Serbia
Presevo in a box
length: 8.14
In the Presevo valley farmers are planting. It is a hard work, still done manually. Modern agricultural techniques have not yet reached this backward region in Southern Serbia.
But tensions are running high in the tranquil landscape, and recently there have been a series of violent attacks in this majority-Albanian region.
From the mosque comes the callout for prayer, and now there are no orthodox Serbs here. The owner of the house left two years ago for work in Central Serbia, but now there is nothing left to return to.
Voja Mihailovic, policeman
-This was the only remaining orthodox Serb house here in Lucane village, and since the owner used to come here now and then, probably the goal of the attack was to destroy it and destroy all Serb presence here.
When the war in Kosovo, just a few kilometers from here, ended in 1999, a guerilla movement started attacks on Serb army and police. The violence died down after NATO brokered a peace settlement in May last year between the insurgents and the Serb government, but there are signs that militants are trying to stir up trouble again in southern Serbia.
At the police-station in Bujanovac (pronounced Bojanovats) lots of newly discovered weapons are on display.
Dragan Mitic, Police chief, Bujanovac
-There were four hand rocket-launchers of our production, one of Chinese production with 5 grenades and five gun-powder fillings.
The police claims the weapons came from the war in Kosovo, were hidden here and will later be used by Albanian terrorists when tensions are escalated. So far attacks here have been minor.
Dragan Mitic, Police chief, Bujanovac
-There were no armed attacks, but there were provocations and terrorist actions against the police and putting out anti-tank mines on the roads used by the Yugoslav Army soldiers.
In Veliki Trnovac (pronounced Veliki Trnovats), a small village only populated by Albanians, most of the inhabitants support peaceful coexistence, according to the chairman of the village council. But he is worried about the escalation in violence, especially the recent discovery of hidden weapons.
Galip Bechiri, chairman village council, Veliki Trnovac
-These things are worrying, not only for me but for everybody, but we should remember one thing whenever the Serb police find something they should call the mayor, for example in this village they should call me, or the police inspectors, the Albanian police, and they should together go to the spot to see, because somebody - a black hand - is trying to do something bad.
At the same time people here are aware of the discimination towards them from the Serbian authorities.
To this village of more than 10.000 people, only three telephone lines run, and governmental service is almost nonexistent. Saip Kamberi who is a Human Rights activist has not yet seen any improvements.
Saip Kamberi, Human rights activist, Bujanovac
-The problems that the Albanian community used to have here during the last ten years because of the discrimination and repression of the Serbian authorities and Milosevic´s regime are still here. The new authorities that came on the 5th of October 2000 have not yet managed to solve these problems.
In the peace-agreement, Serb authorities promised to upgrade minority rights of the local ethnic Albanian population. Newly, as part of the agreement a joint police force has been created here which consists of Serbs, Albanians and Romas.
Ekrem Krasniqi, Albanian policeman
-So far everything has been all right, there are no problems at all. I was born in Bujanovac and I´ve grown up with the others, there is no difference for me.
Agron Mehmeti, Albanian policeman
-For the moment it´s ok but we hope things will improve in the joint police. We graduated from the course one month ago and will have practice for 15 weeks now. People here do look forward to see a new police force get formed according to the representation of the population, and we hope it will be good.
Even though the joint police force is highly regarded by the Albanian population, still the high concentration of other police and military forces in the region is seen as a sign of hostility.
Attacks have been made, not only against the army and the Serb population, but also against the multi-etnic police.
Voja Mihailovic, policeman
-This year about one month ago in the evening, there was one attack against the multi-ethnic police here in Lucane. The attackers used rifle-grenades and firearms and one grenade hit the container where the police stays and damaged it.
As a result of the unrest, the Presevo region is getting more and more ethnically divided. Quite many Albanians return from abroad and wedding car convoys are sometimes seen in the streets.
But the Serbs feel uneasy. This cafe in Presevo (pronounced Preschevo) was attacked with a hand-grenade, no-one was hurt but the owner and his family are scared.
Dobri Pesic, bar-owner
-It´s terrible. We had a nice life here but now it´s all fear. We don´t work overnight, we close down the cafe at 7.30 pm and stay at home after that. We practically don´t go anywhere, maybe rarely we go out together but we´re mostly at home.
There are hopes tensions will be reduced and recently a census was conducted in the area after the Albanians finally agreed not to boycott it. This will pave the way for local elections that hopefully soon will be held, after having been postponed since last year.
Saip Kamberi, Human rights activist, Bujanovac
-We expected that the local elections that would integrate the Albanians into the local governments in Buanovac and Presevo would have taken place last year. There is no justification for the delay which was made deliberately.
Local Albanian politicians believe that they will win the majority of seats in regional elections and achieve their goals of greater integration into Serbian political life, even though there are claims that the electoral units are misrepresented.
Saip Kamberi, Human rights activist, Bujanovac
-The reason for this is how the electoral units are determined. The units where the Albanians elect their deputies the units are big and count some 2000 votes but the Serb units are small ones with only 120 to 150 votes.
Increased Albanian influence can be regarded by the Serbs either as a step towards increased democracy and stability, or as a threat. But some choose the latter and move.
Dobri Pesic, bar-owner
-Yes, they move, as they did even before this.... they are constantly moving out of here.
Presevo in a box
length: 8.14
In the Presevo valley farmers are planting. It is a hard work, still done manually. Modern agricultural techniques have not yet reached this backward region in Southern Serbia.
But tensions are running high in the tranquil landscape, and recently there have been a series of violent attacks in this majority-Albanian region.
From the mosque comes the callout for prayer, and now there are no orthodox Serbs here. The owner of the house left two years ago for work in Central Serbia, but now there is nothing left to return to.
Voja Mihailovic, policeman
-This was the only remaining orthodox Serb house here in Lucane village, and since the owner used to come here now and then, probably the goal of the attack was to destroy it and destroy all Serb presence here.
When the war in Kosovo, just a few kilometers from here, ended in 1999, a guerilla movement started attacks on Serb army and police. The violence died down after NATO brokered a peace settlement in May last year between the insurgents and the Serb government, but there are signs that militants are trying to stir up trouble again in southern Serbia.
At the police-station in Bujanovac (pronounced Bojanovats) lots of newly discovered weapons are on display.
Dragan Mitic, Police chief, Bujanovac
-There were four hand rocket-launchers of our production, one of Chinese production with 5 grenades and five gun-powder fillings.
The police claims the weapons came from the war in Kosovo, were hidden here and will later be used by Albanian terrorists when tensions are escalated. So far attacks here have been minor.
Dragan Mitic, Police chief, Bujanovac
-There were no armed attacks, but there were provocations and terrorist actions against the police and putting out anti-tank mines on the roads used by the Yugoslav Army soldiers.
In Veliki Trnovac (pronounced Veliki Trnovats), a small village only populated by Albanians, most of the inhabitants support peaceful coexistence, according to the chairman of the village council. But he is worried about the escalation in violence, especially the recent discovery of hidden weapons.
Galip Bechiri, chairman village council, Veliki Trnovac
-These things are worrying, not only for me but for everybody, but we should remember one thing whenever the Serb police find something they should call the mayor, for example in this village they should call me, or the police inspectors, the Albanian police, and they should together go to the spot to see, because somebody - a black hand - is trying to do something bad.
At the same time people here are aware of the discimination towards them from the Serbian authorities.
To this village of more than 10.000 people, only three telephone lines run, and governmental service is almost nonexistent. Saip Kamberi who is a Human Rights activist has not yet seen any improvements.
Saip Kamberi, Human rights activist, Bujanovac
-The problems that the Albanian community used to have here during the last ten years because of the discrimination and repression of the Serbian authorities and Milosevic´s regime are still here. The new authorities that came on the 5th of October 2000 have not yet managed to solve these problems.
In the peace-agreement, Serb authorities promised to upgrade minority rights of the local ethnic Albanian population. Newly, as part of the agreement a joint police force has been created here which consists of Serbs, Albanians and Romas.
Ekrem Krasniqi, Albanian policeman
-So far everything has been all right, there are no problems at all. I was born in Bujanovac and I´ve grown up with the others, there is no difference for me.
Agron Mehmeti, Albanian policeman
-For the moment it´s ok but we hope things will improve in the joint police. We graduated from the course one month ago and will have practice for 15 weeks now. People here do look forward to see a new police force get formed according to the representation of the population, and we hope it will be good.
Even though the joint police force is highly regarded by the Albanian population, still the high concentration of other police and military forces in the region is seen as a sign of hostility.
Attacks have been made, not only against the army and the Serb population, but also against the multi-etnic police.
Voja Mihailovic, policeman
-This year about one month ago in the evening, there was one attack against the multi-ethnic police here in Lucane. The attackers used rifle-grenades and firearms and one grenade hit the container where the police stays and damaged it.
As a result of the unrest, the Presevo region is getting more and more ethnically divided. Quite many Albanians return from abroad and wedding car convoys are sometimes seen in the streets.
But the Serbs feel uneasy. This cafe in Presevo (pronounced Preschevo) was attacked with a hand-grenade, no-one was hurt but the owner and his family are scared.
Dobri Pesic, bar-owner
-It´s terrible. We had a nice life here but now it´s all fear. We don´t work overnight, we close down the cafe at 7.30 pm and stay at home after that. We practically don´t go anywhere, maybe rarely we go out together but we´re mostly at home.
There are hopes tensions will be reduced and recently a census was conducted in the area after the Albanians finally agreed not to boycott it. This will pave the way for local elections that hopefully soon will be held, after having been postponed since last year.
Saip Kamberi, Human rights activist, Bujanovac
-We expected that the local elections that would integrate the Albanians into the local governments in Buanovac and Presevo would have taken place last year. There is no justification for the delay which was made deliberately.
Local Albanian politicians believe that they will win the majority of seats in regional elections and achieve their goals of greater integration into Serbian political life, even though there are claims that the electoral units are misrepresented.
Saip Kamberi, Human rights activist, Bujanovac
-The reason for this is how the electoral units are determined. The units where the Albanians elect their deputies the units are big and count some 2000 votes but the Serb units are small ones with only 120 to 150 votes.
Increased Albanian influence can be regarded by the Serbs either as a step towards increased democracy and stability, or as a threat. But some choose the latter and move.
Dobri Pesic, bar-owner
-Yes, they move, as they did even before this.... they are constantly moving out of here.