Serbian Broadcast Media Focus on Clashes in Kosovska Mitrovica

Serbian broadcast media focus on the clashes between the international forces and Kosovo Serb protesters in their news bulletins on 17 March. “Peaceful, yet tense”, is how most of them define the situation in Kosovska Mitrovica in the afternoon.

Also, all TV and radio stations carry lengthy reports on the fourth anniversary of the ethnic clashes in Kosovo on 17 March 2004. Various special programmes have been prepared to commemorate this day, but the guests invited to talk about 2004 were mainly commenting current events.

RTS

Serbian national broadcaster, Radio Television Serbia, airs lengthy reports from Kosovska Mitrovica, where they have a correspondent, over TV footage provided by Zvecan-based Most TV.

The main news bulletin airs scenes of NATO-led Kfor tanks around the courthouse building in Mitrovica, where “UNMIK [UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo] police stormed the courthouse, took two Serbian flags down, demolished the lobby where judicial employees were, and tied their hands.” RTS quotes Kosovo Serb leader Marko Jaksic as saying: “Strong UNMIK police forces entered the courthouse with no reason whatsoever, they tied women above all, Serb women, and tried to transport them to Pristina like notorious war criminals.”

When it comes to the very clashes, the station states: “Revolted by the seizure of the court building, northern Kosovska Mitrovica citizens stoned UNMIK members, who, on several occasions, responded by throwing tear gas and shock bombs.” Another Kosovo Serb leader, Milan Ivanovic, says that “UNMIK has refused to talk to judges, Serb representatives.”

There are two exclusive reports on RTS – first the footage of an ambulance allegedly hit by an UNMIK vehicle is shown, with a doctor explaining how the incident happened. It is unclear whether the subtitle appealing to blood donors to report to the Mitrovica hospital is a part of the Most TV footage or something RTS added. Another exclusive are the statements by the Serbs released from detention, some of whom say they were harassed in the detention unit in Pristina.

The station’s daily political magazine, The Eye (Oko), is dedicated to the 2004 riots, and titled “17 March 2004 – Four Years Later”. Current events impose a slightly-different agenda – Minister for Kosovo-Metohija Slobodan Samardzic states live from Kosovska Mitrovica that “instead of acting in line with our agreement, solve all the issues gradually and peacefully, someone [referring to someone from the international bodies present in Kosovo] launched the spectacular action this morning, which could have resulted in many casualties, and someone will have to be made accountable for that. We shall ask that question before the international community.”

RTS introduces a lengthy archive report by saying that “the memories of 17 March 2004 are still fresh. Kosovo Albanians’ mass terror against Serbs and other non-Albanians on 17 March 2004 prompted the international community to launch the process aimed at resolving the status issue, with the explanation that the status quo is unsustainable. The epilogue is 17 February [2008] and Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of independence.” This introduction is followed by scenes of torched Serb houses and monasteries, Serb women crying while leaving their homes.

In a special interview broadcast at 2010 gmt, President Boris Tadic says this is “a very bad coincidence”. “When it comes to talks with [NATO Secretary-General] Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, he told me that the international forces and police had the information that Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija were preparing to storm a police station, so this was a preventive action. I absolutely disagree,” Tadic says before going on to heavily criticize the international community.

B92 TV

Reporting on today’s clashes, pro-Western B92 TV says: “The Kosovo Police Service claims that Serbs used hand grenades, Molotov cocktails and stones, and Serbs claim that Kfor and UNMIK fired shots at them and that they used tear gas, shock bombs and batons.”

In its regular daily political programme, Polygraph, the station hosts Forum for Ethnic Relations director Dusan Janjic, widely- considered to be one of the best connoisseurs of the situation in Kosovo.

After recalling that UNMIK’s actions coincided with the fourth anniversary “of the savage acts which claimed the lives of 19 people and destroyed hundreds of houses, churches and monasteries”, host Jugoslav Cosic asks: “Could someone [referring to the international administration in Kosovo] have sat down, thought this through and said – let us be more flexible, let us deploy some diplomacy – it [the lack of flexibility and diplomacy] is exactly what they sometimes hold against Serbia?” Janjic says: “UNMIK could have avoided doing this on 17 [March], undoubtedly.”

Janjic also states that Serbs too fired shots in Mitrovica – “all the data indicate that violence was used by both sides, that the other [Serb] side fired shots from the Sasa hotel.” He believes that “the National Security Council should meet as soon as possible and assess two things – first, whether the events in and around the court form part of the Action Plan or not. Secondly, it should be established who is shooting on Serbs’ behalf.” Janjic adds that Kosovo Serbs are in favour of a peaceful resolution to the Kosovo problem, “but obviously situations are being created in which smaller groups take over.”"This is the result of a lack of government’s cooperation with Kosovo Serbs,” he says, defining the situation as “a complete chaos”.

Janjic adds the government should learn that “we need UNMIK”, and does not miss a single opportunity in the programme to urge the government to re-establish ties with it, because “the thing people down there need the most is the closest-possible ties with Kfor and UNMIK, in case extremist Albanians launch an action.”

A chance should be given to UNMIK to return as soon as possible (it withdrew from northern Mitrovica after the clashes, leaving Kfor in charge), since “there are those in the international community who want to definitely close the issue of northern Kosovo, and they use these developments to that end.” According to Janjic, the scenario is to gradually integrate Serbs from southern Kosovo within Kosovo institutions, because Belgrade will not be able to help them. “The evil planners” would, in the meantime, “let the Cabra [Kosovo village] dogs, and this is a quote, loose, meaning extremists and terrorists” to molest Serbs (in northern Kosovo, presumably) for a couple of months. “My experience tells me that NATO knows how to use controlled violence in order to influence the way something develops,” Janjic concludes.

Fox TV

“The scene of the battle for the courthouse in Mitrovica”, the US- based News Corporation-owned Fox TV states over the footage showing “burnt cars, stones, tear gas shells, blood”.

Fox TV adopts a very similar editorial angle as B92 TV: “Serbs accuse UNMIK and Kfor of having shot at the demonstrators, thrown shock bombs and tear gas. On the other hand, the international forces also accuse Serbs of shooting at security forces, throwing bombs and Molotov cocktails.” The station then quotes Minister for Kosovo Samardzic as saying before those gathered in Kosovska Mitrovica, waiting for the release of detained Serbs: “Many people have been wounded. Why? Because they were asking for justice for themselves”.

Pink TV

Privately-owned Pink TV, whose owner has distanced himself from his former party, the Yugoslav Left, run by Milosevic’s wife Mira, covers the story at length. It states that “the latest agency reports remind us of the familiar phrase from our recent past – the situation in Kosovska Mitrovica is calm, yet tense.”

This station has a long-established cooperation with a Kosovo Serb media house, Glas juga, whose correspondent reports live from a studio in Pristina, saying that the scene of the clashes looks like “a war scene, with destroyed cars, ammunition and shells”.

Studio B TV

Belgrade municipal TV station carries footage of angry Kosovo Serbs smashing lights on international forces’ tanks over a choice of agency news. “Serbs accuse UNMIK and Kfor of having shot at the protesters, while the international mission representatives claim that Serbs shot at the security forces, as well as used hand grenades and Molotov cocktails,” the station reports following a mini-interview with a doctor from the Kosovska Mitrovica hospital, who says that most injuries were caused by fire arms.

Originally published by BBC Monitoring research in English 18 Mar 08.

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