Information Service

Prishtinë, 16.03.1999

This is the article of Mr.Adem Demaçi published yesterday in daily

newspaper "Kosova Sot".

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KOSOVA, RAISE YOUR HEAD!

Those that do not have the strength, those that do not enjoy listening

to the bitter words, apart from sweet ones, coming from other people,

let them not deal with public work and let them pass to anonymity

I do not want to think nor say that all these men and women all over the

world wish harm to us; I do not want to say nor think that all these

Albanian political, artistic and scientific personalities wish harm to

us, the enslaved Kosovar Albanians, when they suggest, advise and ask us

to sign the Document offered by the Contact Group, in the Medieval

French Castle Rambouillet. All these men and women undoubtedly wish good

to us, but from their own interest, their point of view and their

position. All these people are good and wish good to us from the angle

seen from France, Germany, Italy and Russia. There are different point

of views among the Albanians themselves dependently on their positions

and interests different people have.

The Albanian that lost everything for the freedom of Kosova has a

different point of view and interest regarding the Rambouillet Document.

The Albanians that have got political "capital" or business one have got

a different point of view and interest. The Albanians that live on the

relief of the "Mother Theresa" Humanitarian & Charitable Society have

got a different point of view and interest. The writer that wrote

magnificent novels on freedom, who fed up with freedom and problems of

Albania took shelter in the shining city of the world and from there

looks at us as we are "crazy" that we want to pay every price for our

freedom, has got a different point of view and interest. When we

persistently want our right to freedom, we seem to him as "we want to

boost ourselves". We cannot look like in a different way from the point

of view of the man who had lived crouched, had taken what has been given

to him without disturbing his commodity and who became a hero

post-festum. The great artist of our people calls from the top of Europe

to remove us as soon as possible from the political scene fearing that

we might prevent the signing of the Rambouillet Document; we might

prevent our people became a slave. No, dear sir, do not preoccupy

yourself with such a simple thing. We that refuse to be slaves do not

want to impose ourselves onto the political scene or become "leaders" or

"fathers" of the nation. It was enough for us that Mr. Jakup Krasniqi

said that we were not invited and we left.

No, beloved brother from Paris, to remove us from the political scene is

not simply as that, but I do not know how you can cease the wish for

freedom from the hearts of the oppressed people?

Lately, there have been efforts for the prevention of the campaign

"against Demaçi". This campaign is conducted by outer and inner factors.

Those that make efforts to prevent this campaign are probably led by

highest democratic goals. I am deeply grateful to them for this, but I

would ask them not to bother themselves, while I am alive and fit. I ask

you not to shut the mouth of my people by "the symbol of resistance". I

ask you not to scare my people with "my brilliant biography"! I am still

alive, strong and my biography still goes on. We need to do something

else. We need to teach our people to use its head to decide for

themselves. We can never accomplish this duty, the duty above all

duties, if we shut the mouth of our people by fearing, bribing or

deceiving it. Let the people speak up. Let those utter words be insults

or fabrications. If someone feels good to insult Adem Demaçi, let him

enjoy it. If someone feels good to fabricate about Adem Demaçi, let him

enjoy it. I ask you not to shut people's mouths. The word is the

easiest, the cheapest and the fastest way for the man to get involved

with other people. The word speaks for itself, therefore let people

bring up their white, black, colourful deeds. If we wish good to our

people, we have to listen to what they say. Those that do not have the

strength, those that do not enjoy listening to the bitter words, apart

from the sweet ones, coming from other people, let them not deal with

public work and let them pass to anonymity.

People learn from their own mistakes, therefore let us make it possible

for them to make mistakes, if we want them to learn and make less

mistakes.

I am not a narcissistic and a conceited type.

I will tell you what happened to me several days ago. I went out, bought

the papers and on my way back, I met a group of pupils. Those that

recognized me hailed me, whispering "Adem Demaçi". But, when I walked

some meters away, I heard a clear voice: "Adem-the traitor"! There was

silence for a moment. I continued my way feeling happy that that word

uttered did not make me mad. They knew that I heard the insult, but I

did not respond hereby. Some day, he will receive the right response, it

will be a million times worse than my own response. On my way to the

destination, I thought that it was good that the boy expressed his

opinion, the opinion of his circles. It would be very bad if the boy did

not dare to express his opinion fearing for himself or his circles. It

would be very bad if the boy cried "Long live Adem Demaçi" only because

he felt frightened. I do not want to be a leader of the people, who can

be bribed, deceived or frightened. Therefore, I have been and I am ready

to die for freedom, because in the climate of freedom you can bring up

people that cannot be bribed, deceived or frightened. The bad things

that the mankind is suffering were caused by incompetent people. I will

not speak on the incompetence in the wide international or national

plan. I will limit thereof myself within the period from 30 January,

when in the "Aleksandar Pallas" Hotel in Shkup Mr. Cook, British

Minister of Foreign Affairs, handed us the Document-invitation for the

participation in the meeting in Rambouillet due to be held on 6 February

1999. Mr. Cook kindly received us and accomplished his duty with the

highest competence. He wanted us to immediately confirm our

participation. This was justified by the fact that if the Albanian

delegation did this, he would have an advantage over the Serbian

delegation. Before us, someone had shown a high "competence" confirming

the participation in the meeting of Rambouillet without giving a glance

at the Document at all.

On returning to Prishtina, that night and the next day, the team of our

office digested the Document and notwithstanding the bad weather, we

left for the mountains. There, we expressed our position to some of the

gentlemen of the General Headquarters.

1. The preparation of the meeting is very quick and therefore

unacceptable for us.

2. The Document as such is a synthesis of the so-called Mr. Hill's

Drafts, which were refused by the Albanians. In a few words, the

Document was a platform for a "substantial" autonomy, which will appear

as a cultural one when the make-up is removed from it. Therefore, it is

unacceptable for us.

3. The referendum under the organization, surveillance and guarantee of

the United States of America is not mentioned thereof.

4. The KLA is not mentioned anywhere, therefore elimination of it as the

main force of the victory for freedom and preservation of the freedom is

made known.

5. The Albanian delegation cannot be formed by the Albanians themselves,

but by the organizers of the meeting.

6. If we go to Rambouillet, then we accept this platform as a basis for

the negotiations with the Serbian side.

7. It is unacceptable to have talks with the representatives of the

Serbian regime, which has not applied any of the resolutions of the

Security Council on Kosova and the Agreement Holbrooke-Milosevic

(October 1998). It is an unpardonable mistake to have negotiations with

the representatives of the Serbian regime, which exerts violence, terror

and massacres on the Albanians. This would be legalization of the right

of the Serbian regime to impose a political solution to us by killing

and terrorizing the Albanians, a solution which would be on its favor.

These talks would be under the threat of knife.

On 2 February, I had a press conference and said all what I wanted to

say. You know what happened afterwards. Incompetent people brought us

here where we stand.

Therefore, raise Your head Kosova and remove incompetent people from the

political scene, if you want to gain the real freedom. You will not gain

freedom with people that make mistakes and fail time and again.

We do not have people to lose, therefore all people that proved to be

incompetent to deal with politics, let them go and commit themselves

with other things, which are competent for. Let us not allow them to

cause endless sacrifices and bloodshed in the unrestrainable process, on

our way to freedom.

ADEM DEMAÇI