Visit our website: HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --------------------------------------------- "Solana, Macedonia was a peaceful country before NATO and KFOR bandits arrived." Displaced Macedonians, Afraid of Rebels, Camp in Front of the Parliament SKOPJE, Jul 30, 2001 -- (Agence France Presse) Still traumatized by ethnic Albanian guerrillas back in their home villages, displaced Macedonians have spent another night in front of the republic's parliament, grouped around an old tractor covered with the state flag. About a hundred of them were camped out overnight Saturday around the communist-style state building, on a lawn parched by drought, with their clothes scattered over garbage bins. Barefoot Dimitrov, from the northwestern village Lesok, was categoric: "I will stay here, I have no other place to go." His anger was directed mostly at the West, which he has accused of "supporting" the ethnic Albanian guerrillas of the National Liberation army (NLA). He is also angry at the government which he accuses of having "ignored" people like him. "I saw my house being burnt down by the Albanian terrorists," he said, insisting that his "was the first house at the entrance to the village." He says that yesterday he was a "rich farmer." Today his life has been turned upside down. He has been camping for days on the lawns of the parliament, in central Skopje, with hundreds of other villagers who have fled their homes in fear of attacks by NLA rebels. "The only thing we have left is our lives," villagers said with resignation in their voices. Their mountainous villages, surrounded by fertile fields, are situated along the road linking Tetovo, the main Albanian-populated town in Macedonia with Jazince, on the way to the neighboring UN-administrated Yugoslav province of Kosovo. The Albanian-populated province is considered as the main logistical base for the NLA rebels operating in Macedonia. The displaced Macedonians said the nights were the worst, filled with anxiety, so "nobody slept properly for days." "You could hear the exchange of fire between the terrorists and our forces, but when our policemen ran out of ammunition, there was silence. And then, they (the rebels) entered our houses," Metodija, another villager said, bitter and traumatized by recent events. "There were five of us in the house, and they arrived with arms," another woman said. "They were no older than 20. They ordered us to put out hands up before chasing us out." "Then they put us in group, there were several dozen of us, and ordered us to march in front of them. They shot in air and immediately disappeared into the woods. They were armed to the teeth," the woman, Tatjana said. A young man, obviously nervous, added: "It was then that our Albanian neighbors came and started burning our houses in front of our eyes." "If the government does not stop this, they will be in Skopje in a month, and than it will be a real carnage," he warned. Behind him, someone was singing a patriotic Macedonian song: "Macedonia, your name will never die." Armed policemen, some kalashnikovs, their faces marked with fatigue, were guarding the stairs of the parliament, but often monitored the displaced people. The villagers have set up cardboard placards calling attention to their plight: One read "Europe, ready to accept Macedonian refugees?" Another was directed at the European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana. "Solana, Macedonia was a peaceful country before NATO and (Kosovo peacekeepers) KFOR bandits arrived," it said. Suddenly, the anger was turned on the Western reporters. "Get away from here, you gang of filth, this is all your fault," some of them shouted. ((c) 2001 Agence France Presse) __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Make international calls for as low as $.04/minute with Yahoo! Messenger http://phonecard.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------------------------- This Discussion List is the follow-up for the old stopnato @listbot.com that has been shut down ==^================================================================ EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9spWA Or send an email To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] This email was sent to: [email protected] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
