PRESIDENT RUGOVA'S STATEMENT ON FYROM CRACKDOWN ON UNIVERSITY OF TETOVA
Prishtina, 20 February 1995

President of the Republic of Kosova, Dr.Ibrahim Rugova denounced the last week's crackdown of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) police on the University of Tetova and urged that problems in Tetova and FYROM be solved through talks and understanding.
In the written statement issued on Saturday, President Rugova of Kosova said:
"We deplore the intervention of the FYROM police against the peaceful manifesters in front of the University of Tetova (UT) premises, which resulted in one death and many persons wounded. This is a brutal act which undermines inter-ethnic relations in FYROM.
The people of Kosova feel public indignation over the crackdown in Tetova. We therefore urge FYROM authorities to call a halt to such moves, which can destabilize FYROM and the entire region. We demand that the Albanian demands in FYROM be resolved through talks and understanding.
We demand the immediate release of the UT rector, Dr.Fadil Sulejmani, and other activists.
On behalf of the people of Kosova, I offer my heartfelt condolences to the Emini family on the death of Aydylselam Emini.
We call on the European Union and the United States of America to wield influence on FYROM authorities towards ensuring that Albanian demands are addressed without resorting to violence."
In a letter sent to Mr.Kiro Gligorov, President of Macedonia, Kosova President Dr.Ibrahim Rugova urged him give clarifications about the last week's events in Tetova.
"I urge You also to use Your influence so as to ensure that the University of Tetova is allowed to freely operate, namely that it duly gets registered as soon as possible, as there are no constitutional barriers in this respect", President Rugova says in the letter, pointing out that the "solution of the Albanian demands in Macedonia through political means would contribute to promotion of inter-ethnic relations in Your country, as well as better relations between Kosova and Macedonia, between the Albanian nation as a whole and Macedonia".

TENSIONS IN TETOVA EASE A BIT
The situation in Tetova is reported comparatively calmer today in the aftermath of the FYROM forces'crackdown on the Albanians and the newly established University of Tetova (UT) over the weekend.
It was reported that FYROM police forces withdrew yesterday evening from the Recice e Vogel village, where premises of the University of Tetova are situated. A number of students and other people were reported assembled today morning in front of the University premises, but they eventually dispersed after having been informed about the position of Albanian groupings that classes would continue as decided upon by the UT rectorship.
The spokesman of the Party of Democratic Prosperity (PPD), Mr.Qemal Limani, told KIC those arrested by the FYROM police in the wake of the weekend's crackdown are being interrogated by the Tetova-based Magistrate Court, but that no verdict has yet been announced.
Speaking to the BBC Albanian Section today morning, PPD chairman, Abdurrahman Aliti expressed hope that the UT issue could be solved without any of the two sides [Albanians and FYROM authorities] losing face. The BBC correspondent said that the FYROM police had acknowledged it had wipeed out the Serbian emblem [four S's, KIC] and a cross from the University premises.
The PPD spokesman, Mr.Qewmal Limani, said there was still a considerable police build-up in Tetova today.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the New PPD [the fraction of the PPD led by Arben Xhaferi and Menduh Thaci, KIC] have announced they had withdrawn from the 120-seat FYROM Parliament in protest over the weekend's crackdown and other outstanding issues concerning equality of Albanians within the constitutional framework of FYROM.
Speaking to Deutshe Welle radio broadcasting yesterday, New PPD vice-chairman, Menduh Thaci, called for a 'reconsideration' of the policy of Albanians vis-a-vis Macedonia.
This is, in sum, a demand put forward by many other Albanian parties in Albania, Kosova, as well as by Albanian diaspora who have been organizing protest rallies in Europe and the USA.

FYROM ALBANIAN POLITICAL FORCES UNITED OVER UNIVERSITY OF TETOVA PLIGHT
The Albanian political establishment is united over the plight of the University of Tetova amid the heavy FYROM crackdown on the resolve of Albanians to ensure its legitimate rights to education in mother tongue, Bujku newspaper reports today.
In a joint meeting of the representatives of the Albanian political parties, the University of Tetova (UT), and the League of Albanian Women, the following was agreed upon as a common position and strategy:
a) the Albanian political forces in the Republic of Macedonia support the continued operation of the UT, whereas the UT bodies will decide on the modes of operation in accordance with the newly created circumstances.
b) the Albanian political forces hold that the arrest of Fadil Sulejmani, Milaim Fejziu, Arben Rusi, Bilall Lutfiu, Afet Sherifi, Qemal Shabani, etc. is unfounded. They have set up a commission to press for their release, in its contacts with the FYROM authorities.
c) the Albanian political forces will continue to closely follow the situation and will adopt their joint position accordingly, says a statement signed by the Albanian groupings in FYROM , carried by today's Bujku newspaper.
Governmental and non-governmental institutions and associations in Albania, Kosova, FYROM, and elsewhere have been denouncing the FYROM crackdown on the Albanian community last weekend.
KOSOVA INFORMATION CENTER