Conflict in Kosovo
Serbia’s leader, Slobodan Milosevic cancelled the human rights and autonomy of Kosovo as a self-governing province in 1989. Milosevic wanted to restore Kosovo as the heart of the Serbian state as it had been during medieval times. Central to Milosevic’s plan was to remove the 90 percent of the population that were Albanian and replace them with Serbians.
Although Kosovo had lost its self governing powers it had a legislative assembly until it was dissolved in 1990 by Serbia. In response, the Albanian legislators declared the independence of Kosovo.
Kosovo had its own multiethnic parliament, police force, judiciary, and school system Milosevic wanted to replace this with a Serbian system. He introduced a series of policies to achieve this that included financial incentives, loans, land, and jobs. At the same time the Albanians faced police pressure and loss of jobs by summary removal. Serbs replaced Albanians in the police service, public services, and industry. With a policy of a signed loyalty oath, 1,854 doctors and health care workers lost their jobs when they. All Albanian language media were closed resulting in the loss of 1,300 jobs. In the same way over 25,000 Albanian teachers were fired. Estimates set suggest that over 70 percent of Albanians lost their jobs in Kosovo by 1992.
Albanians responded by remaining in Kosovo and boycotting all Serbian run institutions and setting up schools in private homes and buildings. Doctors set up their own clinics, and university classes were held on private property.
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