Editorial Note: The following editorial appeared on the front page of a leading Kosovo Albanian newspaper. The so-called "victims of the Racak massacre" are members of the KLA terrorist organization who died while trying to kill members of the Yugoslav Army and Serbian Police.

According to this article anybody who refuses to memorialize these terrorists, (i.e. the Serbs) "cannot be considered as citizens" and should be regarded as "destroyers of this country." The article accuses the Serbs of holding Kosovo hostage and urges "a final solution" to me imposed.

This website in no way endorses the content of this editorial. We only wish to present it as an example of the hate propaganda that is being published on the front pages of Kosovo's Albanian language newspapers.

Scandal in Parliament
Kosova Sot - January 16, 2004

Deputies of the Serb Return (Povratak) Coalition do not wish to pay tribute to the victims of the Racak massacre, convincing the world that they are on the side of the regime that caused the tragedy in Kosova and took the lives of thousands of innocent Albanians. Yesterday's (15 January) act of Serb politicians, conducted by Belgrade, is the greatest scandal that has happened in the Kosova parliament since the establishment of the Kosovar legislative. Not joining other deputies to honour the victims of Milosevic's regime, the Serb deputies have proved that they do not feel any responsibility, not even moral, for what has happened in Kosova. The way they have proved to be in favour of Serbian radical parties by voting for them, in the same way they have appeared in the highest body of the country, creating with yesterday's precedent a new chapter in Albanian-Serb relations. Those who on the one hand do not honour the victims of the war, the people who were killed by the Serbian state military and police forces, and who on the other hand wish to live in Kosova, cannot be considered as citizens, but only as destroyers of this country.

The international community is constantly calling on the Albanians to be more tolerant with the Serb minority, with the leaders of this minority, while there is not even one voice that reacts to cases such as the one yesterday. When the parliament of a country pays tribute to the victims of a tragedy that shook the conscience of the world, and when a group of irresponsible deputies ignores this act of honour, how should the other party act? Should this case also be tolerated?

It would have been appropriate if head administrator Harri Holkeri had said something about this scandal. Certainly, he would have said in a diplomatic way: I cannot speculate about this! In fact, this scandal does not leave room for speculation. By this, he (Holkeri) has reconfirmed for us the truth that there is a large gap between the Albanians and the Serbs that cannot be overcome, unfortunately, for dozens of years.

The problem is that because of these relations that are being aggravated regularly by the Serb party, Kosova continues to be an undeveloped country. Our country cannot be a hostage of a stubborn minority that does not want to accept the new reality. The international community should examine this issue in a direct way and it should find a final solution. Law and order should be installed regardless of the fact that someone might not like it. After all, why have the means of violence been created?

Source: Kosova Sot, Pristina, in Albanian 16 Jan 04 p 1
Text of editorial: "Scandal in parliament", published by Kosovo Albanian newspaper Kosova Sot on 16 January

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