B92 looks at life in K. Serb enclaves

Not so much a comment on the article itself as a comment on the theme: I'd like B92 to do more pieces on the life of K-Serbs south of the Ibar: Gracanica, Orahovac, Strpce, Klina, Gniljane, etc. We get nothing outside of some anthropology observation BBC occasionally puts out. I'm interested in hearing what K-Serbs have to say themselves, not what BG or even Kosovska Mitrovica has to say about them. Please continue with this type of work!

ben,
you seem to have mixed up the roles of 'immigrant' and 'host country'...how convenient.

Ben,

Fascism is a pretty strong word. I'd say your use of it has more to do with your prejudices than any proper understanding of the term. Simply refusing to comply with a government led by individuals who just a few years ago were targeting them and intimidating them has little to do with fascism - an overly aggressive ideology that targets non-group members. In fact, I'd even go so far in saying that the non-compliance you decry the Serbs doing is very reminiscnent, if not completely identical, to the non-compliance you no doubt applaud the Albanians doing between 1981 and 1999. A normal individual would see the similarity. Tell me Ben, was Albanian non-compliance and a refusal to follow the laws since 1981 an indication of Albanian racism and fascism, or are you going to respond with a litany of martyrdom, sacrifice, and suffering?

Good story B92!

"District Chief Goran Arsić says fears for the safety of the Gračanica population, because they are left to their own devices.

“None of the EULEX representatives have asked for a meeting in order to establish any type of cooperation. But, we would most certainly have said no,”

So Serbs are isolating themselves for fear of being called traitors? EULEX knew your answer so they didn't even bother.

An excellent reportage that brings to light the pure and unambiguous racist and fascist way of living and thinking of many K-Serbs and their tutors.

They live among Albanians, they are surrounded by Albanians to met one of their co-patriots they have to cross above 9 Albanians yet they ignore the Albanians. That would be like an immigrant that hates the culture and the values of the country that hosts him. Simply pathological!

They are a micro minority that smile because they believe that one day with the help of their tutors they will rule over the overwhelming majority.

How the hell it can be believed to be on the right side is simply above my capability of comprehension.

Simply pathetic!

However, fascism belongs to the past and it is simply an inferior understanding of the interethnic relations- we are simply building democracy and walk forward to better economic future. Who wants to live in the past the enclave is his place.

P.S. I find “slightly” different this reportage from the BBC one of some months ago...

An excellent reportage that brings to light the pure and unambiguous racist and fascist way of living and thinking of many K-Serbs and their tutors.
(ben, 13 October 2008 19:38)

Excellent post that brings to light the pure and unambiguous racist and fascist way of living and thinking of many K-Albanians and their tutors.

"We still don’t know where we are, what we are and what will come next. It’s one uncertainty after another,” one resident said.
There is always the fear that something will happen. It’s like the calm before the storm,” another described."

The times they are a changing...

I am so sorry these people feel like that. I empathize with them fully. 100%. Because I felt like that when the Serbs ruled Kosovo. I hope the Serbs start feeling free soon, as most do, especially in my region Gjilan (or Gnjilane as Serbs say it). But in the meantime, I hope they get a sense of what Albanians' lives were when the Serbs were the Kings.

God bless all, Serbs and Albanians.

'They travel around Kosovo only in emergency situations and during the day.' Now that sounds like life in the middle of a dangerous jungle.

I have a comment related to the interviewed person, Rada Trajkovic, self-proclamed representative of the Serb population on Kosovo and Metohija. She is alone, here in Gracanica, yes, but why...maybe because she is wealthy enough to send her children on educaiton in USA. Why is she so wealthy, well because a person can be employed with the local health centers only if she gets around 5 000 euros per person. Incredible ha! Please, in the future try to have someone more moral to speak on this topic in this way because about living in this getho...there is much to be told, daily. Mitrovica North and Gracanica were too much expressed through the media, try some of hte other locations, more isolated.

Mike, your so-called "non-compliance" was in fact caused by Serbia's unilateral revocation of Kosovo's autonomy, that same autonomy that Serbia is trying to play with today, just as they played with human lives just 10 years ago.

The ICG in a recent report criticized Kosovo's government because the Albanian cops serving in Gracanica have been recruited from Drenica - the most anti-Serb area of Kosovo. That doesn't exactly sound like Pristina doing its best to make a good impression.

Recently a Dutch newspaper had an article about Gracanica. One of the facts it mentioned was that the rate of departures had increased since the independence declaration. You can find my translation of this article here:
http://nation-building.blogspot.com/2008/09/harassment-departures-and-defiance-in.html

An excellent reportage that brings to light the pure and unambiguous racist and fascist way of living and thinking of many K-Serbs and their tutors.

They live among Albanians, they are surrounded by Albanians to met one of their co-patriots they have to cross above 9 Albanians yet they ignore the Albanians. That would be like an immigrant that hates the culture and the values of the country that hosts him. Simply pathological!

They are a micro minority that smile because they believe that one day with the help of their tutors they will rule over the overwhelming majority.

How the hell it can be believed to be on the right side is simply above my capability of comprehension.

Simply pathetic!

However, fascism belongs to the past and it is simply an inferior understanding of the interethnic relations- we are simply building democracy and walk forward to better economic future. Who wants to live in the past the enclave is his place.

P.S. I find “slightly” different this reportage from the BBC one of some months ago...

Good story B92!

"District Chief Goran Arsić says fears for the safety of the Gračanica population, because they are left to their own devices.

“None of the EULEX representatives have asked for a meeting in order to establish any type of cooperation. But, we would most certainly have said no,”

So Serbs are isolating themselves for fear of being called traitors? EULEX knew your answer so they didn't even bother.

"We still don’t know where we are, what we are and what will come next. It’s one uncertainty after another,” one resident said.
There is always the fear that something will happen. It’s like the calm before the storm,” another described."

The times they are a changing...

I am so sorry these people feel like that. I empathize with them fully. 100%. Because I felt like that when the Serbs ruled Kosovo. I hope the Serbs start feeling free soon, as most do, especially in my region Gjilan (or Gnjilane as Serbs say it). But in the meantime, I hope they get a sense of what Albanians' lives were when the Serbs were the Kings.

God bless all, Serbs and Albanians.

An excellent reportage that brings to light the pure and unambiguous racist and fascist way of living and thinking of many K-Serbs and their tutors.
(ben, 13 October 2008 19:38)

Excellent post that brings to light the pure and unambiguous racist and fascist way of living and thinking of many K-Albanians and their tutors.

Not so much a comment on the article itself as a comment on the theme: I'd like B92 to do more pieces on the life of K-Serbs south of the Ibar: Gracanica, Orahovac, Strpce, Klina, Gniljane, etc. We get nothing outside of some anthropology observation BBC occasionally puts out. I'm interested in hearing what K-Serbs have to say themselves, not what BG or even Kosovska Mitrovica has to say about them. Please continue with this type of work!

ben,
you seem to have mixed up the roles of 'immigrant' and 'host country'...how convenient.

Ben,

Fascism is a pretty strong word. I'd say your use of it has more to do with your prejudices than any proper understanding of the term. Simply refusing to comply with a government led by individuals who just a few years ago were targeting them and intimidating them has little to do with fascism - an overly aggressive ideology that targets non-group members. In fact, I'd even go so far in saying that the non-compliance you decry the Serbs doing is very reminiscnent, if not completely identical, to the non-compliance you no doubt applaud the Albanians doing between 1981 and 1999. A normal individual would see the similarity. Tell me Ben, was Albanian non-compliance and a refusal to follow the laws since 1981 an indication of Albanian racism and fascism, or are you going to respond with a litany of martyrdom, sacrifice, and suffering?

Mike, your so-called "non-compliance" was in fact caused by Serbia's unilateral revocation of Kosovo's autonomy, that same autonomy that Serbia is trying to play with today, just as they played with human lives just 10 years ago.

'They travel around Kosovo only in emergency situations and during the day.' Now that sounds like life in the middle of a dangerous jungle.

I have a comment related to the interviewed person, Rada Trajkovic, self-proclamed representative of the Serb population on Kosovo and Metohija. She is alone, here in Gracanica, yes, but why...maybe because she is wealthy enough to send her children on educaiton in USA. Why is she so wealthy, well because a person can be employed with the local health centers only if she gets around 5 000 euros per person. Incredible ha! Please, in the future try to have someone more moral to speak on this topic in this way because about living in this getho...there is much to be told, daily. Mitrovica North and Gracanica were too much expressed through the media, try some of hte other locations, more isolated.

The ICG in a recent report criticized Kosovo's government because the Albanian cops serving in Gracanica have been recruited from Drenica - the most anti-Serb area of Kosovo. That doesn't exactly sound like Pristina doing its best to make a good impression.

Recently a Dutch newspaper had an article about Gracanica. One of the facts it mentioned was that the rate of departures had increased since the independence declaration. You can find my translation of this article here:
http://nation-building.blogspot.com/2008/09/harassment-departures-and-defiance-in.html