Cutting or Tightening the Gordian Knot

formalizing their long-standing demand of “Kosova-Republika”. Finally,
on 28 September 1990 the Serbian Republican Parliament adopted a new
constitution for Serbia which formally provided for some autonomy of
Kosovo, but without serious competencies, subordinating it completely to
Serbian rule. 45
Immediately after that, a wave of repression against the Albanian
population followed. Not only the political but also the cultural autonomy
was eliminated, and the whole society went practically underground into
civilian resistance.
The following years were characterized by an uneasy quietude, with the
development of “parallel societies” of the Albanian and Serbian part of the
population, and continued Serbian repression by Belgrade. A report by the
then CSCE Conflict Prevention Centre in late 1993 described the situation
as follows:
Since the establishing and further tightening of Serbian power the
situation for Albanian individuals has consistently deteriorated. Cases of
human rights violations have been described by the CSCE Missions and in
the weekly surveys of the CPC since the departure of the Missions. More
serious cases include the killing of unarmed persons by the police, where
the Kosovo Helsinki Committee enumerates five cases alone for the
period of mid-August to mid-September 1993 (plus two cases of death
during police operations without the use of arms).
Reports give the impression that police and other forces of the Serbian
side act like in an occupied territory, preferring to use their arms before
asking questions. Other cases of human rights violations include arrests,
often under accusation of acts against the territorial integrity of
Yugoslavia (which would, however, correspond to the pledged objective
of establishing an independent State of Kosovo). In the broader sense, it
appears that force or humiliating treatment against Albanians are used on
a large scale and at random.
45. W. Libal, ibid., p. 134.
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