children on one side, Albanians in the other. The University and high schools began to hold classes outside their school buildings, in private houses, in miserable conditions. This has been going on for seven years now. The Serb police raids on these buildings are a common practice. Teachers are beaten in front of the children as a way to promote fear.
            In September, 1996, responding to international pressure to ease tensions in Kosova, an "Educational Agreement" was signed between President Rugova and Milosevic. This agreement was never implemented.
            In signing the agreement, Milosevic intended to gain political points in the eyes of the international community in the hopes of having Serbia's economic sanctions lifted.
            Over one year later, the empty school buildings continue to be guarded by heavy police forces to prevent the Albanians from moving in. Some buildings are used as refugee camps for Serbs from Croatia. Now the situation has become unbearable for the Albanian students as it appears no progress has been made towards opening the schools.
            Therefore, the Students Independent Union of the University of Prishtina (SIUUP), the only student organization in the UP, initiated peaceful protests, with one clear aim: the unconditional return of the university and high school buildings, so the Albanian students can attend normal  classes in normal facilities, ironically built by Albanians themselves. The Albanian students DO NOT WANT the Serb students to leave; they just want to use the 80% of the facilities that have been empty since 1991.
           The University of Prishtina currently has 14 senior colleges and 7 community colleges. 23,000 students attend classes. The "regular" University buildings are only partially filled by Serb students, but the rest of the buildings remain empty.
            Although the Serb government has offered lucrative loans and housing, it has managed to attract less the 4,000 Serb students from Serbia and Montenegro to attend classes in Kosova. They only occupy some 20 % of the University buildings.
            SIUUP is an independent, non-political, non-partisan organization. The demand for the unconditional return of the school buildings is a non-political demand, based on international law that guarantees education in a mother tongue as a fundamental human right. In September 10, 1997, SIUUP established the University Protests Council. This council has 9 members - 5 students and 4 professors. In September 15 the council established the platform for the principles for the nonviolent and peaceful protests as listed below:

                                       * * *

             Whereas the Students Independent Union of the University of Prishtina has undertaken the initiative to organize peaceful protests aimed at taking back the occupied buildings of the university;
            Whereas the students had prior talks with the state institutions, politicians, and representatives of other associations, from whom they had formal support, and hope that they will follow by offering their concrete help;
            Whereas the University has offered support to the students' initiative for these protests and have expressed their readiness to organize peaceful and dignified protests;
            The University Protests Council issues the following:

                      PLATFORM AND DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES
     

  1. Students' protests are organized for the purpose of retaking Prishtina University buildings and other premises violently occupied by the Serbian regime in 1991.
  2. Students' protests will be peaceful and nonviolent, using no arms or weapons of any kind, with no violence against any public or private property, nor will we return violence if it is used against us.
  3. Preparation and realization of peaceful protests will be done by the Students Protest Council of the University and other sub-councils of faculties and high pedagogic schools (two year colleges), in close cooperation with the University, faculties and high pedagogic schools. The public (in the country and abroad) will be appropriately notified about the slogans and placards which will be used by the students during the protests. The public will be notified in due time about other adequate actions which will enable better organization and realization of peaceful protests. The media and other international bodies will be informed and invited as well.
  4. The Protests Council is open and ready to cooperate and coordinate the work with institutions and other relevant subjects and associations on the basis of their concrete declarations in support of the Platform and Declaration of Principles of nonviolent and peaceful protests of the University of Prishtina.
  5. The purpose of our protests is not political. Its intention is obvious: the unconditional release of premises, buildings and the campus of the University, now under police control.
  6. We do not try to fight with our adversary, but we are demanding the respect of human rights and civil freedoms equally for all peoples.
  7. Anyone who provokes the police will be considered a police informer.
  8. If the police use force against us, this does not mean that we ought to return violence.
  9. We are not going either to yell slogans, whistle or make any other kind of gestures to offend or provoke anyone.
  10. If anyone - a protester or a supporter - uses violence against the police or anybody else in general we shall do our utmost to stop and prevent such an incident.
  11. We will follow the orders and decisions of the University Protests Council and the instructions of the maintenance personnel during the protests.

    12.         In the meantime, the 1997-1998 academic year began on time. The University will be working without interruption all the time. The teaching process will be adapted to the peaceful protests and their duration, in accordance with the decision of competent authorities and pursuant to the regulation in effect, the purpose of which should be implementation of students' requests.

                                       * * *

            In addition, the Individual Colleges and Community Colleges' organizing subcommittees were established. Each of the sub-committees has 5 members (3 students and 2 professors). There are four committees within the Senior Colleges and Community Colleges. Three of them are to make sure the protests remain peaceful and the fourth one is in charge of medical help, in case the police uses force to crush the protest.
            During the last three protests, held on October 1, October 29 and December 30, every plan, strategy and detail was legal and it was publicly announced beforehand.
            The slogans were published in the papers. The media, the public, the students and the Serb regime were notified properly beforehand. This was done to clearly avoid any provocation from anyone.
            In addition to Prishtina, protests took place in 6 other towns of Kosova, where units of the university are located. Despite the fact that the protests were peaceful, nonviolent and were strictly attended by UP students, the Serb police forces intervened without warning, using batons and teargas. More than 700 students were injured. Since the political parties were not welcome by the organizing board, there were no other people beside students and teachers participating in the protest. However, there was a large number of people who came out in solidarity, but who stood on the side walk and did not mix in the protest.
         Anyway the Albanian political parties together with SIUUP and Trade Union on March 2, March 9, March 13 and March 19, 1998 organized peaceful, nonviolent protests in Prishtina and in all the other cities and towns of Kosova. These protests were for peace, freedom against violence, war and Serbian terror. Due to the circumstances this became more important, even more than the releasing of the buildings. In these protests several hundred thousands Albanians were participating, and around 500 of them were injured from brutal police intervention. With these four masive protests Albanians in Kosova showed their solidarity and support with Albanian population in the region of Kosova called Drenica, who were during the first two weeks of March, under unseen terror of Serbian police and military forces. In Drenica over 100 Albanian civilians were killed, and among them were massacred 14 children and 20 women. In this ethnic cleansing even one pregnant women was massacred. Also, after, in Deçan, which is another municipality in Kosova, and along the border area with Albania police and military forces made another attack with the same scenario and due to that there were killed a large number of young Albanians. Now the conflict is spreading more and more each day and half of the territory of Kosova is simply in war. The average number of killed people in Kosova during one day is over 15. The Albanians in their villages are organizing themselves for selfdefence. In towns and in the cities of Kosova, half hour daywalks of protest are continuing for over a month and a half, unfortunately with no important effects and results.
            The students of the UP stand firm with their demands and will not stop the protests until the demands in question are met. However, if the peaceful protests are eventually proven to be fruitless and concrete steps are not taken to meet the student demands, there is real danger that the students will lose the belief on the peaceful mean to achieve our goals. We ask everyone of you to help us achieve our fundamental right - the right to study in our mother tongue, but also to help us by using your influence, in order to avoid another larger conflict which is not going to be located only in Kosova but spread on the Balkans (worse than in Bosnia), and especially to stop the terror, massacre and the ethnic cleansing on Albanian population.

                                    BACKGROUND

            Kosova is a region of the former Yugoslavia, inhabited by 2.1 million people, 90% of which are Albanians, 8% Serbs and 2% others. Kosova is an area of 4,201 square miles (10,877 square kilometers), located in the south of what used to be Yugoslavia. In the former Federative Republic of Yugoslavia,  Kosova  was  a constitutive autonomous province of the federation.
            However, in 1989, two years after Slobodan Milosevic came at the helm of Serbian politics with his dictatorship policies, he violently and unconstitutionally dissolved the Kosova Parliament and practically occupied Kosova, stripping its autonomy. He did this with the help from the Yugoslav Army and police. The illegal suspension of the autonomous status of Kosova led to wide scale protests in Kosova, with hundreds of thousands of people taking to the streets.
            Even though these protests were peaceful, the Serb military regime violently crushed them. From March 1989 until February 1990, more than 70 Albanians were killed and hundreds were injured and tortured in Serb prisons.  The  members  of  the Kosova (unconstitutionally resolved) parliament, after a few sessions, in July 2, 1990, unanimously voted and declared Kosova a Republic within the Yugoslav Federation. In September 7 of the same year, the Kosova Constitution was approved. Following these two events the Serb police became increasingly brutal in punishing Albanians. The Serb Government shut down the Prishtina Radio and Television (RTP). The Albanian daily newspaper "Rilindja" was banned. Hundreds of thousands of Albanians were fired from their jobs when they refused to sign "loyalty oaths" to Serbia. Those fired included doctors and other hospital staff. In September 1991, a popular referendum where 99 percent of the voters (89 percent of Kosova's eligible voters) declared the independence of Kosova.
            In May 24 of the following year (1992), the first parliamentary elections were held. After the elections, Kosova formed its parallel institutions. Even though all the actions in the last few years were peaceful, the Serb authorities have killed more than 200 Albanian people since 1991. Kosova Albanians continue to pursue a nonviolent resistance, despite Serb repression they have to deal with on daily basis.

                                APPEAL FOR SUPPORT

        The  following  are  some  of  the  ways  you  can  help the University Students, their movement and generally people of Kosova as well:
     

  12. Write petitions and support messages for the nonviolent, peaceful protests of the students of the University of Prishtina, and for the global Albanian nonviolent movement in Kosova.
  13. Write letters of protest to the Serb dictator Slobodan Milosevic.
  14. Write letters to the U.S. government and President Bill Clinton and to other western capitals explaining the alarming situation in Kosova.
  15. Write similar letters, to UN, EU, OSCE, Amnesty International, Helsinki Watch, Red Cross etc.
  16. Write letters to NATO to stop Serbian attacks on Albanian civilians by positioning its troops in Kosova or by using other military actions.
  17. Write letters to the Security Council of UN to bring back all the possible political and economical sanctions (embargo) to Serbia and Serbian regime.
  18. Write letters to the Hague Tribunal, and request from them to begin the procedure to send Milosevic and other war criminals to the international court.
  19. Write in your local papers about the situation in Kosova, about UP and about the education in the Albanian language in Kosova in general.
  20. Write to the U.S. and other Western media centers and ask them to monitor the protests and events in Kosova.
  21. Collect humanitarian aid for the people of Kosova.
  22. Create NGO networks to support and help our struggle.
  23. Send books and other professional materials (university textbooks) in English language to the students of UP.
  24. Send different books for nonviolent movements around the world since there is a lack of this kind of material in UP.
  25. Send to us Hypertext PDF, Postscript and all other electronic format books and literature, technical documentation and educational software etc. to advance the studies in the UP.
  26. Organize protests in the schools you attend/teach.
  27. Organize round table discussions about Kosova, where local journalists would be invited too.
  28. Exchange students with UP.
  29. Send student delegations to monitor the protests and/or see the conditions in which the UP functions.
  30. Have lectures and discussion panels in your school/university about education in Kosova.
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