Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06PRISTINA1053
2006-12-09 12:29:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Pristina
Cable title:  

'TIS THE SEASON ... SERB CCK OBSTRUCTION FORCES

Tags:  PREL SCUL PINR KDEM YI 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO0968
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DE RUEHPS #1053/01 3431229
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 091229Z DEC 06
FM USOFFICE PRISTINA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6799
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0932
RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RHFMISS/AFSOUTH NAPLES IT
RHMFISS/CDR TF FALCON
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEPGEA/CDR650THMIGP SHAPE BE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RUFOANA/USNIC PRISTINA SR
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PRISTINA 001053 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/SCE, EUR/PPD
NSC FOR BRAUN
USUN FOR DREW SCHUFLETOWSKI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/26/2015
TAGS: PREL SCUL PINR KDEM YI
SUBJECT: 'TIS THE SEASON ... SERB CCK OBSTRUCTION FORCES
CANCELLATION OF USOP HOLIDAY CONCERT

Classified By: COM Tina Kaidanow for reasons 1.4 (B) AND (D).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PRISTINA 001053

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/SCE, EUR/PPD
NSC FOR BRAUN
USUN FOR DREW SCHUFLETOWSKI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/26/2015
TAGS: PREL SCUL PINR KDEM YI
SUBJECT: 'TIS THE SEASON ... SERB CCK OBSTRUCTION FORCES
CANCELLATION OF USOP HOLIDAY CONCERT

Classified By: COM Tina Kaidanow for reasons 1.4 (B) AND (D).


1. (C) Summary: A newly appointed hard-line Serb CCK leader
in Gjilane/Gnjilane reportedly exerted strong pressure on the
parents of Serb children who were allowing their children to
sing in a USOP holiday concert. The Serb children from the
Gjilane area are members of Kosovo's only mixed-ethnicity
youth choir. USOP has organized a holiday concert in
Pristina for several years with this choir, but as a result
of this non-participation has been forced to cancel the
event. COM and DPO attempted to intervene with
Gjilane/Gnjilane Serb officials, and DAS DiCarlo even raised
the matter during her meetings with Serb leaders, but it
appears that further pressure from our end would only impact
on parents who were reportedly threatened with the loss of
civil service jobs. CCK pressure on local Serbs,
particularly in Kosovo's south, looks to be part of a
sustained pressure campaign to discourage Serb participation
in Kosovo institutions and break remaining ties with Albanian
communities. End summary.


2. (U) USOP's Public Diplomacy section has been the steward
of one of Pristina's only holiday traditions, an annual
concert in the main performing arts center. The centerpiece
of the concert has for four years been "Birds Are Singing", a
talented multi-ethnic youth choir from the Gjilane/Gnjilane
area that sings in both Serbian and Albanian. In addition to
the annual concert, PD has worked with the group providing
sheet music and other support. USOP has traditionally
brought the children to Pristina for a rehearsal and the
performance itself, outfitted them for the event, given them
gifts, fed them a holiday meal, and taken them back to
Gjilane.


3. (C) PAO received word that the newly arrived CCK
Representative for the Gjilane region, Radovan Denic, was
opposing the participation of Serb children. DPO travelled
to Gjilane on November 29 to meet with Deputy Mayor Borislav
Peric and to press for Serb attendance. Peric, a former IV
grantee, said that he was sympathetic, but intimated that the
parents of the children had been told they would lose their
civil service jobs if their children took part. Peric
nevertheless claimed that he supported the initiative and
would pursue the issue.


4. (C) COM and visiting DAS DiCarlo discussed the issue with
Peric on the margins of a US-EU meeting with Serb municipal
leaders in Novo Brdo on December 5. Peric again promised to
do what he could, but subsequently told USOP that it would
not be possible for the children to perform, once more citing
pressure on their parents. The Serb choir director later
called USOP to say that he, too, would be unable to
participate in any activities this year.


5. (C) Comment: We have an active portfolio of USAID and PD
programs in Serb areas. Others of PD's Serb participants and
partners have reported increasing pressure to cut ties as
well. Most have not yet folded, but there are signs that
that may change, particularly regarding our multi-ethnic
ACCESS English classes and other programming in the American
Corners in Mitrovica and Gracanica. Most notably, PAO was
told by the Director of the Gracanica Music School that music
students whom PD had invited and transported to a concert in
Pristina two weeks previously suddenly "were not interested"
in attending USOP's Jazz Ambassador's program this past
weekend. USOP is one of the few institutions in Kosovo that
can bring Serbs and Albanians together; it is a vital tool of
our diplomacy and a critical lifeline between two estranged
communities. To pursue this further on our end would only
add to the pressure on the parents of the singers, but we
find this a worrying sign of future CCK/Belgrade policy with
regard to ties between Serbs and Albanians in Kosovo,
especially in the south, where relations have generally been
tolerant if not warm between the two communities. End
Comment.


PRISTINA 00001053 002 OF 002



6. (U) Post clears this message in its entirety for release
to Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari.
KAIDANOW