The announced protests of Albanians, because of the restitution of land of the Dečani monastery, could raise ethnic tensions, also might radicalize the differences between the Albanian parties, which could directly affect the Serbian community in Kosovo.
Media in Pristina are full of headlines on the decision of the Constitutional Court of Kosovo about the return of land to the monastery of Visoki Dečani, which is why the Albanians announced mass protest.
Whether the Dečani may possibly represent “a trigger” for new attacks on Serbs in Kosovo to Sputnik commented Slavko Simić, President of the Serbian List and analyst Dušan Proroković of the Center for Strategic Culture.
Proroković says that in the town of Deçan/Dečani, where the protests are scheduled, “the Serbs are safe, because they have been banished long time ago,” and there are no Serbs anymore. He estimates that the target of the protests could be the Dečani Monastery itself, but he hopes that in this case KFOR forces would react, which had protected the monastery so far.
“If you look at things from all sides, it may come to an increase in inter-ethnic tensions, but also to a radicalization of relations between Albanian entities, because we can see according to the statements of Albanian analysts and politicians that this is a hot topic. Part of Albanian politicians defended the decision of the court, a part was against it. I would rather say that there may be a conflict between the Albanians, than unrests in Mitrovica or elsewhere,” convinced is Proroković.
He does not deny the fact that the political conflict of Albanians may affect the Serbs unfavourably.
“Things are much deeper. This decision of the so called. Constitutional Court of Kosovo is based on the previous decision of the Republic of Serbia from the nineties, where 24 hectares of land returned to the Dečani monastery. This creates a conflict between the Albanian parties – whether to comply with this legal heritage of the Republic of Serbia or not. In this context, it is clear that the Albanian opposition will accuse the ruling parties of being to re-lenient towards Serbia and that Kosovo is not an independent state, and that they respect the previous decisions of the ‘occupiers’, how they say it. This has been seen already, but I emphasize that there is always a risk that the interethnic conflict spills over to the Serbs, primarily in Kosovska Mitrovica. I believe that the demonstrations around Dečani may represent a trigger for the inter-ethnic tensions,” concludes Proroković.
Slavko Simić, President of the Serbian List, believes that the announced protest in Deçan/Dečani is a reflection of democracy, but one should not be violent.
– I expect that the Albanians will not point the finger against the Serbian Orthodox Church and against the Serbs, because it is not good, especially when it seems that inter-ethnic tensions are at a normal level. However, if it comes to the escalation of the conflict, everything has to be done to prevent access to the monastery, but also to any citizen of the Serbian community – Simić said.
