FYROM FORCES SHOOT DEAD ONE ALBANIAN. WOUND OVER A DOZEN, IN CRACKDOWN OVER ALBANIAN UNIVERSITY IN TETOVA

Prishtina, 17 February 1995, KIC, 20.30 hrs

The police of former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) attacked today afternoon at the Recice e Vogel village of Tetova the Albanian students and citizens, after they (the police) had captured the premises of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences of the newly established University of Tetova (UT).
As reported, the police shot from indoors at students and citizens who had gathered in front of the university premises.
According to reports of the "Bujku" newspaper correspondents and the albanian section of the Voice of America (VOA) [broadcasting at 18.00-18.30 hrs today], at least an Albanian was shot dead, whereas around 15 others have been wounded.
The UT rector, Dr.Fadil Sulejmani, told VOA this afternoon that the young Albanian was shot by policeman on board of a bus.
The rector said he tried to establish contacts with the Shkup/Skopje authorities, but they had refused any contacts.
The spokesman of the FYROM government is quoted to have said today afternoon that the position of his government towards the University of Tetova remained unchanged - namely that UT is "illegal" and that "all means" would be used to prevent it from operating. The spokesman was quoted as saying also that the support to the University of Tetova by President Sali Berisha of Albania, reportedly uttered yesterday, was an "interference in the internal affairs of Macedonia".
The manager of "Radio Fama" (a private Albanian-owned broadcasting station) named the Albanian who was shot dead as Abdylselam Jamniu, making mention by name the following persons as wounded by FYROM forces: Abdylazis Abdili, Zahir Sabriu, Musa Beqiri, Isak Veseli, Blerim Hamzaj, Zyber Mustafa, Ilaz Ymeri, and Naser Ilazi.
Among those wounded amidst the FYROM forces'crackdown was reported a Macedonian journalist, named as Branko Djoroski.
The "Bujku" correspondents report of many people wounded, beaten up and arrested.
As reported, ambulance have been transferring those wounded to the Clinical Center in Tetova. There was continuous fire by automatic weapons and the situation has slipped out of the FYROM government's control, Bujku reporters said.
Reporters from Tetova say that the Recice e Vogel village has been sealed off and that FYROM army forces got involved in today's crackdown. There were reports of detonations from heavier armament than automatic weapons.
The Bujku correspondents say the people have restrained themselves and returned to their homes in a bid to avoid a possible conflict.
A tense situation has been reported today at the Poroje village of Tetova also. The first classes in the Faculty of Law and School of Economics were held today in the morning. The village was sealed off by FYRON forces. Yet, thousands of people were reported gathered in front of the university premises, showing their resolve to protect them. Even though the police tried to enter the premises, they were barred by the people.
The rector of the University of Tetova, Dr.F.Sulejmani addressed the crowd of people by noon today, calling on them to restraint themselves and stay cool. He called on the students to get into the classes, while urging the people to disperse peacefully. This call was abided with.
The VOA said in its 18.00-18.30 hrs news bulletin in Albanian that the situation in Tetova continued to be tense. The roads towards the town of Gostivar and other directions were reported sealed off.
Leaders of several Albanian political parties in FYROM addressed a crowd of people in Tetova late in the afternoon. They urged the people to disperse, as they said they had got guarantees that the FYROM police forces would retreat also.
A joint meeting of the Albanian political parties has been announced for tonight to discuss the steps that would be taken as a response to the Skopje government's crackdown.
In the meantime, the Tetova-based Party for Democratic Prosperity (PPD) issued a statement signed by its chairman, Abdurrahman Haliti, in which the deputies in the FYROM parliament and Albanian ministers in the government participated also. The situation in the wake of the crackdown of FYROM police on the Albanian-language University of Tetova was discussed.
The PPD condemned the crackdown of the police forces against the Albanian citizens at the Recice e Vogel village, assessing that this intervention presents a "direct attack against the inter-ethnic relations in the Republic".
The PPD presidency deems the crackdown a "fierce attack" against the right of a people to pursue education in its mother tongue. Responsible for the newly treated situation are the Macedonian authorities, including President Gligorov and his government, the party said in its statement.
Speaking on Macedonian TV an Albanian-language broadcasted programme in the evening, PPD chairman Abdurrahman Haliti called on the Albanians to restraint and self-possession. He called on the FYROM police to withdraw their blockage of the area.
The latest reports from Tetova say that the rector of the University, Dr.Fadil Sulejmani, has been arrested. These reports indicate that the FYROM Government have ordered the Ministry of the Interior to expel the chairman of Albanian American Civic League, Mr.Joseph Dioguardi, from the Macedonian territory. Mr.Dioguardi, a former US Congressman, gave support to the University and participated on Wednesday at the opening ceremony in Tetova.
The latest reports indicate that 18 people have been hospitalized in the aftermath of the crackdown.
The situation is reported still highly volatile in Tetova and the neighbourhood.
The FYROM crackdown on the Albanian population and University has caused grave concern and indignation in Kosova. The Kosova leadership, institutions, and the people themselves, have strongly supported the opening of the University of Tetova.
The Secretary General of the Democratic League of Kosova (LDK), Mr.Fatmir Sejdiu, said the crackdown on the University and the people in Tetova is an act of violence against the "natural rtights of the Albanian population in FYROM to pursue education in its mother tongue at all the levels". He called this crackdown "an attack on the ethnic being of the Albanians in FYROM". Mr.Sejdiu said the LDK calls for the resolution of the problems in FYROM through political means, because this would contribute to the stability in FYROM and in the region.
KOSOVA INFORMATION CENTER