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CNN World Report

Minorities in Kosovo Fear for Their Lives

Aired May 20, 2001 - 14:06   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SHIHAB RATTANSI, CNN ANCHOR: War has also created a humanitarian problem for ethnic minorities in Kosovo. They've been living under siege in isolated communities, protected by multinational troops since NATO's 11-week bombing campaign in the province ended. Kosovo's UNMIK TV has more on their lives.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VICTORIA SCHULTZ, UNMIK TV CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Next to the freely flowing river that runs through Prizren, the second city of Kosovo, stands an Orthodox seminary. Behind its heavy gate: 38 people of different ethnic groups have lived under siege for almost two years. Soldiers of the multinational forces in the area guard them night and day.

Their daily bread, as well as other supplies, come from the outside. A former teacher does most of the cooking for the community that an inter-ethnic conflict has brought together. Serbian authorities repress the Albanian majority until the West put an end to it. Now however, ethnic Albanian hostility forces minorities to live in isolated pockets.

This Serbian man lost his travel documents. Anyway, he wants to stay in the lands of his parents and grandparents, even though life here is hard for him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Most difficult for me is that I cannot go out. We feel like prisoners here, and that we are here for no good reason, that is the most difficult for us.

SCHULTZ: The humanitarian agency Italian Cooperation for Solidarity cares for the young and the elderly, who have no safe place to go. The situation is especially bad for Gypsies, because of the deep prejudices against them.

This man did not want his identity revealed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We do not have any reason to stay here. We did not kill anybody. We did not do anything bad.

SCHULTZ: German troops have built a playground for the kids, if they live in fear. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): We don't dare go out to play with other kids. If we go, the Albanians will kill us, my dad, my mom and my sisters because they don't like us, Romas.

SCHULTZ: Inside looking out at people moving around freely is a painful situation both for the international protectors and the protected. It creates outrage and frustration. For these people, safety in the outside world would require heavily armed escorts.

(on camera): As long as their basic security and movement cannot be guaranteed, people belonging to ethnic minority groups in Kosovo remain behind bolted doors, or have to travel in heavily guarded convoys.

This is Victoria Schultz of UNMIK Television reporting from Kosovo for CNN WORLD REPORT.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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