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Date: Fri, 30 Apr 1999 19:46:37 -0400
To: kan-l at alb-net.com
From: Alooscnon at aol.com (by way of Teresa Crawford <tmcrawfo at mailbox.syr.edu>)
Subject: [kan-l] KAN: Sample Letter 2 arrests/disappearances
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**** Kosova Action Network Discussion List ****

*********KAN: Sample Letter 2 Arrests and Disappearances***April 30, 1999***

Here is another sample letter to use.  While it is especially tailored to
Albin Kurti this can be adapted to just about anyone that we in the
international community have worked with over the years.  For more
information please contact KAN teresa at advocacynet.org
 


Dear 

Yesterday, April 28, 1999, The Humanitarian Law Center in Belgrade reported
that student leader, Albin Kurti, age 24, was arrested along with his
father, and two younger brothers, ages 20 and 15. The owner of Kurti boy
was released and showed signs of beatings. The arrest was reported to be
extremely abusive. No mention was made of their access to medical care, the
Red Cross, Human Rights Watch, or what their future would be.

The outside world has made no response to this arrest, nor to a series of 
other arrests and disappearances over the past few days. From August, 1997 
until March, 1998, Albin was one of the major organizers of the UPSUP, a 
union of Albanian students numbering 20,000, who demonstrated peacefully in 
the hopes of regaining access to their school buildings. Ironically, Albanian 
students were finally granted full access to the buildings just as the Serb 
military attacks made attending school far too dangerous.

During the time of the student demonstrations, UPSUP received broad public 
and diplomatic support from the U.S. State Department, which negotiated with 
them directly to support their non-violent, democratic approach to the 
problem of Albanian educational discrimination. In particular, Ambassador 
Gelbard and later Ambassador Chris Hill met with them repeatedly as did 
Richard Huckaby of the USIA office in Prishtine.

Now that this young man and his even younger brothers are in dire need of 
outside support and a call for justice, the US government officials I spoke 
with declare no familiarity with this brief history. Ambassador Gelbard has 
been "transitioned" out of his former position. Ambassador Dobbins has no 
knowledge of the role UPSUP played. Matt Palmer is no longer the Serb desk 
officer. He has been replaced by the Macedonian desk officer. Asst. Secretary 
of State Eileen Malloy, who knew a great deal about the arrests and trials 
within Kosova in the past, now works at the Department of Energy. Even at the 
National Security Office, Jack Covey, the former assistant in charge of 
Kosova affairs, is gone. With them goes the history, the accountability, the 
insistence on real justice for the extraordinary individuals who played roles 
in the agonizingly slow liberation of Kosova from ten years of brutality.

Do not let this matter vanish in silence.  Aren't we supposed to be
supporting those who stand up for democratic ideals?  With Selsej being
bandied about on the media and Draskovic fired, this seems timed to be an
ultranationalist crackdown we cannot ignore.

Sincerely,






------------------------------------
Submitted by: Alooscnon at aol.com (by way of Teresa Crawford <tmcrawfo at mailbox.syr.edu>)