On Monday, PR deputy chairman Mr. Fatmir Mediu made contact with the political persecutees from Vlora who are on hunger strike. Above all, the conversation took place in full view of the hundreds of people standing outside in support of the hunger strikers. After asking about the hunger strikers’ health, Mr. Mediu discussed with them the problems they have raised and the need to find a way to resolve them through talks with the Government. Mr. Mediu confirmed to them that PR remains consistent (continued on page 2).

The first wave of violence that struck the hunger strikers of the Association of Former Political Prisoners on 5 August, in several streets, left its mark… The first wave of violence that struck the hunger strikers of the Association of Former Political Prisoners on 5 August, in several streets, left its mark. Separately. In Durrës, four people were injured and treated in hospital, while another 36 were summoned to the district police stations. In Kavajë, the private hotel where the hunger strikers had barricaded themselves was attacked; four were injured and four taken to the police station. Four people were injured and three others were found in Shijak. Another was in Tirana and one in Fier. But [the rest of the sentence is unclear]. Since the 5th, open violence has stopped. This is a good sign. But for the state to honor its commitment to respect fundamental human rights and freedoms, it must hold criminally responsible those who caused the violence. The whole country is holding its breath over what will happen next. The sole and general wish is that the Government and the Association reach an agreement. The riot police should take off their helmets and batons [?] and look one another in the eye, speak and talk. Democracy cannot raise its hand against the best democrats. This is madness, with consequences that cannot be undone. Some foolish official says that the police use rubber batons in France and England too. But in Paris and London people do not take to the streets and set fire to cars because they are angry about something with a university rector, turning a strike into sport and entertainment. Our hunger strikers, on the other hand, crippled by years of suffering, do not take to the streets to disrupt order; they quietly confine themselves and go hungry in some cells, thinking about how, after suffering hell on earth, they and their children—grown up in internment and left without schooling—might once again see better days, have a roof over their heads, and make a living. It is shameful to make such comparisons. In no democratic country could something so grave happen, much less on such a scale. The highest state authorities must now apologize and categorically stop all physical and moral violence against the Association of Former Political Prisoners; otherwise, we will carry an enduring calamity and grief in the history of democracy and in our national conscience. The unjustified severity is troubling. First, some political forces come to mind that can breathe only when tensions arise. A certain party, seeking power and consciously provoking conflict, easily slips in front of the crowd, saying that the strike has nothing to do with the Association and that the Government bears the other half of the responsibility. Even Solomon himself could not deliver such a precise judgment. The Socialist Party, with a statement notable for its Leninist analysis, takes the side of the former political prisoners. The professors of Enverist Marxism and the children of the State Security persecutors sit down and write about how their rights should be defended, while selling their souls and bones to communism. They write with devilish delight and with the criminal belief that they can deceive the victim whenever they like by twisting words. They should not have done this. It would have suited them to remain silent, because, at least since 22 March 1992, the former prisoners could have taken to the streets and demanded just retribution, even for only some of what they had endured. The least they could have demanded would have been for the entire Party of Labour to be gathered into an agricultural cooperative somewhere in the ‘cat e shqipëria [?] and made to work there to build communism, living according to all the rules of a cooperative’s internal life. But the former political prisoners have a different outlook. They sought neither revenge nor retaliation. They even endured seeing their long persecution and their former persecutors in the courts. With unshakable faith in full Albanian democracy, and through all the difficulties [?], they also endured seeing certain governments repeatedly turn their backs on them, while the kingdom of white injustice [?] continued to live even better than before. In a truly democratic spirit, the former prisoners accepted even that the former Party of Labour should remain a political partner in the life of the country. These and other things prove that the former prisoners have broad hearts and think first of democracy and the nation, and then of themselves. But it should not be assumed that they will endure everything. The Party of Labour, represented by the Socialist Party and its allies, should not come out in support of the Association, pretending to be fellow sufferers today and companions along the way. Gentlemen Socialists and others! Deal with Nano, whom you have placed on the opposite side of the scales from the nation, and leave the Association of Former Political Prisoners to its own problems. If you try to profit from the situation, know well that democracy will put aside its internal disputes and turn against you, as it has on other occasions. Today the strike enters its seventh day. It remains a strike of a purely economic character, concerning the overthrow of the government and new elections, and has little to do with a desire to economically punish people of a different outlook. They sought neither revenge nor retaliation. They even endured seeing their long persecution and their former persecutors in the courts. With unshakable faith in full Albanian democracy, and through all the difficulties [?], they also endured seeing certain governments repeatedly turn their backs on them, while the kingdom of white injustice [?] continued to live even better than before. In a truly democratic spirit, the former prisoners accepted even that the former Party of Labour should remain a political partner in the life of the country. These and other things prove that the former prisoners have broad hearts and think first of democracy and the nation, and then of themselves. But it should not be assumed that they will endure everything. The Party of Labour, represented by the Socialist Party and its allies, should not come out in support of the Association, pretending to be fellow sufferers today and companions along the way. Gentlemen Socialists and others! Deal with Nano, whom you have placed on the opposite side of the scales from the nation, and leave the Association of Former Political Prisoners to its own problems. If you try to profit from the situation, know well that democracy will put aside its internal disputes and turn against you, as it has on other occasions.

The campaign against Albania is reviving “national unity” in Greece. Opposition and government figures meet to “coordinate” their attacks on Albania. As the day of the trial of the five spies, members of the Greek minority, approaches (since the Greek media and official and unofficial political circles prejudge them innocent before the verdict is pronounced, Albanian media may also allow themselves to prejudge them as spies), Greece is mobilizing all its political, economic, propaganda and diplomatic forces to strike Albania and intensify the pressure to bring Albania to its knees and secure the release of the people accused of espionage. The “national reconciliation” that has suddenly emerged in Greece and the panic that has gripped official Greece are signs to the accused that they need to hire a strong lawyer, because this shows that Albanian justice has strong evidence proving their activity. One thing is clear. Behind all this pressure lies neither concern by the Greeks for the rights of the five accused, nor doubt about Albanian justice (whose impartiality they have had the opportunity to observe in several major trials recently). Nor is there concern for the Greek minority in Albania behind all this fuss. Greece has a different concern. It is concerned that it will finally be left without its strongest weapon: propaganda, disinformation and lies, with which it has been filling minds all over the world, even in Tirana. Because… Greece’s activity against Albania will be clearly exposed to the world. It will become clear how Greece demands schools for its minority. It will come to light what fundamental rights Greece has demanded for its minority in Albania. The activities of Greek state institutions, and of political and religious figures, will be clearly exposed. State and non-state… Greece cannot bring Albania to its knees. Albania may be left “poorer” by 35 million ECU, but it will also be “poorer” by five fewer spies. ARBEN POPOCI

A press conference by the commission of the national hunger strike At midday on 10 August, the sixth day of the hunger strike, the leadership of the hunger strike held a press conference, chaired by Mr. Kurt Kola, in the building where the hunger strikers of the Association of Former Political Prisoners and Persecutees have barricaded themselves. The press release reported on the harsh conditions caused by the lack of water and the intense heat, and the worsening health of those barricaded inside; the violence used against hunger strikers in the districts by law-enforcement forces; and the support for the strike from the entire population. It also reported on the visit by Hafiz Sabri Koci, who, according to Mr. Kola, described the strike as a peaceful act, an act of self-sacrifice, and said that any action against it would be outside the bounds of logic and human conscience. Among Mr. Kurt Kola’s answers to journalists’ questions, in his capacity as chairman of the Association and of the strike commission, we note: “Only one district, Propagandë, has called off the strike, because its chairman is a criminal who has massacred the hunger strikers. In Mërditë, the law-enforcement forces prevented the strike from taking place in the district and forced the hunger strikers to gather in Rubik. In Krujë, late last night, masked people forcibly dragged the hunger strikers out of the building where it was being held.” Regarding the hunger strikers’ health, Mr. Kola stated: “Thirteen people have left the strike in Tirana because their condition deteriorated. In Shkodër, two sick people have been taken to hospital. We have no information from the other districts.” The previous day, Mr. Kola told Republika: “We have instructed that, before their condition deteriorates to the point of requiring hospitalization, the hunger strikers should be taken to hospital. Each hunger striker has carried out the task they undertook to perform in the strike.” Regarding the former prisoners and persecutees who have distanced themselves from the strike, Mr. Kola said: “Those who have left us are people who were not persecuted, and persecuted people who are suspect.” Mr. Kola commented on the statement by the group of former-persecutee MPs: “They know their own case and have incurred the hatred of the persecuted. With their statement, they have ensured they will not be elected as MPs.” “We consider the support shown to us by the parties, associations, club and people to be deeply humane... The DP’s statement has nothing humane about it. “The Association does not accept compensation from the Socialists... The Association is separate from the Committee of the Persecutees. We are waiting for the President’s statement...” The hunger strikers’ denunciation of Association members for supporting the strike.” A. K.

The chairman of the Republican Party, Mr. Sabri Godo, visited the headquarters of the Association of Former Political Prisoners on Sunday and met with Mr. Kurt Kola. Mr. Godo once again confirmed that PR firmly supports the Association’s legitimate demands, and that there are many people among its ranks—not only [unclear]. In his statement, Mr. Godo said: “...the Party of Labour [should be gathered] into an agricultural cooperative somewhere in the ‘cat e Shqipëria’ [?] and made to work there to build communism, living according to all the rules of a cooperative’s internal life. But the former political prisoners have a different outlook…” On 8 August, Mr. Godo sent a letter to the intermediary and PR representative in Tirana, Dita, saying, among other things, that its [unclear] should uphold the traditions of the Church it represents, to which the Albanian nation owes many obligations. The visit to the hunger strikers in Shkodër, Vlora and elsewhere was also made by the deputy chairman, Fatmir Mediu, and the secretary-general, Mr. Qerci Minogata, who were informed about the hunger strikers’ health and their demands.

Milosheviç’s embargo on the Bosnian Serbs for propaganda purposes Exclusive: Interview with Stephen Ashly, Balkan specialist The United Nations commander in Bosnia, General Michael Rose, also suggested that heavy weapons be moved 20 km away from the besieged area in Srebrenicë and Sarajevo, as a step toward the complete demilitarization of the city. Will the parties to the conflict accept this plan? I do not believe that any of the parties to this conflict will accept the complete demilitarization of the city. The Bosnian government certainly supports the idea of placing all heavy weapons under United Nations control. That would leave a city at risk and under siege by Serbs and Muslims, etc., and would allow the Serbs to continue their campaign in Sarajevo, which has been going on for two years. As is known, the United Nations issue became a major conflict, but they moved with [illegible text]. Serbian President Slobodan Milosheviç has promised to change his stance toward the Bosnian Serbs and expects economic and political assistance from them so that they accept the peace plan presented by the Contact Group. Milosheviç’s [unclear] has been described as neutral; there is even a report that in the south in February, when an ultimatum was delivered to remove the weapons, the Serbs still refused to sign an agreement on heavy weapons. I think the problem is that the United Nations troops in Bosnia lack the necessary strength and capacity to control the entire area around Sarajevo, because they are nearby and have other duties to perform, and they say the Serbs will return to Bosnia; and although General Rose seemed to think they would accept it, he does not know the reality. Interview by: LUTFI DERVISHI The United Nations have not been able to control the entire area. Therefore, it cannot be expected that this embargo will be more successful or better controlled by the United Nations. It had more of a propaganda effect, and Milosheviç did not take it into account. In reality, I do not think it poses a serious threat to the Serbs in Croatia (KNIN), and assistance to them [unclear] passes through the Bosnian Serbs. In this way, you can help in such a situation. A convoy is compelled to help the Serbs in Croatia to [unclear] against the Bosnian Serbs. The two-year experience of the embargo imposed on Serbia and Montenegro also shows that it was not successful, because it was breached. The United Nations have not been able to control the entire area. Therefore, it cannot be expected that this embargo will be more successful or better controlled by the United Nations. It had more of a propaganda effect, and Milosheviç did not take it into account. In reality, I do not think it poses a serious threat to the Serbs in Croatia (KNIN), and assistance to them [unclear] passes through the Bosnian Serbs. In this way, you can help in such a situation. A convoy is compelled to help the Serbs in Croatia to [unclear] against the Bosnian Serbs. The two-year experience of the embargo imposed on Serbia and Montenegro also shows that it was not successful, because it was breached. The United Nations have not been able to control the entire area. Therefore, it cannot be expected that this embargo will be more successful or better controlled by the United Nations. It had more of a propaganda effect, and Milosheviç did not take it into account. In reality, I do not think it poses a serious threat to the Serbs in Croatia (KNIN), and assistance to them [unclear] passes through the Bosnian Serbs. Interview by: LUTFI DERVISHI

On Sunday afternoon, the crazy N. of the capital was seen on the railway streets with a portrait of Hyrjet Beqiri in her hands. “This Hyjadet wants to save Albania,” the madwoman shouted. She was also seen at Rinas Airport with pictures [?] bearing Hyjadet’s colors. Someone said she was selling them to Kosovars boarding the last flights. On Monday, the madwoman said in the central square: “Damn Albania, which doesn’t want Hyjadet.” On Tuesday, the madwoman N. caused an incident in front of the Ministry of Justice. “They haven’t approved my application to serve as a lawyer, and she N. with an appointment as a lawyer could acquit six innocent citizens” [?]. Moldova the chairman of the Albanian parliament, Will the decision to dismiss the Hungarians for opening the files be condemned? On Tuesday, the madwoman shouted loudly: “I will rise from Albania for Albania! I’ll put down roots at home because I’m going to establish a party that will play on the new agenda. Which MPs were fought by parliament?” To translate and gener-ate the Greek citi in Greece. Let these be announced to the people. KRONIKANI

Statements and reports from the Hunger Strike of the former five sentenced [?] Page 2 The State and Bureaucracy Page 3 Brothers must become Greeks in order to escape from Albanians Page 3 Political Persecutees in the Countries of the East Page 4