Canned fish and chicken soup that cost less than usual ON PAGE 5

Children beg in the streets; in Tirana, trucks carrying aid were emptied ON PAGE 5

SHIK employees ambush people arriving from Kosovo and rob them ON PAGE 4

While Albanian President Rexhep Meidani declared in Tirana, on behalf of the Balkans, that the peninsula needed a multiethnic democracy, just 300 km from where he was making this declaration, a group of Serbian commandos occupied two villages where he claims to exercise his authority. Even in this case he kept his composure, the only tool he is tactically using in the face of Serbian aggression against the Albanians. The term multiethnic democracy and the proverbial composure of the Commander-in-Chief of Albania’s Armed Forces go very well together and would work very well anywhere, but not in the case of the Kosovo crisis and the situation Albania finds itself in. The promotion of multiethnicity by a president whose own country has no other ethnic groups, and composure even when his country is being invaded, may work anywhere, but not for the Albanians. Albania’s head of state has continually been known for talking vaguely. Many people did not notice when what Meidani said did no particular harm, but on this day the giants did it in Tirana, and it plays into Belgrade’s hands. In Kosovo, the Serbs are not fighting for democracy for ethnic Albanians, nor for multiethnic democracy; they are fighting against the Albanians, taking away their land and their lives after having already taken away their democracy. They are killing with the same composure shown by Albania’s President these days, and with the same composure with which the latter awaits thousands of terrible reports about the fate of his compatriots. Meidani’s political leitmotif is a formula that, in a similar form, Milosheviç has used and is trying to use to justify ethnic cleansing in Kosovo. Repeating this slogan in Tirana clears the way for his troops not merely as far as Kamenicë in Tropojë, but all the way to the Lana Bridge in the center of the capital. The political invasion of Tirana by people from Serbia began some time ago, so that today Belgrade can see among the Albanians false enemies who are Albanians, and a hidden friend. Three of Albania’s principal leaders openly turned against Kosovo, raising three fingers during the communist revolt of ’97 not only in Vlora’s Flag Square, but also in the square ... in Fier’s main square, in the Ali Demi field in Tirana, at the foot of Gjirokastër Castle, and even at the House in Kukës, where today there is a camp with over 3,000 Kosovars expelled by Belgrade’s three fingers. The offspring of the three fingers built Kreten, the consequences of which all Albanians are suffering today. Precisely during Milosheviç’s difficult days, the composed Albanians of Tirana formed Kosovo’s government, on the basis of which they set aside Kosovo’s institutions—institutions that for nine consecutive years achieved what had not been done for Albanians in a hundred years under Serbia’s rule. Tirana’s injection of support into this government led to the division of the Albanian political factor, diverting its main attention from the anti-Serb front and scattering it between the “Rogner,” Prishtina, the Pogradec lagoon, and the President’s villa on Mount Dajti. Two days ago, Slava’s army was crushing Albanians day after day, while Fatos Klosi’s SHIK agents were screening volunteers arriving from the West on the ferries unloading in Durrës, among them those for the government and those for the KLA. The former are turned back or put in prison. In these circumstances, even after two days, the first arrivals do not understand why this is happening, but the Tirana government has made it its task to break the will of people who have left their comfortable lives and come to fight for their nation and their land. Tirana’s insistence on such division was so great that Albanian officials even whispered to foreign boys that the KLA had many Marxists. No better service can be done for Belgrade, and Tirana could do no more for it; fortunately, it is the non-governmental part that is working for Kosovo and not for Milosheviç.

Survivors arrive in Morinë and describe the horror of the aerial bombardments. The Pentagon confirms the Serbian army’s atrocities against convoys of Kosovars Another massacre by Milosheviç near Prizren. Yugoslav planes and helicopters bomb convoys of people forcibly displaced Survivors arrive in Morinë and describe the horror of the aerial bombardments. The Pentagon confirms the Serbian army’s atrocities against convoys of Kosovars ON PAGE 3

Here is how foreign donations are squandered Of 320,000 people, only 60,000 have received aid from the government ON PAGE 5 Serbia is preparing a military offensive toward Albania

Serbia is preparing a military offensive toward Albania 82 mm mortars are hitting the village of Vlahën, while Padesh and Kamenica are being shelled with 120 mm mortars and 152 mm guns. The civilian population is evacuating Kruma and the surrounding villages ON PAGE 3

International troops under NATO command should be deployed in Kosovo The presence of NATO troops on Albanian territory is not a protectorate, but an opportunity we are giving the Alliance to carry out its operations as successfully as possible to destroy Millosheviç’s military machine in Kosovo and Serbia, Pollo said. ON PAGE 3

The chairman of the Democratic Party, Prof. Dr. Sali Berisha, and Mrs. Berisha, accompanied by the Secretary-General of the Democratic Party, Mr. Ridvan Bode, and the Secretary for Public Relations, Mr. Vili Minarolli, visited the wounded who had arrived from Tropojë and the UÇK fighters.

Elbasan in critical days ON PAGE 5

Authorities appeal to the government to help the arrivals ON PAGE 5

The authorities identified with the Serbian three-symbol emblem ON PAGE 3

The PD and Mrs. Topalli’s intensive diplomatic action to resolve the Kosovo issue Following Mrs. Topalli’s contacts with her Austrian, Italian and other friends, it has been possible to secure the necessary resources to set up two camps for Albanians expelled from Kosovo, etc. ON PAGE 2

Photo after the massacre, taken from AP television

Breaking news During the Serbs’ artillery attack on our border, our border unit, superbly camouflaged and undetected by enemy forces, with unprecedented heroism and without batting an eye, counted every Serbian shell that fell on our land. There were 89 artillery shells and 66 mortar shells. (As for the latter, there was a debate within the border unit: one counted 67, the other 65, and in the end they reached a consensus and settled on 66.) Even when Serbian soldiers entered our land, our border unit hid so well, with vigilance and bravery, that not even the Serbs could discover them; in their anger, the Serbs burned some newly built village houses in Tropojë. Nothing escapes our border guards, who keep their eyes wide open and their ears pricked up so they can hear even a fly crossing the border. And the enemy is wasting its time, however it enters our land and tramples every inch of it—it will never discover our unit. F.Ç.

If you wish to contribute money for the exhausted children of Kosovo, you may deposit your contribution into account number 34220/00/0376 at “Dardania Bank” in the name of the association: “The Children of Kosovo, Our Children”.

To help those expelled from Kosovo, the newspaper “Rilindja Demokratike” is making its pages available free of charge for various notices, such as requests and offers for accommodation, messages from arrivals from Kosovo to other members of their families, etc. You are welcome to visit the editorial office or contact us using the telephone numbers provided: 303 29 and 323 55. THE EDITORIAL OFFICE