UNMIK/PR/503
PRISTINA--- The Kosovo Transitional Council today issued this statement:
“The KTC condemns in the strongest terms the terrorist attack on a convoy of buses carrying Kosovo Serbs last Friday, in which at least nine Kosovo Serbs were killed and dozens more seriously injured.
The KTC would like to offer its sincerest condolences to the families of the victims of this cowardly attack.
The KTC condemns these destabilizing acts playing to the advantage of extremists on all sides.
There can be no excuse for such violent acts. Resolution through peaceful dialogue is the only way for Kosovo to move toward lasting peace.
KFOR/UNMIK Police will continue to do utmost for shedding light on these incidents.”
In his security briefing to the KTC, KFOR Colonel Harris informed on the latest incidents in the Presevo valley, calling them the most important breaches of the cease-fire since December, before giving a short summary of the facts of the bomb attack on Friday. He thanked the Kosovo Serb community for the restraint they have shown in these difficult circumstances, and emphasised that the demonstrations following the gruesome attack have been mostly peaceful.
UNMIK Police Commissioner Albiston gave a more thorough briefing of the event on Friday, and assured the panel that a major investigation, including police personnel, techniques and other resources are focused on finding the perpetrators and solving the crime.
The members of the KTC all joined in condemning the viscous crime, and expressed their condolences to the families of the deceased. They said, however, that the criminals responsible had not yet been identified, and therefore no ethnic group should be blamed until such had been proven. Several of the members also said that the roadblocks put up by the Serb community were unacceptable, and that they paralysed large parts of the Kosovo community.
The second issue on the agenda was education, and the chairman of the KTC Working Group on Education, Mr. Salihaj, had several points he wanted to bring up before the Council. He requested more information on education to be provided to the KTC and questioned whether the UNMIK’s legal framework applied to the enclaves, claiming that Serb teachers have refused to sign UNMIK documents. He was also critical to the role of UNICEF for drafting curricula for the schools, and appealed to give people within the education sector social security assistance. He furthermore suggested establishing a central commission to deal with reforms within the education system.
Co-head for the Department of Education and Science, Mr. Daxner, gave a comprehensive response to some of the criticism, saying, amongst others, that so far 1,500 Serb teachers (ca. 80 per cent) had signed valid contracts. He emphasised that the department had attended all working group meetings to provide information, and opposed the idea of establishing any central reform commission.
Mr. Daxner said the education sector had seen considerable progress since the arrival of UNMIK, with 410,000 pupils and students in the schools throughout Kosovo.