[ALBSA-Info] Yugoslavia nothing to do with us - Kosovo Albanians

[Gazhebo at aol.com]

Yugoslavia nothing to do with us - Kosovo Albanians

By Jeremy Gaunt

PRISTINA, Yugoslavia, Oct 5 (Reuters) - Ethnic Kosovo Albanians watched the 
uprising against Slobodan Milosevic in neighbouring Serbia on television in 
their homes and bars on Thursday, but deemed it none of their concern. 

``It could be in Romania,'' shrugged Zeka Emrlla as he sipped an evening 
drink in a bar off Mother Theresa Avenue in central Pristina. ``It's nothing 
to do with Kosovo. It's not part of our country.'' 

His friend, Nijazi Ahmetti, expressed even less excitement. 

``To Kosovo Albanians, it's not interesting,'' he said of the prospect that 
Milosevic could be driven from office by hundreds of thousands of protesters 
on the streets of Belgrade. 

A year ago during NATO's bombardment of Yugoslavia, Kosovo's provincial 
capital was all but emptied of its predominantly ethnic Albanian population, 
which was crammed into refugee camps in Macedonia and Albania. 

On Thursday, many of the same people, who returned under the protection of 
more than 40,000 NATO-led troops, were strolling along Pristina's streets and 
relaxing in restaurants and bars as Belgrade boiled over. 

Hundreds of thousands of people from Belgrade and all over Serbia gathered in 
the capital on Thursday to demand that Milosevic step down after the 
September 24 presidential vote. 

In Pristina, many feigned to shrug off the events, saying they would make no 
difference to internationally administered Kosovo, which many locals want to 
see become completely independent. 

``Nothing will change. It's nothing to do with us,'' Ilir Grapci said as he 
caroused with a group of young friends. 

Some said replacing Milosevic with opposition leader Vojislav Kostunica would 
do nothing to ease what they saw as Serb antagonism to ethnic Albanians. 

Kostunica was seen as a Serb nationalist who opposed Kosovo autonomy and 
would want to bring the province back into the fold. 

``Milosevic and Kostunica want the same bloody thing for us,'' said Genc 
Meraku. 

``It will be just the same. Serbians are all the same,'' said his wife, 
Ariana, expressing the ethnic bitterness still felt throughout Kosovo.