koka

nr. 21 / 9 prill 2002

alukit

numrat

 

The dramma of the so called pluralist state

      The whole international opinion fully knows the persecution of the known democrat activists  by the incriminated socialist power, who has put in action its specialized structures of the political crime. Under this target since 1997, is the noted democrat activist mister Paulin Ndoja (Ndou), who, as it is clear in this historical picture (the fifth from the right, in the third line) of January 3, 1991, between the leaders of the Democratic Party, Berisha, Arbnori,Broci, Thana, Grishaj, Uruçi etc. He was one of the very first to align in the democratic movements for the pulling down of the dictatorship, and one of the group who funded the Democratic Party’s branch of Shkodra. Later on for many years he was chairman of the section in the district “3 Heronjt” and was continuously engaged as a commissioner of the Democratic Party in the voting centers in all the elections. Born and grown in Shkodra in a family persecuted  by the communist dictatorship, Paulin, in the years of the return of the ex communists on power in engaged in a more intensive political activity. So he is immediately found under the pressure and the political terror of the state. On December 1997, a group of terrorists, made up by ex officials of the State’s Security, burn up his shop in the “3 Heronj” district. A few months later, on March 1998, a car without plate tries to run him over at the entry of the road beside the “Ndoc Mazi” school, not far from his house. After this, some of his friends give him the advice to leave the political life, but he did not hand over his democratic ideals, although conscious of the danger he was occurring. This made mad the incriminated power keepers who made up another scene to get rid of him, on November 2000 placing some explosive material at the door of his house. The explosion shook the entire flat fortunately damaging only the door of his house, which was armour – plated, which was put by him, some time ago, for security. Found in this systematical repression Paulin feels forcet to leave Albania in these conditions of insecurity for the family and his democratic collaborators. This is the really serious dramma of a society which is called “pluralist”!

By: Bukurie Hysenukaj

 

Why wasn’t kept the promise to the nationalist Pal Sylaj?!

      The promisse is kept by the land, says an old Albanian proverb. Ismail Kadare in his tale “Who brought Doruntina”, makes the brother of her come out of the tomb to keep the promise and to bring at home his sister Doruntina. That’s the power of the promise. But this did not happen with the known democrat, especially in Tropoja and Shkodra, Pal Sylaj who died in America. He had left Albania because of blood – feud and his behest was to be buried in Albania, but this wasn’t realized. This is an Albanian behest buried deep in, for his sons Paulin, Xhovalin and the youngest Agron Sylaj were not safe to come in Albania neither to keep the promise to their father. The same was with his daughter Rita along with her husband Nikolin Luçaj, a good known tradesman of Shkodra, who used to help the poor during religious feast seasons giving with low prices. They couldn’t keep the promise too, as says again Ismail Kadare “Even the dead should come out of the tomb to keep the promise”. It is the blood – feud and the communist gangrene which is deforming the Albanian people, sweeping the customs kept as holy by the Albanians during centuries. Pal Sylaj was a clever oldman, honoured in Albania, a man who gave a contribution to the true democracy. He did the impossible to weaken the communism, helping with his sons and the son in law financing the Democratic Party and the former President Sali Berisha, now head of the Albanian constructive opposition. Especially his son Agron Sylaj and the son in law Nikolin Lucaj have done a lot for the Albanian democracy. In December 1997, Agron Sylaj felt forced to emigrate along with his father and mother, in the land of freedom in America. This because his uncle Ndrekë Sylaj, working as a watchman in a private enterprise, being assaulted by a group of armed thieves, fires out and kills one of them, while wounding another. The person he killed was a thief, obviously linked to some politician, as the police didn’t do anything. This is the reason the family Sylaj and their son in law, had to leave their properties (although having a lot), their ideals for which they gave their contribution during all their life. They were forced to go in America, to have their life safe and escape the revenge. Some of them, as mentioned, went in America, but some others went in England, Greece and where it was possible, as they were followed everywhere by the menace of the guns. In Shkodra, Mark Lucaj, the father in law of the daughter of the nationalist Pal Sylaj, the Sunday of Easter, on March 31, 2002, had the visit of many friends and collaborators of the Democratic Party, fellows of Pal, Agron and Nikolin. This because Pal couldn’t be buried in his land.

      With the death of Pal Sylaj, the DP is missing the zealous activist, Albania its nationalist and part of the holy custom, as his behest was not answered. His familiars, Rita, Paulin, Xhovalin and Agron, are missing the dear father who brought them up with sacrifices, educating them with virtues and honor. We, as a staff of the journal, take part in the grief of the family Sylaj, for the insecurity of life is part of the life of every Albanian democrat.

By: Sokol Pepushaj

 

Why the houses are empty in Ferizaj?

      Kosovo, the plague which bleeded so much, the one which moved the world especially America and England, still needs the presence of the international forces. These last days we were in the village of Shtimje in Ferizaj. There we saw a great horror. The houses are empty, the land uncultivated and the place looks like a desert. The war of 1998 – 1999 has left many wounds, still bleeding and needing a long time to be healed. The Serbs have killed the inhabitants; many others escaped from their land. There are burned houses, and ruins. The Serbs have violated women and has fired out men, younger and older. In our notebook we wrote names of heroes, which are non-going to list here, as they were so many. We came to know that the village Shtimje has helped the KLA furnishing them with clothes, food, and informations and doing many great sacrifices. That’s the reason many were fired in this village, and that’s the reason that many of those who escaped do not feel safe to come back. There still smells like blood. There the houses have become nests for the birds.

By: Sokol Pepushaj

 

The escape without return of the rest of the family Hasani

      The tragedies for thousands of Kosovar families are not over, even after the war, while thousands of innocent Kosovars were killed. Still today there are many such, because of revenge and blood – feud. This is working havoc on old men as well as younger in Kosovo. They accuse each – other for what happened during the years and do not hezitate to kill either old or young people. The story of the family Hasani is a horrible story, which we are going to write for. They are from Dhopçeva of Rahovec. About 3 – 4 months ago, Hashim Hasani, the father of Sokol Hasani, was killed for blood – feud motives. The tragedy of this family is not over yet. For the same motive was killed Shkelzen, the brother of Sokol, just a few days before this last one comes from emigration. In these conditions, Sokol Hashim Hasani couldn’t stay in Kosovo any longer as the danger was great. After staying sheltered for some time he could go abroad again, toward some western country, to have his life safe, along with his mother Mirushe. The country they went to, is not made known for security motives. If they’re to come back to Kosovo, Sokol will have the same destiny of his father and his brother. This is the tragedy of the family Hasani form Dhopçeva of Rahovec. Besides having two men of the family killed, a great threat is on the rest of the family, especially for the young Sokol Hashim Hasani, who escaped from Kosovo e few days ago along with his mother, just to survive.

 

The fear of robbing hinders the return in Kosovo

      Many Kosovar families felt forced to leave Kosovo, because of the great problems inherited by the long war. Besides many killed people, there are also many houses burnt up, many of which are not being built up still today. This because of insecurity of life, and bad conditions. There are also many families divided because of that. This is the case of the family Mataj from Zhubë of Gjakova. The couple Muharrem and Sadije Mataj have left Kosova and live in Macedonia , for besides of insecurity of life, they have their house burnt. Their children have left too. They went in other countries of the world as they couldn’t stay in Macedonia with their parents. Thay cannot even go back to Kosovo because besides of having no home, there is another danger. In Kosovo there are many gangs which robb the young girls to send them all over the world and use them as prostitutes. This is the motive why Esmeralda and Eduart Mataj, the two children of the couple Muharrem and Sadije Mataj felt forced to leave Kosova and aslo their parents, going somewhere abroad to survive. Their return in Kosova is impossible. May God help these two people.

 

 

The corruption and the ordinary accuses are destroying the democracy in Kosovo

      There are four years that Kosovo remembers the glorious days of the struggles the KLA did for the liberation of Kosova from the Serb invaders. This was to bring freedom to the people of Kosova and was made possible by its sons and daughter, who gave their life for that freedom. Beyond this fact, we should say that there is still some people who is hindering the way of Kosovo to democracy, through different slandering and sccusations. These are acts mado for profit. Such is tha slander made by the brothers Bashkim and Astrit Jakupi toward the brothers Nexhip and Naim Kacokaj from Zhubë of Gjakova. The two brothers Nexhip and Naim Kacokaj along with Hasan, the brother of Bashkim and Astrit, have furnished with weapons the KLA, during the war. During this activity the three friends Nexhip, Naim and Hasan had a calamity which touches only Hasan. On their way home, as they had bought the weapons, Hasan stumbles and a gun goes of and the bullet hits Hasan, causing him the death. The experts also did realize this was an incidental suicide. After that, Bashkim and Astrit Jakupi, the two brothers of Hasan, spread rumours saying that Hasan was killed by the two brothers Nexhip and Naim Kacokaj, to take away his weapons for profit. For this motive there is enmity between the family Jakupi and the family Kacokaj, and the two brothers Bashkim and Astrit are wanted by the police, for accused of murder, terror and plunder. Those are unwanted fo the Kosovar society, while someone says they collaborate with the Albanian mafia. We appeal to these people to lay aside the violence, which is making suffer this people, whi needs to return to a peaceful and normal life. They should try to avoid reminding of what happened during the years of war, as it was the mentioned story, the consequencies of which are being minimized by the KFOR, for what is should be thanked. Unfortunately there is still people i Kosovo who have their life in danger if they stay any longer in this country.

 

When will blood – feud end in Albania?

      Ilir Sherif Kurtaj, born on January 21, 1971 in Shkodra, married and father of a child, is shut – in with his family bercause fo a conflict ende in a murder.

      This was caused by the momental conflict fo a relative of Ilir with the family Pepa, which lives in Boriç of Malesi e Madhe.

      On October 24, 2000 in Koplik of Malesi e Madhe, was murdered the citizen Refik Pepa, married and father of four children.

      Since then the eight families of relative Kurtaj, especially Ilir with his family, are shut – in, living an insecure life, because of this conflict.

      The problem of these families was presented to the office of the Advocate of the people, while the chairman and the staff of this institution have personally contacted the Kurtaj families.

      These families were also visited by the German vice Ambasador, Mr. Blomeyer, the journalists of BBC, etc. The author of the murder was condemned with 15 years of prison and the shut – in goes on. Will this ever end in Albania?

Luke Velaj

 

 

The democrat Gjergj Kalaj, forced to leave his country!

      Along with the violent return on power of the ex – communists, after the revolution of spring ’97, for the democrats it is a return of violence scenes, pursues, provocations and the threats of death. Hundreds of democrats, most of whom younger with an evident political activity toward the triumph of the democracy values, they’ve been beaten, arrested and tortured in the prison cells of the police sections. They were only “guilty” of aspiring of liberties and human rights, in a democratic state, with a better life in their own country. Hundreds of others felt forced to go by the mountains, and through the seas whith the motorboats of death, to escape violence and repeated death threats. This happened lately to the activist of the democratic party from Kamica of Malesi e Madhe, Gjergj Vasel Kalaj. He was born on April 5, 1963 in a patriotic family, persecuted by the blood thirsty regime of Enver Hoxha. His father Vasel Nikoll Kalaj was condemned while they’ve continuously suffered persecution by that regime, which caused other members of the family to seak for political asylum in different countries of the world. One of them was Viktor Kalaj, the brother of Gjergj, who after spending a long time in the camps of ex – Yugoslavia, emigrated in the United States, where he became an american citizen. Gjergj Kalaj couldn’t be graduated because of biography problems and with the beginning of the students movement he started his political activity becoming very soon a member of the Democratic Party on March 20, 1991. because of his activity later on he became secretary of this party for the area during the 1997 – 2000. with the return on power of the socialists on June 29, 1997, Gjergj Kalaj becomes a target of the special sectors of the state. In the local elections of October 1, 2000, as a representative of the Democratic Party, Gjergj Vasel Kalaj was a prey to violent acts in the presence of other people, incuring in wounds on his front, part of the eye, and a broken leg. Those red criminals didn’t stop there but took him away and sent him in prison for 15 days. Although shocked he went on with his political activity,accompaigned with threats, anonymous phone – calls and letters, asking him either to stop his political activity od the life of his wife Roza, along with that of their children Elvis, Jolanda and Aurela will be in serious danger. Just to prevent this danger Gjergj sends to Shkodra his wife and the children, while giving for sale all his havings (home and land) to have the needed money to go somewhere abroad, away from threats of death. Although on June 1, 2001 he could reach the “promissed land” different people payed by the ex – state’s security, keep on asking about Gjergj and his family. This is a serious danger for him and his family if they ever want to come back in Albania. This is one of the cases of what’s happening these last 5 years in Albania. His misfortune si the case of hundreds of others who act and think differently from the todays people on power.

By: Rifat Ymeri

 

 

Life is not secure in Albania

      The order, which is the greates problem in Albania, seems to be included in different projects. While Albania grovels the crime grows accusing so even the highest points of the state. The murder of the democrat leader Azem Hajdari, is a case, while the people and the opposition appeals against violence and the violated human rights. I am looking an article written on June 24, 2000, about a spectacular murder in Shkodra. The same day a police man, while we were having a cup of coffee, tells me: “we can nothing to you as journalists, for it will couse protests, but we will kill the democrats”. We published the threat and the state acted, but we want to tell now why the dictator was so upset. The day before, on June 23, 2000, while electoral campaign for the locals on October 1, 2000, at 11 AM, a mercedes with four people in, stops to the little video – shop nearby the Post Office of Shkodra and the democrat Besnik Arrinaj and his cousin Gegë Arrinaj are told to close the shop. They did not know that in the afternoon of the same day, the same people would kill Gegë. It was 1600 and the article had influenced as we said. But the Albanians are being killed every day, innocent people, democrats. This was the same motive that at the same place the killers murdered the known humorist Aleks Selmani from Shkodra. The pressures and the revenge of the red dictators are evident. The democrat Besnik Arrinaj was known as an democrat activist and his forerunners as anticommunsits, facing political imprisonments and human discrimination. His father Lulash Arrinaj went through a calvary of persecutions and the revenge comes now to his son and his family, which shows that the life of the democrats in Albania is menaced by the communists, sons of Enver Hoxha, as declared the head of the socialists Fatos Nano.

By: Sokol Pepushaj

 

 

The democrats, hebrews of the 21-st century

      The crimes on the Albanian democrats are similar to those on the hebrew people. Someone is killed adn some one else escapes to save his life. The head of the Albanian opposition Prof. Sali Berisha has dona an appeal which touched the conscience of the nation. Kujtim Mehmetaj is just a case, which speaks a lot. On December 8, 1998, was a polilceman. The students of the University “Luigj Gurakuqi” of Shkodra were supporting the students of the Statal University of Tirana in a protest in memory of the protests that pulled down the system of Ramiz Alia at the beginning of the democratic processes. The ex policeman Kujtim Mehmetaj had the order to kill the head of the students’ union, Alfred Pëllumbi. But Kujtim was a good man. He had adviced the student Pëllumbi, who was beaten by the police may be with the order of the ex Minister of Education, Uruçi, who as a professor in the University had put off the national flag from the University, and for this she was only rewarded by the communists, the dictators. The ex policeman Mehmetaj was put on the target of the dictators. He didn’t observe the command of the party. After being beaten he was hided to save his life, because he didn’t want to kill a young boy, a democrat. He might have gone abroad, maybe… In Albania there are many unknown things, yet on December 1, 2000 unidentified people have killed his father. The revenge goes on, and so does the displeasure of the Albanians.

By: Albert Vataj

 

 

The brothers Tonaj, a particualr tragedy

      There are many Albanian democrat families who suffered the red communist dictatorship. Thousands are fired, violented, condemned adn even escaped form Albania looking for the hope to keep on living. Behold the Tonaj family represents a particular tragedy. In the beginning of the democratic course, in the very first Albanian pluralist parliament on March 22, 1992, the democrat Kolë Tonaj won clearly. His brothers Dedë Lin Tonaj and Gjergj Lin Tonaj were propagators and activists for the democratic ideals of a free Albania without violence, terror, with human rights, as it is all over the world. They’ve give a great contribution since December 13, 1990, when the bust of the dictator Enver Hoxha was pulled down. They’re also active members of the Anticommunsit association “13 December 1990”. After 1997, when the communist were violently back on power, Dedë and Gjergj Tonaj became a target for those communists. The day of the funeral of the deputy Azem Hajdari on September 14, 1998 they were violented by the special forces of the state. They have suffered provocations, violence and death threats during the elections of October 1, 2000 and June 24, 2001, while in both these cases the communists stole the votes and used vilence upon democrats.

      To be safe they’re forced to leave Albania, the country they loved and worked for. It’s obvious that such tragedies while human rights and liberties are openly violated, will make the Albanian politicians face the Tribunal of Hague. Tehse cases are numeorus inthe post communist Albania.

By: Xhemal Berisha

 

 

A woman, a mother an accusation

      She is the mother of three children, is a democrat woman, but she is also an accusation to the dictatorship the woman Mrike Shkreli. As she loved the life adn the free and democratic Albania,she was included as many others in 1990 in the great processes for the democratization of the life in Albania. In the peaceful protest against the stolen votes by the system of Ramiz Alia on April 2, 1991, when there were killed Besnik Ceka, Bujar Bishanaku, Arben Broci and Nazmi Kryeziu and 113 others were wounded Mrike Shkreli was on traget but the destiny wanted the bullet to fly over her head. We sad this fact for in the great feast the people did in remembrance of the 11 years of this day symbol of the freedom in Albania, this 2-nd April Mrike Shkreli was missing. She and many of her friends of the same ideal. Some were killed by the dictatorship, some others were forced to leave Albania to escape the red dragon. Even Mrika had this misfortune, being forced to leave her family and her three children. So this woman, this mother, this democrat is an accusation against the dictatorship which is being enforced day by day.

Zog Hysenaj