By DASHNOR KALOÇI

The events of the spring of 1981 in Kosovo, which began at the beginning of March with protests and demonstrations by student youth and then the people of Kosovo, who rose up to demand their legal freedoms and rights, as well as the status of the republic, just as all other peoples and ethnicities that were then in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia had and enjoyed, led by the Bosniak Cvijetin Mijatović (Chairman of the Presidency, May 1980, May 1981), as is now known, had a harsh reaction from official Belgrade. The high leadership of Serbia at that time, headed by Prime Minister Ivan Stambolic (Chairman of the Executive Council of the Socialist Republic of Serbia), on which the Autonomous Socialist Province of Kosovo depended at the time, sent armored forces there and violently suppressed those protests, not only with police forces, but also by bringing the army and tanks into the streets and squares of Pristina and other cities where those peaceful protests took place, where during all those days (March 11 - April 11, 1981), there were a total of 12 victims.

These events, which became headline news in all world media, as well as the public reaction of official Tirana, are now very well known from dozens of articles and archival documents that have been published mainly after the 90s, but what still remains a great enigma and has not been made known to this day is; how did the leader of communist Albania, Enver Hoxha, initially react to those events, what was his first impact on what was happening in Kosovo, and what steps did official Tirana then take to come to the aid of its compatriots in the Autonomous Socialist Province of Kosovo? Did Enver Hoxha stick to what he had said in 1970, that Fadil Hoxha and the senior leadership of Kosovo were doing very well to be against Kosovo being granted the status of a Republic within the framework of the Yugoslav Federation, or had he changed his mind and his position?!

Regarding these etc., we are introduced to some archival documents located in the Central State Archives (the personal fund of Enver Halil Hoxha) which have been unknown until today and will be published for the first time and in several issues by Memorie.al. From the documents in question, it is noted that since March 4, 1981, (when the spontaneous protests of student youth in Pristina first began), until April 3, when Enver Hoxha held a working meeting with Prime Minister Mehmet Shehu and Ramiz Ali on the events in Kosovo, that is, for a month in a row, there has been complete silence and no meeting of the Political Bureau or the secretariat of the Central Committee of the Albanian People's Party has been held, that is, no reaction from the senior leadership of the Albanian People's Party and official Tirana

Likewise, what is noticeable in these documents is the panic that has seized the main leader of communist Albania, Enver Hoxha, who has been ambivalent and undecided about the stance that official Tirana should take on the events in Kosovo, so much so that in another conversation in the Party House on April 5, 1981 with "leadership comrades" (Mehmet Shehu, Adil Çarçani, Hekuran Isai, Kadri Hazbiu, Pali Miska, Spiro Koleka, Rita Marko, Pilo Peristeri, Simon Stefani and Qiriako Mihali, Nedin Hoxha and Behar Shtylla), where they went for coffee, or to play cards, billiards, etc., Enver asks them: "What do you think about the recent events in Kosovo and what should we do? Should we take a stance and be concerned, or not?" Likewise, during another short conversation that Enver Hoxha had in his office with Ramiz Ali about a month later (on May 13, 1981), he told him: "It seems to me that our subordinates should also think about the events in Kosovo and not expect them to think only about me"!

Regarding these etc., we are familiar with these archival documents which belong to the period April-June 1981, where Enver Hoxha held several conversations and meetings, both with his two closest associates (Prime Minister Mehmet Shehu and the Secretary of the Central Committee, Ramiz Alia), as well as with the Political Bureau and the Secretariat of the Central Committee, which are published for the first time and with the relevant facsimiles by Memorie.al.

Continues from the previous issue

ARCHIVE DOCUMENT WITH ENVER HOXHA'S CONVERSATION WITH MEMBERS OF THE POLITICAL BUREAU AT THE PARTY'S HOUSE IN TIRANA, REGARDING THE EVENTS IN KOSOVO, ACCORDING TO NOTES KEEPPEN BY BEHAR SHTYLLA

NOTES FROM COMRADE ENVER'S CONVERSATION WITH COMrades of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Albanian People's Party on the Recent Events in Kosovo

Tonight, comrade Enver toasted at the Party house. One after another, comrades Mehmet Shehu, Adil Çarçani, Hekuran Isai, Kadri Hazbiu, Pali Miska, Spiro Koleka, Rita Marko, Pilo Peristeri, Simon Stefani and Qiriako Mihali also came. Comrade Nedin Hoxha and I were also there. After other matters, comrade Enver addressed the comrades with the question:

– What do you think about the recent events in Kosovo and what should we do? Should we take a stand and be concerned or not? We have all read the news and we need to decide on this issue. Since almost the entire leadership is here tonight, it is good to talk.

At first, Comrade Enver asked Comrade Spiro what he thought. Comrade Spiro expressed the opinion that we should express ourselves with an article in defense of the efforts of the people of Kosovo for their rights and against the barbaric repressive measures of the Yugoslav leadership.

After him, comrade Adil took the floor, who also spoke about the article, arguing that this is our right and duty, and is not at all interference in the internal affairs of Yugoslavia.

Comrade Hekuran Isai, arguing with the conjunctures and interests of our country's Security, expressed the opinion that perhaps at this time we should not go public on this issue.

Comrade Rita Marko said that we should come out with an article, both our people and the people of Kosovo are waiting for what our Party will say, and this will have a positive effect.

Comrade Kadri, although he considers the events in Kosovo positive and considers it right for our Party to take a stand, thinks that perhaps the public stance may not be expressed immediately these days, but rather when it will be most appropriate.

Comrade Pali expressed his willingness to come up with an article.

At this moment, comrade Enver took the floor, saying that apparently all comrades are of the same mind that we should take a stand, with the exception of Hekurani who thinks that this should be done at another time. I, comrade Enver continued, have talked with Mehmet and Ramiz, and so we have decided, as you said, to come up with our point of view on the recent events in Kosovo.

Comrade Enver said that we thought of acting in this way:

On Tuesday, we will publish an extended news story on these events in the press, based on the news from "Tanjug" and the speeches of various leaders of Kosovo, Serbia, and Yugoslavia, citing those parts and those characterizations which will then be used in the article both as facts and to attack them.
We will publish an article about these events on Wednesday or Thursday.
Then comrade Enver developed the reasons why it is necessary to take a public stance on these events. The main ideas he developed, briefly, are these:

Our party and state must express their position publicly on these events, because we maintain a strong position on important events everywhere in the world, even in distant countries. How can we remain silent then about these events that are happening on our border, in Kosovo, for our brothers?! Neither our people nor Kosovo would understand this silence.
Our Party's stance on these events is expected by our people at home, by the people of Kosovo, and by world public opinion; this must also be the case within Yugoslavia. Let us dot the i's, and let everyone see clearly the correct, principled, consistent, and unwavering stance of our Party and State.
This will be a great support for the people of Kosovo. Our brothers in Kosovo will see this time too that mother Albania is with them in every difficult case, just as Kosovo will always be in support of Albania, and the Yugoslavs will also understand that we do not let them do as they please with the Albanian people in Kosovo and elsewhere. This is very important.
Comrade Enver, assessing the events in Kosovo, noted the following, with key aspects:

The events that took place in March and the first days of April in Pristina and other parts of Kosovo are positive and of great importance. Students, workers, the people of Kosovo are fighting for their rights that are recognized by the Yugoslav Constitution, but which are in fact denied to them. Perhaps the moment and the path chosen for this action were not the most appropriate at the moment, but these are what they judged; they are acting for a just cause.
As it turns out, these events are not spontaneous. There is organization there, and not only in Pristina, but throughout Kosovo. These events were prepared, and this was known in advance. We have no hand in these events, our principled position on the Kosovo issue is well known even to the Yugoslavs, despite the allusions made in the press and in their speeches, but of course, in this growth of national consciousness and fighting spirit in Kosovo, the policy of our party, the various connections, the cultural exchanges of our people with Kosovo, have their influence.
The leadership of the province, that of Serbia and Yugoslavia, have attacked the people of Kosovo with unprecedented fury and cruelty, have taken extremely severe and brutal measures, even murder: curfew, arrests, raids and torture, patrols with tanks and planes. From what we know, because we do not have details, a savage repression is being exercised in Kosovo and we cannot remain silent.
ç. On this occasion, the leaders of Kosovo and the entire leadership of Serbia and Yugoslavia did not leave accusations and vileness unsaid against the Kosovars, even Fadil Hoxha and Xhavit Nimani with their friends were full of bitterness, especially Fadil. They did this willingly or under duress, it matters little. On television, when Xhavit Nimani spoke, he did not raise his head, while Fadil vented his hatred and tried to punch the trapeze.

They went as far as to make monstrous slanders, as if the demonstrators had put children in front so that the police could not shoot. We will say in the article, said comrade Enver, that Albanians are not used to this and are not afraid, gangsters do this, but if there were also school children, this proves that the demonstrations were peaceful in nature.

Meanwhile, the claim of the Yugoslav gangsters means that if the children had not been in the demonstrations, the police would have committed massacres and would have unleashed tanks against the demonstrators.

What problems will be addressed in the article?

Comrade Enver briefly developed the main topics that are intended to be addressed in the article. They will mainly be these:

a – The principled policy of our Party towards the Yugoslav people and Yugoslavia both during the time of the LNC and after liberation.

b- The right of our Party and state to be interested in the Albanian population of Kosovo and other regions, this is also our duty, – and this cannot be considered interference in the internal affairs of Yugoslavia.

c – What do Kosovars demand and why did they demonstrate: for problems and rights that the Yugoslav constitution recognizes for them, but that the Yugoslav leadership ignores or does not take into account.

ç – The economic situation of Kosovo compared to other provinces and republics of Yugoslavia: blatant discrimination with the facts given by the Yugoslavs themselves.

d – Demands for freedom and a republic: not secession, but within the constitution and substantiated: secession from Serbia (Vidic's chauvinistic speech) and a federal republic within the framework of Yugoslavia.

dh – Nationalism and irredentism: well-known political doctrines, and how they should be understood in the case of Kosovo. Those who are themselves irredentists cannot speak of irredentism, etc.

e – Repressive measures and oppression of Kosovars.

to end. Those who think they will scare the Albanians with police and tanks are mistaken. The people of Kosovo are brave and patient, but they will not allow their rights to be trampled on.

- Reaffirmation of our position on relations with Yugoslavia.

– Comrade Enver informed the comrades about the instructions given to our Ambassador in Belgrade yesterday, who last night requested a meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Belgrade. He will say that he has learned from his colleagues that they have been summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and have been informed about the events in Kosovo, while he, the Ambassador of Albania, has not been summoned. He will protest this discrimination. At the same time, he will say that he has learned from the press about the recent events in Kosovo and will demand an end to the unjust repressive measures, etc.
All comrades expressed their complete agreement with Comrade Enver's thoughts.

Comrade Enver, after an intervention by comrade Mehmet, expressed the opinion that it is not excluded that our article on the events in Kosovo will have an effect on the issue of our gold held by England and reparations from Germany, since the Western governments, as bourgeois that they are, will remember that now Albania is breaking up with Yugoslavia and may approach the Soviet Union, therefore they should take steps on the issue of gold and reparations to avoid such an approach by Albania. (Comrade Enver said this with a laugh).

The meeting continued until 20:40 p.m. When comrade Enver stood up, he said that this meeting, even though no minutes were taken, was necessary because the issue was important and we had to decide together.

NOTE: I immediately wrote these notes down after I returned from the Party house. They contain the main ideas./ Memorie.al