Media biased in Kosovo reporting

Media biased in Kosovo reporting

Unlike earlier -- when extremely broad publicity was given in
The Jakarta Post and other media to the situation in the Serb
province of Kosovo, with an abundant number of reports, articles,
analysis and opinions, as well as disturbing images on television
every day -- news and reports from Kosovo over the past month
have been very scarce or totally absent in Indonesia. For an
uninformed outsider this would mean that this is because the
situation in Kosovo is favorable, and there is now peace and
safety for all of its citizens.

However, this is not the case. The current situation in Kosovo
is worse than it has ever been. Serbian civilians and other non-
Albanian people are being murdered every day, their houses and
apartments are set on fire and robbed. They are being forcefully
evacuated from their houses and apartments, they are being
subjected to threats, intimidation and forced to leave. And those
who dare to stay are murdered. The most horrible ethnic cleansing
is taking place in Kosovo. There is an uncontrolled madness.
Albanian separatists, terrorists, members of the KLA and criminal
gangs from Albania have transformed this Serbian province into an
area with the highest concentration of illegal weapons, drugs,
mafia and other criminals. And all of this is going on in the
presence of about 35,000 United Nations (KFOR) security forces
and the civil administration of the UN (UNMIK).

To give an example: during the two month period after KFOR and
UNMIK had taken responsibility for the security of citizens and
property in Kosovo, over 200,000 Serbs, Montenegrins and other
non-Albanian citizens were expelled through a systematic
campaign of "ethnic cleansing". In two months, terrorists have
killed over 200 and wounded over 400 civilians, including women,
children and the elderly. They have mainly been Serbs and other
non-Albanian civilians.

About 40,000 privately owned houses and apartments were
robbed, demolished and set on fire. About 40 Serb churches and
medieval monasteries were burnt down or demolished -- many of
which had been declared part of Europe's cultural heritage. About
80,000 Serbs and non-Albanian civilian workers were chased away
from their jobs by people using force and intimidation. The list
of similar vicious acts is endless.

And all of the above has not been enough for Kosovo to
continue making the news in this country. Apparently, the ethnic
cleansing and murder of Serbs is not such sensational news after
all. Or, perhaps, the lack of publicity is a result of an effort
to avoid admitting former non-objectivity and bias in informing
the Indonesian public about the situation in Kosovo and about the
real nature, attitude and goals of Albanian separatists and
terrorists in Kosovo.

DUSAN STOJKOVIC

Charge d'Affaires a.i.

Yugoslav Embassy, Jakarta