Only 10% of the arrivals have been helped ON PAGE 5

The deadly trafficking continues along the coast of Vlora ON PAGE 4

Despite the very difficult situation in the country, created by the arrival of hundreds of thousands of Albanians expelled from Kosovo, Tirana’s neocommunist regime has not seen fit to give up persecuting and abusing the Albanian opposition. Just in the past week, political police forces in Tirana and Korçë have been engaged in an unprecedented wave of repression against Democrats. In Korçë, the police assaulted and mistreated dozens of PD supporters and the headquarters of the right-wing party, while in Tirana police broke the arm of a PD activist, torturing him in the cells of Police Station No. 2. Meanwhile, the brutal political campaign has not stopped and continues as before, while psychological repression of the opposition continues at the same pace through the megaphones of those in power, TVSH and the government media. After 29 June, the persecution of the opposition took shape and continues to be one of the main features of Tirana’s neocommunist regime. The change of governments changed nothing, and after being appointed prime minister, Majko declared himself a faithful successor to Nano. This continuity was best demonstrated by the treatment of the opposition and its activists, through imprisonment, fabricated political trials and charges, physical violence, and the use of the police and state security structures as instruments for abusing the opposition. During two years of PS rule, the Albanian opposition has only been persecuted, killed, and abused, as few oppositions in Europe have been. At least 23 Democrats, prominent PD members and activists, have been killed by the government or its gangs solely for their political beliefs. None of the murders has been investigated by the government, and all proceedings to identify and punish the killers have been suspended or dropped. Not one killer of Democrats has been convicted; indeed, in some cases they have been promoted. Azem Hajdari, the tribune of Albanian nationalism, was killed at the PD headquarters, and it has been eight months without the government doing anything to apprehend and punish those who ordered and carried out his murder. The historic hero of pluralism was killed after the government and the secret service had previously set ambushes for him; he had escaped death after a well-known socialist MP shot him in the parliamentary chamber with five bullets. The hero of democracy was killed while the government and Tirana’s official regime had taken particular care to strip him of parliamentary immunity, and this current prime minister had led the effort to leave Hajdari without immunity. Bujari Suli, Frederik Shehu, Bashkim Shkurti, Abdyl Matoshi, Naim Dizdari, Gjin Kolbucaj, and many other Democrats were killed solely for their political beliefs. Meanwhile, the persecution of the opposition continued in parallel through fabricated political charges. Charges of crimes against humanity and genocide kept three ministers and three senior military officers of the Democratic Party government in the cells of the neocommunist regime for nearly a year, while central figures in the PD and the Democratic Party government were threatened with prison or the removal of their parliamentary immunity on these charges. The charges of crimes against humanity were never proven, while the infamous prosecutors of this regime, who made the accusations, continue to receive generous salaries and bonuses and have not even been held morally accountable for making these shameful accusations. The pallid face of the prosecutor general continues to appear unchanged, and his zeal is likewise displayed at the same pace through the other shameful accusations of him and his regime concerning state crimes. The opposition leader and former President of the country, Sali Berisha, has been accused by these prosecutors, as well as by the entire Socialist Party, of organizing the coup; his parliamentary immunity was removed, and only fear of international punishment and the reaction of domestic public opinion restrained the regime from politically imprisoning him. Currently, around 40 people are in this regime’s political prisons: Democrats and citizens who took part in Azem Hajdari’s funeral, accused of staging a coup. The head of the legislature, Eqrem Spahija, Colonel Sali Grushi, and others have been sent to the prisons of the neodictatorship solely because of their beliefs. They have been imprisoned for months without ever being questioned, while being accused of staging a coup. Meanwhile, more than 200 people have been politically accused of plotting a coup, and many MPs, PD political figures, career military officers dismissed for political reasons, journalists, and intellectuals known for their right-wing beliefs have been accused of coups and uprisings and may at any moment end up behind prison doors. The assaults and beatings have been so frequent that not a single official, police officer, or thug in uniform has been punished. This criminal face of the Tirana regime is not only unashamed, but even in the dramatic moments our nation is going through, it appears with the signs of Korçë and Tirana, the attack and attempted [text garbled] of the past seven months, and even the attacks on the PD, under the pretext that the SHIK [State Intelligence Service] [text garbled], and the attacks on the PD central headquarters under the pretext that the SHIK [text garbled]. [The source then repeats the same garbled passage about attacks on the PD headquarters and the SHIK many times.] This philosophy of Marxism-Leninism, converted into criminal political actions and judgments, is pursued solely to retain, at any cost, the power seized by arms in June 1997.

The Ministry of Public Order sets up roadblocks to stop those displaced by Serbian genocide. Police beat refugees staying at the “Arbëria” hotel Koçi: A state of siege for Albanians from Kosovo Tirana, a forbidden zone for Kosovars. Five checkpoints at the entrances to Tirana searched travelers. After 18:00, police collect passengers’ marks.

Kosovo and the Balkan crisis dominate the proceedings of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe By Astrit PATOZI

The opposition condemns the authorities’ passive stance after Serbian soldiers entered Qafë Prush ON PAGE 3

The Marxist consulate at the “Rogner” begins political screening among arrivals from Kosovo ON PAGE 5

“Our aid has been held up at customs” All aid distribution points for Kosovars have closed because food supplies have run out, and other aid that arrived at customs for the Red Cross has been held up for an indefinite period ON PAGE 5

The Ministry of Public Order responds publicly after reports of the seizure of several border posts in the north ON PAGE 3

The Prime Minister of Kosovo continues his visit to Italy ON PAGE 2

Kukës, children expelled from Kosovo in the bread queue

The members of the National Council and the MPs of the PDSH are hereby informed that a meeting of the National Council will be held in Tirana on Monday, 3 May 1999, at 11:00, with the following agenda: 1. The PD’s political positions concerning the national issue and developments in Kosovo, as well as the commitment of its structures to assist those arriving from Kosovo in their efforts to escape the genocide and ethnic cleansing undertaken by the Millosheviç regime. 2. The situation in the north of the country and ensuring the protection of state sovereignty and integrity. 3. The PD’s position on the development of the political revenge campaign, violence, and political proceedings undertaken by the governing coalition.

Important By Astrit PATOZI Strasbourg, 27 April ON PAGE 3

By Bardhyl LONDO ON PAGE 7

If you wish to contribute money for the expelled children of Kosovo, you may send your donation to account number 34220/00/0376 at “Dardania Bank” in the name of the association: “Children of Kosovo, our children”.

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