Documenti
Influential political circles in Kosovo express fear that the peaceful protest for the right to use school buildings may easily turn into a protest with political demands
A year after Rugova and Milosevic signed the agreement concerning the normalization of education in the Albanian language, Albanian students gathered around the Independent Union and initiated peaceful protests with the goal of achieving unconditional return to the school and university buildings. Political circles of Kosovo supported this initiative, and numerous political and non-political associations from Kosovo gave their verbal support, which has, in a way, represented the realization of the first phase of the ``plan'' prepared by the Union of the Independent Students of the University of Pristina. Although the greatest dilemma was whether Rugova's party, the biggest one in Kosovo, would openly support this initiative, after having achieved ``the right to be dissatisfied,'' the students have, as it seems, much more peacefully continued further preparations for the protest.
In the conversations the students had the previous week in Kosovo, many asked the question why were the students the ones who decided ``to move something from the spot,'' since it is first of all non-political organization? The president of the Union of Albanian students, Bujar Dugoli, explains: ``There's no one who can be against this initiative, since it is based on an elementary humane and national right for education in one's native language, which is guaranteed by all international conventions. It would be nice if this initiative of the Independent Students Union was started by one of the political parties and their leaders, who became obliged to work in the direction of achieving the requests of the people once they won their votes, and since they did not do that, we were the ones to make the first step.'' However, this initiative happened after the students attempted to start the mass protest on September 1; the idea was that high school students, together with their professors and parents, would stand 30 minutes in front of their schools carrying books in their hands, in protest because the current government has forbidden them to use the existing school premises. Primarily thanks to the leader of the Albanians from Kosovo Ibrahim Rugova, the protests were ``postponed.'' In the circles close to the Democratic Alliance of Kosovo there was a notion that this peaceful protest could turn into ``something entirely different,'' which could be used by the Serbian regime for its campaign. The students heard similar ``recommendations,'' in the sense that the protest may turn into real bloodshed and the like, from foreign diplomats who visited Kosovo at that time.
Anyway, at meetings between the representatives of the Independent Students' Union of Pristina University with the special emissary of the USA for Bosnia, Robert Gelbard, then with Nicholas Hill (second secretary of the American embassy in Belgrade), and Julian Brightwhite (second secretary of the British embassy in Belgrade), they were informed of ```sensibilization' of external factors,'' which is, however, one of the phases that the students have incorporated in their plan. Within this, they believe that it is necessary to prepare the national public for such an ``echo,'' as an important component of the successful organization of a peaceful protest.
At a press conference recently organized by the students, it has been pointed out that a decision was made to form organizational boards at the schools. ``The boards will consist of five members, out of which three will be students, and two teachers,'' said the students at their meeting with the press. Commenting on the accusations that there is influence ``from the side,'' Muhamet Mavraj, president of the Assembly of the Students Union, has sharply denied it: ``The students are nobody's caricature.'' Anyway, those interested have not had the chance to learn much about the ways and strategy of the protest. The replies were short. However, when asked how long the protest would last, Mavraj said: ``The protest will end when our requests are fulfilled, and if not a single school is freed, as far as we are concerned, the protest will continue.''
Besa Tovrlani (AIM)
(taken from "Vreme", September 23, 1997)