Date: Fri 02-Apr-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

Behluli-Kosovo

Full Text:

Local Family With Ties To Kosovo Waits And Worries

(with photo)

BY STEVE BIGHAM

It is not easy for the Behluli family to watch television these days. The news

footage of its war-torn homeland of Kosovo hits home. As violence, oppression

and death continue to run rampant in the Yugoslavian province, the Newtown

residents worry and wonder about those they left behind.

Nasser and Hidajete Behluli moved to the United States five years ago, hoping

to find a better life for their children, Kaltrina and Besmir, who are both

students at Newtown Middle School. The family rents a home on a farm along

Hundred Acres Road.

"We're happy to be here, but we're worried about our friends and family still

over there," said Hidajete, who, like her husband, is ethnic Albanian.

Just over a year ago, Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic launched a

crackdown on mineral-rich Kosovo in an effort to oppress its Albanian

population. President Milosevic has resisted international efforts to bring

peace to the region, and his government's "ethnic cleansing" policy has

resulted in the execution of hundreds of civilians and members of the Kosovo

Liberation Army (KLA). Thousands more have been forced out of their homes and

herded into the nearby province of Macedonia and the sovereign nation of

Albania. Most of these refugees are women, children and the elderly. Many more

men are feared to have been executed. Human rights activists around the world

are warning of a great humanitarian catastrophe.

Among those believed killed is Fehmi Agani, a close aid to ethnic Albanian

leader Ibrahim Rugova, who was a negotiator during failed peace talks earlier

this year. Also reported dead as part of this ethnic cleansing is Baton

Haxhiu, editor in chief of Koha Ditore, the Albanian-language newspaper in

Pristina.

Meanwhile, NATO's week-long bombing campaign has been escalated to target

Serbian tanks, artillery and troops in the field in and around Kosovo. The

Behlulis say they can only pray that their friends and loved ones do not fall

victim to the Serbians.

Nasser saw the handwriting on the wall more than five years ago as he watched

the Serbs wreak havoc on the provinces of Bosnia and Croatia.

"We knew it would happen to Kosovo, too," he said. "We feared we too might be

killed."

In 1992, the Behlulis, with little more than the clothes on their backs, left

their family, friends and homeland behind. The Behlulis still own a home in

Pristina, the Kosovo capital, and they wonder if it is still there. They have

not spoken to their family and friends in almost two weeks, and they worry

about their fate.

"I have a brother, a mother and sisters. We have had no contact since the

bombing started. We are really worried," Nasser explained.

The Newtown resident spent 10 years working at the airport in Pristina, an

area which was reportedly hit hard by the NATO bombing raids.

The Behlulis say they are overjoyed by NATO's decision to intervene. The

slaughter has gone on too long, they say.

"We've been waiting for NATO to help for a long, long time," Nasser said. "If

it wasn't for NATO, I'm sure there would be more war. Hopefully, the process

will now move along quicker."

However, it does not look as if President Milosovic is going to back down.

Despite the continuous air strikes, the Yugoslavian leader and former head of

the Serbian Communist Party continues to either kill or drive Albanians out of

the country. He refuses to let Kosovo slip away toward independence because of

its value to the Yugoslavian economy.

"He is an evil man," Hidajete said. "But we can't understand why he still has

Serbian supporters. He has already lost Bosnia and he has already lost

Croatia."

The situation in Kosovo had grown unpleasant even before the Behluli family

fled the country. Ten years ago, Nasser remembers Albanians and Serbs working

together in harmony. However, things quickly began to change in the early

1990s. Many Albanians were fired from their jobs and Serbs began bringing guns

with them to work.

Last year, Nasser traveled to Washington DC where he demonstrated for Albanian

aid. Kosovo's population is 90 percent Albanian, 10 percent Serb.

The Behlulis say Newtown has always filled a special place in their heart.

Five years ago, the community embraced the family during their struggle to

find a place to live. They had been living in an apartment at the Hawley Manor

Inn (prior to its renovations under new ownership). However, they were left

with no place to go when the inn closed its doors. Donations and a

contribution from the Newtown Fund helped the family get back on its feet.

Back then, Nasser spoke little English. Today, he speaks almost fluently,

allowing him to make a better life for himself and his family.

Both Nasser and Hidajete work at the Hawleyville Leather Company.