Kosovo – Constitutional Rights and Their Abuse in the Totalitarian Yugoslav State(1981-1990)

Abstract

In the Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia of 1974, from its preamble and to the last of its article, theoretically the rights and freedoms of its citizens are defined satisfactorily. These freedoms and constitutional rights, especially after the year of 1981 (march demonstrations in Kosovo) have been violated and abused in the worst possible manner by the state institutions of the Yugoslav Federation, particularly when Kosovo’s Albanians where in question. George Orwell, in the “Animal Farm” wrote that the rights existed but they do not apply to everyone. Although 1981 is considered the year that put Kosovo in the map of “hot countries”, this year is considered the year of the commencement of violence, horror and terror on the Yugoslav-Serb state that ended with the death of over 14,000 citizens and with over 2000 missing from the 1998-99 war.

Throughout this period, Kosovo’s Albanians experienced prosecution, arrests, isolation and imprisonment without trials, poisoning of the students and youth and executions committed without a law by the police. The Yugoslavian military also begun to murder young cadets on their constitutional service who then where returned home on coffins diagnosed as suicides. The South African segregation was applied also to Kosovo’s Albanians on employment, education, health, culture and sport. Simply put this year is recognized as the Dark Year for Kosovo’s Albanians as a result of the forms of repression and state terror that had begun and lasted until the 10^th of June 1999, when it definitely leaves Kosovo.

Keywords: Kosovo, demonstrations, constitution, murder, Yugoslavia