NEW ALBANIAN ATTACKS ON KOSOVO SERB COMMUNITY
Kosovo & Metohija Radio Information Service - October 13, 2002

KIM Radio
SERB ORTHODOX CEMETERY AT MERDARE DESECRATED
October 13, 2002

Unknown attackers desecrated 4 graves of Bulajic family at Merdare, the first Serbian village on the Serbian side of the administrative boundary of Kosovo, 25 km north-east from Pristina. The villagers found the graves desecrated when they went to the neighboring forest to prepare firewood for the winter. Milivoje Milacic, one of Serb villagers from Merdare confirmed to KIM Radio that all 4 graves of Bulajic family were totally destroyed. The photos of the deceased were found maliciously disfigured. This Serbian cemetery is located only 300 meters away from the administrative boundary between Kosovo Province and the rest of Serbia. According to Milacic Kosovo Albanians from the neighboring village of Dubnica often illegally cross the boundary and steal forest which belongs to the Serbian villagers of Merdare.

KIM Radio, Info Service ERP
PASSENGER TRAIN WITH SERBS STONED NEAR PRISTINA
Oct 12, 2002

In Vrbnica Village, 20 km. North from Pristina a passenger train which travels between Kosovo Polje and Lesak was stoned at 15.00 on Saturday by a group of Kosovo Albanians. The same train was stoned again at 18.30 on its way back from Lesak to Djeneral Jankovic in the same village. In both attacks several Serb passengers were injured and among them a few children. Justina Markovic, a nun from Gracanica Monastery confirmed to the Information service of the Diocese that a group of Albanians with motorolas boarded the train in the Albanian part of Mitrovica and began threatening the Serb passangers who were traveling from the northern part of Province. When they came to Vrbnica they gave the sign by radio to their friends who began stoning the part of the train in which Serb passengers sat. The windows on several compartments were broken by hooligans. Police did not react although they were in the train for security. According to sister Justina young Albanians continued with verbal provoking of Serb passengers.

The train which travels from north to south of the Province is one of the last remaining travel lines for the Serbs from Central Kosovo enclaves. In the beginning the train traveled under the heavy KFOR protection but in the recent time it is secured by Kosovo police.

KIM Radio
SERB FAMILLY ATTACKED IN BESINJE
October 12, 2002

In the night between Friday and Saturday (Oct 11-12) at 2 o'clock in the morning unknown attackers opened fire on the home of Zivanovic family in Besinje village, 10 km. north from Pristina. No one was hurt in the attack. According to the statement of Spasenija Zivanovic this was the second attack on the remaining Serbs in this village. The previous attack occurred on September 29, when unknown attackers opened fire from their car and wounded her husband Borivoje and one Bulgarian citizen.

In neither attack did police react, said Mrs. Zivanovic. At the moment only 4 Serbs remain in Besinje village and live on the verge of their existence. Before the arrival of the international peacekeepers 30 Serb families lived in Besinje but now only 4 members of Zivanovic family remain. The house of Zivanovics is now surrounded only by Kosovo Albanians who make constant pressures on Zivanovics to leave their home.