By Ramadan Ilnica & Qemal Biraku
Part Three
Memorie.al / The materials of this article that we are publishing below in several issues were prepared based on documents from the Albanian Secret Services, during a period that begins in the late 70s and ends in the early 80s, when the people of Kosovo rose in mass demonstrations, demanding more independence. All of this material refers to a secret file that agents of the Albanian State Security managed to steal from the secret safes of Division 11 in the Yugoslav Army of that time. The “Kosovo” file, processed by specialized structures of the Albanian Secret Services, was commissioned by the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Albanian Party of Labor (PPSH), with the personal interest of Enver Hoxha, a few years before he died.
Continued from the last issue
Serbs Have No State Plan to Take Kosovo
“Even the very method of carrying out the colonization was not implemented properly. The most important thing is that for such a problem, with so much importance, there is no specific state plan that every regime should adhere to and implement. Work was done piecemeal, day by day; every minister destroyed the old one of his predecessor, but without creating anything solid himself.
Laws and regulations were changed, but even when they were weak, they were not put into practice. Some, especially deputies, if they were from old regions, when they could not win the mandate from their own nationality, would go down to the south and seek the mandate from their nationality, thus risking great national and state interests. The colonization apparatus was quite expensive, bloated, and filled with people who were not only professionally unprepared but also often arrogant and incompetent, so their work was a question mark in itself.”
The Mistake with Montenegrin Colonists
“Even the few thousand families that were settled after the war did not take root where they were placed. In Kosovo, there was more success, especially in the Llapi valley, where Topličani penetrated from north to south. Here are the oldest colonies mixed with elements from our different provinces, while in Drenica and Metohija, as more stable provinces, we did not succeed. Colonization should never be done only with Montenegrins. Not because they are a bad colonizing element, but because of their tendencies towards animal husbandry, as this only concerns the first generation.
The second generation is completely different, more active and more practical. The village of Petrova in Miroč, above the Danube, which is inhabited only by Montenegrins, is the most advanced village in Krajina. And today in Serbia, thousands of advanced families can be found, especially in Toplica and Kosanica, who are first-generation Montenegrins and were mixed with progressive elements.
This is especially important for Metohija, where direct support in the old hearth made it possible to preserve old customs and habits. For this reason, colonization in all of Metohija had so little success. It must be admitted that all the colonies were settled quite badly, on hilly, thorny, and unproductive lands, and almost completely unfurnished with necessary agricultural tools. Meanwhile, they should have been helped much more, as they are colonies with the poorest Montenegrin element.”
Albanians Fanatically Held the Best Lands
“Without a doubt, the main reason for the failure of our colonization in those areas was that the best lands remained in the hands of the Albanians. The only possible way for our mass colonization in those years was to take the Albanian lands. After the war, during the time of the rebellion and the komitaji actions, a part of the Albanians would be easily expelled to Albania, usurping their properties. We return again to our clumsy mistake, to our post-war concepts of the right to land possession.
Instead of exploiting the Albanians’ own concept, related to their ownership of the land once usurped, something that very few of them had the Turkish deed for, and this they could have only had for the land they bought, we, to our national and state detriment, not only allowed all those usurpations, but, even worse, we taught Albanians the ideas of Western Europe about the possession of private property. In this way, we gave them this weapon in their hands, with which they can defend themselves, keep the best lands, and make it impossible for us to nationalize the most important areas in our favor.
From all that has been said above, it follows that our general method of colonization policy in the south has not given the results that we should have truly achieved and that now stood before us as a great and urgent state task. We did not criticize these methods for the sake of criticism, but to find the right ways to solve this major issue based on previous experience.”
Albanians Aided by Italian Imperialism for Their Cause
“This block of Albanians around the Sharr Mountains is of great national-state and strategic importance for our state. The Albanian block, from a military-strategic point of view, occupies one of the most important positions in our country, a place where Balkan rivers disperse towards the Adriatic, the Black Sea, and the Aegean. The retention of this strategic position largely decides the fate of the central Balkans, especially the fate of the important Balkan Morava-Vardar communication.
It is not a coincidence that decisive wars for the fate of the Balkans have often developed here, so it is an imperative duty for all of us not to let this foreign and enemy element hold these strategically important positions. Even more so, as long as this element has the support of a national state of the same kind. Today it is powerless, but even as such, it has become the base of Italian imperialism, through which it aims to penetrate into the heart of our state.
Against this penetration, our element is the most reliable tool, which will want and know how to protect its property and state. Then, in addition to this block of 18 districts, Albanians and other national minorities in the southern provinces live scattered and therefore are not so dangerous for our national and state life. Colonization from the north should be reduced in the provinces colonized by Macedonians. In these provinces, there is little land, they are passive provinces, and for this, they are sensitive to the influx of colonists from the north. Moreover, in these actions, they look at us with mistrust. It is true that this small colonization harms more than it benefits, because down to the south of Skopje, the people of Vranje and Leskovac should be sent, who are closer to them in mentality and culture, and in no way the Dinarics with their unrestrained, harsh, and impatient temperament, because among the locals, such elements cause evil and bloodshed. The problem of the Sandžak of Novi Pazar is solving itself and does not play the same role for our state life as it did until 1912.
Just to mention that with the displacement of Albanians, the last link between our Muslims in Bosnia and Novi Pazar, as well as with the other Muslim world, is cut off. The fact that they turn into a religious minority, the only minority in the Balkans, will accelerate their nationalization. Lately, Montenegro has become a serious problem, a poor country that is not able to feed its own population, but despite the displacements, it increased by 16 percent from 1912 to 1931.”
The Solution: Only Violence
“In conclusion, it is impossible for Albanians to be emptied only through gradual colonization; this is the only people that during the last thousand years managed not only to hold on to the nucleus of our state, Raška and Zebra, but also to harm us by pushing our borders towards the north and east. Albanians pushed us from the province of Shkodra, from Metohija, and Kosovo. The only way and the only means is the brutal force of an organized state power.
Since 1912, we have not succeeded in the war with them, the fault for this is ours, because we have not used this power properly. There can be no talk of any nationalism of theirs for our benefit; on the contrary, by relying on Albania, their national feeling is awakened, and if we do not settle accounts with them, or leave this to time, in 20 or 30 years we will have a terrible irredentism, the traces of which are already visible, and inevitably all our possessions in the South will be called into question.”
Convincing Tirana with Money to Accept Kosovars
“Let’s start from the point of view that the gradual narrowing of Albanians through our slow colonization is ineffective. Then we are left with the only way, mass displacement. In this case, we have in mind two states, Albania and Turkey. Albania, with a sparse population, with many undrained swamps, and unsystemized arid valleys, would be able to accept a few thousand Albanians from our country.
Modern Turkey, with large areas of land in Asia Minor and Kurdistan, still uninhabited and uncultivated, creates unlimited opportunities for internal colonies. First, we emphasize that we should not limit ourselves only to diplomatic efforts with Ankara, but all means should be used to convince Tirana to accept a part of the displaced. I believe that this work in Tirana will proceed with difficulty, as Italy will hinder this work, but money plays a big role in Tirana.
Turkey agrees to initially accept 200,000 displaced Albanians, specifying that they should be Albanians, and this is a good thing for us and the most accepted form. We must accept Turkey’s wish with both hands and exploit the convention on displacement as soon as possible. During the displacement, the convention, which it has completed in recent years for such issues with Greece, Romania, and Bulgaria, should be studied.
Care must be taken in two things: that a larger quota should be requested from it, while a greater financial aid is needed, especially for arranging the fastest possible transportation issue. Undoubtedly, this problem will cause some international concern, which is inevitable in these cases. In the specific case, we must work to conclude a convention with them on this problem. If we do not succeed in the problem, at least for those displacements of Albanians towards Turkey, they should remain silent.
We remind once again that the mastery of action in Tirana and the rationally used money could play a decisive role in this matter. The displacement of a few hundred thousand Albanians will not lead to the outbreak of a world war. Only the competent bodies should know what is necessary and fight persistently for the realization of the plan, without being afraid of possible international obstacles.
Italy, undoubtedly, will create many obstacles, but today it is too busy with its problems with Abyssinia and Austria; I do not believe it will go so far in its insistence. To be honest, the biggest danger is if our great allies, England and France, get involved in this matter; in this case, they must be answered with coldness and determination, as it is in their interest to secure the Morava-Vardar line, which was seen very well during the last war, and this will be safer for us and for them, only when we fully rule these areas around the Sharr mountain and in Kosovo.”
The Method of Displacement: Religion and Making Life Unbearable by the State
“It is already known that the most effective way is the mass displacement of Albanians from their triangle. And for a mass displacement to be achieved, the first condition is to create a suitable psychosis, which can be created in many ways. It is known that the Muslim mass very quickly succumbs to influence, especially religion; they believe in it quickly and with fanaticism, so first of all, their spiritual leaders and influential people should carry out their displacement, with money or with coercion.
Agitators who will propagate for displacement should be found as soon as possible, it would be good if Turkey would give us these. They should describe the beauty of the lands in Turkey, the easy and pleasant life there, ignite religious fanaticism, and awaken Turkish state pride. Another means would be coercion from the state apparatus.
It must use the laws to the fullest, in a way that makes the stay of Albanians with us as unbearable as possible. Fines, imprisonments, the merciless application of all police provisions must be applied, such as punishing smuggling, cutting forests, misappropriations, releasing dogs into the yards of houses.
As many people as possible should be forced to work in forced labor and every other measure that an experienced police force can apply, such as economic measures, non-recognition of old deeds, merciless taxes must be imposed, the obligation to pay off all private and public debts, and communal and public pastures. Albanians must be stripped of concessions, the removal of business licenses for coffee shops, commercial stores, Albanians must not be allowed to get permits for creating monopolies, dismissal from state and private jobs, and other coercive methods to speed up the process of displacement…”.
“Kosovo File” / The Detailed Scheme of the Serbian Academic, the General Staff of the Yugoslav Army, Would Direct the Purges
The Plan: The graves of Albanians to be destroyed! How girls would become Slavic and the request for 600 million dinars to expel 40 thousand families?!
“All provisions must be applied by force, even in houses, which must begin with the demolition of the surrounding walls of the houses, the rigorous application of veterinary measures, which will prevent their livestock from being taken to the market. Also, practical measures with efficiency must be applied. When it comes to religion, Albanians are very sensitive to it, so they must also be affected.
This can be achieved through the ill-treatment of clerics, the destruction of cemeteries, the prohibition of polygamy, and, especially, the merciless application of the law for the forced sending of girls to elementary schools, wherever they are located. Private initiative can also help a lot in this regard. Our colonists, if necessary, should be given weapons. A wave of Montenegrins from the mountains must be released to exchange widespread conflicts with Albanians in Metohija.
This conflict must be prepared by trusted people, incited and given momentum by them, so that a real psychosis is created, as if the Albanians have risen, and on the other hand, all events must be presented with pity as a conflict of brothers and tribes; if necessary, it can be given an economic character.
After all, local disturbances can also be incited, which will be suppressed in a bloody manner with the most effective means, but not so much with the army, as with colonists, Montenegrin tribes, and Chetniks. There is also one more means, which Serbia used in 1973, by massively burning Albanian villages and city blocks./ Memorie.al
(From the elaboration of Čubrilović).
Continued in the next issue
