RELATIONS BETWEEN DECANI MONASTERY AND LOCAL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PRISTINA 000448 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR DRL, INL, EUR/SCE NSC FOR BRAUN USUN FOR DREW SCHUFLETOWSKI E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL KCRM PGOV PINR KDEM UNMIK YI SUBJECT: RELATIONS BETWEEN DECANI MONASTERY AND LOCAL COMMUNITY HAVE IMPROVED REF: PRISTINA 352 PRISTINA 00000448 001.2 OF 002 SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED, PROTECT ACCORDINGLY ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY. In the month since SRSG Jessen-Petersen extended the controversial protection zone around Decani Monastery, relations between the Monastery and the local Kosovo Albanian community have improved. KFOR has removed the fixed checkpoint outside the monastery and replaced it with mobile patrols. Additionally, local Kosovo Albanian schoolchildren visited the monastery. Tensions have declined appreciably already. END SUMMARY. KFOR REMOVES FIXED CHECKPOINT -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Soon after SRSG Jessen-Petersen signed an executive order on May 26 to extend the 800 hectare Special Zoning Area (SZA) around Decani Monastery, KFOR removed its fixed checkpoint outside the monastery (Reftel). Father Sava Janjic told PolFSN on May 18 the checkpoint removal was a joint initiative by Bishop Teodosije Sibalic of Lipljan, Father Sava Janjic and Italian KFOR, as part of the monastery's ongoing effort to improve relations with the local Kosovo Albanian community. Kosovo Serb leader Randjel Nojkic told Ambassador Frank Wisner, the Secretary's special representative for the Kosovo final status talks, on May 22 that Father Sava told him the monastery could not rely on Belgrade to negotiate improved security, and therefore they decided to work directly with the local community while the international community was still in Kosovo. ¶3. (SBU) Local Kosovo Albanians have long complained that the heavily fortified checkpoint inhibited freedom of movement in the area. When it was in place, armed KFOR soldiers would stop all vehicles for security checks that could last 20 minutes or more before letting them pass by the monastery. The road is the only way for residents of the town of Decan to reach the mountains beyond the monastery, a popular destination for local outdoor recreation. (NOTE. Like the former Mitrovica bridge checkpoint, the cement barricades remain in place, and can be re-manned at short notice. END NOTE.) ¶3. (SBU) Local Kosovo Albanians applauded the removal of the checkpoint, which has been replaced with roving patrols that monitor movement on the road passing the monastery. Father Sava said in the days following the removal of the checkpoint, a number of locals stopped to peer into the monastery gates, but the curiosity has since died down. (COMMENT. Removal of the checkpoint, long an irritant for Kosovo Albanians, has gone a long way towards defusing resentment over renewal of the SZA. END COMMENT.) KOSOVO ALBANIAN SCHOOL CHILDREN VISIT MONASTERY -------------- -- ¶4. (SBU) Father Sava said the monastery has started receiving requests from local Kosovo Albanian schools to bring students to visit the monastery. There have been so many requests that the monastery has established visiting hours for schoolchildren and other interested locals: on Tuesdays from 11:00 - 13:00 and 16:00-18:00. He said that this was necessary in order to ensure that monks would be available to give tours and provide refreshments. He said the monastery remains open to visits from international diplomats and military forces at other times. ¶5. (SBU) The first visit of local Albanian schoolchildren took place on May 16, when approximately 30 students aged 13-17 from Isniq village secondary school toured the monastery facilities. The visit was organized by Zeboniso Karajevo of the Decan OSCE office, in coordination with the local NGO "Independent Intellectuals Organization," headed by Adem Lusha. Father Sava welcomed the visit, although he PRISTINA 00000448 002.2 OF 002 claimed Lusha is a local Kosovo Albanian hard-liner and mentioned the NGO is located in the same building as the Dukagjini region Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) veterans association that has long criticized the monastery. While doubting Lusha's motives, Father Sava said the most important thing was that the children came and had a positive experience learning about the monastery and the monks who live there. Nojkic said Sava told him the children were very well behaved during the visit. MONASTERY OPPOSES PROPOSED ROAD TO MONTENEGRO THROUGH DECAN -------------- -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Father Sava told PolFSN the monastery continues to oppose a long-standing proposal recently endorsed by Prime Minister Ceku, to build a 30 kilometer road to connect Decan/Decani municipality with Montenegro. Father Sava said the proposal violates the main principles of the SZA and would destroy the ecological balance of the area surrounding the monastery. He supports an alternative routing that would put the road much farther from the monastery. ¶7. (SBU) COMMENT. The removal of the checkpoint and the school visit to Decani monastery have already produced benefits -- local Kosovo Albanian residents are able to travel the road past the monastery more freely, the monks are coming into more routine contact with area Albanians, and tensions have been greatly reduced. There is a direct and tangible connection between reduced threat levels to the monastery and increased freedom of movement in the area, and all sides are benefiting. The fragile detente needs to be preserved and deepened by realistic agreements during status negotiations in Vienna to protect cultural heritage. END COMMENT. ¶8. (U) Post clears this message in its entirety for release to Special Envoy Ahtisaari. GURIAN