Kosovo

http://www.freemedia.at/wpfr/kosovo.htm 

By Oliver Vujovic

More than one year after its ambitious mission to secure and rebuild Kosovo, the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) has not been able to deliver on its promises. However, there are signs that international operations in Kosovo are moving from an initial emergency response to longer-term rehabilitation and development.

On 27 April, the newspaper Dita accused UN translator Petar Topoljski, of taking part in pogroms in 1999 as a member of a Serb paramilitary group. In an article entitled, "When does Petar become Peter", Dita published Topoljski/s address and work schedule as well as a photograph. Two weeks after the publication of this article, the translator was found stabbed to death. On 3 June, UN administrator Bernard Kouchner ordered police to shut down the Dita offices for eight days. Kouchner made this decision under the authority entrusted to him under Security Council Resolution 1244 regarding the establishment of, "civil peace and order, protection of human rights, including the right to life".

Subsequently, the editor of Dita was questioned by investigating officers. "We want to send a message, imperfect as it is, that there is a justice system ... You do not take the law into your own hands", said a UN spokeswoman. After the discovery of Topoljski`s body, Dita printed an open letter to Kouchner saying it would continue to publish the names of Srebs belived to be, "involved in anti-Albanian activities". Dita/s publisher, Behlul Beqaj said he would not back down for his part. "If we discover the facts about an individual, we are not doing it for hate. But if we cover up the facts, we will provoke more hate", said Beqaj.

The independent newspaper, Koha Ditore devoted four pages to supporting Dita, pointing out that it was not the only newspaper to publish lists of war crimes suspects. The Kosovo Journalist`s Association said the closure of Dita was "an arbitrary act which endangers press freedom". On 20 June, Valentina Cukic, a Serbian editor at the multi-ethnic Radio Kontakt in Pristina and her boyfriend were shot and wounded in the Mother Teresa Street in Pristina. At the time of the attack, Cukic was wearing Kosovo Stabilisation Force (KFOR) press credentials, which clearly identified her as a journalist. There was also another violent attack on 17 April when a rocket-propelled grenade was fired at the offices of Radio Kontakt.

Dita ignored the UN rules outlawing "naming and shaming" suspected war criminals and published on 4 June a double page spread disclosing the photographs of 15 Serbs accused of committing atrocities against ethnic Albanians during the 1999 war. On 21 July, The Temporary Media Commissioner (TMC) of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) imposed a fine of approximately US $12,000 on the daily newspaper Dita, and issued warnings to two other Kosovo publications – Rilindja and the women`s magazine Kosovarja – for breaches of article 4.1 of Regulation 2000/37 on the Conduct of the Print Media. UNMIK Regulation 2000/37 on the Conduct of Print Media in Kosovo, which Bernard Kouchner signed on 17 June, reinforces basic principles upheld in European democracies: everyone has the right to expect that allegations made against them will be investigated by the proper judicial authorities and everyone must be presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. After Dita had refused to pay the fine, the OSCE ordered the immediate closure of the daily, until the fine is paid.

The TMC was established by Kouchner on 17 June (UNMIK Regulation No. 2000/36). As a temporary media regulatory authority, the TMC is responsible for the implementation of a temporary regulatory system. The TMC is administratively supported by the OSCE, however, it operates independently of the OSCE and UNMIK. The Current TMC, Simon Haselock, was appointed by Kouchner on 9 August. In accordance with the provisions of regulation No. 2000/36, a Media Appeals Board was established on 29 August. This independent body listens to and decides on appeals against the decisions of the Special Representative of the Secretary General.

On 12 August, the TMC in Kosovo issued an "order to cease and desist illegal radio broadcasting" addressed to the Serb-language radio station Radio S, which violated the Broadcast Media Regulation by operating without a licence. Radio S was closed by UNMIK on 13 August.

Marian Melonasi, a former journalist for multi-ethnic radio station Radio Kontakt in Pristina, who worked this year for Kosovo Radio/Television, disappeared on 9 September. Melanosi, who has a Serbian mother and an Albanian father, complained of being followed for several days prior to the disappearance.

On 10 September, Shefki Popova, a Kosovo-Albanian journalist working for the daily Rilindja, was killed by two unidentified persons in the city of Vucitrn, 18 kilometres from Pristina. Popova was the Vucitrn correspondent for Rilindja and had worked for the Albanian-language newspaper for 26-years. Popova also contributed to the newspapers/s radio station of the same name. Both the radio station and the newspaper are associated with the Democratic League of Kosovo, an Albanian party that opposes Hashim Thaci, an Albanian extremist leader and former Commandant of the military UCK group. International organisations in Kosovo have reported more than 25 attacks on individuals associated with the Democratic League of Kosovo in the period May-October.

In September, the paper Bota Sot was alleged to have violated the UNMIK Regulations by publishing on 4 September an article entitled, "Why Was Osman Ismali Allowed To Become A Policeman" in a context that resulted in his fear of injury. In addition, the paper was also held to have breached the regulations when it published on 11 September an article entitled, "This Is Who Planned The Death of Bujar Bukoshi". The report included the name of Rexhep Selimi in a context that resulted in his fear of injury.

On 16 September, the Media Appeals Board gave its decision in the appeal by Belul Beqaj and the newspaper Dita against a decision of the TMC to impose a fine. The Board found that while there had been a publication contrary to UNMIK Regulation 2000/37 (publication of the personal details of individuals in circumstances creating a risk to life or security), the TMC's decision to impose the sanction had not satisfied the procedural guarantees required by internationally recognised human rights and the applicable law in Kosovo. However, the Media Hearings Board (MHB) of 13 November said that Bota Sot had violated UNMIK Regulation 2000/37 Section 4.1 and its associated Code of Conduct in both cases.

In the Kosovo territory, where over two million people live, there was an eruption of news media during 1999 and 2000. International donors have poured enormous sums of money into the media in Kosovo and there were a number of investments from Kosovo-Albanian businessman. The largest media donor has been the Japanese government, with a US $14.5 million contribution of equipment via the UN Development Programme.

Today, there are seven dailies in Kosovo. All newspapers still have a problem regarding the size of circulation. More than 50 printed media have been registered. There are also numerous private and pirate TV and radio stations, including six KFOR stations and one UNMIK radio station. A total of 77 radio and TV stations sent an application to the TMC in Kosovo for broadcasting licences this year. Radio Television Kosova (RTK), a legitimate Kosovo television broadcaster, is now run by the European Broadcasting Union.

On 1 December, a panel chaired by the TMC was convened to decide on the award of TV Broadcasting licenses for the two available Kosovo-wide TV Channels. TV 21 and Kohavision received the highest scores and therefore the licences. On 11 December, a panel chaired by the TMC was convened to decide on the award of Radio Broadcasting licenses for the two available Kosovo-wide radio frequencies. Radio 21 and Radio Dukagjini received the highest scores and the licences.

There are no reliable audience figures for Kosovo. The highest number of media outlets are broadcast or printed in the Albanian language. Two newspapers are printed in Bosniac-Slavic and one newspaper in Turkish. In the northern part of Kosovoska Mitrovica, where the Serbs live, a newspaper is published in Serbian. Until October, and the ousting of the Milosevic regime, there was a monopoly in distribution of Belgrade media in this area and it was very hard for independent newspapers from Belgrade to distribute copies in Kosovo. The only local private radio station that broadcasts programmes in Serbian, Albanian and Turkish is Radio Kontakt. Radio stations by the international community in Kosovo are also broadcasting programmes in the languages of the minority communities.

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